Extreme teardown - NEC XT5000 Projector

Taking apart what was once a very expensive ($42K) projector. Very apart.

[@mikeissweet]

You have the best teardowns I've seen on youtube. Very thorough and to the point. You are no doubt very knowledgeable.

[@12voltvids]

We have one of thes in the board room at work.No wonder the room gets so hot when that thing is running 1Kw lamp wow.

[@walts555]

👍I've watched this three times now, and it's still the high water mark for KZbin teardowns. Amazing tech, amazingly revealed. Optical path mockup was especially nice!

[@913WildCat]

I've seen almost all of your videos but this one takes the cake! Great explanation. I especially liked the part at the end. Thanks!

[@pr4wn5tar]

I loved your hackaday belgrade Ediphor presentation! What a piece of tech, well done!

[@johnstavrakakis1094]

I applaud your effort to make this video. Thank you.

[@MarlosZappa]

Absolutely amazing. Thanks a bunch for this, Mike!

[@zark212]

Wow what an awesome channel. I also collect NEC projectors and like to modify audio visual equipment.I bought with an old NEC MP2 plasma display panel years back and always buy NEC products. The MP2 had the most amazing image depth I have ever seen from a display, Shore new models have HDMI etc but in terms of a "Filmic quality" it was the best I have ever owned and closer to depth from a tube tv.I will be back asap with more posts, brilliant video and completely invigorating.

[@AntiProtonBoy]

Good to see you posting videos Mike. Very interesting, keep it up.

[@hpux735]

Holy crap! I can't believe how quickly the wood started smoking! It wasn't even that focused! Great find, Mike!

[@mikeselectricstuff]

@superdau pretty much because they were cheap and would be interesting to take apart. They ended up basically free as I recovered the purchase cost from the scrap metal, and I still have one complete working left over.

[@matthewbeardmore]

Great video, I was waiting the entire time to see that lamp running

After the anodizing is gone from the heatsink, doesn't that shiny metal reflect a huge part of the light back?

[@coondogtheman]

Man that thing is a monster. I've never seen a projector that big. Biggest one I saw before this was the one in the computer lab in my school and it was maybe one quarter the size of this beast.

[@ComfortElectrics]

Your videos never sease to amaze me

[@ComfortElectrics]

*cease

[@stevenking2980]

I love when he does the fast forward thing!

[@komrad36]

Excellent video as always. I find it hard to believe that with all the crazy things you have in your shop, you didn't have a standard computer power cable!!

[@chrispychickin]

That wasn't a standard IEC. He said it was a 16A one, the standard iec kettle plugs are only 10a rated.

[@QlueDuPlessis]

Chris Tate The interesting thing about that is 16A is the Standard kettle cord in South Africa. The low current type meant for PC use doesn't fit in a kettle. Edit: I just checked and the plugs I'm thinking of are 10A. The 16A version has the flat pins horizontal instead of vertical. (clearly visible in the video as well, I just didn't look properly.)

[@killerdalek]

I really enjoyed that. Excellent. I'll watch your other videos now. Thanks.

[@piperfox74]

Fantastic video! I learned a lot. Thank you!

[@jonp5368]

Any KZbinr that slices himself mid video and doesn't even flinch get's my Sub

[@grassulo]

Scrap unit bought for the purpose of tearing it down this much. Even a new lamp costs more than a good used car. It served it's purpose as a projector, now it's serving another showing us how it all works with Mike's guidance.

[@foxsux6000]

Some of the internal fans aren't for cooling but to keep certain thicker atmospheres maintaining a continues flow (like smoke/moisture/ETC which is more common in professional use) it will also keep some of the fans blowing after shutdown to dehumidify the internals (for outside/high humidity environments)

[@nlhans1990]

Very cool video! Interesting to see how much stuff goes into such a projector (no wonder it costs $42k). Especially the image processing board, that were a lot of months of developing such a thing.

