Getting your own projector can be a great investment as it is one of the best presentation tools. It’s been used to deliver business presentations and also to enjoy movies at home. There are many types and technologies which you might find quite confusing. Whether you should buy an LED or LCD or DLP and how big should it be – find out all you need to know to buy the right projector for your home or office.
How to buy the right projector
Projection size
According to our projector buying guide 2018, before buying any projector you have to calculate projection size, which you have to measure diagonally. You have to measure the distance at which you intend to place the projector. These two measurements will help to determine throw distance ratio which your projector should have.
For example, if you’re planning to keep your 55 inch projector at a distance of 5 feet, then the distance-throw ratio has to be 1:1. Before you buy first video projector, you can visit the sites of some projector manufacturers such as Panasonic, BenQ etc which have a throw-distance calculation you can use.
Wall projection or screen projection
Projections in offices are made on screens as they offer a smooth projection with quite high reflectance. They work in bright rooms too. Walls too are used to project but it will not give the best result. White walls are the best option and pinkish, yellow and colored walls should be avoided. When you buy the right projector, you may sometimes like to catch a big game outdoors with friends and family. This is when you can use a wall for projection.
Connectivity
Buy a projector which gives you as many connectivity options as possible. Before you buy first video projector, check whether it has AVI, HDMI, VGA and/or USB. If you’re planning to buy a projector to function as a home theater, you don’t really need USB connection, as the projector would be ceiling mounted. You would need a Blu-ray or DVD player instead. If you pair it with your home theatre sound system, you’d have the best surround sound experience.
What you need to know before buying a projector for your home theater
There are different projectors made for different purposes so you have to buy the right projector according to your purpose. The images are a whopping 36 times bigger than 50 inches HDTV and you can scrutinize every action of your favorite games. Playing video games on a projector makes it a larger than live experience, as you get totally immersed in the game. The projectors which are made especially for home theater purposes emphasize the high contrast and image quality.
To get the best results, make sure you keep the projector in a room where the light can be controlled, to simulate a dark environment. But if you buy a projector which has high brightness along with a reflective screen, then you will be able to enjoy the movies even in a fully or partially lit room.
According to our buying guide 2018, you should buy a projector meant specifically for home theaters, if you want it for a movie or sports nights, photographic slide shows, video games and 3D movies.
When you buy the right projector for your home theater, you will get excellent image quality, quiet fans for minimum background noise, and HDMI ports so that you can easily hookup to your existing home theater system.
What are business projectors?
As the name suggests, these projectors are specifically made for PowerPoint presentations, meetings, classroom instruction and so on. So for the office, a business projector known as data projector or multimedia projector is the best choice. These projectors are much brighter, so they work well in rooms where there is overhead lighting or windows.
These projectors are designed to display primarily static images, for example, PowerPoint slides and graphs, but they can be used for entertainment and multimedia as well. Almost all business projectors have HDMI port which you can use to connect to laptop, Blu-ray player and other devices.
Business projectors have the advantage of being portable which is convenient to carry to meetings, are easy to use/set up and adjust. The multiple inputs give you the opportunity to connect it to laptops or other devices. And these days, wireless projectors are available which makes it hassle free.
Pico projectors or portable projectors
Even though business projectors are portable, nothing is more portable than a Pico projector.
These tiny projectors can fit in your purse or briefcase. The pocket size projectors are quite compact but powerful, so that you can share images with your friends or other small gatherings.
If you want to buy the right projector to carry around anywhere, Pico projector is the one for you, as they weigh only 3 pounds or less. If you want a projector which is lightweight, most affordable and can give you loads of fun, then buy a Pico projector. You can set one up at your backyard or friend’s backyard and enjoy sports or movies sitting outdoors. However, these projectors give the best results in the dark.
DLP or LED or LCD: which one should you choose?
To buy the right projector, you have to know the technologies available. There are three you can choose from – DLP or LED or LCD.
DLP projectors:
Digital Light Processing projectors have a tiny chip made out of microscopic mirrors and spinning color wheel. These projectors deliver very sharp images and have faster response time, but they’re also the priciest of the lot.
LED projectors:
These projectors use many tiny LEDs which deliver better color and consume less power. They are amazing as they have a huge lifespan of more than 20,000 hours and require almost no maintenance. They are compact, small and produce less heat. They are however, less bright than DLPs and LCD projectors.
LCD projectors:
LCDs use liquid crystal display, which do not have any moving parts. So they cost a little less than DLPs. The plus point is less noise and better saturation. LCDs have less contrast and need filter maintenance.
A projector can enhance your experience of home entertainment as well as official presentations. Do your research thoroughly and make an informed decision before buying your first projector.
