Home Theater Projectors

One of the main reasons people buy a home theater(1280 x 720 progressive scan) or 1080i (1920 x 1080
projector is for the cost per image area. While buyingresolution iterlaced scan). The higher the resolution, the
a projector has the benefit of giving a huge viewingsharper the image.
area, there are some limitations that effect the image- Throw Distance Throw Distance is a measure of the
quality. Some things to compare are resolution,size of image a projector can produce from a given
brightness, contrast ratio, weight, and optional featuresdistance. You can find the throw distance of your
when shopping for a home theater projector. Theprojector usually by visiting the manufactures website
most popular home theater projectors like Epson,and using their throw distance calculators.
Optoma, Sharp, Sony, Sanyo, Infocus, Panasonic, and- Keystone Correction Keystone Correction is a
Samsung.feature that allows a projector image to be adjusted
Types of Home Theater Projectorswhen the projector is at an odd angle from the screen.
- Contrast Ratio Home Theater projectors will give the
1. LCD Projector Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) creategive the contrast ratio, the difference between the
bight images by passing light through three small LCDWhite Level (Brightest) and Black Level (Darkest)
panels that are vibrant in color and sharp. LCDsections of an image with a ratio. Projectors with a
projectors are appropriate for dimly-lit rooms andhigher contrast ratios produce the most well-defined
auditoriums.pictures.
2. DLP Projector Digital Light Processing (DLP) use a- Lumens Lumens are a measurement unit of total
single digital chip that makes them weigh less thanillumination. Projector light output is measured in
LCD projectors. They offer smooth videoANSI(American National Standards Institute) lumens. A
performance, high contrast ratios, and little pixilation.projector with a higher lumen number will produce a
Perfect for home theater use.brighter image for a given image size. Typical Lumens
3. 3LCD Projector 3LCD projectors use three LCDs toRanges
create bright, crisp, vibrant smooth images. 3LCD- Less than 1000 lumens Least expensive. Low light
projectors separate light from the projection lamp intooutput means that you will want to make your
red, green, and blue colors. Each color is shone throughpresentations in a dark or dimly lit room so the image
individual liquid crystal display panels that give highon the screen is not washed out by ambient room light.
definition and movement to the projected image. Since- 1000 to 2000 lumens Typical range for SVGA and
there are 3 LCDs there are no problems with colorXGA products. Presentations should be done with the
breakup or a 'rainbow effect', where the image blursroom lighting reduced somewhat for best screen
and separates into its three component colours aroundviewing.
the edges. 3LCD has improved contrast level, excellent- 2000 to 3000 lumens Offer flexibility in terms of
black and shadow reproduction, and can produce aambient room light, a reasonable amount of room light
quality bright and clear image from a low-output lamp.can be tolerated without washing out the image. Can
Projector Characteristicsilluminate a larger screen without much loss of image
- Projector Resolution The resolution of a homequality.
theater projector is the sharpness and clarity of the- 3000 lumens and up Ultra bright and most expensive
picture produced. It measured by the number of pixelsprojectors.
the projector uses to creat the image. Resolution isLamp Life
expressed by two numbers. The first number indicatesThe typical lamp life for a projector on average is
the horizontal pixels and the second numberbetween 1500-3000 hours. A replacement lamp can
represents the vertical pixels. For example a 720pcost between $200-$400.