Triple 100" Screen Setup :P

YouTube · Post by **ViciousXUSMC** » 08 Jan 2009, 21:28

No I dont have it, but wondering if anybody has tried it.

I am quite happy using my single 37" monitor for now its all the space I have and all I can afford, but when I do go triple wide I wanna do it BIG!

I was thinking of building my own little area with a wall that is like this _/ and use 3 720P projectors like the Optoma HD 65 instead of 3 monitors.

No bezels! Bigger than Ever!

I wonder why I have seen nobody do it yet. You can find those for like $600 each and thats cheaper than many of your guys's monitors.

I would have to make World of Warcraft the first game I play. Even though I do not play anymore it was like what started the urge to go triple wide for me.

Instead of just looking left and right with your eyes to see the surrounding area, you would have to turn your head and be inside the world of warcraft!

*Evil Laugh* Man I can only imagine doing like a good racing setup too, with the wheel, stick, clutch ect...

I really wanna do this.

Am I insane or just innovative?

Plus projector tech is getting better & cheaper constantly by the time I do this in many years it should not really be too hard to accomplish.

Post by **GeneralAdmission** » 08 Jan 2009, 21:53

Am I insane or just innovative?

Is there much difference? ;)

I'd love to see some pics of a triple-projector setup.

Post by **BHawthorne** » 08 Jan 2009, 22:04

It's been mentioned a few times, I have a triple 720p projector analog TH2G setup. For triplehead projector examples, there are good pics in the gallery at http://www.mycockpit.org of several triplehead projector setups. Projectors bring new complexities into surround gaming like keystone issues and projection edge blending. Those are taken care of by a utility called Sol7 which is available from ImmersaView for around $430 (simpit edition) http://immersaview.com/sol7.html . The driving force behind triple-projection is really the simulator builder community.

YouTube · Post by **ViciousXUSMC** » 08 Jan 2009, 22:23

Or you could just take your time and align them right I would think.

Would be easier but more expensive probably with one of those ultra short throw projectors that only need like 3" to do a 60" screen.

You can easily just place them all at the right height on a table of sorts under your screen and move them till the picture is right.

I was gonna do a simple _/ as building and probably properly adjusting a curved screen will be harder I am sure.

Its just a project on my wish list, once the kids are grown up I will have more money that I know what to do with unless another expense comes up or they dont move out lol.

Post by **BHawthorne** » 08 Jan 2009, 23:16

My setup is still in the screen design stage. I've had the projectors and analog TH2G sitting around for over a year though. The setup will eat up a lot of space in whatever room it ends up in. I've been pondering a screen design that can be put together and taken down as needed.

YouTube · Post by **ViciousXUSMC** » 09 Jan 2009, 07:13

Hmm well you can do like a pull down screen thing so it can be rolled up, or if you want it so it can be move away completely something like an easel but bigger and more upright.

Pretty much a rolling stand. You could roll them into a corner when not in use or something. I am lazy though and would not want to go through the trouble o doing that eahc time Iwant to use the computer screens, so at the very least I would need a regular monitor as a backup on a toggle swich.

Post by **BHawthorne** » 09 Jan 2009, 11:39

I was thinking on using a pipe bender and using a simular frame construction as a camping cot, where you can put together the pieces and take them apart and the screen is stretched over a tubing frame. Think in the terms of tent construction, but in the form of a semi-circlular screen. Hrrrm, now that I think about it, what keeps me from just ripping apart some camping cots and reconfiguring them as a screen with screen material purchased by the roll from ebay?

Post by **MobsterOO7** » 09 Jan 2009, 16:34

Oooooh, Ghimpi thats a great idea. And just like some camping cots you can use springs to keep the "canvas" taught! It would surely make the seamless approach doable.

Mesh · Post by **Mesh** » 09 Jan 2009, 20:31

monitor vs projector, price isn't the only difference.

a monitor doesn't have a loud fan, a lamp to be changed after a few months or the need for an expensive screen.

Post by **BHawthorne** » 09 Jan 2009, 22:13

monitor vs projector, price isn't the only difference.

a monitor doesn't have a loud fan, a lamp to be changed after a few months or the need for an expensive screen.

