# Real or a hoax? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041 "2003-01-06T23:26:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Naz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@Naz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Naz)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/1 "2003-01-06T23:26:24Z")
[eBay auction](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18807&item=1949612610&rd=1) I couldn’t decide if this was a scam or not, so I thought I’d ask here. Does anybody know anything about this? Personally, I think it’s a scam, but Mr. Naz wants to see it, so what do you guys think? ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/2 "2003-01-06T23:35:33Z")
Ah, here we go (bolding mine): > [@](#): > > 1. “Is this legal?” > -Most certainly. **As long as you own the actual game.** ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/3 "2003-01-06T23:36:05Z")
What’s he talking about, ther is stuff about [NES emulators](http://www.gameboy-advance.net/emulated/nes_roms_on_gba.htm) on the gameboy site. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/4 "2003-01-06T23:39:52Z")
You’re paying at least 5 bucks for information that’s available for free. In that sense, it’s a scam. Can’t post any links to the actual info, due to its nebulous legality, but if you Google for “Gameboy Advance” "and “NES Emulator”, you’ll see what he’s talking about easily enough. [preview] I really ought to type faster. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/5 "2003-01-06T23:55:23Z")
Oh yeah… I meant to imply the emulator connection there with my post… guess I’m too subtle! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Naz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@Naz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Naz)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/6 "2003-01-07T03:47:24Z")
I know about emulators, and some of what the seller says makes me think he’s talking about an GBA emulator that plays NES ROMs (saw a site on this very thing yesterday). But: > [@](#): > > “Are there any additional costs to achieving this other than the cost of this guide?” > -Yes, your bid is for the guide only, you will have to make a 1 time investment of approximately 2 Gameboy Advance games which is not purchased from me. I am merely giving you the information on what and where to purchase and how to use it… Now, why would I need to ‘invest’ two GBA games for an emulator? This looks to be a “hard connection” of sorts- a “Super Gameboy” if you will. Could it be that it connects NES games to the GBA in the same fashion as “Super Gameboy” connects gameboy games to SNES? ---
**Author:** ![justthefacts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@justthefacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justthefacts)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/7 "2003-01-07T03:53:13Z")
How about the thing you see all the time on ebay about buying a “special” lens to turn your regular TV into a GIANT projection TV? Does anybody know how/if that works? ---
**Author:** ![Donovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/8 "2003-01-07T04:25:39Z")
I believe that you are referring to Fresnel lenses, and from what I know, they project the TV picture (on a wall, sheet, or what have you), but it is nowhere near as sharp, clear, or bright as your average TV picture, so they are pretty much useless… fresnel lenses are generally used as magnifying lenses, not for projection, and a TV is not bright enough to project the picture past the sceen itself. ---
**Author:** ![Donovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/9 "2003-01-07T04:28:53Z")
OK, I’m full of shit on the fresnel lenses not used for projection TVs ([http://www.display-optics.com/products.htm](http://www.display-optics.com/products.htm)) but I still say you can’t put one on a normal TV tube and have it work like a large screen projection TV ---
**Author:** ![Donovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/10 "2003-01-07T04:32:55Z")
and here is a link on how the lenses work: > **[Fresnel Lenses | Edmund Optics](https://www.edmundoptics.com/f/fresnel-lenses/12434/)** > > Fresnel Lenses used in light gathering applications, such as condenser systems or emitter/detector setups, and are available at Edmund Optics. wow that’s three posts in one night… I’m going to go lay down and put a cold compress on my forehead… ---
**Author:** ![justthefacts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@justthefacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justthefacts)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/11 "2003-01-07T04:48:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Donovan \* > \*\*OK, I’m full of shit on the fresnel lenses not used for projection TVs ([http://www.display-optics.com/products.htm](http://www.display-optics.com/products.htm)) but I still say you can’t put one on a normal TV tube and have it work like a large screen projection TV \*\* It’s on ebay so it must be legit. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/12 "2003-01-07T04:52:49Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s on ebay so it must be legit. I seem to have missed the rolleyes with that. That was sarcasm wasn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![justthefacts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@justthefacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justthefacts)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/13 "2003-01-07T05:07:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Reeder \* > \*\*I seem to have missed the rolleyes with that. That was sarcasm wasn’t it? \*\* sure it was:D ---
**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:** [January 7, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-or-a-hoax/147041/14 "2003-01-07T05:09:06Z")
I made a fresnell-lens projector many many years ago. It’s principal use was projecting colour-cycling fractals and those cheesy little trip out programs like mandala.exe onto the ceiling. It was great for that, but home theatre it ain’t. If you want cheap projection, you’re much better off to buy a cheap used presentation projector for your PC, and a video-in card (or DVD player). The older, bulkier, SVGA-only projectors can be picked up on the cheap, and this way your projected image is rescaled, so you’re not enlarging ugly scan-lines. Not a _pretty_ solution, but better looking than a cardboard box with a hole cut in it.