Projector technology, light source, brightness, resolution and the screen decide how good the picture looks in your room. This guide explains DLP, LCD and LCoS projectors, laser versus lamp light sources, and how much brightness you need for home theaters, boardrooms, churches, event halls and outdoor screens.
How many lumens do you need?
- Dedicated theaters: about 2000 lumens
- Living rooms with some light: 2500 to 3000 lumens
- Conference rooms and boardrooms: 4000 to 6000 lumens
- Classrooms and churches: 5000 lumens and up
- Event halls and ballrooms: 7000 to 20,000+ lumens
- Outdoor screens after dark: 2500+ lumens
DLP vs LCD vs LCoS projectors
| Technology | How it works | Strengths | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DLP | A chip with millions of microscopic mirrors; most models add a spinning color wheel. | Sharp, bright and compact for the price; fast response for gaming; 4K by pixel shifting. | Some viewers see a brief “rainbow” on single-chip models. |
| LCD (3LCD) | Three panels, one each for red, green and blue, combined by a prism. | No rainbow effect, high color brightness, easy zoom and lens shift for placement. | Black levels historically lighter than LCoS; most models use pixel shifting for 4K. |
| LCoS (Sony SXRD, JVC D-ILA) | Reflective liquid-crystal-on-silicon panels. | Deepest blacks and highest native contrast; native 4K; the reference for dark home theaters. | Premium price; larger chassis. |
Laser vs lamp vs LED light sources
| Light source | Life | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Laser | Typically rated 20,000 hours or more | Instant on and off, stable brightness and color for years, no lamps to replace. Our choice for ceiling-mounted, commercial and high-brightness installs. |
| LED | Typically 20,000 hours or more | Long life and low maintenance; most common in smaller and portable projectors with lower brightness. |
| Lamp | A few thousand hours per lamp | Lowest purchase price; brightness fades over time and lamps need replacing. |
Whatever the technology, the room and the screen matter as much as the projector: see projector screens.
Projector screens: Stewart Filmscreen, Elite Screens and Dragonfly
How a projector installation works
- Site survey. We check the room, the ceiling or wall structure, power and light, measure throw distance and seating, and stress-test the mounting point for the weight of the projector and screen.
- Choose the projector and screen. Laser, DLP or LCD projector and the right screen size, gain and material for the room, from Stewart Filmscreen, Elite Screens or Dragonfly.
- Mount the projector. A high-quality mount matched to your projector's make and model, set at the correct throw distance and height.
- Hide the cables. HDMI, HDBaseT and power run inside the wall or ceiling with in-wall rated cable, for a wire-free look.
- Install the screen. Fixed, manual or motorized screen mounted level, with motor wiring and triggers connected.
- Calibrate and hand off. Brightness, contrast, color, focus and geometry set for your room, then we show you how to use it.
Recent projector installations
Projectors for every venue
Projector questions we get asked
What is the difference between DLP and LCD projectors?
DLP uses a chip covered in microscopic mirrors and, in most models, a spinning color wheel. It is sharp and bright for the money but some people see a brief rainbow effect. LCD uses three panels for red, green and blue, so there is no rainbow effect and color brightness is high.
Is a laser projector worth it?
Usually, yes. Laser projectors turn on instantly, keep their brightness and color far longer than lamps, are typically rated for 20,000 hours or more and need no lamp changes, which matters for ceiling-mounted and commercial projectors.
Are manufacturer lumen ratings accurate?
They are often measured in the brightest mode, not the accurate movie mode, so real-world brightness is lower. We size for the brightness you will actually use.
Do I need a special screen?
Yes. A real projection screen gives noticeably better contrast, sharpness and brightness than a painted wall, and an ambient-light-rejecting screen makes a big difference in rooms with lights or windows.
More about choosing a projector
Choosing The Right Projector
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How bright is bright enough for my home theater projector ?
