Why it is better to buy a projector over a big-screen TV
It's World Cup cricket season and time for community viewing on large screens. Given a choice between watching the finals on a 40-inch TV or an 80-inch projection, which would you prefer? Especially, if cost wise, it's advantage projector! It's a no contest, really then. A 40 to 42-inch LED TV from Samsung, Sony or LG will not cost anywhere less than Rs 40,000, whereas a home entertainment projector might cost less and will offer a bigger projection area.
Gone are the days when projectors were meant for professional use and used to cost a bomb. Suddenly, the market is flooded with trendy home projectors and portable projectors that make TVs look old fashioned. You can now buy a projector for less than Rs 30,000 (though these won't have the latest high-end features) that will be capable of projecting up to 100 inches while your TV screen size remains fixed. Another problem with the TV screen is its restricted viewing angle, which isn't the case with projectors. And if you are going with a portable projector, you need not mount it to the ceiling. Projectors are available in different resolutions - 800x600; HD, Full HD and even 4k. While 4k projectors are very few and super expensive, a good HD or a Full HD 3D projector is a good bet.
Of course, it's not a rosy picture all the way. Projectors do have drawbacks. The biggest is the sound output. Projectors don't have a powerful sound and you will have to plug in a compact speaker or a full-blown surround sound speaker. But installing one will definitely enhance the experience to a great extent. Second, ambient light could cast a shadow on your viewing experience. So you will have to make sure that the room is dark for better projection. And finally, all projectors throw heat.
Buying and setting up a home projector: Before you buy a projector, there are many things you need to consider. Which technology to go for, how big should be the room, whether to pick a portable one or install one on the ceiling, connectivity options and so on.
Here are a few things that you should keep in mind before buying one.
DLP, LCD or LED projector:
Similar to the various technologies in televisions - plasma, LCD and LED - you have different technologies in projectors too. The DLP (Digital Light Processing) projector has a chip made of tiny microscopic mirrors and a spinning colour wheel that projects sharp images. LCD projectors use liquid crystal display with no moving parts. These offer better saturation, lower noise and cost less. LED projectors use tiny light emitting diodes for projecting better colours and have a lifespan of over 20,000 hours making them a zero maintenance machine. LED projectors are usually small and compact but lack the LCD or a DLP's brightness.
Pocket projector or home projector?
You can go for a big home projector that you will have to mount on the ceiling or you can go for a compact pocket projector that you can place anywhere in the house. The latter is also referred to as a Pico projector and is usually LED-based. Most of these projectors are good enough to project up to 100 inches and work well in a dark room.
Projection size and viewing distance:
Be it a TV or a projector, the size is measured diagonally. So decide the projection size you are looking at. You also need to keep in mind the distance between the projector and the projection screen/wall. A simple way to understand these calculations: Throwdistancecalculator.com. While watching content using a projector, one should sit at a distance of at least twice the image width.
Wall or screen:
You might have spotted projection screens at restaurants and meeting rooms for projecting content but for your home, a plain white wall works best.
Connectivity:
Projectors offer many connectivity options, just like TVs, i.e., VGA, AVI, HDMI ports along with USB for plugging and playing content.
Sound:
Install a home theatre or speakers to maximise a projector's immersive experience.
