It's been a while, but I have a new guest post from The Realist. He writes:
Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this article were purchased by myself. I did not receive free samples, evaluation models, or other compensation from any manufacturer or retailer. I have no formal relationship with any manufacturer or retailer mentioned in this article - I have only been an arms-length customer. All brand names and product names used in this review are the trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. If you have legal questions regarding some topic discussed in this article, contact a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. Further, this article reflects my unique circumstances and subjective opinions with regard to performance and other characteristics of the products discussed. Your mileage may vary. |
Post apocalyptic movie theater inside an abandoned building. (Bing AI Image Creator https://www.bing.com/images/create/) |
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Even under the most adverse conditions, people occasionally need a break, a mental escape, from the daily grind. Books and games certainly provide a break. But, humans also need social interaction with others outside their family or close group of friends. In the past, these social activities would have included dances or community theatrical performances. More recently, social activities can include "movie night" where viewing a movie is the central component of a larger social event.
In any kind of apocalyptic scenario, people are also going to want some activity that restores some level of prior normalcy, even if only for a short period of time. I have seen several post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows where a scene or sub-plot in the story involved people coming together as a group to watch a movie.
Before last Christmas, I started noticing lots of offerings on Amazon for inexpensive video projectors, with some being priced under fifty dollars. I ended up spending seventy dollars for one with reasonable lower-end specifications and a lot of good reviews. That projector performed very well considering what I paid for it. That projector purchase became the seed for the idea of a "zombie apocalypse movie theater" (ZAMT).
The ZAMT could be part of a no-kidding post apocalyptic social activity, or it could be the focus of a less dramatic "illegal" gathering for friends during the next round of COVID lockdowns.
I wanted my ZAMT to be semi-portable, something that could be set up just about anywhere - indoors or outdoors - and run off an independent portable power source.
The ZAMT requires more than just a video projector. It also requires some kind of sound system because the tiny speakers built into the projector may not even be powerful enough for a small room. It requires some kind of projector screen, which can be a white painted wall, a white sheet or table cloth, or a purpose-built screen. It requires an independent power source - don't plan on the local utility company providing power to the nearest wall outlet during the zombie apocalypse. And, it requires a variety of accessories including a platform or tripod for the projector along with the various cables necessary to connect the various components together.
Video Projector
There is no such thing as an ideal projector. Projector selection has to be based on many factors including your budget, power consumption, video input options, native resolution, and light output.
Like many things, when shopping for a video projector, you generally get what you pay for. There is a lot of exaggeration when it comes to the specifications of various video projectors, so very careful reading of descriptions is necessary. An omission of a critical specification should be taken as an indication that the specification may not be very good - definitely a buyer-beware situation.
Most video projector descriptions will say "supports 1080P" when in fact that native resolution may be much lower. All "supports 1080P" means is that the projector will accept a 1080P video source and down-convert it to whatever the native resolution of the projector happens to be. You want to pay attention to the native resolution specification.
Similarly, projector brightness is overstated, with many manufacturers providing a lumen output value for the projector's light source - the projector "bulb" - and not a measure of the light output that ultimately hits the projector screen. Some manufacturers provide a more honest "ANSI lumen" number - a measure of the light that hits the screen - that is, not surprisingly, much less than the light source lumen number. Projector brightness will determine how big the projected image can be and still have acceptable brightness.
Most consumer projectors use one of two methods of producing the image. The most common, and cheaper, is a transmissive color LCD in the light path - analogous to a slide in a slide projector or the film in a movie projector. The other more expensive method utilizes Texas Instruments DLP (Digital Light Processing) technology. There are a variety of illumination technologies used in DLP projectors, with some being more energy efficient than others.
Most projectors also include what is called "keystone correction", which can be used to correct the trapezoidal distortion caused by projecting off-axis onto the screen surface. The very low end projectors omit keystone correction. Most projectors at least have vertical keystone correction. The higher end projectors will have both horizontal and vertical keystone correction, with some projectors even having automatic keystone correction capabilities.
Another projector specification to be aware of is the "throw ratio". Short throw or ultra short throw projectors must be placed closer than normal to the projector screen, and are really intended for home theater applications with a permanently installed wrinkle-free projector screen. A portable projector screen will seldom be completely wrinkle free.