Brightness is measured in ANSI lumens. For home theater projectors, brightness typically ranges from 700 – 2000 lumens or more. Your viewing environment will be a big part of determining how bright your projector needs to be. Dedicated home theaters (rooms with controlled lighting and no ambient light) will not require as much brightness as a space with ambient light from windows or other household lighting.
Dave’s Home Theater recommends the following lumen outputs:
- Dedicated home theaters need 2000 lumens or better.
- Rooms with some ambient light should have at least 1200 lumens.
- Spaces with high ambient light need about 3000 lumens.
Tip: In many cases, manufacturers rate projector lumen values based on data output, not video. Lumen output for video is typically not as high as data. For help determining which projector is right for your viewing environment, contact one of our sales professionals. Our Projector Experts have personally seen most units perform in video mode.
What do I need to know about image quality Before purchasing a projector. [ top ]
The three most important factors to consider when looking for image quality are native resolution, your source material, and brightness uniformity.
Currently WVGA (854×480), ¾ HD (960×540), and WXGA-H (1280×720) are the most common home theater projector resolutions. A WXGA-H projector has about twice the number of pixels of a WVGA projector. More pixels mean a sharper looking image, and better compatibility with high-definition sources.
Available 16:9 resolutions
WVGA
848 x 480
407,040 total pixels
WSVGA (or 1/4 HD)
964 x 544
524,416 total pixels
WXGA-H
1280 x 720
921,600 total pixels
WXGA
1366 x 768
1,049,088 total pixels
Hi-Def =1920 X 1080 Total pixels
HDTV (High-Definition Television) offers a clearer and more detailed picture because it contains more information. Television pictures are made up of many dots or picture elements (pixels) that form the image you see, therefore by using more of these pixels, in a high-definition (HD) transmission a more clear and sharp image is available. Normally, an HD signal can contain up to around five times the information compared to standard definition (SD) in terms of the number of pixels used. SD signals are made up of approximately 500-600 horizontal lines of pixels depending on transmission system used, whereas HD transmissions use at least 700 to around 1000 lines.
1080i and 1080p? What do both i and p mean? These formats indicate the number of horizontal lines the transmission format uses along (denoted by the number) and the picture display method being used (indicated by the letter.
- i stands for Interlaced
- p stands for Progressive Scan
Why 1080p is theoretically better than 1080i ? Basically, 1080i — the former king of the HDTV hill, actually boasts an identical 1,920×1,080 pixels resolution but conveys the images in an interlaced (i) format (the i in 1080i). In a tube-based television, otherwise known as a CRT, 1080i sources get “painted” on the screen sequentially: the odd-numbered lines of resolution appear on your screen first, followed by the even-numbered lines–all within 1/30 of a second.
An Interlaced Image
While, the Progressive-scan (p) formats such as 480p, 720p, and 1080p (1,920 x 1,080) convey all of the lines of resolution sequentially in a single pass, which makes for a smoother, cleaner image, especially with sports and other motion-intensive content. As opposed to tubes, microdisplays (DLP, LCoS, and LCD rear-projection) and other fixed-pixel TVs, including plasma and LCD flat-panel, are inherently progressive in nature, so when the incoming source is interlaced, as 1080i is, they convert it to progressive scan for display.
A Progressively Scanned Image
Today’s high-def broadcasts are done in either 1080i or 720p, and there’s little or no chance they’ll jump to 1080p any time soon because of bandwidth issues. There’s been a lot of chatter over whether the new breed of high-def movie players, Blu-ray or HD-DVD, as well as the upcoming Sony PlayStation 3, will output in 1080p. Allegedly, they will, but those players and recorders will be very expensive at first (more or nearly $1,000), and they probably won’t hit more modest price levels during this year, 2007 or even 2008. The PS3, on the other hand, is designed to be more of a mainstream product; with a fairly price tag in the neighborhood of $599. It’s one of the cheapest Blu-ray player in the recent market.
