What to look for in a High Definition Projector (Part 2)

Return to part 1 of What to look for in a high definition projector

Vibrant Color

The next thing to look at is the colors produced by the projector. A projector should produce accruate colors and a wide variety of brilliant colors. LCD projectors are known for their ability to produce vibrant colors with greater color definition and produce images with bright color that tends to have more "pop" that appeals to viewers. A good high definition projector should be able to produce accurate flesh tones that enhance a movies visual appeal.

Lens Shift

Lens shift is a feature that allows the lens to move horizontally and vertically within the projector. Why is this important? It allows a greater degree of flexibility when placing your projector. You are not locked in to a specific screen size and screen location where you could be with a projector without lens shift. The alternative is to adjust the angle of your projector to get the image to the right spot on your screen and then correcting the shape of the image through keystone correction. It is important to point out however that keystone correction needs to compress and convert the image which can cause a noticeable decline in image quality. This makes lens shift a much better choice for producing the best images.

Audible Noise

Another consideration is the amount of noise produced by the projector. A projector has fans and some have dynamic iris' that produce audible noise that can be distracting if you are sitting near the projector. Most projectors will have audible noise ratings for when the projector is in full power mode as well as when it is in low power mode which allows the fan to run quieter. Of course the other consideration is how close you will sit to the projector. The quietest projectors are virtually silent with noise levels under 25db. Generally, most people will be happy with projectors at 30db or less.

Lamp Life

When you are considering the overall cost of a high definition projector be sure to take into consideration the lamp life of your projector. A replacement lamp is no small fee as it typically will cost between $250 and $400 and generally last between 2000 and 4000 hours. This is one reason why some people have a tv in their home theater room as well as a projector. The tv is for casual tv viewing, while the projector is reserved for movies, sporting events and HD TV broadcasts. The average home watches 4 hours of tv per day plus 2 hours of video gaming a day meaning that if all of that time was spent with the projector on the lamp would have to be replaced approximately yearly, while a more conservative usage for movies and special events would greatly extend the expected lamp life.

Connections

As todays home theaters become more diverse it is important to have flexibility in the amount of connection options you have for your projector. In order to take advantage of high definition content such as HDTV, Blu-ray or HD video games you will want to make sure your projector has a component connection as well as one or more HDMI connections with the more the better.

Conclusion

The addition of a high definition home theater projector will revolutionize home theater. Some will argue that you can't consider your room a true home theater until you begin to measure your screen size in feet instead of inches. The big screen will immerse you in the action. And with the quality improvements in home hd projectors in recent years you will never feel the need to go to the local cinema again. The costs of a projector have also declined rapidly over the years making it affordable for the average family to purchase a projector for their home, provided that they have an adequate room for the projector.