Projector Ceiling Track

[NiubNiub]

I'm trying to find some kind of UPSIDE DOWN Train Track type system that I can easily move/slide my projector closer or farther from my screen to able me to quickly adjust my aspect ratios.
ex.. from a 2:35 film (where the black bars project on the floor and ceiling) to a 4:3 Wii or PS3 game.

Finding this type of Ceiling Mount online is trickier then I thought.

Anyone build something like this yet?
thanks
Frank.

[ZIPPO]

http://www.chiefmfg.com/search_resul...CategoryID=307

This video explains how they work: http://www.chiefmfg.com/videos_anima...spx?VideoID=60

[eyekyu]

Originally Posted by ZIPPO

http://www.chiefmfg.com/search_resul...CategoryID=307

This video explains how they work: http://www.chiefmfg.com/videos_anima...spx?VideoID=60

now thats bad ass

[ray134]

Originally Posted by eyekyu

now thats bad ass

Cool mount. My PJ weighs just shy of 300 lbs. so maybe it's not for me.Still kinda neat though.

[eyekyu]

Originally Posted by ray134

Cool mount. My PJ weighs just shy of 300 lbs. so maybe it's not for me.Still kinda neat though.

300LBS

[ray134]

Yeah' It's a oldy, about 1995 vintage. There's a website that deals with this type of PJ if your interested.
curtepalme.com
It seems that in the last years of CRT projectors there was a push for picture quality that sent these things into the big dollars. Problem is they're heavy and complicated to set up, but like tube amplifiers some people like them anyway.
Manufacturers are after market share and profit margin long before they think about whether or not you and I get quality product so convenience and competitive pricing have given us an endless list of crap that goes as Hi-Fi and this is the same for HT. Most people who buy a PJ these days are interested in the weight and how much space it takes up, and price. Manufacturers have to compete on these grounds ahead of picture quality.
Surround sound is of course what's in style now but just like "quad" sound in the '70's ,2 speakers will sound a lot better than 4 if the total price of the speakers is the same. Most people buy the stuff because of good marketing. The best example I can think of right now is mp3's although this is proving to backfire on the music industry by allowing us to choose what we like.. Very convenient, inexpensive, and most people don't care that they sound cheap.
TV's are light so you can take them home yourself, thin so they don't take up much space, and cheap compared to a CRT of the same size screen, but the picture quality sucks on LCD and a plasma will not be running for a long time. Most of us have a crt tv that that we have to think for a while to remember when we bought it.
Such is the state of the art in home entertainment in these dark days.

[Mr. Joshua]

Originally Posted by NiubNiub

I'm trying to find some kind of UPSIDE DOWN Train Track type system that I can easily move/slide my projector closer or farther from my screen to able me to quickly adjust my aspect ratios.
ex.. from a 2:35 film (where the black bars project on the floor and ceiling) to a 4:3 Wii or PS3 game.

Finding this type of Ceiling Mount online is trickier then I thought.

Anyone build something like this yet?
thanks
Frank.

Your home theater is awesome...

[NiubNiub]

that product is AWESOME Zipp
thanks so much, its exactly what i wanted and looks sleek as well

and Thanks for the sweet comment W.

[JBL4645]

You’re projector should really be in fixed one location position not moved around.

But the black bars will still have light level very subtle light level on the floor and ceiling.

Masking might be an option providing the price isn’t silly.

Also DIY hang them up lightweight timber with black material stabled to hold it on the wood and then some eye-hocks and just hook it up to mask off the thick black bars for 2.35:1 scope and different ones narrow black bars for W/S 1.85:1.

[NiubNiub]

Originally Posted by JBL4645

Masking might be an option providing the price isn’t silly.

What do you mean by masking? on the lens?

the black on the ceiling and floor are really not visible, at least not to the naked eye. maybe it does but after 2-3 min you forget its there.

[phansson]

Why don't you just go to an Anamorphic lens setup? That might be the easiest solution and then you would not have to "zoom" to get your 2.35 material displaye properly.

You could just add the lens to your existing projector.

[JBL4645]

Originally Posted by phansson

Why don't you just go to an Anamorphic lens setup? That might be the easiest solution and then you would not have to "zoom" to get your 2.35 material displaye properly.

You could just add the lens to your existing projector.

+1 that one set the projector to 16:9 then let the anamorphic lens un-squeeze the image horizontally for large image.

Although I don’t mind to much in my home being a former projectionist it doesn’t bother me. Thou a little slight bit of hand, and turning the W/S image down by so much to make it roughly the same height as when its on full for scope film that also expands outwards slightly as it should do.

Academy ratio I just set the zoom to smallest as possible to put the image in the centre of the screen as it should be.

[JBL4645]

Originally Posted by NiubNiub

What do you mean by masking? on the lens?

the black on the ceiling and floor are really not visible, at least not to the naked eye. maybe it does but after 2-3 min you forget its there.

So haven’t you been in the Stag Theatre at Skywalker Ranch or any commercial THX cinema?

Masking that is motorized and as matter of fact there was volunteer thing I did around 20 years ago at different local cinema where they didn’t have motorized masking and just hung large black lightweight farming up that had black acoustical transparent cloth, and hung it on the sides of the screen as the cinema is also used for stage theatre plays.

[ray134]

Originally Posted by NiubNiub

I'm trying to find some kind of UPSIDE DOWN Train Track type system that I can easily move/slide my projector closer or farther from my screen to able me to quickly adjust my aspect ratios.
ex.. from a 2:35 film (where the black bars project on the floor and ceiling) to a 4:3 Wii or PS3 game.

Finding this type of Ceiling Mount online is trickier then I thought.

Anyone build something like this yet?
thanks
Frank.

I'm using a CRT projector and to adjust the size of the picture I installed unistrut into the ceiling. Electricians and pipe fitters use this stuff for mounting pipes or conduit.