How to Get the Most From Your Home Projector Without Spending a Fortune

There are many things to consider about the home projector in order to get the best possible experience. While some people believe that throwing more money at the problem will fix it, optimizing the home theater experience can be done without spending a fortune.

There has been extensive coverage about buying cheap projectors, DIY projectors, and many other means by which you can save money on a home theater system and still enjoy a quality experience. How to get the most out of your projector without spending a lot of money is an important thing to think about.

Mounting

Not enough can be said about mounting. Proper mounting is very important. But how can that save money? Mounting on a shelf unit often results in dust build up. Keeping the filters clean and making sure that there is plenty of airflow will help you to avoid over heating the projector causing damage which is costly to repair.

Screen Selection

Selecting the proper screen is very important. Not only do you want to get the right screen to fit your home projector needs the first time (Rather than having to purchase another one for more money) but you need to get a screen that is suitable for the location where it will be mounted. Is the screen easily cleaned? If it is soft fabric, will it rip or tear? If it is something that will be easily damaged, can it be stored while not in use?

Screens can be built with protection as well. Using an "artsy" type cabinet covering with pictures, or even a painting of some sort will prevent the dust buildup on the screen, lessening the need to clean it with the potential of damaging it. It will also prevent any ripping, tearing or other damage that may occur to the projection screen due to unforeseen circumstances.

Lamp Care

Make sure that the mounting is such that the projection unit does not get bumped or jarred a lot. Constantly bumping or moving the projector can cause many problems that are costly to repair. The filaments in the head lamps are very fragile, much the same as a mantle in a lantern is. Constantly jostling or bumping the projector will severely shorten the lifespan of the bulb. This will result in costly replacements that should not be needed so frequently. Frequent bumping also causes electronic and circuit boards to lose connection or come loose. This can create the need for costly repairs as well.

Lens Care

Are the optic lenses being adequately protected when they are not in use? The projector optics can be a very expensive replacement part. Lens covers are important. Even if they do not come with the projector when it is purchased, they are well worth the price. Quite frequently, spending a little money up-front can save a great deal of money in unnecessary expenses later on.

Projector Covering

Building a small container, especially for shelf mounted units can offer a unique custom-design and look for the user, and perform vital functions as well. Inclusion of computer fans and a power supply at a very nominal cost will insure sufficient airflow to prevent overheating and prevent much of the dust and dirt from getting into the projection unit where it could harm the optics as well.

An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure if the desired effect is to get the most out of a home projector system without spending a fortune.

Note: This article may be republish for use in websites as long as the author bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact.

Clifford Tan, a Home Theater enthusiast and owner of the website Home Projector Advisor offering projector reviews, advice and many useful tips and hints to business and home consumers looking to purchase a home projectors. He is a System Administrator by profession with more than 10 years experience in the IT industry. He is very passionate about Trends & Technology, especially when comes to mobile gadgets.

He is also an internet marketer, having several websites on various computer niches. The most recent website he own was designed to help anyone who needs help on computer problems caused by registry errors. Go and check the website on http://www.registryrepairinfo.com/best-registry-cleaner.html

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Home Theater Televisions - Recycling Your CRT

If you watch television and have an older CRT (cathode ray tube) or analog TV set, you have undoubtedly heard that by February 2009, you will need to have purchased a converter box in order to view basic television programming. Most of us already enjoy digital television programming with satellite or cable and won't need to do much to prepare for the change. However, if you are one of the estimated 20 million households that do not take advantage of these services but rather watches TV using an antenna, you will not be able to receive any programming after midnight on the February 17, 2009.

CRT television owners can choose to purchase a converter box using a government subsidized coupon for the purchase or they can buy a newer model television that can accommodate the change to digital, like an LCD or plasma screen.

The change made by Congress to transition to all-digital television has been put in place for several reasons:
1. Better picture and sound quality is available with digital television
2. More free channel options are available with digital television
3. Transitioning frees up more frequencies that can then be used by emergency services.

