The Poor Man's Home Theater - Part 1

Part 1

Hi Anyone,

I have always been inspired to do things I see on people's how-to blogs. I recently purchased a projector fairly cheap on eBay, and have decided to begin my blog with a home theater project on the super cheap.

So, here is my first project:

"The Poor Man's Home Theater"

I purchased an old multimedia projector on eBay, which began this endeavor, the NEC VT695... 

Check out all the specs here

 It's not the best projector, but for less than $170, boasting more than 75% lamp life and the ability to project 720p HD, it was a bargain in my book. You can find deals like this on eBay/Kijiji/Craigslist all the time, just check out www.projectorcentral.com before you buy anything.

I had an old 35' VGA cable lying around which I had paid $20 for a few years ago and I purchased a 35' Optical audio cable, also on eBay for $20 (These will be used to link the projector to my existing PC for movie watching and possibly some gaming)

The next decision is the screen. There are a few options, depending on the amount you want to spend:

1. Motorized retractable screens

2. Manual retractable screens

3. Bulk screen material

4. Screen paint

5. Regular paint

I will be researching the pros and cons to each of these and follow up in my next post.

 Projector        -  $165.56 ($132.25 + shipping)
VGA Cable     -    $21.85 (checked eBay history lol)
Optical Cable  -    $20.79 
Total (so far)   -  $208.20