Projectors have come a long way from the days when the most useful way to categorize them was by their weight class. Today, there are any number of more meaningful kinds of categories, including intended use (business presentations, home theater, and gameplay), technology (LCD, DLP, and LCOS), throw distance (how close to the screen you can place the projector), and more. Here are some questions to answer that will help you find a projector with the right features and performance for your needs.
What Kind of Images Do You Plan to Show?
There are four basic kinds of images you can show on a projector: data, video, photos, and games. Any projector can show any kind of image, but it's important to understand that any given projector can handle one kind of image well without necessarily doing a good job on the others. Naturally, you'll want a projector that does a good job with the kind of images you plan to show.
There are four basic kinds of images you can show on a projector: data, video, photos, and games. Any projector can show any kind of image, but it's important to understand that any given projector can handle one kind of image well without necessarily doing a good job on the others. Naturally, you'll want a projector that does a good job with the kind of images you plan to show.
Most models are sold either as data or business projectors, or as home theater, home entertainment, or video projectors. In addition, a small, but growing number are sold as models for gameplay.
Data projectors will most likely do well with data images, like PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, and PDF files, while home theater projectors are best at handling full-motion video. Any projector that handles video well should also do a good job with photos, since photos have a lot in common with video, but without the added complication of movement, which opens the door to additional image artifacts.
Games require some of the capabilities you need for data images and some that you need for video images. If you want to use a projector with video games, and can't find a review or see a demo that specifically relates to image quality for games, look for a model that handles both video and data images well.
How Portable Does the Projector Need to Be?
Consider how portable the projector needs to be. You can find models with sizes and weights ranging from small and light enough to fit in a shirt pocket to large and massive enough to be suitable only for permanent installation. If you want a data projector to carry to business meetings for presentations, a model to take to a friend's house for serious LAN party, or a home-theater projector you can stow away when you're not using it, then be sure to pick an appropriate size and weight. The more you plan to carry or move it around, the smaller and lighter you'll want the projector to be.
Consider how portable the projector needs to be. You can find models with sizes and weights ranging from small and light enough to fit in a shirt pocket to large and massive enough to be suitable only for permanent installation. If you want a data projector to carry to business meetings for presentations, a model to take to a friend's house for serious LAN party, or a home-theater projector you can stow away when you're not using it, then be sure to pick an appropriate size and weight. The more you plan to carry or move it around, the smaller and lighter you'll want the projector to be.
What Resolution Do You Need?
Ideally, you should match the projector's native resolution (the number of physical pixels in the projector's display) to the resolution you expect to use most often, whether you're planning on connecting to a computer, video equipment, game box, or some combination of the three. Projectors can scale images up or down to their native resolutions, but they lose image quality in the process.
Ideally, you should match the projector's native resolution (the number of physical pixels in the projector's display) to the resolution you expect to use most often, whether you're planning on connecting to a computer, video equipment, game box, or some combination of the three. Projectors can scale images up or down to their native resolutions, but they lose image quality in the process.
If you plan to show data images, you should also consider how detailed the images will be. For a typical PowerPoint presentation, SVGA (800 by 600) is easily good enough, and getting an SVGA projector will save money compared with getting one with a higher resolution. The more detailed the images, however, the higher resolution you'll want.
For video, 1080p resolution (1,920 by 1,080) is the best choice, assuming you have a Blu-ray player, upscaling DVD player, or other 1080p device. If there's any chance you'll be watching video at lower resolutions, check out how well the projector handles those resolutions too. We are starting to see 4K projectors, with horizontal resolutions on the order of 4,000 pixels, but they're still very expensive, and as yet little content is available that can take advantage of their ultra-high resolution.
Do You Need a Widescreen Format?
For video and games, you'll almost certainly want a widescreen format. For data projectors, native widescreen resolutions such as WXGA (1,366 by 768) and even 1080p, have become common. If you create your presentations on a widescreen notebook or monitor, they may look better if you project them in the same format.
For video and games, you'll almost certainly want a widescreen format. For data projectors, native widescreen resolutions such as WXGA (1,366 by 768) and even 1080p, have become common. If you create your presentations on a widescreen notebook or monitor, they may look better if you project them in the same format.
How Bright Should the Projector Be?
There is no single best level for brightness, and brighter isn't always better. For a home-theater projector you plan to use in a dark room, for example, 1,000 to 1,200 lumens can easily give you a large, bright image, while 2,000 lumens may be so bright that it's hard on the eyes. On the other hand, for a portable data projector you expect to use in well-lit locations, 2,000 to 3,000 lumens is the right range. For large rooms, you may want something even brighter.
There is no single best level for brightness, and brighter isn't always better. For a home-theater projector you plan to use in a dark room, for example, 1,000 to 1,200 lumens can easily give you a large, bright image, while 2,000 lumens may be so bright that it's hard on the eyes. On the other hand, for a portable data projector you expect to use in well-lit locations, 2,000 to 3,000 lumens is the right range. For large rooms, you may want something even brighter.
The best level of brightness depends on the amount of ambient light, the size of the image, and even the material in the screen you're using. If you're setting up a projector for permanent installation, whether at home or in your office, your best bet is to buy from a knowledgeable source that can help you match brightness to the lighting conditions and screen in the room.
If you're trying to choose between two models, keep in mind that small percentage difference in lumens—2,000 versus 2,200, for example—isn't terribly significant. Perception of brightness is nonlinear, which means you need far more than twice as many lumens for a projector to appear twice as bright. Also, a projector's true brightness tends to be a little less than its rated brightness.
Don't Take Contrast Ratio Too Seriously
Contrast ratio is the ratio between the brightness of the brightest and darkest areas a projector can produce. All other things being equal, a higher contrast ratio indicates more vibrant, eye-catching colors and more detail showing in dark areas on the screen. Because other factors are also involved, however, knowing the contrast ratio doesn't tell you much.
Contrast ratio is the ratio between the brightness of the brightest and darkest areas a projector can produce. All other things being equal, a higher contrast ratio indicates more vibrant, eye-catching colors and more detail showing in dark areas on the screen. Because other factors are also involved, however, knowing the contrast ratio doesn't tell you much.
How Do You Plan to Connect?
Most projectors offer at a minimum a VGA (analog) connector for a computer and a composite video connector for video equipment. If your computer has a digital output, you may also want a digital connection on the projector, because it will eliminate any chance of problems, such as jittering pixels caused by poor signal synchronization. For video sources, the preferred connection choice is HDMI (assuming your video equipment has HDMI connectors), with component video a close second. Some projectors are now adding Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL)-enabled HDMI ports, which let you project from Android devices, and in some cases, charge them as well. Many models offer Wi-Fi connectivity through a (usually optional) wireless dongle that fits in a USB port that also supports projecting from a thumb drive.
Most projectors offer at a minimum a VGA (analog) connector for a computer and a composite video connector for video equipment. If your computer has a digital output, you may also want a digital connection on the projector, because it will eliminate any chance of problems, such as jittering pixels caused by poor signal synchronization. For video sources, the preferred connection choice is HDMI (assuming your video equipment has HDMI connectors), with component video a close second. Some projectors are now adding Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL)-enabled HDMI ports, which let you project from Android devices, and in some cases, charge them as well. Many models offer Wi-Fi connectivity through a (usually optional) wireless dongle that fits in a USB port that also supports projecting from a thumb drive.
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