What's The Big Deal?
Because many homes may in fact be getting rid of their older television, there is a growing concern as to what to do with those older TV models. An estimated 75 percent of unused and broken televisions get stored away rather than recycled or disposed of. Keeping an old set around is really not a good idea. Older CRT sets contain anywhere from four to eight pounds of toxic lead, a fairly unhealthy thing to keep lying around your garage. Additionally, throwing these TVs into a landfill is not too environmentally savvy either because the lead can leech into the soil and groundwater if broken. Recycling can help prevent the release of this hazardous lead.

Additionally, television sets are big, clumsy, non-biodegradable objects that take up large amounts of space in our nation's landfills. Many states have already started prohibiting or limiting the ability to dispose of electronic devices in landfills. California, for instance, was one of the first states to pass a law prohibiting the throwing away of old TV sets, followed by several other states. The Environmental Protection Agency website can give you more information on limitations in your area.

How Can You Recycle Your TV?
There are a number of different options available to CRT and analog TV owners wishing to dispose of their sets in the most socially and environmentally responsible way. Before handing over your TV to any of these organizations or companies, however, ask some simple questions to verify that they comply with state or local electronics disposal laws and that they send any hazardous waste to a facility that specializes in the safe and legal disposal of such things.

Donate It To Charity: Consider giving your TV to a local charity, church or hospital. They may be willing to take it off your hands as well as pick it up from your home. You can contact the Electronic Industries Alliance for a list of local and national organizations that accept used electronic items.

Local Goodwill, Thrift Stores: Thrift stores will generally take an older TV set as long as it is in working condition. If you don't know where to start, simply make a few calls and see who might be interested.

Electronics Retailers: Some retailers, such as Best Buy, Circuit City and Office Depot will work with television manufacturers to sponsor in-store collection of televisions, computers and other electronics devices. This service is usually free or there may be a small charge. This is an incredible convenient option for people that want to dispose of a TV and get a new one all in one shop. Some retailers may even pick up the old TV set when they deliver your new one.

~Ben Anton, 2008

Ben Anton lives in Portland, OR and writes for Ronny's 5th St. Audio Vision.
Recycling Televisions: Learn more about LCD flat panel screens and other home theater video components at Ronny's Northwest theater store.

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How You Can Increase the Lifespan of Your Projector Bulb Or Lamp

The replacement of projector bulbs is an all-too-frequent occurrence for anybody that has owned a home theater projector for any length of time. While a two thousand hour lifespan may sound like a lifetime to some people, rest assured it is not long before the projector lamp will need replacing. There are however, some general tips that can help to expand the life of a headlamp for the projection unit.

Do not touch the lamp with bare hands

One of the most frequent problems encountered is people replacing the bulbs with their bare hands. While this is fine for an ordinary light bulb, it is not a good practice for a projector lamp. The lamp in a projection unit burns much hotter than any regular light bulbs. The effects of touching it with bare skin are equally magnified and problematic.

Touching a projector bulb with the bare skin leaves traces of oil on the lamp surface. While this may seem a very minor detail, it is detrimental both to the bulb and the quality of the resulting multimedia display. The oils will get burnt onto the lamp and drastically reduce the lifespan. As the oil is baked into the surface, it actually diffuses the light being projected, reducing the lumens actually being sent to the refractive surfaces. The light will not be enough to project the image that has come to be expected from the home theater projection system. While the problem may not be noticeable at first, over the course of a little time, the quality will degrade to the point of not being viewable.

Turn off the projector power after turning off the lamp

It is highly recommended to turn the power on the projector to the "off" position only after having turned off the lamp and allowing it to cool. This will allow the cooling fans to do the job they were designed to do. While rapid cooling and heating result in repeated contractions and expansions of the bulb filament, it is much better that it be done more quickly with the cooling fans. Likewise, turning the projector on and allowing the cooling fans to run for a moment before turning on the lamp will help as well. This will add hours to bulb life expectancy and allow for longer hours of viewing pleasure on the home theater projection system.