Also consider the video inputs the projector can accept. Many projectors accept a variety of video inputs including composite video, HDMI, VGA (from a computer), and wireless (WiFi and/or Bluetooth) streaming. Some projectors only have an HDMI input port. Most projectors also have a USB port to read a USB flash drive, and a slot for a micro-SD card.
Most projectors have built-in speakers, some of which sound better than others. Some manufacturers put more effort into the audio amplifiers and speakers built into their projectors, incorporating powerful audio amplifiers and reasonably sized speakers, while other manufacturers seem to treat the built-in audio amplifiers and speakers as an afterthought. I made sure the projectors I purchased had an audio output jack, so I could send the audio to an external sound system.
Another issue not really discussed with video projectors is that many do not have a sealed light engine to keep dust off the LCD. Most transmissive LCD projectors blow air across the LCD to keep it from burning up. Dust particles can stick to the LCD, resulting in black spots in the projected image. Some of these projectors have a small access door that can be opened to clean the dust off the LCD. A few transmissive LCD projectors advertise the fact that they have a sealed light engine. While dust particles may not be a major issue in a modern well-maintained home, dust getting on the LCD will likely be a problem in more austere environments.
Below are three video projector examples. The crazy cheap projector was an impulse purchase just to see what I would get for $20. The $70 projector, as my first projector, was a "dipping my toe in the water" purchase just to gain experience with a video projector. The $340 DLP projector purchase reflects my effort to get a higher performance video projector.
Crazy Cheap Projector (various brands, model YG300): This projector was purchased from a Chinese e-commerce site for $20. YG300 projectors are sold under various brand names on Amazon for $35 to $50. Yes it works (actually, the first one I received didn't work, so it was replaced). While its specifications say it supports 1080P, it is really 240P (native resolution of 320 x 240 pixels). It uses a transmissive LCD. It has a claimed brightness of 400 lumens, but I measured only 16.6 ANSI lumen output. It consumes 21 watts. It lacks keystone correction, and produces a very dim visibly pixelated image. It only handles a 4:3 aspect ratio properly, with "wide screen" aspect ratios being badly squished horizontally. The sound from its built-in speaker is weak and distorted. I would not recommend this projector, not even as a "better than nothing" option.
AuKing M8-F Projector: This projector, my first, was $70 from Amazon. Again it says it supports 1080P, but it is really 480P projector with a native resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. (For reference, DVDs are 480P (640 x 480).) It uses a transmissive LCD. It has an advertised light output of 7500 lumens, but I measured an output of 96 ANSI lumens. It consumes 50 watts. It has vertical keystone correction. In a darkened room, with the video projected on an 80-inch diagonal area, it is bright enough to enjoyably watch. The sound from its built-in speakers is adequate for a small room, so an external amplifier and speaker system would be beneficial.
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AAXA P7+ Projector with accessories in a Harbor Freight hard protective case. |
AAXA P7+ Projector: This projector was a $340 Amazon purchase. It is a DLP projector. It "supports" 4K resolution, but is a 1080P projector with a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This projector has a claimed maximum "550 LED Lumens" (whatever that is). I measured 388 lumens in its brightest "boost" mode, 332 lumens in its normal mode, and 166 lumens in its "eco" mode. It consumes 34.5 watts in boost mode, 27.7 watts in normal mode, and 16.2 watts in eco mode. It has a built-in battery which is claimed to operate the projector for 2.5 hours in eco mode (I have not tested this). It has vertical keystone correction and handles different aspect ratios properly.
The AAXA projector has built-in speakers and a fairly powerful amplifier, which is loud enough for a normal-sized residential room. I still plan on using it with an external amplifier and speakers.
About the only downside to this AAXA projector is that it lacks an A/V input. But, composite video to HDMI converters are fairly inexpensive and work reasonably well.
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Improvised projector screen. (Source |
Projector Screen
You need a flat white or off-white surface to project against. Most of the inexpensive portable screens you see sold on Amazon utilize a translucent stretchy fabric, so much of the light passes through the screen and is not reflected back toward the audience. Translucent screens might be a benefit if you want to do a rear projection setup (some projectors will allow you to flip the image to facilitate rear projection).
