The two main things most people are looking to achieve with projectors are quality and size of image. These are directly affected by the location of the projector, as some projectors have a minimal required distance from the screen, for example – 4000mm .
There are a few ways projectors can be installed: on the ceiling, on the wall, wall-integrated or shelf mounted. For example, to achieve a 120 inch diagonal picture in a room that’s 6 metres long, it might not be possible to place the projector right on the back wall. It may have to be somewhere between 4100 and 4500mm from the screen. So before buying a projector it’s important to determine the right model for the room size and for the picture size you’re after.
Epson projectors are generally quite large and have a telephoto lens, which gives you more options for placement. Placing this projector at the back of the room could be fine to produce a 120 inch diagonal image, for example. Other brands like Optima, cost a bit less but might have to be placed at around 4 metres from the screen to produce the same 120 inch image. But if the extra capacity of the lens like on Epson projectors is not needed, Optima might be a better way to go for the cost. People sometimes buy projectors that are not suitable for the space they have, and this can cause quality issues. Projectors are not very complex, but they do require a bit of thought for planning and setting up of the room.
For image quality Full HD is suitable for most set ups. You don’t generally need to pay for 4K Ultra HD capability as currently there’s not a lot of content available at 4K. A good quality screen always improves the quality of the image. It is much better than projecting straight onto a wall. Fixed screen is always the best type of screen to have, as they work better for image calibration. Screens are made from a few different materials to achieve certain qualities of image reproduction. Screen Science and Amber Technology are two good screen suppliers.
Projector types
There are a few types of projectors – LCD, LED and laser are the main groups. LED projectors are a bit more expensive than LCD but you don’t have to replace the lamp as in a standard LCD projector (this usually costs around $300-$400). LED projectors last around 20000 hours or more when lamps in LCD projectors around 2500 hours. LED projectors also run a bit cooler than a standard incandescent lamp projector. When projectors get hot that can mean they might be a bit noisy with fans having to cool them.
Laser projectors are popular because they give a better contrast, blacks are blacker that in a traditional projector. Generally one of the ways to tell a good projector is how black the black is. Also newer laser and LED projectors on the market are getting smaller in size, which can be important for your set up. The most common projectors and cheapest are still incandescent lamp LCD. They are still good, just require a bit of maintenance with changing the bulbs. This may require a ladder, and they may need to be recalibrated after, ideally by a professional.
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