CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Brian Hampton · Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 1174

Hey,

Maybe I really should put this in another section and feel free to move it or complain about it and I'll move it myself if it's an issue but I wanted people to see this.

Someone bought a LCD and hung it up sideways and uses it to display movie poster images. The effect is like a lighted movie poster but one that changes every few seconds.

It's flippin brilliant and I feel I need to do the very exacto same thing!!!

Check it...

http://forum.blu-ray.com/home-theater-general-discussion/134473-movie-poster-flatscreen.html#post2956138

-Brian

CIR Engineering · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 3:26 pm Post subject:

It is kinda cool if you are into that sort of thing.

craigr

ecrabb · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 3:39 pm Post subject:

Not a new idea obviously - "digital signage" as it's called has been used for years, including plasmas and LCDs turned vertically, but it's definitely the first time I've seen it in somebody's basement. Way cool. Hmmm... Gonna have to think about that for down the road when I get the basement finished. Very cool.

Oh, and I moved the thread to HT Accessories for you, Brian... Mostly so we could find it later.

SC

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12026 Location: Fort Collins, CO

Cool, but would you want to pay for bulbs for a poster display?? I guess if you can afford an LCD just to show posters, the bulbs are a minor issue...

ecrabb · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 3:50 pm Post subject:

Ummm... What bulbs, Gary? This is an LCD flat panel hanging on the wall... Think "living room LCD TV", just mounted vertically instead of horizontally.

It seems expensive, but if you've looked at nice backlight poster boxes, it's not bad. You have to run some sort of a device (SFF PC or photo viewer) to drive it, but I've seen decent-sized LCDs down in the $400 ballpark.

SC

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5238 Location: Osceola, Indiana

Cool idea...It would have to be connected to your automation system so it would turn off during a movie. My theater is very bland in inside, just curtains running down both sides. I'm a bit ADD so any distraction IMO takes away from the movie. I have lights and my center channel speaker mounted above my screen, even those I find a little distracting. I'm actually thinking of covering the bottom of the soffit above the screen with velvet to soak up a little more light.

Note: This shot was taking before the installation of my masking Smile

Mike

Brian Hampton · Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 1174

You don't buy bulbs for LCD screens.

So... since seeing this I looked into digital photo frames which is sort of the same idea to some extent and they are expensive.

I have an old PC that someone gave me compete with LCD screen. I may try to set it up to do non-stop slide show and mount the LCD near the HT door. (Outside the HT.)

I suppose it is expensive but it's freakin cool that's all I know.

-Brian

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5238 Location: Osceola, Indiana

BTW there is a great source for movie imagery... Check out themovedb.org

Here is an example.

http://www.themoviedb.org/movie/18785/cast

They have a database with xml feeds with links to all their images avalable too. Make a great iPhone app to control your poster screen with. "Hint Hint SC" Smile

I was looking into including some links to it in my mkv app some time.

Mike

drice1234 · Joined: 07 Oct 2006 Posts: 1309 Location: Allen, Texas

I read somewhere that Bill Gates has this sort of setup in his house where he has flat screens all around and uses them to display pictures of art. I have thought about doing this type of thing and making it a touch screen that could switch to a home automation software screen to control the house as well.
Dan

dturco · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:10 pm Post subject:

Seems like a great idea. It also seems to be a cheaper way to go ,to a point, because you can keep changing the photos with out having to keep buying new posters, and the initial cost for a cheap lcd isn't really that bad .

A backlit poster box cost 2 times as much> http://www.htmarket.com/chasrefbacli.html

and the posters can cost quite a bit too.> http://www.htmarket.com/movie-posters-and-movie-poster-frames-movie-posters-0-to-9-movie-posters.html

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5238 Location: Osceola, Indiana

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12026 Location: Fort Collins, CO

dturco · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:22 pm Post subject:

ecrabb · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:25 pm Post subject:

Costco has a 32" Vizio for $360 or a 24" Sceptre for $199. The only thing you might have to do with some of these displays, is to make a cover so the bezel isn't bigger on one side or the other.

Might be a fun winter project for me next winter!

SC

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5238 Location: Osceola, Indiana

ecrabb · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:28 pm Post subject:

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5238 Location: Osceola, Indiana

Brian Hampton · Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 1174

Hey,

I don't know how far I'll go to replicate this idea. Thinking it over... It would be wasted energy most of the time. The sad truth is I don't have guests very often.

Still... the person in the link I posted got his images at Internet Movie Poster Awards dot com. I've been on there taking the images for now. I'll put them as a playlist on my PS3 and be able to have that set to music. It will make a nice thing to have on while people get "ready" for a movie.

I think I'll enjoy just watching it from time to time too.

I have a small LCD screen and spare outdated PC. I may try to set something up just for fun.

-Brian

Brian Hampton · Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 1174

Well,

I've already started getting this setup. I have an old PC that someone gave me which I run the free open source Ununtu Linux. Just put the images in the "pictures" folder and tell the screensaver to use that as the screensaver and you're done from a software perspective.

I have a 19" Dell LCD monitor that came with it and it's wall mount-able.

For the moment ... the wiring will be a little ugly perhaps but I'm going to move forward with this because I think it's so very dern cool.

-Brian

akajester · Joined: 09 Jul 2008 Posts: 934 Location: Wisconsin

now to figure out how to do this cheaper... the OP posted links to the files now, so you can grab them easily without having to pick through the original source site.