Are you on the market for a home theater projector? There’s an allure to using a projector in your home theater: ultra-large, crisp images, impressive image quality, you name it. Although HD TVs compete, there’s nothing quite like a projector.
But unlike TVs, buying a projector is a bit more complicated. You need to know things like what brightness you’ll need, the type of installation you’re planning, and the available features you’re looking for, among other factors. So which one is right for you? Here are four questions you should ask yourself before picking a projector:
- How Bright Should My Projector Be?
Projector brightness is measured in lumens, and it’s an important factor to consider. If you choose a projector that’s not bright enough, your image will appear washed out and dull. Here’s a rule of thumb: If there’s more ambient light in your theater – whether natural light or light from lamps and other sources – you’ll need a projector with a brighter bulb.
Generally, most home theater projectors start at around 1,000 lumens. If you have a theater that’s very dark, a projector rated at 1,000 lumens and up will suffice. But if there is more natural light, that’s just not bright enough. For moderately lit rooms, you’ll need a projector that’s rated at about 1,500 lumens, and for brightest rooms, you’ll need to choose something at around 3,500 lumens.
- How Will You Install Your Projector?
When you start exploring possible projectors, you should consider the way that you will be mounting it – whether from the ceiling, on a tabletop, or near the screen. Different types of mounts work better, depending on the space. For instance, if you have a small theater, you might get better results from a short-throw projector. Short-throw projectors can be placed closer to the screen, while still casting a large screen.
Another option is a long-throw projector. These projectors need to be placed further from the screen, and they work well in larger spaces and with ceiling mounts. Plus, there are features that will make set-up easier. For instance, options like keystone correction, lens zoom and lens shift provide flexibility in your setup. All three allow you to adjust the picture to the screen, without moving the projector.
- What Features Do You Want?
You should also narrow down the features that you want based on how you’ll be using your projector. For instance, if you’re interested in screening 3D content, you need a 3D-ready projector – which these days, includes the majority of home theater set-ups. For gaming set-ups, you’ll need a projector with high resolution, a high refresh rate, and one that’s capable of handling both data images and HD content.
Other features to consider include wireless HDMI connectivity. This is important because it allows you to connect devices to your projector wirelessly, which can help you avoid clutter and extra wiring. Plus, you might want to consider USB connectivity, built-in sound capabilities if you won’t be using a receiver, and image quality features like contrast ratio and native resolution.
- What Will Your Viewing Habits Be?
Projector bulbs have “lamp lives,” which the amount of time you can run your projector before the lamp can only achieve half its original brightness. Generally, the majority of today’s LCD and DLP projector bulbs have lamp lives between 2,000 and 4,000 hours. That’s quite a long time – for instance, you can watch the entire Harry Potter series 204 times on a 4,000-hour bulb – but when your lamp is nearing the end of its life, it will need to be replaced.
Typically, projector bulbs start around $200, and they can be quickly and easily replaced by you at home. They’re designed to be taken out efficiently. Plus, today, there’s a trend to LED-based bulbs, which have much longer lamp lives of up to 20,000 hours or more. That’s another option.
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So which projector is right for your home theater? Of course, it depends on your budget and the theater experience you want to create. Here are a few Full HD suggestions in the sub-$1,000 price range, and also our favorite projectors of 2014.
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