[@williefleete]

That is some epic optics

[@SPEKERDUDE]

the IR sensor on to top is to make sure the top cover is on before the lamp starts

[@beyondhelp00]

How did I miss this one! Awesome :)

[@mikeselectricstuff]

@PhxSt0rmz yes - this is mentioned towards the end. Search "projector bulb" on youtube for what happens when large ones pop. .

[@WickedEngineer]

i like nec equipment...it's very nicely made !

[@TheOriginalEviltech]

Put those lightbulbs in your car! Than wait for someone to shine his/hers high beams at you! :D

[@gordo8189]

That will burn the anodised coating off the backs of their eyes ;-)

[@mcflonomcfloonyloo5236]

Would need to install the shutter as well since there's a warmup period. Alternator would need a heavy upgrade!

[@MisterWestbam]

Learned something today, cool video :)

[@hopesedzro486]

am happy to see these i want to learn who to repair projector if possible

[@napablue7502]

Very cool. My friend invented DLP. Out of engineering -- burned out. He owns a sushi restaurant and a noodle shop now. On the wall of the noodle shop you can see the patent and the first silicon mounted on a plaque he was awarded by TI.

[@DUIofPhysics]

Larry Hornbeck?

[@johnnyfannucci]

You must have an awesome scrap parts bin

[@mikeselectricstuff]

@barjan82 I just increased the voltage 'til it started firing. Current is pretty low, & I ran one off 240V mains with a series resistor & diode. I'd expect igniter input voltage to vary significantly with make/model.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

No - the power required is orders of magnitude more than LEDs can provide. Another issue is projection optics requiresa small source, so you can't just throw more LEDs at it

[@mikeselectricstuff]

@pixuma You can see a DLP with an image in the pics I took of a pico projector at electricstuff.co.uk/picoproj.html

[@dariostokan2544]

I enjoy watching this video.

[@Scyth3934]

24:14 woah!!!! thanks for doing that!

[@momo4733]

I work as a projectionist in a multiplex and I have taken apart for repair some of the more modern projectors, both Barco and NEC. The general layout is pretty much the same, only nowadays there are more fans and liquid cooling/Peltiers on the DMD blocks. Oh and massive security interfaces, everything is encrypted. I particulary like Barco, it is very modular and you can just pull it apart, major blocks are held in place with friction and captive screws.

[@111chicane]

What is encrypted? The video files come encrypted and the projector is decrypting them?

[@mumiemonstret]

@@111chicane Yes, DCP files (Digital Cinema Package) come public-key encrypted and are decrypted in a unit called a media block. In our cinema this unit sits in in a separate computer called screen server. The SDI signal from the media block to the projector is once again encrypted and then decrypted in the projector on the the same unit as the DLP chips. Both the DLP unit and the media block have tamper detection that erases the keys if you try to disassemble them. Or if you accidentally pull the wrong lever during regular maintenance...

[@grassulo]

Blast from the past seeing that 20mb flash PCMCIA card. I remember when we used to use those to transfer data between SUN blade servers. Now any of those still running have PCMCIA USB 2.0 adapters in them and use thumb drives. How technology progresses, it's amazing.

[@Zagroseckt]

oh i love that shirt :) Had to get a friend to read it to me but i love it.

[@HaydenDonald]

Love Huge Projectors :) Play With Them All The Time

[@peterneet]

Very Good Movie Thanks a lot ! ! !

[@pmkwiek]

I bet the ir thing on top is for distance measurement to check if the panel cover is on or not.

[@robertdrinkall8947]

Interesting video, I still can't believe you did not have a IEC cable, don't you have a kettle or computer in your house Mike?

[@kevinbeckenham3872]

Excellent documentary, guy doing presentation need to relax, he needs a few beers before the video.

