2. What type of projector?
There are two types of projectors – LCD and DLP. Neither is necessarily the absolute better of the two, but being aware of what's available will definitely reduce your level of confusion. You will find better and worse projectors in each category and both categories offer models you'll be more than happy with.
A quick comparison
Although it's not necessary to understand the technical difference between how an LCD or DLP projector works, it's a question we're asked frequently. We think it's fair enough that you understand what you're paying for.
LCD projectors explained
LCD projectors start by projecting light from an internal lamp. The light is split into three beams and each beam passes through its own LCD panel. Each LCD panel has thousands of tiny pixels. The higher the resolution of the projector, the more pixels each panel has. Each pixel remains open or closes off (like a venetian blind) to determine whether any red, green or blue light can pass through. The data being fed into the projector determines which pixels do what.
The right quantities of red, green and blue light are then mixed together to create the colour image that is projected onto the screen.
DLP (Digital Light Processing) explained
First, the internal lamp lets out light. Instead of passing through an LCD panel, light is reflected off a DLP chip. The surface of the DLP chip is covered with thousands of tiny mirrors which turn to either reflect light or not reflect light. The reflected light passes through a spinning colour wheel made up of coloured segments (usually red, green and blue). With precise timing, different portions of light are reflected through the red, green and blue segments of the spinning colour wheel. The red, green and blue light mixes together to create the colour image that is projected on-screen.
LCD Pros & Cons
- No rainbow effect
- Better colour saturation means truer, more accurate colours
- Lens shift capable (not all models). Frees your projector placement options by allowing you to position the projector off-centre (relative to the screen) with no reduction in image quality. DLP projectors do not have lens-shift capabilities. See section: positioning your projector for more info
- Small possibility of 'dead' pixels. The term 'dead pixel' refers to a pixel that has prematurely aged and faded. A dead pixel will look like a 'spot' on the screen
- The (relatively large) gap between pixels can result in a slight 'chicken wire' effect
DLP Pros & Cons
- 'All digital' technology provides better signal quality and wider range of connectivity (including USB)
- Smaller gap between pixels results in a smoother image
- Higher contrast ratio. That means there is a greater difference between the darkest and lightest pixels on the screen. Shadows are darker, whites are brighter and there are more shades in between. That adds more atmosphere and detail to your images
- A 'rainbow effect' is experienced by a small number of people watching a DLP projection. If you don't notice it when viewing then it's not a problem. The 'rainbow effect' refers to a band (or rainbow) of colour that seems to trail bright onscreen objects if you flick your eyes quickly across the screen. This effect is virtualy eliminated on DLP projectors using a 4-segment (or greater) colour wheel.
Excellent results from DLP or LCD projectors
The quality of all projectors has improved leaps and bounds every year for several years now. If you saw a projector playing a movie many years ago (even just 5 years ago), but were put off by the image quality, it's time to look again. Pictures are bigger and sharper with richer colours than ever before. Projector units are smaller, lighter, more reliable and easier to set-up and use. Per inch of screen size, projectors are the most cost effective big-screen solution.
Get a home theatre projector, not a 'business' projector
Projectors started out as business tools for use in presentations. Soon enough, manufacturers realised the potential for a similar product in the home market and started manipulating the technology to make it more suitable for home theatre use. A home theatre projector is specially designed for home theatre, and a business projector for its respective uses. A business projector might be capable of projecting your movies, but don't expect the superb results you can achieve with a dedicated home theatre projector.
DLP or LCD?
Whether or not one type of projector stands out to you or not doesn't matter at this stage. Even if one does stand out, people often change their minds once they get in-store and start comparing results and price tags. But whichever type of projector you end up looking at; there are some general considerations to factor into your purchase.