How to choose a home theater projector

A good home theater projector is a device that can help create the right atmosphere for watching your favorite movie. Nowadays, projectors are more popular devices than TVs. They are quite portable, and, moreover, are very lightweight, so they are convenient to install and carry from place to place if necessary. Therefore, many are wondering how to choose a home theater projector.

The projector is used not only for home use for watching your favorite movies, but also in offices or classrooms. They can be placed not only on the table, but also under the ceiling, in addition, they are very convenient to operate, so you can use them in a way that suits you. If you need a projector for some specific purpose, then it is better to first figure out its functionality, so as not to make mistakes and not miscalculate.

Which projector manufacturer is better to choose

Before choosing a projector for your home theater, you need to decide on the company from which you will choose this equipment. In the event that you do not want to delve into the functionality of different projectors, but at the same time you need to choose a really high-quality model that will display the image on the screen, then it is best to contact the following manufacturers:

1. BENQ
2. Epson
3. Dell
4. Sony
5. Panasonic

This is not to say that these projectors do not have any drawbacks at all, but among similar devices, it is these companies that make the highest quality projectors. However, it is best to approach this business individually, since each buyer has their own requirements that not every projector can meet.

How the projector works and how it works

A projector is a separate device that is connected to a computer or laptop, after which it reproduces the resulting image and video recordings on some plane. For example, it can be a board or a special white screen. Some projectors have a tripod so that you can place it at a level where you can view a movie. You can also mount such a device under the ceiling in such a position that it accurately projects the image onto the screen or any other plane.

Unlike TVs, projectors are able to resize images as you see fit. If the picture is too small, then with simple clicks you can enlarge it, and if the image is too large, or you are not satisfied with the quality of the output video, then you can quickly reduce the picture. In addition, you can choose the diagonal in such a way that you can watch both a large company and a family of several people.

No additional skills are required to use such equipment, so you can quickly become familiar with such devices. You will be able to use projectors in different ways, for example:

• watch sports or entertainment programs on a large screen, as well as when projecting onto any plane;
• you will be able to play on the computer, while watching all the actions on the big screen in any place convenient for you
• project presentations, as well as elements of lectures at institutes or schools;
• conduct business presentations in offices;
• with the help of such a device, you can show videos or photos at various events, as well as in houses of culture or other leisure centers.

You can purchase a portable device that can be installed on a bedside table, desk or any other place, or a projector that will need to be installed immediately where it will project photos or images. Often such a place is the ceiling, however, it will also be necessary to spend money on the mount on which the projector will be installed. Often this approach is used in specially equipped offices or premises where presentations or lectures and trainings are held.

In addition, there are several connectors on the rear panel with which you can connect the projector to a variety of devices. You can use a mobile phone, laptop, tablet, or any other equipment that can contact the projector and has sufficient software. As soon as you open a file on your device, it is immediately displayed on the projected screen.

The projector itself consists of several main parts:

• a light source that provides the appearance of a picture on a plane;
• a matrix that models a certain image from the luminous flux;
• a set of prisms for internal image transmission;
• lens through which the picture is directly displayed on the screen;
• the board on which all the necessary microcircuits are located for the well-coordinated operation of the projector;
• a fan that cools the projector during operation.

The principle of operation of any projector is that a certain signal comes from a computer or any other device, after which it passes through a chain and is displayed on a plane. At the same time, the light source transfers a white stream of information to the matrix, after which the image passes through a whole system of prisms, and only after that reaches the lens. The lens, in turn, already displays the image on the screen or plane, depending on exactly where the projector is directed. Depending on which image is between the lenses, the size of the picture may be different. The greater this distance, the larger the picture itself.

What types of projectors are there

There are only a few types of projectors. The peculiarities of their work depend directly on the sphere of activity in which this projector will be used. Therefore, before deciding on a choice, you need to view the functionality of each projector, which will have all the functions that you present to it.

For educational institutions

The special equipment that is used to conduct lectures or seminars in the classroom is often not particularly high resolution. It is sufficient if it reproduces presentations, diagrams or tables that students need to study. Nevertheless, such a device is bright enough for an audience of 20 to 100 people to see everything that is displayed on the screen from different ends of the office. Especially high definition is not required because the information that is transmitted through the projector is not so great.

Often, the main purpose of this type of projector is to visually familiarize students with some diagrams and drawings that give a fairly general idea of ​​the topic of the lesson. Therefore, there are very few requirements for such a device, only an average level of clarity and sufficient brightness is enough.

