How to Select a Projector
Selecting a projector can be a daunting task. Projectors come packed with features and can vary greatly between models or manufacturers. But learning about projector features can help you take home a projector that meets your needs, and not pay extra for features you probably won't need.
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Instructions
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The two major types of projectors are liquid crystal display (LCD) and digital light processing (DLP). While the two types of projectors generally cost they same between comparable model, DLP projectors are valued for the depth of their dark colors while LCD edge DLP projectors in sharpness.
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Note the projector's resolution. The resolution is the amount of pixels--tiny color dots--that a projector's picture will contain. The more pixels available, the higher the detail of the image will be.
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Consider the projector's brightness. The brightness for projectors in measured in lumens--units to measure the intensity of light. The more lumens available, the brighter and more vibrant the picture will be. Projector lumens range from the low 1,000s up into the 10,000 range. Below the 2,000 lumen range you'll need a dimly lit room to get a good picture.
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Decide what contrast ratio range suits your needs best. The contrast ratio is the projector's light/dark intensity ratio and can give you an idea of how well a projector can handle the whitest white colors and the darkest of darks.
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Check the projector's aspect ratio. The aspect ratio is the shape the screen will take for various viewing formats and is calculated width by height to the scale of the picture--4:3 for standard definition,16:9 for high definition and for 2.35:1 theater format (eg in 4:3 mode, for every).
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