I have yet to come up with what I consider a suitable projector screen solution for the ZAMT. I have experimented with a couple different cloth solutions (bleached canvas, thick white tablecloth), purchased several commercial screen material samples for testing, and tested different types of white paint. I have also looked at various portable projector screen offerings on Amazon, but the moderately priced screens are all fairly fragile, and may not be sufficiently durable to survive repeated setup and take down.
I did purchase a pop-up projector screen that looks like it should be fairly durable, but is only 80-inches diagonal (16:9 aspect ratio) - really too small for the ZAMT - just so I have something should the zombie apocalypse come sooner rather than later. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09R97CQDX)
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Modified Nintendo Gameboy Advance with four feature-length movie cartridges. Not shown is the special cable that plugs into the GBA to provide composite video output. |
Media Player
The media player is your video source. This can be a DVD or Blu-ray disc player, a DVR of some sort, a computer, or some some other video player. I have used a Blu-ray player and a modified Nintendo Game Boy Advance (GBA) that outputs composite video as my video sources. I have also played movies from a USB flash drive plugged into the projector.
The Blu-ray player I am using is a basic model. It attaches to the projector with an HDMI cable, and consumes only two or three watts when operating.
I modified a Nintendo GBA (model AGB-001) using a commercial kit that allows the game console to output composite video. Most people install this kit so they can play their favorite GBA games on a TV. What many people do not know is that for a couple years in the early 2000s, Nintendo released a series of 35 cartridges containing full-motion animated content. Most were children's cartoons, but three cartridges were feature length animated movies, and one cartridge was a double-feature containing two of the feature-length movies. While the video quality is poor due to compression artifacts and low frame rates, the movies are still enjoyable to watch. (The GBA has a 240 x 160 pixel 2.9-inch diagonal color display. Those cartridges were never intended to be shown on a larger screen.) The GBA runs on two AA cells.
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Sound system composed of two bookshelf speakers, class-D amplifier and its power supply, and audio cables. |
Audio System
As mentioned above, the built-in speakers in many projectors are fairly weak, necessitating an external sound system of some sort. Initially, I hooked up some computer speakers, which provided plenty of volume for the room where I was testing the projector. Computer speakers would be adequate for a family room or living room, but not for a larger room or outdoors.
I looked at various sound system options, including "sound bars" and PA speaker systems. After a lot of research, I settled on a moderately priced 50-watt-per-channel class-D stereo amplifier and a pair of bookshelf speakers. Class-D audio amplifiers are very efficient compared to other amplifier types. Class-D amplifiers are also inexpensive and very compact. With the volume on the amplifier turned up to a painfully loud level, the amplifier was drawing 33 watts.
To get the most out of the sound system, the speakers need to be off the floor or ground. When sitting on the floor or ground, much of the sound will be absorbed by the floor or ground, or audience members sitting near the speakers. Many PA speaker systems come with stands to get the speakers off the ground. There are speaker stands designed to support bookshelf speakers, but it occurred to me that I could just as easily use a couple wood stools I already own.
Independent Power Source
You will notice that I have been providing power consumption numbers for each component of the ZAMT. Since I plan to use an independent power source, establishing a power budget is necessary.
I plan to run the ZAMT using a "power station" (a portable package integrating batteries and inverters, such as a Jackery) that can be recharged using a portable solar panel. A generator would be overkill and noisy. Plus, a generator would use gasoline that could be used for other purposes.
Tripod or Platform
While you can just set the projector on a table, having other options for supporting the projector adds setup flexibility to the ZAMT. Many projectors have a 1/4"-20 threaded insert in the bottom of the projector so they can be mounted on a camera tripod. There are also tripod projector stands that appear to be a traditional tripod with a flat plate on top that the projector can sit on. A TV tray might also be practical, but the TV trays I have encountered were always wobbly and flimsy.
Whatever method is used to support the projector, it needs to be stable enough to not be toppled by the three cables typically attached to the projector: a power cord, an HDMI or composite video cable, and an audio cable to an external audio system.
