Projectors are widely used in homes, offices, schools and entertainment venues. According to different working modes, they can be divided into different types such as CRT, LCD, DLP and so on. How to choose a home projector with reasonable price and suitable function?
- Understand how to use the projector
Before choosing to purchase a projector, users should be familiar with how to use the projector. When the projector is used, it is divided into tabletop forward projection, ceiling forward projection, tabletop rear projection, ceiling rear projection, and rear projection integrated box type. Forward projection means that the projector is on the same side of the audience; rear projection means that the projector and the audience are at both ends of the screen. If the space is small, you can choose the method of refraction by the back mirror. If you need fixed installation, you can choose ceiling projection, but you must pay attention to dust and heat dissipation. Therefore, determining the purchase type of the machine according to the application environment is the first step of the purchase.
- Moderate brightness and contrast
Brightness is an important indicator to measure the performance of the projector. Brightness is the intensity of the output light from the projector to the screen. High brightness can make the projected image of the projector clear and bright. However, the higher the brightness, the more expensive the price. High-brightness projectors are dazzling when used in small environments and can cause eyestrain. Long-term viewing can make the eyes red and swollen or even cause eye diseases. Therefore, according to the specific area of the living room, the brightness of the selected home projector is generally between 500 and 1000 lumens. Projectors with too high or too low brightness are not suitable for dimly lit environments.
- Choose the projector with the appropriate resolution
Like digital cameras and digital video cameras, the scene quality of projectors is determined by the resolution. It should be noted that the higher the resolution, the more expensive the price. Another criterion is the compatible resolution. The compatible resolution is one level higher than its physical resolution. Like DC and DV, the higher the resolution, the clearer the projector's image and the higher the price. The effect of SVGA can meet the needs of the family, but if economic conditions permit, it is best to buy a projector with a physical resolution of XGA, one of the high resolution projector in the long run. The display effect is clearer and brighter.
- Pay attention to the projection distance
For household users, the living area is very limited, and the distance between the installed projector and the screen is not too far. Therefore, for a home environment with a narrow space, the projection distance becomes one of the important conditions for selecting a projector. Users should compare the projection distances of different projectors at the same diagonal projection size, rather than the "shortest projection distance" on the specification sheet.
- Consumables and after-sales service
For the projector, the lamp is its only consumable, and its lifespan is directly related to the cost of the projector, so be sure to ask the lamp lifespan and replacement cost when purchasing. The more commonly used projector light sources are UHE and UHP. UHE is cheaper, but its lifespan is not as long as UHP. It is mainly used in mid-range projectors; UHP has a service lifespan of more than 4,000 hours, the brightness attenuation is very small, but the price is also more expensive. Therefore, the appropriate projector should be selected according to the ability in the selection. It should also be noted that bulbs used by projectors of different brands are generally not interchangeable. Therefore, you should choose to buy a projector of a well-known brand when buying a projector, so that you can enjoy the after-sales service of the merchant. At the same time, you should sign an after-sales service contract with the merchant in time or get a warranty certificate to avoid the worry of using the projector after the purchase is completed.
Purchase suggestion
Although the projection technology is very mature, the picture styles of high-definition projectors based on DLP and 3LCD technology are not the same. It is best to choose products that meet your personal taste through personal experience.
How many lumens is appropriate?
The higher the lumen, the greater the brightness. But it is not that the greater the brightness, the better. For households, more than 2000 lumens should be able to meet the needs of most people. Here are some introductions: at first, high-definition projectors were mainly aimed at high-end users, and were only used in professional audiovisual rooms. Moreover, when using it, a completely black environment like a movie theater needs to be provided, so the brightness index of the projector is usually about 1000 lumens. Later, home projectors began to enter ordinary homes. Due to the fact that the usage habits and actual environment cannot achieve the full black effect of the audio-visual room, the brightness of mainstream home machines is now close to 2000 lumens. Brightness is not the only standard, since it doesn't mean the brighter is better. The brightness of 1000 lumens is enough for ordinary households, unless you like to watch large movies with the lights on. In addition, if the living room area is large and the projection distance exceeds 5 meters, it is recommended to choose a highlight product.
DLP's projection technology and 3LCD's projection technology - who is better?
There is no concept of these two imaging technologies. However, after understanding many product parameters, it can be found that there are still many DLP products on the market. Maybe this technology is mature. It seems that this technology also involves whether to support 3D imaging. Some people say that DLP and 3LCD are the two mainstream projection technologies occupying a huge share of the projector market today, and LCOS technology is still in the development stage, and its product manufacturing costs and selling prices are relatively high. At the same time, with the continuous progress of projection technology, household high-definition projectors using DLP or 3LCD technology have a good picture display effect. First of all, in terms of color, the HD DLP projector is equipped with 6-segment high-speed color wheel and extreme color technology, so that you no longer have to worry about color effects and rainbow problems. In terms of lifespan and contrast, the 3LCD projector greatly improves the lifespan of the LCD panel and the dynamic contrast of the screen through the application of inorganic liquid crystal panels and automatic iris technology. Therefore, it is no longer possible to simply distinguish the two mainstream projection technologies from the aspects of color and contrast.