How to Make Your Own 50" Projection TV!

Have you ever wanted a big screen TV, but the prices made this luxury seem out of reach? If you want to overcome this obstacle there are a number of options that are available to you. The most unique option is to make it yourself, your very own projection TV or monitor. The process is amazingly cheap and simple.

All you need is a cheap sheet of plastic called a Fresnel lens, an old TV or monitor, some cardboard, and some black paint. If you are creating this project as more than just an experiment than it is recommended that you replace the cardboard with wood for a more "finished" looking end product.

The first step is to cut the cardboard or wood so that you can create a box about the size of your television that attaches to the front of your television screen (where the picture comes out). This step is very simple if you are using cardboard as a building material, but difficulty rises quite a degree if you have chosen wood. Working with wood generally requires some sort of skill, so, if you are inexperienced with woodworking perhaps a local handyman can help you craft your box.

The next step is to cover the wood or cardboard with black paint. Black does not reflect as much light as any of the other colors in the color spectrum, and is therefore a much better color choice than the woods original color. I recommend that you use spray paint for this step because it is quick and easy when compared to other painting methods. Again, if you are looking for a permanent solution, you should probably use a higher quality of matte black paint.

The final step is to attach the Fresnel lens to the end of the box. A fresnel lens is a very cheap magnifying device (under 5 dollars) that can be found in many scientific, as well as novelty stores. You then attach this sheet of plastic to the end of the black box that you will attach to your television.

The final step is to turn on the television and put your contraption in front of it. By moving it various lengths away from the television, you can find the point at which it focuses. After doing this you can decide to lengthen or shorten your box. Then, the only thing left to do is attach the contraption to your television, turn the lights off, and enjoy your new 50" projection television.