thephreak99
12-10-2007, 06:44 AM
Just posting this to give you guys some ideas. (And to show of a little of course. ;)
This small mod got started because I wanted a real media center in my living room, but I didn't really have the money for it. :P
Before I started to get this idea I had already ordered a new wide screen 22" for my regular pc. So my first thought was to just put the monitor in the living room connected to my laptop. But the problem was the placement of the monitor. It would be placed in the middle in the room and would be in the way all the time.
What I wanted:
A wide screen monitor
2.1 sound or better
Media pc setup
HD res
Portable setup
So my first idea was just to have a table with wheels on it, and put the monitor and laptop on it. But it wouldn't look any good.
I dont have a lot of pictures of the modding, but you'll get the idea.
I wanted all of the part in one rig and on some wheels. So a grabbed an old office chair, ripped off the seat and back. On the seat I wanted the laptop and the monitor mounted on the back rest. Bought a 2.1 logitech sound system.
In the workings:
http://www.thephreak99.com/images/stories/casemod/mediachair/PICT0001%20%28Medium%29.JPG
http://www.thephreak99.com/images/stories/casemod/mediachair/PICT0002%20%28Medium%29.JPG
A problem was the large speaker at the bottom. It was WAY larger then what I expected. But it had to work.
All painted and working:
http://www.thephreak99.com/images/stories/casemod/mediachair/PICT0003%20%28Medium%29.JPG
http://www.thephreak99.com/images/stories/casemod/mediachair/PICT0004%20%28Medium%29.JPG
At this point I thought that I was finish, but after a week or so I figured out that there was just to many wires. It was ugly and it was to much to plug in and take out every time I was taking the laptop with me to work etc. So after my next paycheck I bought this: Thinkpad port replicator (http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-61200)
By the way. That white "thing" you see an the right side is a holder I made out of some acrylic to hold my external hdd.
The final result:
http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/9593/dsc0555mediumxj9.th.jpg (http://img507.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0555mediumxj9.jpg)
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/8704/dsc0554mediumay7.th.jpg (http://img521.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0554mediumay7.jpg)
Mounting for the speakers: (The holes in the monitor was made for a back plate from the factory)
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/8528/dsc0551mediumtm3.th.jpg (http://img155.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0551mediumtm3.jpg)
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/6200/dsc0552mediumsv4.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0552mediumsv4.jpg)
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/9797/dsc0553mediumgb8.th.jpg (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0553mediumgb8.jpg)
So after using this for a couple of months, what do I think?
I love it! Usually it stays in a corner of my living room, and when I want to watch a movie with my girlfriend I just place it in front of us and lean back. The sound is good, and I can stream all entertainment from my main pc. The media chair is also great for parties! :D Just put on music/music videos. And because its a computer monitor instead of a tv, I got full hd res for a nice price. All together I guess I paid about 550$. (I already had the laptop)
So what you guys think? :)
This small mod got started because I wanted a real media center in my living room, but I didn't really have the money for it. :P
Before I started to get this idea I had already ordered a new wide screen 22" for my regular pc. So my first thought was to just put the monitor in the living room connected to my laptop. But the problem was the placement of the monitor. It would be placed in the middle in the room and would be in the way all the time.
What I wanted:
A wide screen monitor
2.1 sound or better
Media pc setup
HD res
Portable setup
So my first idea was just to have a table with wheels on it, and put the monitor and laptop on it. But it wouldn't look any good.
I dont have a lot of pictures of the modding, but you'll get the idea.
I wanted all of the part in one rig and on some wheels. So a grabbed an old office chair, ripped off the seat and back. On the seat I wanted the laptop and the monitor mounted on the back rest. Bought a 2.1 logitech sound system.
In the workings:
http://www.thephreak99.com/images/stories/casemod/mediachair/PICT0001%20%28Medium%29.JPG
http://www.thephreak99.com/images/stories/casemod/mediachair/PICT0002%20%28Medium%29.JPG
A problem was the large speaker at the bottom. It was WAY larger then what I expected. But it had to work.
All painted and working:
http://www.thephreak99.com/images/stories/casemod/mediachair/PICT0003%20%28Medium%29.JPG
http://www.thephreak99.com/images/stories/casemod/mediachair/PICT0004%20%28Medium%29.JPG
At this point I thought that I was finish, but after a week or so I figured out that there was just to many wires. It was ugly and it was to much to plug in and take out every time I was taking the laptop with me to work etc. So after my next paycheck I bought this: Thinkpad port replicator (http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-61200)
By the way. That white "thing" you see an the right side is a holder I made out of some acrylic to hold my external hdd.
The final result:
http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/9593/dsc0555mediumxj9.th.jpg (http://img507.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0555mediumxj9.jpg)
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/8704/dsc0554mediumay7.th.jpg (http://img521.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0554mediumay7.jpg)
Mounting for the speakers: (The holes in the monitor was made for a back plate from the factory)
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/8528/dsc0551mediumtm3.th.jpg (http://img155.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0551mediumtm3.jpg)
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/6200/dsc0552mediumsv4.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0552mediumsv4.jpg)
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/9797/dsc0553mediumgb8.th.jpg (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0553mediumgb8.jpg)
So after using this for a couple of months, what do I think?
I love it! Usually it stays in a corner of my living room, and when I want to watch a movie with my girlfriend I just place it in front of us and lean back. The sound is good, and I can stream all entertainment from my main pc. The media chair is also great for parties! :D Just put on music/music videos. And because its a computer monitor instead of a tv, I got full hd res for a nice price. All together I guess I paid about 550$. (I already had the laptop)
So what you guys think? :)