Ask HN: Have anyone had success with projector-based work station? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Have anyone had success with projector-based work station?

18 pointsarchibaldJ8 comments

So I got a 4k projector recently (1920x1080 50Hz, ~$1700; positioned 2.5m away from a wall)

I'm trying to see if I can be more productive using the projected display as the primary monitor where I write my code.

Not sure if it's the burn-out or I'm just not used to big display, somehow even using it for writing text felt more exhausting for me (also maybe because it's further distance away so more effort is required as one types?).

Have anyone had success with projector-based work station? Maybe it should be used as a secondary display instead? What's best set-up?

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1080 != "4k"

I had a projector as one of 3 screens for a while a couple years ago, the DPI mismatch was extreme so stuff on the "big screen" had to be re-scaled to be useful. The projector wound up showing video or waterfall displays (music or RF) and that was about all it did.

Categories are Data Projectors (business presentations etc.), Home Entertainment, Home Theater, and Gaming.

Business models intentionally have lower native resolution and a less-wide aspect ratio to allow better legibility from the back of the room.

I used one for maybe a week at work a few years ago. Aimed it at my cubicle wall.

Pros:

- It was fun to try.

- It sparked a conversation or two.

Cons:

- The size didn't really help; I'd say it got in the way more than anything. I had to scan more real estate to find what I was looking for.

- It was more washed out than my monitors; lower contrast. Probably a function of the projector, the settings, the lighting, and me not knowing what I was doing. It would surely be better in a dark environment.

- It was tricky to keep in focus. Any movement would make the projection fuzzy.

It was a fun experiment, but the novelty wore off pretty quickly and I went back to monitors.

Projector systems are cool, but have lower pixel density than traditional monitors.

Possibly of interest: have you ever considered working in VR?[1] You can get screens to be as large/larger than projector screens, while also pushing them away from you. The freedom of movement it provides could also be less exhausting/constraining.

[1] https://simulavr.com/blog/why-vrcs-are-better-than-pcs-and-l...

> 1920x1080 50Hz, ~$1700

Something is off about this; these specs are abnormally low and the price is abnormally high.

oh aw i got confused; the projector is doing 3840 x 2160 (while the display is at 1920 x 1080)

You could take a video of the projected screen with your phone, you may see a rainbow party as many video projectors project the colours sequentially and count on your eyes to do the average. It’s fine for a movie but not for long work sessions in my opinion.

I can't even handle my projector for gaming, let alone work.

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