What Projector Does Your Uke Group Use?

My ukulele club, The CheezLand Uke Band, is looking into getting a projector to show the music we are going to play at our regular weekly meeting.

We usually have around 50 members show for the meetings. Though it has gone as high as 80!

We need a unit that is bright and sharp enough to project the music large enough for people to see in a partially lit room. And maybe some videos.

So what projector does your club use?

Pros and cons?

Thanks for your help.

One of my activities is Movie Making and our group has a full HD resolution Projector.

There are so many choices available and it totally depends upon what budget you have.

So simple tips based on my experience.

Go for a full HD native resolution with HDMI inputs in addition to composite and PC, HD ready labelled projectors are not HD they achieve it by electronic signal conversions hence my Native Resolution comment

A high Lumen output of at least 3000

A high contrast ratio

Choice of LCD or DLP is arbitrary and based upon usage, DLP does tend to give a slightly crisper image but the projector is more delicate than an LCD one.

Projectors have some form of inbuilt audio which is at best mediocre, so factor in for an Amp with remote control or a mixer so you can control audio volume from the projector location if needed. Do ensure that the projector has a feed through option for the audio so you can use an Amp/speakers.

Work out what video/audio sources you are going to use and sketch out the cabling

Thinking of a 4k projector, then this will immediately bump up the cost to about $3000?

Eg
We have Bluray and Hard Drive media players and feed the HDMI into a Home Theatre amp, then onto our Mission Studio speakers and HDMI to our Projector, out giving shows I tend to hook up our Hard Drive media player to my Mixer then to my PA speakers and HDMI from the Media Player to the projector.

My main two groups meet in libraries or other places where a screen, and computer access allows for projection. The group leader connects an iPad/tablet to the computer system or via wi-fi, and no projector is needed. The music is sent out ahead of time to the group, and they can either print it off, or load it onto their own tablet. That allows the group members to read their own music and/or look at the projected music.

Thanks for your input Col50. That helps a lot.

RafterGirl, we are pretty much stuck with playing at the Moose Lodge. They are very accommodating to our club. And their room is very good for our meetings. So the libraries are out. But I will ask them what equipment they have. BUt thanks for your input as well.

Kenn2018 said:

Thanks for your input Col50. That helps a lot.

RafterGirl, we are pretty much stuck with playing at the Moose Lodge. They are very accommodating to our club. And their room is very good for our meetings. So the libraries are out. But I will ask them what equipment they have. BUt thanks for your input as well.

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I'd ask if they have any sort of computer system you can tap into before you spring for a projector. We have also played at various churches, community centers, private meeting venues, and fire stations using the computer to project. Hopefully the Moose Lodge has something in place that you can use.

Good point by Raftergirl

Many venues today have fixed systems already installed but even if the installation is not a fixed one the venue may well have systems available to set up on a hirer by hirer basis.

Well worth asking the venue.

They do not have anything in place. Only have an old, donated Projector TV set that is pretty fuzzy and quite primitive. (IE: more than 5 years old.)

Their WiFi is spotty as well. Totally unreliable.

Back to square one then Kenn.

Time to start to generate some kit buying funds.

Well bummer. Good luck with your projector purchase.

Our group uses this, works great in a lit room, projects a clear bright image for sometimes 100 people...


They use an ipad to project the songs.

Just found out what our U3A organisation bought.

I am a member of said local organisation who of followed my suggestion for a specification and bought an
Epson EB-990U which is 3800 lumens and a 15000:1 ration with full HD resolution.

I have used it a lot in the last six months and it gives a nice bright image in a large room where there is a lot of natural light which cannot be reduced.

There is an inbuilt and and speakers that are OK for dialogue plus it has pass through for audio and I have connected good quality PA system to it with excellent results.

I tend to use my iPad connected via HDMI during my Wife’s presentations and it works very well especially with Keynote which we use for her Art History Presentation lectures with slideshow, we also use it for our Photography Group where the images are crisp, sharp and with very good colour rendering. As it is our Group does not use any form of Projection at present.

The room we use is about 100 x 30.

Thanks Danno. Is the curved lens-like piece connected by a string a wide angle adaptor or a cover for the lens?

Its a lens cover.

Some Projectors have a built in lens cover.

Our Movie Club projector lost its lens cover when some idiot borrowed it and did not check the contents when he packed it up after he had finished giving his show, it cost him $50 to replace it, I mean $50 for a shaped piece of plastic, that was extortionate.

BTW
Do download the manuals if you can for the projectors on your shortlist and have a good read.

A zoom feature lets you size the image, keystone adjustment lets you adjust the image so that it is perfectly rectangular, Focus is well focus. These are the three things that will need to be set up each time so do see how easy the instructions in the manual are to follow. Last thing you want is a manual written in Klingon.

Col50 said:

Its a lens cover.

Some Projectors have a built in lens cover.

Our Movie Club projector lost its lens cover when some idiot borrowed it and did not check the contents when he packed it up after he had finished giving his show, it cost him $50 to replace it, I mean $50 for a shaped piece of plastic, that was extortionate.

BTW
Do download the manuals if you can for the projectors on your shortlist and have a good read.

A zoom feature lets you size the image, keystone adjustment lets you adjust the image so that it is perfectly rectangular, Focus is well focus. These are the three things that will need to be set up each time so do see how easy the instructions in the manual are to follow. Last thing you want is a manual written in Klingon.

Click to expand...

Great idea! It didn't occur to me to download the manuals. I'll make sure about the Klingon. Thanks. The other things are important as well.