If you love the idea of decorating your house with video, but the equipment prices are giving you sticker shock, this article will explain how to do it as cheap as possible.
Get A Used Projector
The projector is by far, the most expensive piece of any projection mapping equipment setup. As such, it offers the best opportunity for savings if you can find a good deal.
You may be tempted to try some of the cheap new LED projectors that are available on Amazon or eBay, but that would be a mistake. Unfortunately, there is a lot of dishonest information put out by the manufacturers of these projectors claiming brightness levels nowhere near what they actually are. A bright projector is really important for projection mapping a house so you will likely be disappointed.
Rather than buying a cheap new projector, you are almost always better off purchasing a quality used projector. eBay is a good source, but there are definitely others out there on the Internet. You may just want to look for used versions of the projector models we recommend here, but there are a lot of other brands and models that might work for you. If you aren’t sure what features to look for when projector shopping, check out this article.
The main thing you have to worry about when shopping for a used projector is the lamp life. Traditional halogen bulbs, most often used in brighter projectors, will gradually lose brightness over time. That means, the more use the projector has seen, the less bright it will be. You want to look for a used projector with low lamp hours (kind of like looking for a used car with low miles). Another strategy would be to look for a good deal on a projector with no lamp or a lamp near the end of it’s life and simultaneously purchase a new lamp for it. The combined cost of the used projector and the new lamp can still be a significant savings over a new projector and you’ll get like-new performance.
Laser projection technology is relatively new, so it may be difficult to find a used laser projector. But if you do find one that fits your budget you won’t have to worry about getting a new lamp. Laser projectors maintain their brightness for the life of the projector and you couldn’t replace the lasers even if you wanted to.
Build Your Own Box
A protective box is really important if you want to run your show in any kind of weather and you want to make your equipment difficult to steal. We understand that the boxes we sell may seem expensive. Our pricing is based on the time it takes to put them together as well as the cost of materials. But you can save a bunch of money by putting your own time into building a box. We even have a box build tutorial you can follow here.
Simplify Your Audio Setup
The equipment packages we sell include an FM transmitter and a stereo system with waterproof speakers. None of that may be necessary if your projector has a built in speaker, which many do. The sound won’t be great, but it will work. Another cheap option would be to use an inexpensive pair of computer speakers. Plug them into the audio out jack from your projector just like you would on a computer and you are good to go.
Try Some Or All Of These Suggestions
Depending on your budget, you may want to employ some or all of these suggestions. For example, if you want to save money with a used projector, but you don’t have the time to build your own box, we offer an equipment package with no projector. Alternatively, you may want a new projector for the best quality, but you may also want to save money by building your own box.
