What should I look for in a projector for my PC?
- Portability Do you need to take it out and about? Or is it to be installed permanently in a meeting room?
- Size matters if you are to carry it around on your shoulder. Small and light = beautiful. On the other hand, for permanently installed projectors only the mounting arrangement need be considered.
- Resolution Similar to a computer monitor, the clarity of an image on the screen is determined by a projector's resolution. Most projectors have either a resolution of 800x600 pixels (known as SVGA) or 1024x768 pixels (known as XGA). XGA will offer more clarity than SVGA. Your computer monitor is probably set to display 1024x768 pixels, so if your projector has the same resolution everything should look the same. However, if your projector has 800x600 resolution, everything will probably look slightly chunkier and a little fuzzy.
- Brightness is measured in lumens. If you have a bright lamp, you don't need to dim the lights in the room very much. Brightness ranges from 1000 - 10000 lumens approx. 3000 lumens appears to be touted as a good benchmark, however there is a more in-depth treatment on the required brightness of your projector at http://www.undistract.net/2006/06/how-bright-is-bright-enough-picking.html . Warning: this contains some maths!
- Contrast is measured like "400:1" . The higher the contrast, the easier it is to make out the image.
- Zoom allows you to ajust the size of the projected image to better fit the screen. Zoom is not a critical consideration, but does increase the flexibility of the projector.
- Maintenence. How easy is it to get replacement lamps? Will the supplier service your projector for you in case of breakdown?
- Display There are two display technologies. LCD, and DLP. A quick and detailed comparison from http://www.projectorreviews.com/advice/dlpvslcd/index.php
LCD Projectors: Strengths
- Richer color dynamics for better results in rooms with ample ambient light
- Draw less power
- Throw less heat
- No color filter wheel = No "rainbow effect"
- Slightly quieter Seemingly sharper image on data
Quicktip: Figure you need about 30% more lumens in a DLP projector to hold its own with an LCD model.
DLP Projectors: Strengths
- Smoother video
- Smaller box
- Pixels far less visible, (although normally not an issue for business use)
- More “filmlike” on DVD and HDTV
- Generate "blacker" blacks
- Higher contrast
LCD Projectors: Disadvantages
- More visible pixels
- Some screen door effect on certain video images
- Physically larger - Even for the same number of lumens
- Poorer contrast
- Blacks come out lighter gray than DLP projectors
DLP Projectors: Disadvantages
- Rainbow effect bothers some
- More moving parts (color filter wheel)
- Color filter wheel often produces soft but audible whine
- Poorer reds and yellows at full power
- Color saturation
- Need more lumens than LCD, for rich colors, when dealing with ambient light
