4 Tips for Choosing a Home Theater Projector
An integral part of the home theater experience is the home theater projector. Projectors provide a larger and much higher quality images than televisions, and for the movie buff looking for the ultimate home theater experience, a projector is the best way to go. When it comes to picking a projector, however, many people balk. Keep the following in mind when searching for a projector, and your decision will be a lot easier.
Determine Your Price Range
By establishing your budget, you can make one of the most important choices in your search for a projector: DLP vs. LCD. LCD projectors start with a light source and split the light into three beams that pass through their own LCD panels with different color filters. DLP projectors start with a light source and, rather than passing the light through a panel, reflect the light off of a DLP chip. If your price range is less than $2000, you may consider looking into a DLP projector. However, once you reach around $2000, you can get high-resolution LCD projectors that are cheaper than DLP projects of a similar price. For over $2500, DLP projectors are usually the best choice.
Be Aware of Your Space
Projectors in general are very small and do not take up much space. However, in some spaces, it is necessary to place the projector at an odd angle. Because some projectors may have to be placed at a strange angle, most models are equipped with a function called "keystone correction," which keeps the displayed image rectangular no matter what angle you have the projector set up at. This sounds desirable; however, keystone correction greatly reduces image quality. If you know that you will have to place your projector at an angle, you should opt instead for a projector equipped with variable lens shift (or lens shift).
Determine Your Level of Control Over Lighting
LCD projectors are much brighter than DLP projectors. Although it is preferable to darken a room completely when using your home theater, in some spaces it is impossible to completely darken a room. If the room your home theater will be in has any amount of ambient light, you may want to look into an LCD projector as opposed to a DLP project.
Decide Between Portability and Attractiveness
When it comes to placing projectors, you have two major choices: tabletop projection, and ceiling mounting. Mounting your projector on the ceiling gives a more professional look, and keeps your projector both out of the way and out of harm's way. However, you lose a great deal of portability when you ceiling mount your projector. Projecting from a tabletop offers you much more portability, but tabletop projecting requires that the projector be set up for each use, and looks much less professional. Not all projectors can be ceiling mounted, so you must make this decision before you buy your projector.
By keeping the preceding four tips in mind, your search for a home theater projector will be a lot simpler. Remember that a projector is an large investment, and that you should not feel rushed into making a decision. Since it is an integral and expensive part of your home theater, it is important that you think carefully on what kind of projector you want and need to buy.