It burns! It burns! (my lcd projector lens)

October 12, 2010 1:24 PM

Our classroom lcd projector was left on for too long and the lens was burned, according to our tech. This makes everything it projects have a yellowish tinge. Is there any way to adjust the output on a mac mini to compensate for this?

I have to run off to class but I can include specifics about the projector in just a moment.

posted by craniac to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

Uh. I doubt the lens was "burned". Sounds like you either have a bad cable, or that the cable is seated poorly. Get a new cable and make sure you tighten the side screws completely.
posted by mr_roboto at 1:39 PM on October 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

We have had the same problem, if I remember correctly there are three bulbs in the projector and one of them is malfunctioning. I don't know a workaround because the techs at our large state uni came and fixed it within the week. My guess is that there may be a way to compensate for the bulb that is burned out by adjusting the colors correctly.

It made art appreciation class interesting for sure!
posted by schyler523 at 1:47 PM on October 12, 2010

A lens is not something you can burn, but apparently LCD projectors do get yellowish over time due to the blue panel losing intensity, at least according to this page.
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:47 PM on October 12, 2010

Response by poster: Yeah, someone else mentioned that it might be a polarizer. Maybe he was just dumbing things down for the English teacher. It will be a month or two until it is replaced. The cable adjustment was the first thing I tried.

So there's no way to adjust the color output?
posted by craniac at 1:50 PM on October 12, 2010

Best answer: You can make the color temperature that your computer outputs cooler. System Preferences -> Displays -> Color -> Calibrate -> Check "Expert" box -> Click next until you get to Target White Point. Then change the temperature (the higher the K value, the cooler/bluer things look). There's only so much you can do with this, though.
posted by zsazsa at 1:51 PM on October 12, 2010

The problem isn't that everything is too yellow-- as Dr Dracator points out, it's that it's not blue enough. You can't just turn down the yellow on your Mini to fix it, unfortunately, and you can't turn the blue up past the amount that your projector will output.

zsazsa's recommended adjustments might at least split the difference, though.
posted by supercres at 2:15 PM on October 12, 2010

Response by poster: Thanks, Zsazsa's suggestions definitely helped. One has to unclick "use native white point" and then you can play with the slider. I'll ask my guy about the polarizer but I suspect he will suggest I just wait for a new projector.
posted by craniac at 2:31 PM on October 12, 2010

Response by poster: We eventually had the projector replaced.
posted by craniac at 12:13 PM on April 10, 2011