So Long Silver Screen!
From the title of my post, you would think I was an aging movie star about to make his encore performance on the big screen. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Actually, I will soon be saying goodbye to the frequent use of my own big screen.
But I am getting ahead of myself; a bit of explanation is in order which dates back to when I first joined the digital camera age in 2003.
My first foray into the digital camera world was the purchase of a small point and shoot camera. It was wonderful to have such a compact and easy to use digital camera that I could easily take with me wherever I traveled., easily fitting into my pants pocket. Early photos I took with it at my favorite garden, Keukenhof, just west of Amsterdam were amazing.
Having lived in the film camera world my whole life, I at first printed out snapshots of my photos just like I had historically done. But when I compared the printed image to the one on my computer screen, there was no comparison. The colors on screen were more vibrant and the image was as big as my computer screen. Seeing this difference, I probably printed out less than 25 digital photos.
Yet I longed to see even larger images of my photos. At one point, I borrowed one of our presentation projectors from work and brought it home to see how my photos would look in a much larger format. Hooking up my computer and projecting images onto the wall, it was amazing!
For a successfully completed project at work, I had received award points that could be used for any number of possible purchases and having enough points, I purchased this projector.
And rather than project onto a colored wall, I purchased this pull-down screen as well to show off my photos.
Sometime later I had enough points to also purchase this Bose home entertainment center which I connected to our fairly new flat screen TV.
With the Bose system, I could watch movies on our TV with the built in CD player it came with and experience great theatre-like sound.
That first flat panel TV had a 32” diagonal screen. While this was the biggest TV screen I had ever owned, I still desired bigger. I mean bigger is better; right?
Then I had a wonderful brainstorm idea. How about connecting the projector to the Bose system? By measuring the fully lowered screen, this would give an 84-inch diagonal screen. Whoa that is BIG!
Looking at the two devices, they each had several types of input and output built-in but the one common between the two was an S-video. Doing a little research, I discovered that you could buy S-video cables up to 75 feet long making it easily conceivable to connect the project to the Bose system. The only downside was each time I wanted to watch a movie projected onto the screen, I would have to lay out the cable across the room (I didn’t leave it out as it would have been a trip hazard- Safety First!).
Then in 2008, a wonderful opportunity arose when we decided to redo our second-floor playroom.
We decided to pull up the 10-year-old carpet and replace it with a Pergo laminate floor (and paint over that hideous green). To increase utilization of this alcove behind the couch, I also decided to build and install some shelves. Both upgrades afforded some helpful engineering as well.
Before installing the Pergo flooring, I drilled holes in the subfloor and pulled an S-video cable from the top of the new bookcase to the far playroom wall beneath the subfloor. I mounted a S-video connector on the floor close to the screen and at the top of the bookcase in the back of the alcove. No longer then would I have a cable running across the floor; it would be completely hidden.
For 15 years now, we have all enjoyed our own home theatre with this large screen to watch movies…
… and for more than 15 years, I have gotten almost every one of those movies I wanted to watch through Netflix. But that ends in September when Netflix, after 25 years of availability, is discontinuing their CD service.
My wife who streams many, many shows on her computer has been saying for quite a while that I need to come into the 21st century and stop watching CDs. And I have resisted up until now since even though my theatre system is outdated, it still gives me an 84-inch viewing image with theatre-quality sound. But now, thanks to Netflix, I am being forced to give into my wife’s urgings.
When we rented a house south of San Francisco on our recent vacation there, it came with a huge flat panel TV.
I didn’t have a tape measure with me to see just how large it was, but I knew it certainly rivaled my projection screen. I had no idea they even sold TVs that large. But seeing it, I realized I really could come into the 21st century with a larger TV. Now I just have to do the research to see what the best type and brand is to buy.
So, I guess this means in the very near future, “The End” for my big screen!
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onecreativescientist 
What a cool idea to run the cable under the floor! I love those built-ins too. I wish we had enough room to install one in our house!
It has been nice so I am sorry I won’t be able to use it as much.
David, my son has done the same thing with a projector and a large screen – for years! Now, I don’t know the details about how he does it, but I do know he set this up in his bedroom at our home when he was a college student (he’ll be 35 in December), and he also set this up in his home now in Dallas – both in the living room and outside in the courtyard. In the living room, the screen comes down out of the ceiling and hangs where there is no wall – same thing for the courtyard. In the living room, the projector is hidden behind a hallway wall. We’ve watched slide shows, baseball games, and various other shows. This is how they watch movies, too, but I don’t believe they have Netflix – likely Amazon Prime. He even used to play (and he may now, not sure) video games using the screen as the display. He currently has a set up where he does Formula 1 virtual racing, but that’s independent of these other screens. He has a great system and will likely keep it as both locations don’t have a wall to hang a large tv. It just kind of tickles me that you have had the same setup. Regarding your wife’s comment about CDs – Dan and I watch CDs in our travel trailer when we can’t stream. We often pay a dollar or two – or get them free – and then pass them along. I like your photo at “The End.” Good luck with your search for a giant TV. I enjoyed reading this post, as I could really relate. My son’s set up has always impressed me. I’m not surprised you have such a system either!
Thanks, Betty. Yes I was really pleased with myself when I realized I could hook the projector up to the Bose and figured out how to do it without a cable along the floor. I don’t consider myself very “tech- savvy” but it sounds like your son certainly is. My wife and I recently went to see a movie in a theatre for the first time in years. With the demise of Netflix CDs, I suspect we may do this more often and I know the movies that we really like, I will probably buy when the CD comes out so we can watch it again on our own screen.
Hope you have a nice Sunday!
Thanks, and I hope you have a nice Sunday, too!