Video projectors can be used for business purposes, like presentations at work, or even at home in your home theater setup. There are many models to choose from, and in this Techspirited article, we give you some tips to buy one according to your needs.
Whether you need a video projector for home or work, the need is there and for that you need to go to a store and buy one. There are different types of video projectors these days, ranging from overhead to digital ones. Here are some buying tips to make your shopping a little simpler.
Video Projector Buying Tips
Manufacturer or Make
There are hundreds of manufacturers these days, and that makes the task of choosing one that much more difficult. To help you make an informed decision, here is some information that will simplify the whole process; manufacturers don’t make the parts themselves, they always pick up parts from other manufacturers, so it can be fair to say that most projectors will have similar components from common manufacturers.
Read reviews from magazines and websites that specialize in technology. It is always good to do some research before you buy a high-end product, and if it’s a digital projector then it is going to cost you some big bucks. Also look for companies and manufacturers that offer warranties and support. Some of the most popular brands are Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sharp, and Epson.
Technology
There are different types of technology, but the most popular are LCD and DLP (Digital Light Processing) technology. DLP technology uses tiny mirrors to reflect light on to the screen. A DLP projector is expensive and best suited for corporate use. If you want one to use at home, then the LCD technology is best and more cost-effective.
Resolution
The resolution is an important deciding factor as well. Older models are VGA and SVGA with a resolution of 640×480 and 800×600 respectively. These were good for movies and images of low resolution, but were not good for high-resolution images or for 3D modeling, games, simulation, and CAD. The more popular models are now the XGA and SXGA which have a resolution of 1024×768 and 1280×1024. Choose according to your need and the price you can afford, as high-resolution ones are expensive.
Color Depth
This is the depth of the color on the LCD screen, or the number of colors the projector can project on a monitor or LCD panel. Standard color depth is 16-bit, though 24-bit is a better.
Lamps
You need to check the type of lamp used before buying. Check its replacement price and life expectancy. These days the lamps work for a minimum of 10,000 hours.
Brightness
The brightness is measured in lumens. The higher the lumen count, the better the picture quality; this is subject to light conditions. For home use, a projector with 2,000 lumens is considered decent, while for corporate use and business presentations, 4,000 lumens is a good buy.
Connections
While choosing a projector see what kind of connection it requires. Most of them come with composite, S-Video, and RGB connections, but newer models have DVI inputs for connections to video systems, like digital video cameras. Get one with a remote for convenience.
Type of Projection
Depending on where you are going to place the projector, you need to choose a long throw or short throw projector. Short throw is for shorter distances and long throw is for longer distances.
Though projectors are expensive, and are mostly seen in office environments, there is no reason why you can’t get one to spruce up your existing home theater system. Just pay heed to the points mentioned above while buying a projector, and enjoy your personal cinema at home.