# Does something like this actually work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 22, 2001, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483 "2001-08-22T04:10:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/1 "2001-08-22T04:10:00Z")
[http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1629756486](http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1629756486) I have a 36-inch t.v., but I wouldn’t be opposed to a 100". So, what exactly is this guy selling? Why aren’t things like this in stores, and most importantly: Does it work?😕 ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/2 "2001-08-22T04:17:32Z")
Read his feedback…sounds pretty positive to me. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/3 "2001-08-22T04:19:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pkbites \* > I have a 36-inch t.v., but I wouldn’t be opposed to a 100". **Knead** leans up against the pool table and waits for all the “sounds just like a man” jokes to come rolling in. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/4 "2001-08-22T04:24:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KneadToKnow \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by pkbites \* > > I have a 36-inch t.v., but I wouldn’t be opposed to a 100". > > **Knead** leans up against the pool table and waits for all the “sounds just like a man” jokes to come rolling in. \*\* Ha hah ha! Yeah, and when I have my 100" t.v. I’ll be wishing I had a 500 inch like some guys do:D ---
**Author:** ![Galan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@Galan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/5 "2001-08-22T04:25:09Z")
Based on the following statement from the ad, 'Also, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE 100" YOU CAN MAKE IT ANY SIZE UP TO 100"! ’ it doesn’t sound to solid. Regardless, whatever it is, it can’t increase the number of scan lines on your TV screen or pixels on your computer monitor. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/6 "2001-08-22T04:30:49Z")
Some are [even bigger](http://www.yankovic.org/WeirdAl/h_Alapalooza/franks_2000_tv.txt), **pkbites**. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/7 "2001-08-22T04:51:27Z")
From everything I’ve seen, the quality doesn’t even come close to commercial projector TVs, but it’s hard to beat the price. If you are really interested, save the money you would have spent for instructions on E-bay by going [here](http://www.webone.com.au/~caoz/bstv.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/8 "2001-08-22T04:54:48Z")
He sounds like a pretty good guy by the tone and sheer quantity of his feedback. **258 positive responses** is proof that he sells a good product. I would trust him if I were you. Plus, ten bucks isn’t that much of a loss. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/9 "2001-08-22T05:35:57Z")
I’ve seen these things about, there is a name for this kind of lens, I just can’t remeber what it is. It’s a flexible plastic sticky backed thing, sometimes you see them in cars in the rear window and they magnify the image. The only thing is that when they are used for tv they are spreading the same amount of light over a larger area so the picture tends to look dull and the definition is poor too. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/10 "2001-08-22T05:40:59Z")
I assume that he is sending folks a fresnell lens, (retail value: ninety-nine cents) and instructions on “assembly”. I have made a quick-and-dirty projector using a fresnell lens, a cardboard box with a small rectangle cut in the bottom, and some black fabric. You need a small screen that you can easily invert, since the projected image is upside-down. You also have to turn the brightness & contrast waaaaay up. It works fine, in a very dark room. I got many hours of enjoyment out of this simple device, but the LSD helped _a lot._ I don’t know if it would be the ideal movie solution. Someone has been kind enough to post a [instructions](http://www.redrival.com/thisone/tvproj.html) for free on the web. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/11 "2001-08-22T05:47:38Z")
“A instructions?” Jesus, Larry. Just wanted to add: The link shows a fancy-schmancy mod using a mirror, which out-tech’s poor me. But you get the idea, anyway. It doesn’t make it clear that you really do need to make sure no light leaks out the sides, and that you should crank the brightness, colour, & contrast. Also, you can pick up a liquid crystal projector that works -sweet- for under a thousand bucks these days. The only downside, they’re small and easy for rat-bastards to spirit out of your house while you are at work. (AAAARGH! I miss it so much!) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/12 "2001-08-22T05:49:58Z")
Jeez, Adam does mention all the things I said he didn’t, if you bother to look outside the jpg diagram. I’m going to bed now. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/13 "2001-08-22T06:24:07Z")
Check out the feedback…it sounds like some people weren’t totally happy with this lens and the ‘plans’. Sure, he has a lot of positive feedback, but he also has 14 negatives and 8 neutrals…that would raise a red flag if I was thinking about bidding. > [@](#): > > _actual feedback:_ > > Neutral : this is NOT what you think it is…cheap fresnel lense that you have to make work > Response : I DON’T UNDERSTAND $6 FOR A BIG TV -IT REALLY DOES WORK - HOW CAN THAT BE BAD??? I guess if it is worth $19 ($6 + $3 S&H + $10 worth of materials you need to buy to make it work) to you, go for it. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-something-like-this-actually-work/77483/14 "2001-08-22T06:26:15Z")
Let me just reiterate what Larry Said - the picture quality will generally suck. It will be really, really dim. To see it at all, you’ll have to have the room totally dark, and then it’ll look more like a ghostly image on the wall than a real TV projection. That’s if you blow it up to 100". At a smaller, more reasonable size it might look at little brighter. Just remember, the total amount of light available for the picture is what is coming off the TV screen, but you are spreading it out over an area much, much bigger. But it really will work, and for some things the image may even be watchable. And hey, it’s only $10.