Other Equipment Considerations
Don't forget robust containers to carry and protect your equipment. The cardboard boxes most projectors come in will not provide long term protection. I have purchased carrying cases for my projectors (except the $20 projector), with the AAXA DLP projector being stored in a Harbor Freight hard protective case (a Pelican case clone). The sound system can be adequately protected and transported in an old milk crate.
As mentioned above, if the projector does not have an A/V input, get a composite-to-HDMI converter. These converters are inexpensive, starting at around ten dollars on Amazon. They typically run on five volts, which can usually be obtained from the USB port on the projector.
There are also HDMI adapters for cell phones and tablets, if you want to use one of those devices as one of your media players. For example, Apple sells a lightning to HDMI adapter for the iPhone (https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD826AM/A/lightning-digital-av-adapter). I don't have experience with Andorid devices, but I see that similar adapters are available from many sources.
Also factor in redundancy. Get extra audio cables and/or the means to make and repair your own cables. Get spare A/C power supplies for those components that cannot operate off 12 Volts DC. Most of the projectors and media players come with a remote control, and while basic functions can be accessed without a remote control, many features are only accessible when using the remote control. So, get a spare remote control if practical. And, don't forget spare batteries for those remote controls.
For redundant components, make sure you test them. It would be better to discover you have a new faulty cable now, than discover that the cable is faulty when it cannot be conveniently replaced.
Copyright Issues
Most consumer motion picture media (Blu-ray discs, DVDs, video cassettes, and even GBA video cartridges) are usually licensed only for home use. Using consumer motion picture media for any kind of public performance violates that license, and is a copyright violation. Home use is limited to "a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances." (17 U.S.C. § 101 (2020)) Anything more, such as showing the motion picture at a church social event or a neighborhood party, is considered a public performance of that motion picture.
A motion picture public performance can be lawful if a public performance license is first obtained from the copyright owner or its designated agent. (See the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (www.mplc.org) for more details on obtaining a license.)
There are some movies that are in the public domain, and as such could be shown in a "public performance" without obtaining a license. However, the analysis as to which movies are in the public domain is a complex topic outside the scope of this discussion. For example, the 1975 post-apocalyptic movie "A Boy and His Dog", the heartwarming story of the unbreakable bond between a young man and his canine friend, is claimed by several reputable sources to be in the public domain. But, my own research suggests otherwise. In contrast, the 1968 cult classic "Night of the Living Dead" is in the public domain due to the inadvertent omission of a copyright notice in the movie as required at that time by copyright law.
As a practical matter, in a without-rule-of-law (WROL) zombie apocalypse environment, there may be nobody remaining to grant motion picture public performance licenses.
Security
In a zombie apocalypse WROL environment, if you can't defend your equipment from others, is it really yours?
When lawlessness prevails, measures must be taken to protect yourself, your equipment, and your audience. For that matter, in the current environment you may need to consider protective measures in some locales. Protective measures are situation specific and outside the scope of this discussion. Do not neglect planning for protective measures.
Conclusion
Even before a zombie apocalypse, there are many circumstances where a semi-portable movie theater that can operate "off grid" would be desirable. Those circumstances are limited only by your imagination.
The ZAMT started off as a thought experiment. I subsequently assembled the various components and verified that they could work together as described. If my use case had been a home theater, a personal backyard/camping theater, or a portable theater business, I would have made different equipment choices.
The equipment described above is just a snapshot of my current equipment configuration. I expect that equipment mix to continue to evolve.
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Resources:This YouTuber provides good reviews of video projectors. He uses uses test equipment to objectively measure performance characteristics of the projectors being reviewed. His focus is the home theater, but he also reviews portable video projectors.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-51DG-VULPpwjbD2A9U0ekk4g6D1Hhnb
This article explains why projector lumen output matters, and provides recommended lumen output ranges for various environments. I personally think their recommendations, based on my own observations with my equipment being used in a dark room, are a little high. But, their recommendations provide a starting point in analyzing needs.
https://www.projectorscreen.com/blog/How-Many-Lumens-Do-I-Need-For-A-Projector
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