Daves Home Theater recommends a WXGA-H (1280×720) or high resolution XGA (1024×768) native 4:3 products, as your best choice for HDTV. If you primarily use a DVD player (with a resolution of 480p) a WVGA will cost you less, and is worth considering if you don’t see HDTV in your future. Learn more about projector resolution and home theater here »
What you are watching will make a big difference in the quality of your image. A low-quality signal into your projector will most likely look like a low-quality signal when projected, and on a larger screen may be even more noticeable. For best results, you should try and match the native resolution of your source material. A progressive scan DVD player is typically a 480p signal, while HDTV signals are still not totally standardized, although 720p or 1080i seem to be the most common. Projectors designed for home theater applications will usually include some kind of video scaling technology which improves the appearance of non-native signals. Ask your Projector Expert for more about scaling technology.
Brightness uniformity will also affect the overall quality of your image. Uniformity is the percentage of brightness carried from corner to corner and edge to edge of your image. A higher uniformity rating means better consistency throughout your image. For the most consistent images, look for a uniformity rating of 85% or better.
What connections will give me the clearest images? [ top ]
Connectivity and compatibility also factor into getting the sharpest, clearest images. Projectors specifically designed for home theater often have multiple video inputs, special video micro-chips and other features.
Daves Home Theater recommends that the projector you buy for home theater have at least one component video input and/or an HDMI or DVI connection. Sometimes a component video inputs look like a composite input, but it splits the video signal into three separate parts rather than one and can be identified by a red, green and blue connector. You may also be able to receive a component signal via a VGA input. Component video It is the most common type of high quality signal available today, though DVI and HDMI are available on most new HD sources. DVI and HDMI are more future-proof.
Nearly all projectors will have at least one composite and one S-Video connection. S-video cables differ from composite cables in that they split video signal into two different components: luminance and chrominance. The S-video cable will offer marked improvement over a composite cable. Composite inputs may come in handy though, as it is still on some new equipment, and nearly all legacy sources.
DVI and HDMI cables are the latest in high definition connectivity. Both carry true high-definition signals, but there are a few differences. The HDMI connector is smaller, and carries digital quality audio. Either of these connectivity options will help to future proof your purchase, as more manufacturers seem to be choosing DVI or HDMI on DVD players and HDTV receivers to transport their HDTV signals.
How Long Will the Light Bulb In My New Projector Installation Last?
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LCD and DLP projectors typically have a lamp life between 2000-4000 hours. This specification is actually referring to the ‘half-life’ of the lamp. The half-life is the point where the lamp is half as bright as it was new. The lamp will still work at its half-life, but it will continue to gradually lose brightness. Longer lamp life means less expense in maintaining your projector.
If you are planning to use your projector to replace your current television, lamp replacement cost should be factored into your purchase. Replacement lamps run approximately $200-$400.
If your projector will be used primarily for watching movies and special events, lamp life will not be quite as important. But you may still want to factor the cost of a replacement lamp into your purchase. The average projector used in this manner runs approximately 8 hours a week.
- Lamps typically last between 2000-4000 hours.
- Replacement lamps cost between $200-$400.
- Regular filter cleaning and proper operation will improve lamp life.
- The average projector used for movies and special events runs 8 hours a week. At this rate, the a lamp will last approximately 4.8 years.
Quick Tip: If you purchase a spare lamp with your projector, run it in your projector for a few hours first, then store it somewhere cool and dark. Lamp warranties begin from the day of purchase, not from the day of use. If a lamp is faulty, it will usually fail within the first 4 to 10 hours of operation.
Which features make my projector installation easy to use? [ top ]
When selecting your projector, look for intuitive menus. Particularly those that allow you to easily adjust color fidelity, choose between HDTV and NTSC broadcast, and easily switch your video sources. Full function remote controls are also a plus if you want to make your life a little easier. With or without these special features, most of today’s projectors are very easy to use.
- Intuitive, user-friendly menus
- One-touch video source ‘switching’
- Full-function remote controls
- Lens shift and wider zoom ranges (easier to install)
Daves Home Theater sales representatives have seen the projectors we sell in action. For tips on which projectors are the easiest to use, consult a projector expert directly.
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