Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Use of visual aids in business meetings

[Fred H Olson (fholson]

Lyle Scheer <wonko [at] monkeyhouse.org>
is the author of the message below.  It was posted by
Fred, the Cohousing-L list manager <fholson [at] cohousing.org>
due to html only post.
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On 3/4/10 7:42 AM, sharon [at] sharonvillines.com wrote:
> On Mon, 1 Mar 2010 19:00:08 -0800, "Rob Sandelin" <floriferous [at] msn.com>
> wrote:
>
>> We have a pull down screen and a projector. Works fabulous, you can
>> easily change the size of the text, rearrange things and even draw
>> pictures (well, if you have that talent)
>>

> How much does a set up like this cost? We would want it for this purpose
> but also for showing movies. Now we squeeze into our living room but
> during things like the big football games and the Oscars it gets pretty
> crowded. And it would be nicer for those who like to wiggle, pace, or
> have breathing room. Having lived my early life in the Southwest where
> the spaces are grand, I get claustrophobic when I can't see the sky.
>

I installed such a setup in our Common House (720p projector, 100 inch
screen, dolby 5.1 home theater system (dvd's/CDs/iPod dock/AM/FM), wiring
for computers (VGA, HDMI)) wired through the walls for a total of
$1485.94.... the install only cost about $60 and a bunch of my sweat.

You could probably get just a simple projector (not high definition) and
screen for $500 or so, and use a personally owned laptop to drive it.

Our breakdown:

    * Projector $900
    * Cables $100
    * Ceiling Mount $50
    * DVD/home theater in a box $300
    * Screen $100

Remember that the bulbs of the projector are the most expensive thing and
they wear out (I think they're on the order of $300 and might last 5
years).  Make sure if you wire electricity that there is no easy way to
unplug it.... the projector needs time after it's turned off to keep the
fan running to cool the bulb, and if you don't it will greatly reduce the
life of the bulb.  I highly recommend the ceiling mount and careful wiring
for this reason alone.

Professionally installed and higher end can go 3k and up.  We get good use
out of ours.

- Lyle