How to Choose the Best Projector for Your Needs

To define it concisely, a device which projects something on the screen is called a projector. Nowadays, projectors are used at many places; from schools and colleges to homes and offices. Now while there are different types of projectors in the market, they are majorly categorized on the basis of their throw distance. The ‘throw’ refers to the distance between the projector and the screen to get the desired image size.

There are three types of projectors categorized on the basis of throw distance:

• Normal throw projector
• Short throw projector
• Ultra short throw projector

Normal Throw Projectors

In normal throw, the distance between the projector’s lens and the screen is six feet and more. In fact, moving them any closer to the screen will shrink the image. These projectors are best for bigger spaces like large halls and auditoriums.

Short Throw Projectors

Short throw projectors are best suited for projecting larger images from shorter distances, like Epson 536Wi Short Throw interactive WXGA 3LCD Projector. The distance between projector lens and screen is about four feet.

Ultra Short Throw Projector

Ultra short throw projectors require relatively less distance between the screen and the projector lens. Owing to this feature, they are relatively priced higher compared to Standard throw & Short throw lens projectors. Ultra Short Throw projectors are ideal for spaces where the room area is a limitation to project large size images. Another big advantage of Ultrashort Throw projectors is that there will no shadow on the screen as the projection lens is placed very close to the projection screen/whiteboard.

There are other factors as well that help to determine the best projector for your needs:

Content

One of the prime factors that can help you to determine the projector is the type of content you want to project; data, video, photos, and games. There are some projectors which may display all of the content but are ideal for a particular type of content. Like there are projectors which tend to be best at displaying data presentation like slideshows, PDF, etc.

Brightness

The brightness of the projector depends upon two things; lighting and image size. Lighting depends on the place where you will use the projector. You will require a projector with lower brightness if you will use it in a darkened room and one with comparatively higher brightness if you will place it in a room with plenty of light coming in.

You are also required to consider the size and resolution that’s apt for your need; while a Full HD projection may work well in most of the spaces, the bigger ones may require 4K.

Projection Technology

There are various projection technologies like LCD, LED, LCOS, DLP, etc. Projectors with DLP generally display rainbow-like flashes particularly in bright scenes with dark backgrounds. The range of this effect varies from very minimal to severe. However, people with sensitive eyes find it distracting. LCD and LED projectors are immune to this effect and can be your preferred choice.

Portability

This is an important factor which hinges on your forward planning and preference; whether you permanently want to install your projector at one place or want a portable one. It is very akin to home theaters which are installed in one room versus a gaming projector which can be taken outside to parties. You might not want to take your projector outside but at least want it to be portable enough to move it from one room to another.

Resolution

The number of pixels a projector uses in its display should match with the number of pixels of the content that will be displayed through the projector frequently. The number of pixel requirement is different for different types of content. You can buy a projector in 720p, 1080p, or 4K resolutions depending on how important the picture quality is for your purpose and space.