Sports are more fun to watch on the big screen. The images are larger than life, your guests are entertained and you feel like you have a front-row seat to the action. But you don’t need to invest in an expensive 90-inch LCD TV to watch the big game.
Instead, your best bet is a high-quality home theater projector. There are a number of reasons why projectors are great for showing sporting events, whether at home or at a restaurant or bar. First, projectors are extremely versatile: They can achieve massive HD images, or they can be optimized for smaller screens. If it’s fight night or Super Bowl Sunday at your restaurant, a projector makes it possible to blow-up your screen so everyone can see.
Plus, projectors can be used in high-light or low-light environments, they’re more economical than giant flatscreen TVs, and after the game, you can use them to show movies, games or TV shows. These are all reasons why, if you run a bar or restaurant or want to watch sports at home, you can’t go wrong with a quality HD projector. But which projectors are best for sporting events? Here are a few factors to consider:
Projector Brightness
Projectors are designed for certain locations. Environments with high ambient light – a well-lit sports bar, for instance – require projectors that are brighter. While dark home theaters can achieve impressive image quality with dimmer projector bulbs. This is important to consider, because image quality can take a hit if your projector isn’t bright enough for the space.
So how bright does a projector need to be to display sporting events?
A projector’s brightness is measured in lumens, ranging anywhere from 1,000 to 6,000 lumens. High ambient environments require projectors that have an output of 4,000 or more lumens. Bright, full-light sports bars might require a projector that’s even brighter, while more dimly lit bars could get away with a brightness of 3,500 lumens. With dark theaters, 1,500 lumens can achieve an ideal image.
Another thing to consider about brightness: The larger a screen, the brighter your projector needs to be. So if you increase your screen size, chances are you’ll need to invest in a projector with a brighter bulb.
The Best Resolution for Sporting Events?
Many of today’s home theater projectors are Full HD (1920X1080), and this resolution will provide some of the clearest images for sporting events. But Full HD isn’t required, unless the event that you’re showing is being broadcast in HD.
In fact, with some sporting events, a slight decrease in resolution won’t always be noticeable, depending on the size of your screen. The rule of thumb is that the larger your screen is, the better the resolution needs to be. It’s just like brightness.
Projector Features That Are Ideal for Sporting Events
The best HD projectors for sporting events will have features that provide flexibility. Not every event is the same, and some events have special viewing requirements. Therefore, be sure to find a projector with:
• A Short Throw Ratio: The shorter a projector’s throw ratio, the closer it can be placed near the screen while achieving a large picture. That’s great for sporting events, because people are more likely to be moving around, which can cause shadow-casting with longer throw projectors. An example of a short-throw projector is the Benq MW870UST.
• Lens Shift: This feature enables you to move the image right or left without physically moving the projector. This is a must-have feature that will provide flexibility in display possibilities.
• Lens Zoom: Zoom makes it easier to fit your image to the screen. With lens zoom, you can make the image smaller or larger, without moving the projector. This adds another layer of flexibility for operators.
So there you have it. To have a great sports viewing experience, you need to match your projector to the environment. If you do that, you can’t go wrong. Compared to LCD TVs, projectors are easier to set up, they’re more cost-effective than TVs, and the image quality is better. Now, start watching sports already!