What to Look For in a Home Theater Projector
If you’re looking for a great home theater projector that can produce large images in light-controlled rooms, prioritize color accuracy. However, for rooms where you’ll often use the projector and want to be able to watch movies or TV with the lights on, look for a bright model that can stand up to ambient light.
Brightness
The brightness of a projector is one of the most important factors to consider, as it determines how well you can see the projected image. You will typically find brightness specified in ANSI lumens, although it may also be listed as lux or nits.
The optimum brightness for your space will depend on the screen size and ambient light levels. For small projections in dark or moderately lit rooms, 2000 lumens should be sufficient. In well-lit spaces, you will need a higher brightness level to maintain quality images.
Some projectors have a “brightest mode” that is so bright that it causes the images to look washed out and unwatchable. This is usually due to the color performance being pushed to the limits in order to achieve that extreme brightness. In general, lcd projector for classroom you want to avoid this brightness option if you can, as it will degrade the picture quality considerably. Some projectors allow you to select a less-bright “normal” mode that will provide a more natural looking image with better contrast and color. This is a good option for multi-purpose rooms such as home cinemas or family entertainment areas.
Contrast
Contrast is one of the most important aspects of a projector’s picture quality. It determines how well bright highlights stand out from dark areas, which affects image clarity and depth. Projector contrast is typically measured by displaying a specific test pattern with alternating black and white rectangles and measuring the luminance of each. The result is the contrast ratio, which is usually expressed as a number, such as 2000:1.
The contrast of a home theater projector depends on room setup and ambient light. Ambient light can wash out black levels, reducing contrast for any projector regardless of its native contrast performance. The brightness of the screen also impacts contrast, with smaller screens (less than 120″) not able to provide as vivid and impactful results.
The BenQ HT3560 earns top marks for contrast and color in its price range, making it a great choice for home theater use. It offers rich color, accurate shadow detail and contrast for high definition content, and it has HDR10+ support that automates what’s often called HDR Brightness to improve image quality with SDR, HLG and HDR material.
Resolution
The resolution of a projector is the number of pixels it can display on a screen. This is an important factor to consider because it determines how sharp and clear images will look.
Generally speaking, the higher the resolution, the better. This is because more pixels mean greater detail and clarity. However, the quality of the image is also determined by other factors like contrast ratio and color accuracy.
Most home theater projectors support the standard 16:9 HD resolution. If you plan on consuming HD content in the future, Home LCD video projector then investing in a high-resolution projector is a smart choice.
Most LCoS based home cinema projectors come in 1080p resolution, while others support higher resolutions. For example, some LCoS based home theater projectors use imagers modeled after professional versions which allow them to reproduce true 4K cinematic images.
Image Size
Home theater projectors typically project images onto a screen (usually made from polyvinyl chloride or some type of fabric) to create the cinematic experience. While you can technically use any surface to project onto, a screen will significantly improve your viewing experience by eliminating reflections and ambient light.
It’s important to choose a projector screen that matches the aspect ratio of your content. A 16:9 screen is ideal for most homes as DVDs, blu-rays and set-top boxes are typically filmed in that format.
You can also purchase a 2.35:1 anamorphic screen for older films or for an authentic CinemaScope experience. However, this type of screen will require a room with ample space as the image will be larger than most standard TVs and will need to be seated farther away from the screen to enjoy it at full size.
If you’re using your home theater for presentations, consider a low-gain projector screen to reduce glare and increase contrast ratios. However, be careful not to choose a screen that is too low-gain as it can create “hot spots” on the image and affect the vibrancy of reds, blues and greens.
Audio
While TVs keep getting bigger and better, projectors are the closest thing to re-creating the cinematic experience in your own home. That makes projectors a great choice for anyone who loves movies, sports, gaming, or a combination of entertainment types.
Projectors designed for home theater typically prioritize color accuracy and contrast over brightness, as an overly bright picture can cause eyestrain. Many also include onboard speakers so you don’t need a separate hi-fi system.
Other projector models are optimized for a mix of viewing and presentation purposes. They’ll usually offer higher brightness for viewing in rooms with ambient light, and they may reduce or eliminate rainbow artifacts from the DLP imaging chip. They may also have controls to fine-tune color, boost contrast, or sharpen images for presentations.
Finally, some projectors are designed as flat-screen replacements and incorporate smart TV features like streaming. These can be used with a cable box and other HDMI TV sources. They can also work with streaming HDMI dongles, as shown in our Best Streaming Sticks guide. These can be a good option for those who want to avoid the expense and clutter of a standalone home theater setup.