Which projector to choose for home theater

When choosing a home theater projector, buyers are well aware that they need the best multimedia device, but they do not always understand the intricacies of its characteristics. Now on the domestic market of the Russian Federation, many models of the world's leading companies are represented: Sony, Epson, Optoma, BenQ and others, so choosing a worthy projector, and not an analogue of the Chinese assembly, is not so easy.

Pros and cons of the device

Home theater projectors have appeared on the domestic market recently, but immediately gained popularity among the wealthy part of buyers.Over time, the production of these products increased, budget models appeared, which representatives of different strata of society acquired with pleasure. Like any other technology, projectors have their advantages. compared to televisions and not without flaws.

Advantages:

• good ratio of the diagonal of the screen and the cost of the projector;
• The kit takes up much less space than a TV with the same diagonal.

Disadvantages:

• necessary preparation of the premises;
• the screen is purchased separately, if with a remote control (remote device), then at the price of a budget projector;
• noise exposure from the cooling system;
• A periodic replacement of the lamp is required if the projector is not of the led category (LED).

Types of projectors

How to choose a projector for a home theater and at the same time acquire a truly reliable and high-quality device? Experts say - you can watch movies on any kind of such devices, it all depends on your personal preference. Among the models intended for the demonstration of cinema at home, one can conditionally distinguish three main types of film projectors:

1. Entertainment Centersall in one bottle", Which includes the projector itself, player, speaker system.Such devices have the main advantage - easy installation and operation. It is enough to connect the device to the mains, coordinate with the location of the screen, and you can enjoy watching. The main disadvantage is the weak characteristics of the built-in speaker system.
2. The entry-level cinema is a home theater projector equipped with matrix resolution up to 1280x720 (800). Manufacturers attribute them to entertainment models: Epson EH-TW450, BenQ W1070. These products have a good ratio of image quality to cost, so experts recommend their purchase to the general population.
3. High class projection home appliances are Full hd with a resolution of 1080p pixels (1920x1080). This type includes Sony VPL-VW350ES, BenQ W3000 and others. These multimedia products provide the projection of any format of information that comes from various sources: video cameras, PCs, TV tuners, game consoles.

Projectors are also divided according to the way the light passes from the lamp to micromirror (DLP) and liquid crystal (LCD). The advantages of the first are a very high contrast and uniform distribution of colors across the entire screen area,and in the second - the lack of a rainbow effect and high efficiency with less power consumption.

Key parameters

When purchasing it is necessary, in addition to the cost, to pay attention to such parameters:

1. Light flow should be in the range of 1000-2000 Lm. This image is perfectly visible in a lighted room, and there is no need to observe a partial or full blackout mode.
2. Contrast limit - from 1000: 1 to 2000: 1. If this figure is lower, then the dark scenes in the film will be almost indistinguishable.
3. Noise exposure level cooling systems. The best option is to buy a product with a low noise level that will not be heard due to the sound effects of the film being shown;
4. Color projection. It is regulated independently, but it must be borne in mind that all colors should be natural.

In addition, of particular importance lamp life. As a rule, this parameter depends on the intensity of operation of the device: if you watch a movie every day for 1.5 hours, then the lamp will last from 3.5 to 7 years.

According to statistics, users change the lamp once, then the projector itself must be replaced with a more advanced model.

Light Radiated by a Diode (LED)

LED lighting sources are used everywhere. There are low power led projectors. Leading manufacturers of modern film projectors assure that new products will soon go on sale. Instead of an incandescent lamp, they will use color diode systems with a service life of up to 30 thousand hours, that is, until the end of the life of the projector itself.

Replacing an outdated projection lamp with an LED at the present stage of development of technical capabilities is not a big deal, but only DLP projectors are suitable for collaboration with led light sources.

Leading companies use LED in conjunction with LCoS type matriceswhich also work on the principle of light reflection. Their engineers assure that the dawn of this technology will soon come.

