How to choose a projector

Modern projectors are more portable and accessible than ever, making them perfect for movie nights or watching the big game on a massive screen. They often have a better price-to-screen-size ratio than the best smart TVs and include quality speakers with superb sound.

1 Brightness

Ambient lighting makes or breaks the experience

Brightness is one of the first things to consider when buying a projector because ambient lighting heavily influences performance. Projector brightness is usually measured in ANSI, ISO, or CVIA lumens, which measure how much light it produces. Projectors work better in the dark, but this isn’t always realistically possible. If you’re using a projector in a dark room or at night only, you can do with lower brightness. If you plan on using it with more ambient lighting during the day, you’ll need one with higher brightness.

But how much is enough? Budget projectors start at under 100 lumens, but a minimum of 400 and 1,000 is recommended if you want a detailed picture in dark environments. Between 1,000 and 3,000 lumens is the sweet spot for pricing and providing great picture quality in dark and moderate lighting conditions. Projectors over 3,500 lumens are the best for use when there is significant ambient lighting, but they tend to be pricey.

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2 Light source

It determines the projector’s overall lifespan

The light source is critical to the projector’s image quality and lifespan. Most projectors use lamps, lasers, or LED light sources, although some hybrid models exist. Lamps are the oldest type and often the most affordable. They deliver high brightness at the cost of high power consumption and have the shortest lifespan of between 2,000 and 10,000 hours.

Many compact projectors are LED-based, offering efficient power consumption and a longer life span of over 20,000 hours. However, they aren’t known for their brightness, although this is changing with newer models like the Yaber K3 offering 1,600 lumens. Laser projectors use the latest technology to deliver the best color accuracy, contrast, and brightness. They are also more power efficient and have a long lifespan of up to 50,000 hours. The main drawbacks of laser projectors are that they are generally bulkier and costlier than the other types.

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3 Resolution

Picture quality is everything

I will lump resolution and contrast in the same category because they often go hand in hand. Resolution refers to pixel density, and a higher count makes a clearer and more detailed image. Projectors with 720p should be the minimum resolution for presentations and business use. Anyone looking for the most detail for movies or gaming should go for at least 1080p, with 4K offering the best resolution.