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5 Critical Buying Considerations Before Buying a video Projector

1. Contrast

Contrast effects both visibility and color perception. Watch the example below.

The small blue boxes are the same color. When the larger boxes are introduced the contrast causes them to appear different. The color fidelity and visibility of an item depends largely on how much contrast it has with its surroundings. Higher contrast means more visibility.

With presentation products, contrast ratio determines the range of available values between white and black. If you do not have a deep, rich black, your colors will not look as vivid. Watch the example below.

For applications such as cosmetics, fashion and other uses where color is an important consumer consideration, contrast makes the critical difference.

2. Resolution

The number of pixels or dots that make up the picture determines resolution. The higher the resolution, the more pixels and the greater the picture detail. Resolution is determined by the number of lines and by the number of pixels in each line. For example, UXGA resolution has 1600 lines x 1200 pixels per line.

3. Progressive Scanning

Interlaced or Progressive refers to the scanning system. In an Interlaced format, the screen shows every odd line at one scan of the screen, and then follows that up with the even lines in a second scan. The problem with interlacing is flicker. Progressive scanning shows the whole picture, every line in one showing, every 1/60 of a second. This provides for a much smoother picture.

Why Progressive Scanning is important

With progressive scanning your video will look as if it was shot on 35mm film. Progressive scanning technology gives you a rich, film-look, and eliminates the cold, emotionless effect found in traditional interlaced video, delivering a full motion image that looks like the pages of a magazine have come alive in the form of liquid paper.

4. Brightness

We’re all familiar with Brightness knob on our TV. Turn it up, the picture gets brighter. Down, it get’s darker. Brightness is a technology that simply expands or decreases the dynamic range of all images, from deep blacks black to white peaks. Making an image brighter requires adding value towards the white balance, while simultaneously decreasing the value of the blacks.

5. Power Efficiency

Presentation products such as plasma screens and video projectors require electricity the same way a car requires fuel. Through technological advances in the combustion engine, many cars can operate at high levels while requiring less fuel. The same is true for plasma displays and projectors. Improved circuit design allows for maximum performance while consuming less energy.