Constant Movements

Constantly bumping or moving the projector, especially while it is hot can be very detrimental to the projector lamp. The filament in the bulb loses almost all tensile strength when it is heated during normal usage. It is much the same as the filament in a camp lantern. The principle is the same; the filament effectively becomes almost the same consistency as ash, making it extremely vulnerable to damage when it is hot. Even after proper cooling, the lamp filament is very sensitive. Care should be taken when moving the projector for whatever reason. While it is always a good idea to be careful with electronic equipment, some aspects of the home projector are actually a bit more sensitive.

It will usually be necessary to move the projector when cleaning the filters. As always, it is a good idea to move it carefully without jerking it around or bumping it any more than needed. Taking an extra moment or two to check the projector mount and make sure it is still securely fastened can also be beneficial and prevent slips and movement which may otherwise be harmful.

With a little care and a little preventative maintenance, the projector lamps will still need to be changed, but not nearly as often.

Note: This article may be republish for use in websites as long as the author bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact.

Clifford Tan, a Home Theater enthusiast and owner of the website Home Projector Advisor offering projector reviews, advice and many useful tips and hints to business and home consumers looking to purchase a home projectors. He is a System Administrator by profession with more than 10 years experience in the IT industry. He is very passionate about Trends & Technology, especially when comes to mobile gadgets. He is also an internet marketer, having several websites on various computer niches. The most recent website he own was designed to help anyone who needs help on computer problems caused by registry errors. Go and check the website on http://www.registryrepairinfo.com/best-registry-cleaner.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clifford_Tan

Bose Brings the Future of Home Entertainment to the Present With the Bose Lifestyle System Series

Creating a complete centralize home entertainment systems has always been a challenge for most of us due to factors like the number of rooms in the house, the massive amounts of equipment and wiring required, and not to mentioned the cost involved. Being able to create a network of audio and video equipment where all the components interact well with each other has for the most part been within reach of only a very privileged few.

Bose, the audio and video company known for cutting edge innovations, has created a solution with their Bose Lifestyle DVD Series, so advanced that it seems like it was ripped right out of a movie.

To start with, the Lifestyle DVD System delivers excellent home theater sound using their arrays of patented Jewel Cube speakers, a nice looking horizontal center channel speaker and a set of high-performance acoustimass modules, all included in the package.

This system in a nutshell, allows you to create a complete home entertainment network with top of the line components and smart technologies built right in to it. To get a better view of this advanced entertainment system, let 's begin with the brain of the network which, is the audio processor and DVD player . This component on the surface has the usual capabilities like the ability to play DVDs, VCDs, CD, MP3's, AM/FM tuner. It also allows you to record MP3s and comes with a connection to a your TV set through an HDMI port.

Underneath, however this system comes equipped with a unique Bose patented technology called ADAPTiQ and what this does is, it monitors the dimensions of your room and the placement of your speakers, and automatically calibrates the sound quality based on the acoustics of the room to achieve the best possible sound. So no matter what the shape and dimensions of your room are and where you place the speakers, ADAPTiQ will automatically calibrate the sound for you to achieve the best possible sound quality.

The second feature in this system is something called Bose Link Technology, and this is what allows you to establish the audio and video network throughout the house. BoseLink allows you to wirelessly link the main system to as many as 14 different rooms , so you can play a CD in the living room and deliver the sound to any of the other rooms, with each area having the ability to independently control the volume. What's more you can have a second audio stream, let's say an IPOD, and deliver that stream to any of the desired locations, so you can watch your TV in one room, while someone else listens to an MP3 somewhere in another room, all coming from the main hub.

As you can see the Bose Lifestyle system comes as close to completing a home audio and video network as you can get. The basic system comes with the main components and enough equipment to set up the main room, and speakers for any additional room would need to be purchased separately. However with the main system set up, you can expand the entertainment network to accommodate up to 14 other rooms.

Hugo Valle is an Affiliate Marketer and Expert In Consumer Electronics http://boseaudioonline.com/

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