[@UberAlphaSirus]

You should keep that lamp and make a crumpet toaster :D

[@maddoughnut5047]

This projector is a monster ! but NEC is definitelly my brand , solid , durable

[@kalleguld]

Robert Drinkall There are a lot of different IEC connectors. It's probably driven by a 16A variant (C19/C20) which aren't used much in Europe (at least not in residential scenarios).

[@MaxKoschuh]

Sehr gutes Video. Daumen nach oben!

[@mikeselectricstuff]

@Gameboygenius Sorry can't find them - I think they've been trashed!

[@user-nj2br9mb1f]

Nice T-shirt!

[@Zeddify]

the IR sensor is a tamper-safe protection device to prevent people (like you) from powering on the projector while it’s open

[@frac]

That hidden IRED... syncing stacked projectors, perhaps? Assuming the single-unit cover is removed when a stack is installed.

[@barjan82]

The xenon power supply board is interesting. Am i right that there are no filter caps on the dc output? What topology is it? Seeing the bottom layer of the board i would say it's a forward converter.

[@ZeroMass]

Sexy optics in that old behemoth.

[@sarasifg]

Mike, would you possibly consider making some form of tutorial series? It's my firm belief you'd make a good tutor.

[@theelmonk]

I bought some junk off Mike at a boot sale once. Always thought it was military origin but now I know where it came from .. 12:27 ! It may end up as the stage of a frankenmicroscope I'm putting together.

[@zark212]

Other nec models are very good bro. Depends on if you dont mind bulb replacement , if not then second hand is the way to go. newer models have led bulbs and a good one is Optoma ML500. The new models use DLP technology which is basically a spinning color wheel. Some work better than other and optima make a great projector for not much cash. Other than that older NEC models still give very good results. I had had many nec units bro. Hope this helps, lemme know what your lookin for bud.

[@barjan82]

Hi Mike, what's the proper input voltage of the igniter module? I saw 128VDC set on your bench supply. I have a 1.6kW short arc lamp, constant current smps is ready, but need something to fire it up with. I found that these igniter modules are available on eBay, maybe it's worth to try. Lamp current in my case is around 60Amps, so i hope that the ingniter can handle that extra 10-15Amps.

[@artifactingreality]

good stuff. funny how many decades of research and development and money went into building that and its still cheaper to buy a new one when the lamp breaks.

[@grassulo]

Because the consumer DLP projector was built to a price. This one was built without cost as an object. Note that he said a new lamp for it would be 2000 pounds, there are decent cars you can get for less than that. Expensive piece of kit, and at the end of it's life, giant heavy door stop.

[@drewm1980]

Awesome teardown! What an impressive piece of optoelectronics! Love the explosion warnings and burning wood in front of the lamp. You must have been wearing welding goggles! So is the bulb not very dangerous when only hooked up to the igniter, and not the low voltage, high current source?

[@elenamegaken8309]

Разборка на отъебись! Поржал с этого стиля! Красивый модуль на 5.50! Спасибо за интересный видос!👍🤝🍻🍻

[@Scyth3934]

$50?!? What a steal! I'd give an arm and a leg to get 4 of those things!

[@TheLightningStalker]

Lost it when I saw your stick man

[@pixuma]

Also, i've always wondered what a DLP chip looks like if you actually feed it a signal while you've got it out

[@SproutyPottedPlant]

Wow! How did I miss this one? Do you think this projector was used to show the trailers and live events?

[@PhattyMo]

You know you've done a good job when you have a bin of screws left over. :D

[@DanFrederiksen]

could these be adapted for super efficient Cree XML LED lighting instead? that would presumably make the whole thing quite a bit more elegant

[@o0julek0o]

Hey Mike, can you actually make use of the huge lenses?

[@pixuma]

SUBSCRIBED!

[@ElectronicTonic156]

If you still have those DLP arrays, you could send one to Jeri for her electron microscope!

[@janithasendanayaka5882]

Sony DX-100 Projector after turning on pictures are clear. But after few minutes colour blots and collected in the center. What's the reason for this. Please reply me. Which part should I repair and replaced.