You don't do it because it's practical. You do it because it's immersive. People don't take into account but projectors have consumables price hidden with them for bulbs. The trick is to buy the $60 bulb and swap out the old for the new in the refractor cage...and not fall into the trap of buying a whole new $300-350 bulb+refractor cage every 2500 hours. Some people complain about the smallest of fan nouse with computers, I don't really get the issue there though. There are specific situations where it makes a lot more sense to do projector. I'm setting mine up for my aircraft simpit. :wink:

Mesh · Post by **Mesh** » 10 Jan 2009, 07:40

You have normal hearing, that's why you don't get that 'noise problem'

I mainly hate fans because they're:

- unnecessary
- proof of a lack of good design
- not cheaper than fanless alternatives

A properly designed device can be fanless, cheaper and still function as needed. Proof is available already but most companies are too dumb to take notice.

Valken · Post by **Valken** » 11 Jan 2009, 16:00

Ghimpi,

Great idea but you can do it much cheaper with PVC tubing found at hardware stores.

Cheap, Super light, easy to cut and shape, and lots of angle joints for you to get it right.

Do show us your creation if you make it!

YouTube · Post by **ViciousXUSMC** » 12 Jan 2009, 07:57

monitor vs projector, price isn't the only difference.

a monitor doesn't have a loud fan, a lamp to be changed after a few months or the need for an expensive screen.

Yes this is true but there are hidden costs in everything.

First of all a projector can be easily anywhere from 30" to over 100"

I use a 37" monitor right now and its great but getting a 60" HDTV instead would start to make the projector a better idea.

Why?

Well the cost of power. A 60" TV can pull like 500w of power while a projector is like 250w, in a years time the energy cost would have paid for your bulb easy.

Also while you may have to replace a bulb about once a year (much longer in my case as I do not use it often) its nice to just replace a bulb for a new "screen"

In a LCD TV/Monitor once you have a pixel die or a set of pixels die... you have to replace the entire unit to fix that problem. The projector itself is going to last near forever and the cost of a bulb replacement is quite cheap compared to the cost of a bigger size HDTV/Monitor replacement.

If your using a 19"/20" monitor then none of this matters, your power draw is small (about 45-60w), your replacment cost is rather low, and it can last a long time. However its an apples to oranges comparison you cant compare a little 20" monitor to a 100" projected screen in any way. The experience of a bigger screen is simply amazing.

I still to this day can easily say the 37" Westinghouse I bought was the best purchase I ever made for my computer. Id rather have my old AMD Opteron system with a 7800GTX on my 37" than my brand new quad core q6600 with Dual ATI 4850's on a 20" Dell monitor.

The experience is that much better!

No matter how good your computer is, the screen is the interface letting you enjoy all that content/power so this is not an area to hold back.

I cant wait to see how cheap and how far projection tech is by the time I can really get serious with this idea. Hopefully ultra short throw projectors have good quality and come down in cost because for 3 screens that will make my life much easier.

It would be really cool to have a throw short enough to attach the projector to the wall itself. Let the center wall be fixed but have the outer two walls on a hinge system so that I can move them in/out as needed for a different effect on the field of view and no calibration would have to be made as the wall & projector would move together.

Oh and noise, that would never matter to me as any time the projector is on sound is going to be covering it up. Esp my setup as I would be blasting surround sound with dual subs.

Post by **BHawthorne** » 12 Jan 2009, 15:19

Ghimpi,

Great idea but you can do it much cheaper with PVC tubing found at hardware stores.

Cheap, Super light, easy to cut and shape, and lots of angle joints for you to get it right.

Do show us your creation if you make it!

Ah, good idea. And imho using PVC might be a very cost effective way to do it. I actually bought a bunch of PVC for aonther project awhile back that I never followed through with, so I've actually got all the pipe and T and L joints to make it right now. I'll keep you guys updated. :)

I'm wondering how to keep the semi-circle bow in the build. Maybe run line between both ends at the top and bottom of the frame to hold the bow. Small PVC is pretty flexible so it should have no problem with a uniform curve.

YouTube · Post by **ViciousXUSMC** » 13 Jan 2009, 07:08

Yes for Chrstmas we build a upside down half pipe/dome thing over our drive way with pvc, then load it down with lights and stuff.

The pipe has no problem flexing very far, and with years of use not one of them has broken or given way.

Id show the picture of it if I manage to find it.

Post by **BHawthorne** » 13 Jan 2009, 16:10

To give you an idea of what I would like to achieve:

http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showpost.php?p=73186&postcount=92

That screen is so many levels of pure awesome. :shock:

That first pic also shows everyone what the Sol7 calibration utility looks like for tweaking curvature and projection edge blending. See how Sol7 can perfectly pre-warp the projection to match the screen curvature?

