# Ghost projector from TV



## dsgnz (Oct 13, 2006)

Does anyone have this and can they explain how it works and how well?

http://www.halloweenonly.com/website/store/product_detail.asp?UID=&item_no=29275&keyword=HBOOKS&cat_keyword=HSPECIAL&search_page_no=1

If link doesn't work it claims to be a DVD and items that you can project ghost images up to 8' in size from a 13" portable TV.


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

*DO NOT BUY THIS!!!!*


I have several of this type of ghost projector. The first one, I paid full price through the"Things You Never Knew Existed" catalog.. Even though I liked the effect, I felt ripped off for the materials. But the IDEA was good, and so I built two more by myself.

First of all, you'll need a fairly DARK area of the house to make this work. If you have porch lights, street lights, flood lights, or any other light on the outside of your house where your projection window is, it won't work as well.

Here's how it works:

The DVD or video tape will be a loop of a bright image moving back and forth. The image will be upsidedown. The one I got from the catalog featured some fat guy in a white tee shirt! But it DID look OK...I guess.  The screen was a cheesy piece of white plastic,

The 'lens' is nothing more than one of those page magnifyers available at Office Depot, Staples, et al. 

http://www.comforthouse.com/fulmag.html

You tape it into a cardboard box that is approximately the same size as the TV. You cut out a hole in the bottom of the box that is the size of the magnifyer...that's where the magnifying lens goes. Place the open end of the box over the TV screen and the image will be turned right side up and 'projected' onto the plastic screen which has to be stretched tightly across the window.

You will have to adjust the distance between the lens, screen, and TV. You'll figure this out pretty fast. It would be good to have the TV on a movable stand slightly under the height of the window. Move the TV/Box untill you get a sharp focus. The TV will most likely have to be angled UP slightly to project onto the window. If the TV is too high, it will be seen through the plastic screen and it will spoil the effect.

It is a cool looking effect...but one that can be done for less than $10 if you make your own DVD/Videotape. You may want to simply buy the DVD and make the rest of the rig yourself. That's what I would suggest...I have this video:

http://tinyurl.com/ya6jaz

If I haven't explained it well enough, please ask about what isn't clear. I would so hate to see anybody waste their money on this good, but over-priced effect.

boo


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## lex (Apr 24, 2005)

Linky no worky for me


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

Which link? The magnifyer one or the video?

the long version of the video is:

http://www.halloweenonly.com/websit...=HBOOKS&cat_keyword=HSPECIAL&search_page_no=1


I don't know that this image will be upsidedown. I have simply flipped small TV's over. Don't know if that's bad for the TV or not- but haven't broken any yet.

Here's another magnifier link:

http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do...oogle-_-Shopping Comp-_-Datafeed-_-Technology


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## icemanfred (Aug 18, 2005)

anyone have a video clip of the effect?
so what exactly is the material that it is projected on?


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## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

The 'screen' is simply a white piece of plastic sheeting...about the weight of heavy gauge visquene (sp?)...shiny on one side. I have used white plastic table cloth plastic which is not as bright, and also colored plastic rolls from the party store. I've never tried regular 'clear' visquene...that might work too.

I also sometimes place a piece of green colored lighting gel over the magnifyer to change the signature blue thrown by a TV screen. Adjusting the brightness and tint on the TV also makes a big difference. The darker the outside of the window, the better the effect. Also, the room with the TV projector should be as dark as possible. This would be a good effect in the dark window of a garden shed or other small enclosure off in the dark distance. Dark is the key.


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## dpolking (Oct 8, 2004)

does anyone have the video from the dvd for this item? I can't find it for sale anywhere online.

I will be making my own projector, but would like to get this video somehow.


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## briwesk (Aug 11, 2008)

I used to do this as a projector for my bedroom

U build a carboard box around a monitor or in this case a tv. You paint the inside of the box flat black

You then make a hole the size of a CD on a flat piece of cardboard, Make sure that is flat black as well

Get a Fresnel Lens and tap/glue to piece of cardboard with hole. Make sure center of Fresnel lens is directly centered with the circle on the cardboard

This will turn your tv/monitor into a projector

the problem with this is the room needs to be COMPLETELY dark, and the image needs to be VERY bright

And of course upside down

On a PC monitor, just go to video controls and invert the image to be upside down

This is how u used to make a projector


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## BallstonManor (Jul 31, 2008)

I've been on the fence about whether or not to use my projector for the haunt this year. I've never used it for that in the past, but this year it's sorta tempting. Might have to get creative this year. LOL


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## dpolking (Oct 8, 2004)

looking for videos for a tv projector project, anyone have any links? halloweenonly.com no longer sells this item.


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## dpolking (Oct 8, 2004)

Here is an interesting link to a site offering videos specifically for projections:

Hallowindow - Mark Gervais


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## Chrismo (Nov 10, 2008)

I know I'm chiming in kind of late on this one, but I can't say enough good about the DVD's from bigscreamtv.com. They give you lots of suggestions on how to use the DVD's to create the effect that was originally discussed in this thread.

I used them in the nightclub where I work this year. I never thought about using the page magnifier to enlarge the images, but it's now on my 'to-do' list for next year.

They have a series called "Terror Eyes" which includes 3 different types of eyes, singles and in pairs (with sound). There's a couple that are various faces which talk and offer some corny one-liners. There's another that you use to create a 'crystal ball' effect using the 'Pepper's Ghost' technique.

After I had mounted up several 'Terror Eyes' rigs, I went and found animated GIF's online of eyes and converted them to video, and they all turned out great. I'll certainly be expanding on this idea for next year too.


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## hfx (Oct 7, 2007)

if anyone is still interested in knowing, i think you guys were talking about the product from outrageous media? I was surfing for projector related topics and came across this one...If it matters to anyone, the product I think you're talking about would be at :

Halloween Props - Halloween Animatronics - HauntedProps.com


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## davy2 (Sep 10, 2008)

Using two projectors this year, one for Hallowindow, and one for Ghost Bust


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