How to choose a home theater projector

These days, the projectors from major manufacturers all look impressive. But each has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, and no single model will be the best choice for every application.

If you're considering a projector, this article will cover the basics and what to l

ook for. I'll mainly be discussing home theater projectors, but we do carry some business projectors in our commercial display section, as well as a few pocket projectors for personal use and travel.

The cost of setting up a projector system has dropped in recent years with plenty of reliable home theater projectors in the $700 to $1,000 range. If you can afford to spend more, you’ll generally get higher resolution, better video processing and scaling circuitry, and higher-quality lenses.

Projector vs. TV

TVs keep getting bigger, but projectors still come closer to truly re-creating the viewing experience of a movie theater. Whether you prefer movies, sports, gaming, or a mix of entertainment, a larger screen is the most impactful upgrade you can make. The biggest TV we currently sell is 98", while many projector systems have screens that are 120" or larger.

Where is it going?

There are a couple of important things to be aware of if you're considering a projector. Your room lighting and configuration are two big factors.

How bright (or dark) is your room?

For the best projector performance in a home theater, try to reduce or eliminate light in the room, whether it's daylight or room lights. Rooms with few windows are good candidates, especially if your viewing is heavy on movies.

Room layout

Projectors need to be a certain distance from the screen. For standard long-throw projectors, this “throw distance” might be inconveniently far away. If you’ve got a short room, or you don’t have a good spot to mount the projector near the back of it, an ultra short throw (UST) projector might be the way to go.

Resolution — 1080p vs. 4K

A projector’s "resolution" refers to the number of pixels on the imaging chip — measured from side to side and top to bottom. Most of our projectors are still 1080p — 1920 x 1080 pixels. They offer an economical way to get a big, bright picture.

Lamp vs. laser

Another factor to consider is the life of your projector's light source. Some projectors rely on a lamp with a typical life of 2,000-5,000 hours. The hour rating actually represents the lamp's "half-life" — the point where its brightness has diminished by half. A lamp will still work past its half-life, but it will continue to gradually lose brightness.

When you replace the lamp, picture quality returns to like-new brightness. But you won't be able to simply run to the hardware store for a lamp. These projectors use special high-pressure bulbs that cost between $200 and $500.

Laser projectors, on the other hand, last up to 30,000 hours of use — with no deterioration in quality. They have a higher up-front cost but are virtually maintenance-free. They also turn on instantly, offer greater energy efficiency, and run cooler than lamp-based models.

Projector owners who mostly watch movies and special events run their projectors an average of about 8 hours a week. For a projector with a 2,000-hour lamp, that translates to 4-5 years of use before you need to replace the bulb. But if you use a projector as your main TV, logging say, 4 hours per day, you'll be looking at lamp replacement in under a year and a half. A laser projector would last you 15-20 years with similar usage.

Brightness and contrast

All projectors deliver enough brightness for watching movies in a dark room. If your room has more ambient light, go for a projector with higher light output to keep the picture looking sharp. Higher brightness also helps if you're displaying an extra-large image (110" or bigger).

Good contrast is also critical for picture quality. The contrast ratio spec measures the difference between the brightest whites and the darkest blacks a projector can show, but it can be hard to compare this spec accurately between projectors because they don’t all measure it the same way.

For example, projectors with a dynamic iris can increase or decrease the amount of light projected through the lens to improve contrast scene by scene. So they often list only a “dynamic contrast” spec that is a measurement of blackest black in a dark scene against the brightest white in a very bright scene. This is a cool feature, but it’s important to note that dynamic contrast will look much inflated compared to a projector who lists ANSI contrast, which is measured in a single frame of video.

Sound considerations

Many projectors have no sound capability, and ones that do often have only tiny speakers. So you’ll probably want to plan for a sound system: passive speakers and a receiver, a sound bar, or powered speakers. Powered PA speakers are a good option for outdoor setups.

In some cases, you'll need to connect your source’s video output to the projector and run the audio separately to your receiver or sound bar. Projectors that support Audio Return Channel (ARC or eARC) can simplify those connections. And speaking of sound, if the projector will be located near you, look for a model with a quiet cooling fan. Higher-end projectors, especially those with a laser light source, tend to be quieter. Running any projector in Eco mode will also reduce noise, but it will cost you some brightness.