Choosing a Video Projector
When I first entered ministry in the late 1960s, “multimedia” consisted of slide projectors, overhead projectors, cassette or LP record players, and reel to reel film projectors. Today the most popular multimedia device for teaching and preaching is the video projector. In my role as technology guy for the Sunset International Bible Institute, I am frequently asked by preachers and missionaries how to get a “good deal” on a projector. Here are the general things I tell them:
- Brightness — measured in lumens, a projector needs to be bright enough to fill the screen in the auditorium or room where it will be used most often. An auditorium seating 350+ people may well need a projector with 2500 to 3000 lumens. Even then, better results are obtained by at least dimming the room lights in the area of the screen. Those traveling with their projectors often face a variety of environments. Err, if possible, on the side of more lumens, not less.
- Resolution — measured in horizontal and vertical dots, higher numbers of dots produce smoother and sharper images. SVGA (800 x 600) projectors are less expensive but probably should be reserved mostly for projecting standard video from DVD players or occasional PowerPoint style presentations, if the text sizes are large. XGA (1024 x 768) is much better, and even higher resolutions are available to project the new High Definition (HDTV) video and high resolution computer images.
- Size & Weight — less is more. That is, the smaller the size and lighter the weight, the more a projector will cost with comparable brightness and resolution. Frequent fliers prefer both their laptops and their projectors small and light. These two factors are not important if the projectors is to be permanently mounted or used in the same venue over and over.
- Projection Controls — manual zoom, keystone adjustment, a remote control, elevation adjustments — are all important to adapting the projector to work in the environment in which you are teaching and preaching. Some inexpensive projectors in the past had only “digital zoom” which made the image more pixelated as it was enlarged onscreen; avoid digital zoom. Keystone adjustment allows the user to adjust the image when the projector and screen are not exactly at a 90 degree angle to each other. This produces the telltale keystone image which is wider at the top and/or one side. Elevation adjustments allow to raise the front and side of the projector for better projection of the image onto the screen without placing a songbook under it.
- Inputs — what can be input into the projector for display. Multiple VGA inputs means more than one computer can be attached at once and the projected image switched between them. Other video inputs such as composite, S-Video, and sound give greater versatility. Some new projectors now longer accept sound input since the speaker and amplifier in the projector is seldom sufficient to fill even a medium size room with good sound. S-video connected to a DVD player gives a much better video image than composite.
- Warranty & Price — Some projectors have one year warranties with 90 days on their bulb. Others have two or three year warranties with up to one year on their lamp. The better choice should be obvious. Replacement lamps vary in price from $190 to $450 dollars! A short accidental drop or sudden bump to the projector while it is running can rarely mean the end of a bulb. Otherwise, bulbs should be replaced when they are significantly less bright than when new. Many projectors even list a “lamp life” and keeps track on it in hours in the menu system of the projector. The lamp life gives the manufacturer’s estimate of how many hours of use before the lamp/bulb is outputting half of its original lumens. It really should be replaced at about two-thirds of that number. Price – everyone wants the most features for the lowest available price. Using internet based businesses like Amazon, Newegg, and Buy.com will result in a lower purchase price.
- Reviews by other users — projectors listed on Newegg and Amazon usually have input by previous purchasers and users of each model. Searches on Google.com using the projector name and model plus the word “review” will often turn up articles written by others.
One of my favorite sites to get many of the specifications listed above about almost any projector on the market in www.projectorcentral.com. One last comment – if the projector is primarily to be used for watching videos (DVD, blueray, etc.) in a home theater environment, a slightly different set of criteria should be used, which I am not fully knowledgeable about.
Next article: a review of the projector I purchased, and what influenced my choice.
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Comments
Thanks, Dave, for stopping by. For us guys who have to provide their own equipment, the Viewsonic is one of several fine choices. As for other things you may need, depending on what you are presenting:
• a DVD drive in your laptop or a small DVD player if you are going to do video from DVD disks
• a presentation software like Microsoft’s Powerpoint or the free Impress program found at http://www.OpenOffice.org. Open Office is considered a free alternative to Microsoft Office.
• An understanding of what makes a good presentation. We hope to recommend some good resources for this soon.
Thanks, Richard
Great information. I will have to make this type of purchase eventually for my own pp presentations at congregations that do not have power point. I have a good laptop and what else do I need in addition to the projector?
Maybe your going to cover that later … just wondering.
Dave