The principle of the future projector

Use at least three diodes: red, green and blue, add yellow, blue, so that the color rendition has a more saturated color. There is no light wheel in led products - an electrical circuit is installed which switches the backlight diodes imperceptibly, as a result you see a bright color picture on the screen.
Advantages:

1. Weight and dimensions. LED + DLP allowed to place all the components as close as possible and create miniature, no more than a box from CDs, projectors.
2. Power consumption: led consumes 10 times less than a lamp and can run on battery power.
3. Life time. The lamp has no more than 3 thousand, LED - 20 thousand hours without dimming.

The disadvantages include only one: the best copies of led projectors have a luminous flux of only a few hundred lumens. This is only enough to create small images in a slightly darkened room.

For example, a BenQ Joybee GP1 miniature LED projector can create an image from 38.1 to 203.2 cm diagonally in 4: 3, 16: 9 aspect ratio. Its weight is 640 g, there is a built-in speaker, a D-Sub connector and a USB port for external drives.

Future projector

Briefly tell about the latest developments of the company from Japan Epson, which is included in the well-known multi-branch concern Seiko Group, which produces laser printers, scanners, PCs, tuners and other modern electronic products.

Projector based technology laser module instead of the classic lamp allows you to produce quality that will conquer you with natural color and image clarity.Even the darkest scenes will be perfectly visible, thanks to high-speed contrast control.

Such a projector requires no maintenance at all, the service life of the module is 30 thousand hours.

What should be the distance between the projector and the screen?

Standard products require from 2.5 to 4 m in order for the image to be clearly focused, but this distance is not acceptable for all rooms. In this case, it is necessary to acquire a short-focus device that perfectly conveys the image at a distance of 1.5-2 m.

Pay attention to products that can change the focal length of the built-in optical system. Just install the device, and on-site make the necessary settings.

Such a projector has one feature: the farther from the surface on which the image is projected, the larger each pixel is allocated and, accordingly, the entire image as a whole.

Which device to choose?

For the price the most acceptable option for the living room is the BenQ W1070 + with a very good image quality for 98 thousand rubles, which has become the hallmark of the Taiwanese company BenQ. A lamp with a brightness of 2000 lm allows you to watch movies without dimming, the maximum possible expansion, a 3D image.At a distance of 2.5 m, we get an image with a diagonal of 100 inches (2.54 m), in addition there are other pleasant surprises: it works without wires, receives video using a module with a radius of 30 m.

This model is a business card BenQ, at exhibitions, she won many awards and prestigious awards. In international rankings listed among the leaders.

For a better-off buyer, there is a BenQ W6000 at a price of up to 128 thousand rubles, including 3D glasses. Comparative characteristics of these two models are shown in the table:

BenQ occupies 50% of the global market for projection products, despite the constant attempts by competitors to tarnish its products in various ways. The preference of buyers still remains on the side of the company from Taiwan, and the quality and technical capabilities of the manufacturer continue to steady growth. BenQ engineering department uses nanotechnology and constantly keeps abreast.

Choose a screen

In the second place after the projector itself is this device, without which there is no home cinema. The screen can be purchased on a stand in the form of a tripod. But experts offer the best solution: buy an inexpensive hanging version and fix it on the ceiling. This is a real space saving.

When buying, it is important to remember that Chinese experts have already copied all the screen models. Therefore, require a certificate from the seller.

At choosing screen for projector special attention should be paid to the material: products with a matt-white coating or light gray cloth are of priority. They provide an opportunity to place the audience and projection equipment more freely.

Choosing a place to install the device

Projector purchased, screen selected, left correctly arrange them mutually. There are many use options: the device is mounted on a coffee table, a high nightstand, or mounted on a special bracket to the ceiling.

It is necessary to remember the subsequent convenience of service and availability of a projection lamp for replacement.

Projector for home cinema,led or laser is designed to ensure the comfort and convenience of watching various films and video materials, so it should work silently, have excellent characteristics in brightness, resolution and color reproduction. Before you go to the store, check out rated best projectors in the opinion of users - you might like one of these top models.