Projectors, Lamps and Screens

Start with the room, then the projector

This area is organised around one question: where will the picture be shown? A bright meeting room needs lumens and a sharp 1080p or WUXGA image, so look at presentation projectors. A dark living room cares more about contrast and resolution, so see movie and gaming projectors. Throw distance, meaning how far the projector sits from the screen, decides whether you can ceiling-mount or need a short-throw model. Measure the room before choosing, and note ambient light, since it is the main enemy of brightness.

Lamp life, mounts and screens: what a projector still needs

A lamp-based projector will need new bulbs: lamp life is quoted in hours, often longer in economy mode, and replacement lamps are model-specific. LED and laser light sources last far longer and need no bulb changes. A mount must carry the projector's weight and fit its hole pattern, or be adjustable. A screen sized and shaped to the projector's native aspect ratio, commonly 16:9 or 16:10, avoids wasted image area. Panel resolution from 1024 by 768 up to 3840 by 2160 shows how much detail the picture can hold.

Questions about Projectors, Lamps and Screens

How many lumens do I need?

It depends on the room's light. A darkened room works with roughly 1,500 to 2,500 lumens, while a meeting room with lights on wants 3,000 or more. Look for ANSI lumens, which are measured to a standard.

LED, lamp or laser: which light source?

Lamps are bright and familiar but dim over time and need replacing. LED and laser sources last for many thousands of hours and start instantly, but compact LED models are often less bright. Choose by hours of use and room light.

What does throw distance mean?

It is the distance from lens to screen needed for a given image size. Short-throw projectors fill a screen from close range, which helps in small rooms and avoids shadows, while standard-throw models need several metres.