Need solution for long-term art installation projector display.

I'm trying to find a short throw projector that will allow me to display a looping video on the wall of an art gallery during its business hours without burning out the bulb.

My first thought was to plug the projector into a socket attached to a motion detector switch on a timer so that after 15 minutes of no one being in the room the projector would lose power and thus save the bulb. The disc feeding the video can just play on without concern since the video is on a loop. I realized the snag in this when I remembered that modern projectors don't have toggle switches, they must be turned on manually via a power button like a computer.

I could possibly resort to coming in every day and being the one to turn it on and off (the gallery is staffed by students who frankly can't be bothered to handle anything more complicated than opening and closing the doors and sitting at the front desk for a few hours) but are modern projectors tough enough that I could leave it on for a 12 hour stretch 5-6 days a week?

Does anyone have an easy solution for this conundrum?

Depends on how bright an image you need. In a fully-lit space you'll need a very bright projector to make an easily visible image. If the space can be made semi-dark, then you need much lower lumen numbers. Given it's a gallery, I imagine fully-lit is the only option.

Modern LED projectors do away with the lamp - and the associated heat and lifetime issues - and replace them with an array of ultra-bright LEDs. Pricey - and even more so for short-throw versions - but you could leave it on all day and not have to worry about it.

Failing that, commercial projector models are often designed for longer duty cycles than domestic models. But again, you'll be paying through the nose.

As an example, the BenQ GP10 is an LED short-throw projector for less than £500 ($830) that does what you need, but it's only 500 lumens. That would be fine in a dark room, but I'm not sure it would do for what you want.

Worth checking out the current ranges of LED projectors, certainly. Google / Amazon is your friend here.

Thanks. That model is nearly what I need. The room will be dimly lit (it is separated from the main gallery and has no windows) so I think I'm aiming for the 2000 Lumens range. I'll take a look around the BenQ site and see what model fits my exact needs, then see what I can find refurbished or discounted.

I would definitely recommend BenQ - but if you want to have something running all the time LED or lasers would be the best way to go. The brightness of image is determined part by projector and part by the projection surface. Here is an example of what can be done with 120" rectangle and benq 1080ST
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