[@superdau]

And now put it back together! Did you buy the projectors just for the fun of tearing them down (I can fully understand that!!) or is there something you wanted to do with them? (except for all the reuseable parts in them)

[@zark212]

Hello Mike. Awesome video. I have a question and was wondering if you could help? I have taken some nec projectors apart & placed everything back as much as possible. For some reason I cannot fathom, The picture elements are off track & un aligned. Its the Red green and blue geometry elements. I heard its something to do with the ribbon leads connecting the LCD panels? Has been put back exactly how it was. I read that there is software that can re align them via a pc, Have you ever seen this

[@scivids1999]

I tend to prefer LCD as it tends to have brighter colours. DLP has way better contrast though

[@carslover3509]

great

[@Orcinus24x5]

OMFG I want that lens assembly so bad. ;_;

[@williefleete]

did you ever find out what was on the PCMCIA card or did it get trashed

[@mysteriousjustin]

Hey, what Panasonic camera do you use?

[@grassulo]

go on ebay and find a nice used 3 lcd conference room projector, they aren't that expensive and even if they need a new bulb their worth it. Same results in a much more compact package and it'd probably have more features (possibly HDMI), for most uses a big 3 lcd projector would be more than enough and they aren't too bad when bought used.

[@DolezalPetr]

where did you get it ?

[@shaithesm0ck]

do you stilll have thos prisms?

[@mcflonomcfloonyloo5236]

Geez, no mandatory bulb training, disappointed; you should take a few hints form Photonicinduction - get a masculine power supply and train that bulb until that spark gap has truly sparked!

[@mikebobcat6958]

Do u still have that bulb i would like that

[@eekpie]

9:40 wtf happened? Seen this years ago but Christ. You need a hug and I'm willing to give

[@antoineblanchard]

nice

[@WickedEngineer]

do the lamps come with these rediculous rom chips that save the hours on them ?

[@jladelpha]

GREAT video! i own 3 units. 2 of these, and one SX6000 (5K lumen) do you still have the lenses? just out of curiosity, you willing to sell them? i need some more lenses for them as i use these units for building projection for corporate events.

[@DanFrederiksen]

I'm not sure that's quite true. a 5x5mm Cree XM-L diode can run at 7W with decent cooling. if you form a cylinder with those 6 wide and 7 around that's quite a bit of efficient LED light. certainly not orders of magnitude below, maybe even more light. and I don't think it really needs a point light either. I don't think focus is limited by the light size although I'm not quite clear on the reason for that.

[@lolman2008112]

IR TX RX could be an interlock?

[@TheiNeko]

Some parts of the projector may be radioactive.

[@tkojabroni2833]

How hard would it be to retrofit one of those 100w SMD LEDs into this thing? they could easily extend the life of this thing for pretty cheap

[@ZevHoover]

the terrible CRI may be an issue, no?

[@acaaew]

Plus even if you are able to rig of a replacement LED light source that matches the light output and CRI of the arc lamp, the crap 1024x768 native resolution of the DLP chips kinda makes it pointless unless you don't care about picture quality and sharpness. Even though its rather low res the 4500 lumens is pretty damn impressive.

[@pintad92]

And what about an 50, maybe 100W power led?

[@mikeselectricstuff]

@jladelpha I had 3 lenses but have dismantled 2 of them - they are very heavy so would cost a lot to send from the UK - I'm open to offers! I think these are 1.5-2.5. email me if interested via electricstuff.co.uk

[@anotherPCfreak]

Do you have the ignitor leftover? i need one :-)

[@Ganjamedicine]

MAN NEXT TIME YOU GET ONE OF THESE SEND IT TO ME INSTEAD OF DESTROYING IT!

[@nickhogen9231]

thats no fair your dlp chip lasted for many years and mine gave out after like 2 years

[@TheJennetteFan]

Thats one big ass lamp.