The market is full of affordable projectors with good specifications, but most of them need to be connected directly to a computer, unless they have a USB port and can play video from it. While the idea of a pen drive or other external unit is very good, I figure some users want a bit more portability for their projectors, and that's where the small Raspberry Pi Zero comes in, which by the way, turns the device into a “smart”.
The projector has been the dream of many users for years, but today acquiring one is not such a far-fetched idea. The Red Giant of the East has invaded the market with very accessible options, even though the power of their lights demands certain compromises; however, their diversity within the generic gives us enough room to make modifications or special connections. For example, installing a Chromecast on a projector is not very complicated since the projector has an HDMI input port, and even some models allow powering the Chromecast through their USB ports, but what we have here today goes one step further.
The Hack
Basically, the plan is to integrate a mini computer into the projector, and the ideal candidate is the Raspberry Pi Zero. Depending on the available space, I imagine an enthusiast could find a way to install a superior model and take advantage of its performance, but the Zero always comes to the rescue when there isn't much room to maneuver. The most complex part of the hack is recycling and adapting a USB hub to expand the Raspberry Pi Zero, which allows adding several adapters, including Bluetooth and USB dongles. In the video we can see that the projector's PCB provides a stable 5V source for the Raspberry Pi, although this may not be available in other variants. The video enters the projector with an HDMI cable, which essentially needs an extra hole in the casing.
The final result is a portable “smart” projector capable of playing multimedia content using OSMC, or becoming a retro console by running RetroPie. Of course, the user can install whichever operating systems they want, and if I remember correctly, Recalbox does both at the same time.
Novaspirit Tech on YouTube.
