Sun managers,
I received over 60 prompt responses on this subject,
thanks to everyone who answered!
Most people pointed me in the direction of a company
called Sunburst Computers. An email from eeimkey@eeiua.ericsson.se
(Martin Kelly) gave me a description of a product and
the necessary info to contact Sunburst, which I had already
done earlier this week via an email address given in a SunWorld
magazine advertisement.
Martin wrote;
"Have you seen The SPARC Presenter from Sunburst computers.
This includes a 640x480 resolution, 226,000 colour active matrix
projection panel with digital video and audio control. A Cyclops "eye"
wand and laser pointer with Sunburst integrated driver for X window
support under SunOS. All necessary hardware and software for connection
to Sparcstaions.
It costs in the region of US$10k.
Its avialable from the following address:
Sunburst Computers
187 Calle Magdalena
Encinitas
CA 92024
USA
Tel: (619) 633-1680
Fax: (619) 633-1169
e-mail: sales@sunburst.com"
Other companies mentioned where Barco, Sony, Electrohome,
Esprit, and GE.
The prices seem to start at around 10K US for most
of the projection units.
Some people also connected a projector to a Mac or
PC running X emmulation for their Sun workstation.
Following, are some of the responses I received that
might be helpfull to you:
>From D.I.Wood@newcastle.ac.uk Wed Jul 22 07:15:10 1992
From: Iain Wood <D.I.Wood@newcastle.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Electronic projectors for Sun workstations
To: daniel@CANR.Hydro.Qc.CA
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 12:05:24 BST
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL3]
Content-Length: 845
>
> I am looking for equipment that will permit me to
> project the contents of a workstation screen for seminars,
> demos, etc. Does such a device exist? I've heard of
> electronic acetates, but none that connect to a Sun.
>
> A few companies here in Montreal that rent or sell such
> equipment told us that nothing is available for suns at
> this time, WHICH I HAVE A VERY HARD TIME BELIEVING!
>
I don't! We had a similar problem a while ago, and ended up using a
Mac running MacX, with an Overhead Projector tablet attatched. The sun
sent its output to an xterm running on the Mac. Did the job!
Iain
--------------------------------------------------------------
Iain Wood | E-mail D.I.Wood@uk.ac.newcastle
Newcastle University | phone 091 222 8237
--------------------------------------------------------------
>From butzer@cranel.com Tue Jul 21 08:30:39 1992
From: Dan Butzer <butzer@cranel.com>
Subject: Electronic projectors for Sun
To: daniel@CANR.Hydro.Qc.CA
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 92 8:25:09 EDT
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL0]
Content-Length: 305
Daniel,
When I was network manager for Ohio State Univ. CS dept, we bought a Sony
unit. Excellent piceture. Barco also makes an excellent unit
The only unit I ever had a bad experience with was an Electrohome which
was very difficult to converge and setup.
Those are the three main names.
--Dan
>From birger@vest.sdata.no Wed Jul 22 03:07:09 1992
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 09:08:01 +0200
From: birger@vest.sdata.no (Birger A. Wathne)
To: daniel@CANR.Hydro.Qc.CA
Subject: Re: Electronic projectors for Sun workstations
Content-Length: 314
If you do some travelling for demos, consider a Tadpole SPARCbook. A
really portable Sun clone with VGA output. One o the advantages of the
VGA is that you can find projectors or LCD screens for overhead
projectors at most big conerence hotels. And the computer itself is
only about 3 kg (6.8 or 7 lbs)
Birger
>From delphys@ocean.cc.mcgill.ca Tue Jul 21 10:14:15 1992
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 92 10:13:13 EDT
From: delphys@ocean.cc.mcgill.ca (David Holmes)
To: daniel@CANR.Hydro.Qc.CA (Daniel Hurtubise)
Subject: Re: Electronic projectors for Sun workstations
Content-Length: 813
Daniel,
We have a projection television that I am told will take
direct feeds from a SUN workstation. I believe that it is an
Electrohome. I have also heard of LCD (overhead) projector
presentation systems from the likes of Sunburst Computer (San
Diego,CA). If this is the sort of thing you are interested in I
would be happy to get more complete information for you (addresses &
telephone #s etc)
David
________ __________________________ __
David Holmes McGILL UNIVERSITY
UNIX Support Group - Computing Centre Montreal, CANADA
email/NeXT email delphys@CC.McGill.CA voice 514-398-3716
delphys@MCGILL1.BITNET FAX 514-398-6876
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>From hanh@mars.cse.fau.edu Tue Jul 21 10:47:38 1992
From: hanh@mars.cse.fau.edu (Hanh Vu - xt 2801 )
Subject: Re: Electronic projectors for Sun workstations
To: daniel@CANR.Hydro.Qc.CA
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 92 10:44:07 EDT
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]
Content-Length: 1737
>
> I am looking for equipment that will permit me to
> project the contents of a workstation screen for seminars,
> demos, etc. Does such a device exist? I've heard of
> electronic acetates, but none that connect to a Sun.
