One of the most popular pieces of computer peripheral hardware today is a multimedia projector. You can use a multimedia projector for a multitude of tasks, such as: conference presentations, boardroom presentations, projecting videos on your home wall to watch movies, and more. Currently, there are several types of multimedia projectors on the market. The main question is which projector should I buy? There are many brands and four main types of multimedia projectors.
Types and brands of multimedia projectors
There are many brands of multimedia projectors to choose from: Panasonic, Optima, Epson, NEC, Infocus, and many more to choose from. Types of multimedia projectors include:
- Digital Light Processing (DLP) – Has a deeper black background and is more portable
- Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) – Best for Color
- Active matrix TFT (Thin Film Transistor): a form of LCD
- HDTV home theater: 480i, 516i, 540p, 720p, 180i, 1080p, 1080i, 1125i (i = interlaced video and p = progressive scan)
The main consideration is the purpose of the multimedia projector and the uses at home or in the company; this will help you select the features you need. Features to consider include:
- Image brightness: range from 130 lumens to 6500 lumens
- Desired viewing area 5 to 6 feet: 500 to 1000 lumens
- Desired viewing area 8 to 10 feet: 1000 to 1500 lumens
- Desired viewing area 12 to 25 feet: 2000 lumens or more
- Wireless – remote operation from computer
- Digital zoom: for projections in large rooms
- Keystone correction: compensates for projectors not being perpendicular to the screen
- Slim Size: business portability
- Projector Mount – Needed for permanent, ceiling or wall installations
- Bulbs: typical UHP, UHE, halide lamps, 1000 to 4000 hours, chose long life
- Commercial use: movie clips, animation, photos
- Home theater: LCD, HDTV, high resolution, high contrast, brightness from 1000 to 2000 lumens
Resolution is the number of pixels that the projector can display. Higher resolution projectors produce a better quality projector image because there are more pixels per square inch. A lower resolution projector will have a grainy image as there are fewer pixels per square inch. Resolution comes in a variety of selections; your choice of resolution is based on how you use the projector.
For basic power point presentations only, you can use a low resolution projector. If you use a lot of color and video, you will need a high resolution projector. The resolution of the projector ranges from 854 x 480 to 1280 x 1024.
Contrast is the ratio of the lightest and darkest areas of an image. You will need to select a multimedia projector with a contrast of 400: 1 or better. Contrast ranges from 350: 1 to 6500: 1.
Buy a multimedia projector
Once you’ve narrowed down your multimedia projector options, visit your local store and check out its features:
- Projector controls – ease of use
- Remote control: ease of use
- Bulb: long life, bulbs are expensive.
- Connections: PC or MAC cables, DVD player, cable box, satellite box
- Mounting bracket: if necessary for permanent installation
- Wireless: compatible with your computer
- Operation: The seller demonstrates the use and observes the projection quality of the example
- Sound: Does the fan make noise?
- Size: size does matter when it comes to portability
- Weight – permanent installations don’t really care, heavier models are not suitable for portable use
- Carrying Case – Provides protection when dragging through airports, etc.
- Prices: range from under $ 630 to $ 17000 and up
Considerations and characteristics of resolution and contrast.