YouTube · Post by **ViciousXUSMC** » 13 Jan 2009, 16:57

To give you an idea of what I would like to achieve:

http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showpost.php?p=73186&postcount=92

That screen is so many levels of pure awesome. :shock:

That first pic also shows everyone what the Sol7 calibration utility looks like for tweaking curvature and projection edge blending. See how Sol7 can perfectly pre-warp the projection to match the screen curvature?

Nice!

Im still doing 3 straight screens though. Forgot where I saw it explained but the extended FOV is meant to be at a slight angle only for perifial purposes, having it further actually is supposed to mess up the radio of depth to what you see. This is why TH2GO setups work so well. You only look at the screen in the middle for everything, and the other 2 or for depth.

A slightly curved screen may work well but its more work/money than what is is worth I think.

Obviously somebody that can build an expensive cockpit like that is not very budget limited :P

Post by **BHawthorne** » 13 Jan 2009, 20:11

[quote]To give you an idea of what I would like to achieve:

http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showpost.php?p=73186&postcount=92

That screen is so many levels of pure awesome. :shock:

That first pic also shows everyone what the Sol7 calibration utility looks like for tweaking curvature and projection edge blending. See how Sol7 can perfectly pre-warp the projection to match the screen curvature?

Nice!

Im still doing 3 straight screens though. Forgot where I saw it explained but the extended FOV is meant to be at a slight angle only for perifial purposes, having it further actually is supposed to mess up the radio of depth to what you see. This is why TH2GO setups work so well. You only look at the screen in the middle for everything, and the other 2 or for depth.

A slightly curved screen may work well but its more work/money than what is is worth I think.

Obviously somebody that can build an expensive cockpit like that is not very budget limited :P

They still have budgets, but their build budgets are spread over years at a time. The average cockpit project like that one is around 2-4 years build time. Not like you can go to Walmart and get that setup. :wink:

YouTube · Post by **ViciousXUSMC** » 13 Jan 2009, 22:04

[quote][quote]To give you an idea of what I would like to achieve:

http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showpost.php?p=73186&postcount=92

That screen is so many levels of pure awesome. :shock:

That first pic also shows everyone what the Sol7 calibration utility looks like for tweaking curvature and projection edge blending. See how Sol7 can perfectly pre-warp the projection to match the screen curvature?

Nice!

Im still doing 3 straight screens though. Forgot where I saw it explained but the extended FOV is meant to be at a slight angle only for perifial purposes, having it further actually is supposed to mess up the radio of depth to what you see. This is why TH2GO setups work so well. You only look at the screen in the middle for everything, and the other 2 or for depth.

A slightly curved screen may work well but its more work/money than what is is worth I think.

Obviously somebody that can build an expensive cockpit like that is not very budget limited :P

They still have budgets, but their build budgets are spread over years at a time. The average cockpit project like that one is around 2-4 years build time. Not like you can go to Walmart and get that setup. :wink:

No you would definitely have to go to Super Walmart :P

J/K

Still even over 4 years that would be more than I could afford I think (and definitely more patience than I have) considering I get bored too easy and would not be able to look at something I cant play/use.

The Sol7 thing I read into, its limited in what it supports right now, so it seems to be very much only good if your plan to use it for specific things. It is not a fix all for any game tool.

Post by **BHawthorne** » 13 Jan 2009, 23:26

The Sol7 thing I read into, its limited in what it supports right now, so it seems to be very much only good if your plan to use it for specific things. It is not a fix all for any game tool.

I actually pushed through the deal with them for the non-commercial version pricing about a year ago. Previously they were geared to commercial only markets for an ungodly price to buy. I convinced them that they could have a new revenue market by tapping into the gaming community for things like sim builders. The simpit version of Sol7 adds in TH2G, DH2G and span mode compatibility to their utility and is 1/10th the price of the commercial licence.

It actually is a universal fix. It does pre-warp and edge blending for anything.

DirectX Game/App -> Sol7 -> Display

I've seen it used from anything from Media Player Classic to FPS shooters.

Send them an email requesting download access to thier demo version for simpit builders. They'll email you a url to download it. It's a 10 minute time limited version, but does everything the real version does. I'm a real advocate for them because they took a chance on the gaming community and actually humored making a version for us.

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