Creating a system you love shouldn't be difficult. The Acoustic Frontiers blog is here to help.
CEDIAs (Custom Electronics Design & Installation Association) Home Theater Video Design bulletin (CEA/CEDIA-CEB23) states that:
“an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is strongly recommended for proper shut down and cooling of the projector and lamp in the event of a power failure”.
Without a UPS the projector lamp and electronics can overheat leading to failure and shortened lifespan.
When a projector is shut down normally it will not turn immediately off. It goes first into a ‘cool down mode’ where the image is turned off but the fan continues on to cool the lamp in a controlled manner. The cool down process is there to protect the lamp as well as the surrounding electronics. Projector lamps operate at many thousands of degrees Fahrenheit and without a fan the lamp can sometimes cool unevenly causing the glass to stress fracture. More often the lamp temperature will increase beyond its safe temperature window significantly shortening lamp life. Without a fan to cool things down the surrounding electronics will also be subject to excessive heating, which can shorten equipment lifespan – the rule of thumb is that for every 10 degrees over 80 degrees Fahrenheit electronics life is reduced by half.
Clint, an avid DIYer, planned on building his own home theater to cut costs until he realized the complexity of the task. "One piece of advice I came across most often was to hire a professional. I was hesitant, but I just found myself going in circles and didn't want to invest in something I'd later regret."
Nyal Mellor, Founder, Acoustic Frontiers
Nyal Mellor
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