5. How bright should my projector be?
The more ambient light in your projector room, the brighter your projector's bulb will need to be. But for optimum viewing you want to darken your projector room. Sun streaming into your room and onto your screen will wash the colours out, no matter how bright your projector is.
To avoid a washed out screen, you'll ideally have some thick drapes to draw over windows when using your projector during daylight hours. If you have existing curtains that don't block quite enough light, you could back them with black fabric.
How is brightness measured?
Projector brightness is measured in ANSI lumens. For typical home theatre usage you will need anything from 700 – 2000 ANSI lumens.
Dedicated home theatre rooms (with controlled lighting and no ambient light) don't require the extra brightness typical 'lounge-room' home theatres do. That's because most lounge-rooms will have ambient light entering through curtains, doorways and other areas of open plan living.
Some approximate lumen values are:
Dedicated home theatre rooms can get away with 700 ANSI lumens
Rooms with some ambient light need about 900 ANSI lumens
Rooms with lots of ambient light need about 2500 ANSI lumens
Some rooms are just too bright and the level of ambient light needs to be reduced
Keep in mind: The distance between the projector and the screen will also affect your ANSI lumen requirement.
Ask an Expert
Before you buy a projector we recommend you discuss your plans with an entertainment specialist. Taking time to do this will ensure that you end up with the best possible result.