From Flash Drives to HD Video: When Should DIY Stop?

We love a quick fix or a home remedy as much as the next guy, but when we saw posts out in the blogosphere about a DIY HD projector, we had to take pause. A kit, sold by German firm G&P Optoelectronics, promises a fully customizable DIY HD projector for around $700. Money's tight and all, but shouldn't you just go without the projector before trying to play Mr.-Electronics-Manufacturer in your living room?

We love DIY projects. The often simple, cheap and unexpected solutions to everyday problems can save you money and sanity and also provide for a productive Saturday afternoon.

When you need a monitor stand, like the one above (left), it's good to know that you can head down to Ikea and DIY one (yes, it's a verb now because we said so) for $20.

Or when you realize you've got too many extension cords tangled up in the drawer, we love the show-off-worthy DIY solution above (right) using a toilet roll and some cool wrapping paper.

But at the point where you're trying to DIY an HD projector, don't you think things are a little out of hand? How far would you DIY? What home tech, storage and accessories are better left bought new from stores? Let us know in the comments!

Image from colros at Flickr with a Creative Commons license.

Comments (3)

The only time you shouldn't DIY is when it would cost you more to build it yourself than to purchase a similar item from the store. I know people that build their own computers, buy the case, the RAM, the mother board, all the parts, and put them all together for a few hundred less than buying it new and pre-assembled. Don't see how this kit would be much harder as long as you know how a projector works.
However laptops, cell phones, iPods, those things are going to be extremely expensive and difficult to build due to lack of availability of parts. I wouldn't build one of those at home, unless maybe there were a kit for it...

posted by Rolen the Great on July 7th 2009 at 7:56am
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The funny thing is that this site is right next to MAKE Magazine's feed (a magazine / site dedicated to doing electronics type things yourself) in my browser. While I don't personally see the value in building this project myself (considering how cheap they have gotten), there are always some folks out there that would rather build their own for satisfaction, having the ability to fix it themselves, learning something, etc.

posted by RQDQ on July 7th 2009 at 8:40am
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Seems like kind of a silly question to me. If you can make it, and you like making, make it. If you can't or don't, don't.

posted by moofie on July 9th 2009 at 9:29pm
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