How to choose a projector: Expert Advice

Today we will consider a topic that will give many potential buyers of projectors the opportunity to make an informed choice, while relying not on advertising slogans or seller tales, but on real criteria, technical parameters and knowledge of how to choose a projector. An excursion into the world of lumens, pixels and other matrices is declared open.

Surely you already were interested in how to choose a projector. I dare to suggest that information on this subject is written by a cart and a small cart. I propose to make an easy and pleasant journey, determine for yourself which is better - a projector or a TV set, and afterwards become an expert in this matter.

The range of modern projectors can impress anyone who plunges into the study for the first time. Large, small, stationary or portable, with a bunch of characteristics in the description and frightening figures in the price list. Let's consider and classify these objects with you, define our tasks and needs, and after correction, related to the budget of the future purchase, we will have only a few applicants in the dry balance . That's with them and we will eventually have a conversation "heart to heart."

How to choose a projector and what to look for?

Item number 1. First of all, you need to pay attention to where and how to plan to use the projector. Depending on this, several types appear:

• For home (home theater);
• For the work (presentation and conference);
• For mass events (show programs, concerts, events).

These are the starting points, which should be based on further consideration of candidates. Features of the design and specifications at each point will vary markedly.

Item number 2. The next aspect will greatly affect the quality of the materials displayed on the big screen. It is a question of the brightness of the projector, and if to be very precise in the formulations - about the strength of the light flux that the projector is capable of radiating. The units in which the projector's projected light is measured are called ANSI or lumens.

• For a small room with full dimming, this value can range from 600 to 800 units.
• For work in conditions with partial illumination, an apparatus capable of giving "to the mountain" brightness from 1000 to 1800 units is suitable.
• If you want to work at all without blackout, in daylight - it is better to choose models with a capacity from 2000 to 3000 units.
• From 3000 units - for premises up to 100 sq.m. With bright daylight.
• 5000 and more - halls for 150-200 people with bright light.
• Projectors with a luminous intensity of 10 000 and more are professional projectors, designed for large concert halls and stadiums.

Item number 3. Projector resolution. This value characterizes the ability of the projector to display a certain number of pixels (pixels) per unit area on the screen. The higher the resolution of the projector - the smaller the graininess, the more detailed the image will be, and the better the picture will look on the big screen. However, do not get carried away with astronomical resolution digits: the quality of the picture depends very much on the resolution of the signal that is fed to the projector for display. The standard resolution of the projector 600x800 pixels will allow to display almost lossless material in DVD quality. To display high-definition images, it's better to look at models with a resolution of 1280 by 800, or even better on Full HD - 1920 by 1080 pixels (if it's a home theater, this is the only acceptable solution).

Item number 4. Contrast of the projector. This parameter is responsible for the "color depth". In fact, this is the ability of the projector to display the brightest black and white colors as it is projected onto a large screen. "Golden mean" is a weighted average figure between the maximum and minimum values of several models. By and large, the difference between 800: 1 and 1000: 1 is almost invisible.

All other parameters of the projectors are very similar and can only slightly differ from each other. Before you choose the projector finally - be guided by your needs: the presence of Wi-Fi, "picture-in-picture", freeze-frame and other "bells and whistles" are not important. Be sure to have the main connectors that are responsible for the input signal (preferably having an HDMI input), pay attention to the lamp life and the cost of buying a spare replacement. This, in principle, will be enough to understand how to choose a head and what the smart-eyed sales consultant chirps you about.