LCD or DLP What’s the Projector for Me?
Written by Announcement Author on Monday, July 27th, 2009 in Business.
Deciding on the right projector is not as easy as it used to be. Especially with all the features and specifications to compare, also not to mention the great number of digital projectors and technologies on the market today. You can see an example of this just by researching the latest Infocus LCD Projector. We will learn about two important yet easy parameters in this post; they are projector panel type (LCD or DLP) and brightness. By learning about these two things, you will be better equipped to choose the best projector for your purposes.
About Brightness
Often the most noticeable projector parameter is brightness. This parameter interacts the most with your projection location, thus the location should be a major consideration in your projector choice and determining the amount of lumens (units of brightness) needed. The flexibility or ability of a projector to project at angles and with less than ideal placement is also important. Pricier, high end projectors are usually brighter and capable of putting out more lumens. These are some loose guidelines about ANSI lumens and the recommended levels for differing projector uses.
• 3000 plus ANSI lumens and more. Great for outdoor occasions, big theaters or huge screenings, also projecting with the room lights on.
• 1800 – 3000 ANSI lumens. Perfect for classroom presentations and big lectures, high end home theater and TV viewing, DVDs and more.
• 1000 to 1800 ANSI is suitable for simple presentations, especially in business applications like meetings, personal projects or brief overviews. It can be suitable for entertainment purposes, but be prepared to consider getting a bigger resolution.
DLP and LCD Projector Panels
LCD and DLP are currently the dominant projector panel technologies. LCD is now the more widely used of the two. As the technology is more common and less proprietary, LCD panels like those in the Canon LCD Projector are slightly cheaper than DLP panels. LCD projectors also seem to do a very good job of producing deep and rich colors with greater levels of brightness. Keeping the strengths and weaknesses of LCD technology can be very helpful while comparing specs and purchasing an LCD projector.
DLP projectors can be in the similar price range but are often capable of greater contrasts with darker blacks than the LCD. DLP also has a reputation for working well in home theater use and for doing a great job at projecting film like images. Some feel that DLP lamps are stronger and generally last longer than LCD ones. Be sure to view some of the actual specifications of a typical DLP unit like the Optoma DLP Projectors to see how the specs you just learned about add up in actual projector models.