Have you decided to upgrade from a simple TV room to a home theater? If you're a film fanatic, why simply watch movies on a big TV when you can view them in an actual theater, on a giant screen?
Thanks to a new crop of small, relatively inexpensive digital projectors, the private screening room is no longer reserved for only the rich and famous. And a projector isn't simply for film buffs. It's also a great tool for entertaining friends--be it in your home or anywhere you choose to carry it. (Try lugging a plasma TV out to the backyard or putting it in the car and driving over to a friend's house!)
The best part is that projectors provide the most bang for the buck. The largest rear-projection TVs on the market today measure about 70 inches diagonally and sell for at least $5000, while plasmas of 60 to 70 inches cost two to four times as much. But digital projectors starting around $1000 commonly provide images of 100 inches or more. That turns even Monday night sitcoms into theatrical events and your home into the destination for the Super Bowl, Olympics, or World Series. Video games also become more intense when your virtual opponents are life-size. And because projectors accept computer input, they liberate digital photos from your laptop, allowing you to display them in giant slide shows.
On the downside, you'll need an at least somewhat darkened room in which to use your projector, as it's otherwise difficult to see the image. Also, projectors require replacement bulbs every few years, and the bulbs aren't cheap.
Nevertheless, if you want to watch movies on a big screen at home without spending lots of cash, a projector could be the way to go. To help you choose the right one for your home, we'll look at the different types currently available, as well as how best to set up a projector to create an optimal home theater experience.
Projector Types
Long gone are the film-reel projectors that families once used to show off home movies. But also fading from the scene are bulky CRT-based models that weigh over 100 pounds and that had separate tubes for projecting the red, green, and blue components of video onto the screen.
Instead of heavy tubes, today's projectors employ compact digital image chips, which enable them to achieve weights generally between about 5 and 15 pounds, and to range in size from a little purse to a small carry-on bag. They're also far brighter than their CRT predecessors, allowing you to use them in settings other than pitch-black rooms.
Digital projectors control the light output to the screen using LCDs, mirrors, or a combination of the two. Those using an LCD pass light from the bulb through a small LCD panel; these models are typically less expensive than the others. The second type of projector uses Texas Instruments' Digital Light Processing (DLP), which shines light onto an array of microscopic, pivoting mirrors. The third, and still rare, projector type--called Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS)--sends light onto an LCD-like panel with a mirror backing. All three technologies can provide crisp, brilliant images. And generally, only aficionados notice the subtle differences among projector types.
A more important distinction among models is whether they are intended for office or home theater use. Office projectors tend to be less expensive than home theater models, with less impressive image quality. Because they often operate in well-lit meeting rooms, office projectors must provide very high brightness to overcome the ambient light. In doing so, they usually compromise on color saturation. Plus, a brighter bulb may require a noisier fan to keep it cool.
Home theater models, instead, operate in dark or dimly lit rooms, allowing them to create richer colors with less light. This is important to remember when looking at projector specs. Brightness ratings, measured in lumens, are typically lower for home theater models than for office models. But in this case, a lower number isn't a sign of an inferior product, just a different kind of product.
The line between home theater and office models isn't always a clear one. Some projectors, such as the $1199 InFocus X3, can perform double duty by offering the ability to switch from office to home theater modes. So a well-priced office projector may be an option for your home. But finding one that's suitable often requires knowing a lot about how projectors work and doing some tweaking to optimize performance.
Standard Definition vs. High Definition
The easier route for most people is to buy a dedicated home theater projector. These products fall into two main groups based on the level of resolution, or detail, that they achieve in images. The less-expensive models provide a resolution of 480 picture lines--commonly known as standard definition. They match the resolution in traditional television broadcasts and in current DVD movies, but they will not show the full detail in high-definition TV programs. If you are mainly interested in movies, a standard-definition model will serve you well. Two good products in this category are the InFocus ScreenPlay 4805 and the Optoma H31; each of these DLP projectors costs around $1300.
High-definition projectors provide at least 720 lines of resolution and can sell for up to a quarter million dollars. But thankfully, entry-level models start at far lower prices. The InFocus ScreenPlay 5000, for instance, is a high-def LCD projector selling for $1799. Epson's PowerLite Cinema 200+ LCD projector sells for $2999, and Panasonic's PT-AE700U costs $2200. Moving up the price scale are well-rated DLP models such as the SharpVision XV-Z2000 ($3250), the BenQ PE8700 ($3500), and the InFocus ScreenPlay 7210 ($7000).
If you want to learn more about particular models, visit Projector Central. With a passion for home theater and no qualms about offending projector manufacturers, the user reviewers provide plenty of detail and opinion about virtually every model on the market.
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