>
> A few companies here in Montreal that rent or sell such
> equipment told us that nothing is available for suns at
> this time, WHICH I HAVE A VERY HARD TIME BELIEVING!
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
There are 2 companies which I know of who makes such projectors:
1) Sunburst Computers: their equipment work specifically with Sun
SparcStations and they will even sell you a packaged deal with
a Sparc along with the projector. For information and brochure,
you can call them at 619-633-1680, or e-mail at sales@sunburst.com
2) Electrohome projection Systems: these folks have quite a few
models. You can contact them at (519) 744-7111.
Currently, in one of our labs we are using a Barco system, but we're
not very satisfied with it. The projection is extremely grainy and
from further than 10 feet away, you can't read much off the screen.
Barco probably has a better system by now but ... well, personally
I'm not impressed with the company or their support. Oh well, my
2 cents' worth.
Hope this helps.
-hanh
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Hanh Vu, Systems Support | |
| Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering | Internet: hanh@cse.fau.edu |
| Florida Atlantic University | Office: (407) 367-2801 |
| Boca Raton, FL 33431 USA | Fax: (407) 367-2800 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From miker@sbcoc.com Tue Jul 21 11:15:15 1992
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 92 09:02:47 CDT
From: Mike Raffety <miker@sbcoc.com>
X-Organization: SBC/OC Services, L.P.
To: daniel@CANR.Hydro.Qc.CA
Subject: Re: Electronic projectors for Sun workstations
Content-Length: 712
I don't think you'll find anything on the market YET capable of the
same resolution as a standard Sun screen (1152x900); the technology
just isn't there. PCs are typically MUCH lower resolution. You CAN
get various projection devices which will either display a PORTION of
the screen, or will give you a screen with PC-like resolution.
That said, there are a couple of huge, expensive, data-grade projection
systems available. I know of Hughes, and I think NEC. They run
somewhere around $20,000 and up, though. We have a few, and they're
not very readable; they have to be VERY carefully focused by a
professional on a rigid screen, and never moved.
>From rabr@tc-savoy.gwl.com Tue Jul 21 11:44:43 1992
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 08:42:26 -0600
From: Rich Brown <rabr@tc-savoy.gwl.com>
To: daniel@CANR.Hydro.Qc.CA
Subject: Re: Electronic projectors for Sun workstations
Content-Length: 456
Electrohome makes a series of projectors that will project the image
off of a sun screen. They are quite pricey but work well.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Rich Brown, Network Administrator
Great-West Life E-mail: rabr@gwl.com
8505 E. Orchard Rd
Englewood, Co 80112
Phone: 303/689-3174 Fax: 303/689-4360
_______________________________________________________________________________
>From dawi@is-rocker.gwl.com Tue Jul 21 11:47:17 1992
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 08:48:24 -0600
From: Dave Wilmot <dawi@is-rocker.gwl.com>
To: daniel@CANR.Hydro.Qc.CA
Subject: Re: Electronic projectors for Sun workstations
Content-Length: 1447
Call Pete Frank at Davis Audio-Visual, INC in denver.
(303) 455-1122
>From poffen@sj.ate.slb.com Tue Jul 21 12:04:31 1992
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 92 09:01:58 PDT
From: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com (Russ Poffenberger)
To: daniel@CANR.Hydro.Qc.CA
Subject: Re: Electronic projectors for Sun workstations
Content-Length: 958
>I am looking for equipment that will permit me to
>project the contents of a workstation screen for seminars,
>demos, etc. Does such a device exist? I've heard of
>electronic acetates, but none that connect to a Sun.
>
>A few companies here in Montreal that rent or sell such
>equipment told us that nothing is available for suns at
>this time, WHICH I HAVE A VERY HARD TIME BELIEVING!
>
There definitely is such equipment available, but probably not what you
are thinking. Those LCD overhead projector things are not yet big enough
to handle Sun's, but there are projection TV's that will work. We have one
here. Electrohome makes such a beast. They aren't cheap, but you can lease
one for ~$1000/month.