Pros:

• high enough brightness for students to see the image from distant desks;
• the color rendition is very rich, so any scheme or image with small details can be displayed in the desired form;
• a relatively cheap device, which, in comparison with analogues, has an affordable cost;
• there is a built-in speaker through which sound is transmitted if you need to broadcast a short video;
• if necessary, you can expand the image that will be projected onto a plane up to 3-7 meters.

Minuses:

• if you begin to zoom in on the image, then it will lose clarity, in addition, there will be no detail;
• although the sound is there, it is rather weak, so in a large audience some people may simply not hear it;
• contrast, like clarity, is quite low.

Home

In terms of brightness, such projectors are at an average level, since for home use there is no need for a very high resolution, since a home theater is located in a small area and does not require too much from it. However, this technique can be used for viewing home content, as well as for relaxing at the screen of a large company. When we choose an inexpensive home theater projector, we don't need the premium quality of a real movie theater. Medium resolution and normal definition will be enough, so for home use it makes no sense to choose a fancy projector, only if you do not have a real large-scale home theater.

You can play not only videos or pictures, but also images from game consoles to make it easier to play, and the picture itself can reach from 1 meter to 2 meters, while it does not lose much in clarity. You can also zoom in any way you like, and you can still enjoy the vivid, high-quality display of your video or photo.

Pros:

• in order to view videos or photographs at a distance of 2-4 meters, the projector has a sufficiently high resolution and very good brightness;
• very saturated colors of an image or video that will be displayed using such equipment;
• such projectors have a fairly long service life, but still try to treat them as gently and carefully as possible;
• in terms of price range, such a projector occupies an average position among its counterparts, so that almost every average family can afford it;
• such a projector is perfectly compatible with several devices at the same time, and also all modern smartphones, tablets and other devices get along well with it;
• small enough device, so that it can be transported or carried anywhere, if you did not plan to fix it under the ceiling;
• such a projector can be used for games, so that an image of several meters will be much more convenient than a computer screen.

Minuses:

• not all projectors of this type have the ability to transfer everything to a three-dimensional plane;
• the lamp is not as bright as in analog devices;
• some models can be quite expensive because they have more features than others.

For large presentations and performances

Such projectors can boast not only high resolution, but also fairly high brightness and contrast. We can say that the manufacture of such units is approached with greater responsibility, since devices of this format are required to transmit images in the highest quality, and also in such a way that this image can be seen from far ends of wide audiences.

Often, such devices are used at some very large events, international or domestic forums, trainings or webinars.These projectors can stretch a picture up to 15 meters, so they are often installed in rooms the size of a hall, as well as in the territory of large companies that hold their own meetings where they discuss pressing issues. These projectors can reproduce the performance of an artist or speaker in real time and immediately display the resulting image on the screen.

So equipment of this level can be used for large scale events. In addition, after the picture is stretched to a large screen, it does not lose clarity, so you can reproduce not only the speeches of individual people, but also diagrams or some kind of drawings at business meetings. In fact, all detailed images can be displayed using such equipment, since devices of this type are capable of transmitting video recordings or images at maximum resolution and at the proper brightness.

Pros:

• such equipment has a very high resolution, so it can be used at large events like brewing, trainings, meetings, forums and other gatherings of people in large numbers;
• the device has sufficiently bright lamps to display an image or video as brightly as possible, since it is necessary that people in the back rows also see what is being presented to them;
• the image can be stretched up to 15 meters, while it does not lose in any way in quality, so such a device is perfect for displaying detailed pictures;
• in terms of contrast, such projectors rank first among analog devices, since the saturation of the pictures is supported by the special internal functions of such devices;
• the device on the back side has a huge number of ports with which it is able to connect with different devices, including laptops, tablets or smartphones;
• there are additional built-in functions that are not usually included in other projectors of this type, for example, transferring images in the form of three-dimensional or connecting to the Internet via Wi-Fi;
• It turns on and off quickly, so that if you need to urgently start broadcasting, such a device will never let you down.

Minuses:

• such devices often weigh a lot, so their best location is in a fixed state on a special stand, preferably under the ceiling, so that you can direct the projection to the desired point;
• such devices are very expensive in themselves, so they are usually purchased by large firms or organizations that constantly conduct public activities, and they desperately need a device that will display information on a wide screen;
• some models from this category work quite loudly, as the internal cooling works intensively.

When choosing a projector for home use, you must take into account the fact that different models behave differently, since each has its own individual functionality. When you start choosing a device, be sure to consult with a specialist, since devices of this level are bought for long-term use. This way you can avoid unnecessary expenses and choose the very device that will serve you for a long time. In addition, for home use, there are currently projectors that project images not only on a white screen, but directly onto the wall.