Russ Poffenberger DOMAIN: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com
Schlumberger Technologies UUCP: {uunet,decwrl,amdahl}!sjsca4!poffen
1601 Technology Drive CIS: 72401,276
San Jose, Ca. 95110 Voice: (408)437-5254 FAX: (408)437-5246
>From pls@pegasus.rice.edu Tue Jul 21 14:58:23 1992
From: Patrick Shopbell <pls@pegasus.rice.edu>
Subject: Re: electronic projectors
To: daniel@CANR.Hydro.Qc.CA
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 92 13:54:30 CDT
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]
Content-Length: 5340
Daniel,
I recall a little information concerning this when it was discussed
a while back in the comp.windows.x group. Some of it is x-specific, but
this may give you some companies to start looking at. Here's some excerpts:
Good luck.
Patrick
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
| Patrick Shopbell Department of Space Physics and Astronomy |
| pls@pegasus.rice.edu Rice University |
| P.O. Box 1892 |
| (713) 527-8750 x3640, x3511 Houston, TX 77251-1892 |
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
From: dan@watson.ibm.com (Walt Daniels)
Phone: 914-784/863-6736
To: xpert@expo.lcs.mit.edu
Message-Id: <123191.130612.dan@watson.ibm.com>
Subject: Re: looking for X overhead projection system
Status: OR
Most of the "special hardware" is not CPU manufacturer specific but
rather it is display specific. My ubiquitous SONY display on my
RS/6000 (even though it has an IBM logo) has extra BNC connectors that
are "output" from the display. Our auditorum has some special
hardware ( I don't know who makes it) that allows attaching most
displays to the projection TV in the auditorum.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I use PC's running Hummingbird eXceed Plus software for X Terminal
emulation. I use Barco projectors in conference rooms to project the
images in conference rooms across the country.
I know PC-to-videotape equipment is available for reasonable (well,
sort of) prices. This might be your best approach, because competition
has brought PC hardware cost down and a high-end '386 can run X quite
acceptably. I'm using a PC running X now, with Super VGA and 800x600
resolution.
Of course, being a "dumb" terminal is about all a PC is good for, but
they work pretty well that way.
-- Ken Jenks, NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov (713) 483-4368
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am quite sure that Barco makes an overhead projection TV that should
handle any standard RGB monitor. I know that Electrohome does make one.
We tested one out against a Sun-3/60 with a color monitor. As I recall,
they have an adapter to use for monochrome monitors. The bad news: they
cost something like $20K. You might be able to rent one, though.
-- Don Koch aardvark@nt1l.uucp aardvark%nt1l.uucp@primerd.prime.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The best answer for accessing the video of an NCD that I know of is to contact a company in Los Angeles called Extron. They make a tap that goes between the monitor and base that I believe will answer almost any of these sorts of requests. The contact information is:
Ginger Dodier Extron 13554 Laurelwin Circle Santa Fe Springs CA 90670
Phone: 213-802-8804 Fax: 213-802-2741
I have always found them to be very helpful.
Doug klein@ncd.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indeed, probably the most reasonable thing is to run X on a PC using one of those VGA/NTSC boards. I believe US Video makes one. There are several on the market. PC Mag did a review of such devices perhaps a year ago. The best you can probably do is run a 640x480 Windows driver. These boards then also put out NTSC as well as 60Hz video for a Multisync monitor. Of course if you wanted to videotape it with a standard VHS VCR, you're not going to get anything as good as 640x480. VHS is good to around 240 lines. S-VHS is good to about 400 lines. These boards cost about $500, I think. I seem to recall that Egghead is one distributor. Good RGB->NTSC converters start at about $1000 and go up. Another option is to screen dump the X windows image and display it on an NTSC frame buffer (after suitable reduction in resolution). Perhaps an Amiga would work. If you don't need color, this way may be the cheapest, since it should be possible to find a 30Hz 512x512 frame buffer somewhere and you can skip the NTSC conversion.
Cheers, Dan Ts'o 212-570-7671 Dept. Neurobiology dan@rna.rockefeller.edu Rockefeller Univ. ...s5!rna!dan 1230 York Ave. tso@rockvax.bitnet NY, NY 10021
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is not quite what you asked for, but it serves the same purpose.
We use a video projector (Sony VPH-1030QM) that can directly be driven by RGB or NTCS. Our Sony is connected to a Sun with a TAAC-1, because the TAAC-1 can easily be configured for the low resolution this device needs (1024x512). The device is quite old, so Sony probably has better devices that cope with the resolution of common workstations directly. -- Arne Ludwig arne@rrzbu.hanse.de ...uunet!??????!rrzbu!arne
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