Business Projectors - Searching for a business projector? Take a look at some of the most common questions people ask while shopping for a business or presentation projector.

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• Learn About Business Projectors

Home Theater Projectors - It’s fun to shop for a home theater system. Use the following links to save time and money selecting your home theater package.

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• Home Theater Guide
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Plasma Displays, LCD Displays and Rear Screen Televisions - Learn about Plasmas, LCD flat panel display and rear projection tv’s. Also, look at different screen types.

• Plasma TV’s

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As fun as it is to shop for a complete home theater system, ProjectorPatrol.com understands that not everyone has the time to select a complete home theater system piece by piece. So we’ve compiled a list of home theater packages, fully-compatible and ready to work for you - right out of the box. And because you are shopping with TheProjectorPros.com, you know that your home theater package is of the highest quality in its class and is an incredible value. Our list of top home theater projectors:

InFocus Home Theater Projectors

Mitsubishi Home Theater Projectors

Epson Home Theater Projectors

Benq Home Theater Projectors

AskProxima Home Theater Projectors

Panasonic Home Theater Projectors

Sanyo Home Theater Projectors

Optoma Home Theater Projectors

Toshiba Home Theater Projectors

Hitachi Home Theater Projectors

DWIN Home Theater Projectors

JVC Home Theater Projectors

Plus Home Theater Projectors

Viewsonic Home Theater Projectors

Other Brand Name Home Theater Projectors:

Canon Home Theater Projectors

home projectors
projectors
projector
home theater
home theater system
video projectors

I've had the amazing luck to get a free infocus pl770 projector. Can someone teach me how to treat this new toy right? It was used in a school, but it would keep shutting off for no reason. I asked the parts guy and he liked me. So, wow! I have a projector! Anyways I fixed the concern: Too much dust in the front intake filter. (How sad, it may have sat in that warehouse for years for something so simple)

I have a white sheet set up against a wall to get the image and I am using it in a controlled light room. The image is clean and very bright. My speakers are set up behind the bed sheet. This makes for a cool setup, but the light definately bleeds through and softens the image.

My questions are this:

1. The bulb has 268 hours accrued but probably shut off and turned on a whole bunch of times before they put it out of commission. What is the lifespan of these bulbs?

2. What are some ways I can keep it bright and good looking for the years to come?

3. I don't have money. What are some extremely cheap ways to make the screen better?

4. Is this projector a good model?

“What resolution projector should I buy?” This is a question that is asked frequently. The answer is dependent on your specific needs. To help you better understand how your needs equate to projector resolution, we’ve detailed a number of scenarios (below) that require different projector resolutions.

1. I am on a tight budget. I just need a projector that will work with my laptop/desktop computer; the absolute best image quality is not my highest priority.

   An SVGA (800 x 600) projector should meet your present needs. However, as computer technology evolves, an SVGA projector may not be compatible with future computer models. Keep in mind that you might be sacrificing future usability to save a buck today.

2. I will use the projector primarily for video. I will show DVD and VCR materials, in addition to some Power Point presentations. The DVD content I’ll show will not be in a widescreen format.

   An SVGA (800 x 600) projector should meet your needs. In actuality, an SVGA projector has more resolution than the video you will show. For more information, please refer to the following sections. These sections contain helpful information with regard to displaying video source materials. Business Projectors: What Technology is Right for Me? and Business Projectors: How Bright Do I Need It?

3. I have a decent budget and would like a projector forward compatible with just about any laptop/desktop that I buy now or in the foreseeable future. Image quality, now and in the future, is a concern to me.

   An XGA (1024 x 768) projector will most closely match the output of most desktops/laptops today and will certainly work with computers coming out in the near future. Because XGA resolution is the most prevalent resolution used in businesses, it is unlikely that the projector will need to resize the sourced image, thereby providing the cleanest, sharpest image possible.

4. I will use my projector to show HDTV as well as computer generated images. I may use the projector at home on weekends/nights to for video.

   Please refer to the Home Theater section. Read as much as you can about video/HDTV resolutions as well as the differences between a business projector and a projector designed specifically for home theater.

5. I will use the projector to show CAD drawings and to show other very high resolution images that must have the highest possible image quality. My laptop/desktop is SXGA (1365 x 1024 or 1280 x 1024) and I’d really like something that matches it.

   An SXGA projector might be what you need. Do understand that you will pay a premium for this level of resolution. It is also important to note that SXGA projectors are seldom portable.

If your situation doesn’t fit any of the examples listed above, feel free to contact the The Projector Pros. Account representatives will be happy to assist you in determining the resolution that will best meet your specific needs.

InFocus Business Projectors

Mitsubishi Business Projectors

Epson Business Projectors

Benq Business Projectors

AskProxima Business Projectors

Panasonic Business Projectors

Sanyo Business Projectors

Optoma Business Projectors

Toshiba Business Projectors

Hitachi Business Projectors

business projectors

If want to use a projector for business or presentation purposes, there is a virtually endless list of options waiting for you. Today’s business projectors can be bright enough to present to crowds of thousands, while others are portable enough to fit into a handbag.

How do you know what’s right for you? ProjectorPatrol.com has compiled some of the most compelling questions and answers about business projectors to help make your decision an easier one.

What Business Projector Technology is Right For Me?

How Bright of a Business Projector Do I Need?

Learn About Business Projectors: What Resolution is Right for Me?

Projector brightness is rated in lumens. A lumen rating indicates the overall brightness that a projector is able to produce. Lumens are actually dimensionless, so the lumen output of the projector is static and has nothing to do with the size of the image. However, the size of the image has everything to do with how bright the image you see is. For example, the larger the image is that you are trying to create, the brighter the projector will need to be if you want to overcome ambient light and still see a nice, vibrant image.

Below is a set of standard rules intended to help you select a projector powerful enough to overcome the environment you’ll use it in.

Selecting a projector that is equal to or greater than our lumen/brightness recommendations will not be detrimental with regard to performance, however it may cost you more money than you need to spend. These rules are simply guidelines to use for a bright, high-contrast image, but they are not set in stone. Projectors with lower outputs than our lumen/brightness recommendations will still display a viewable image, but they may not pack the “punch” that many come to expect when watching business related materials.

If you have further questions, or will use the projector in a manner different than described below, please don’t hesitate to call The Projector Pros for further assistance at 800-649-9809, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. (ET). You may also email them at: info@theprojectorpros.com.

1. I am creating an image that is = 6 feet in width:
   
   
   1. In a 100% light controlled room - 1000 lumens should be sufficient
   2. In a room with some ambient light, but no direct lighting on the space you plan to project the image - 1000 lumens should be sufficient
   3. In a room with the lights on, but no light directly over the area where you will project the image - 1000 to 1200 lumens should be sufficient
   4. In a room with bright ambient light - 1400 to 1500 lumens should be sufficient
   5. I don’t know how bright the room will be, but I do know that my image size won’t surpass six (6) feet - 1500 lumens to ensure that you will overcome all lighting conditions should be sufficient

2. I am creating an image that is between six (6) and eight (8) feet in width:
   
   
   1. In a 100% light controlled room - 1000 to 1200 lumens should be sufficient
   2. In a room with some ambient light, but no direct lighting on the space you plan to project the image - 1200 to 1400 lumens should be sufficient
   3. In a room with the lights on, but no light directly over the area where you will project the image - 1300 to 1500 lumens should be sufficient
   4. In a room with bright ambient light - 1500 to 1800 lumens should be sufficient
   5. I don’t know how bright the room will be, but I do know that my image size won’t surpass eight (8) feet - 1800 lumens to ensure that you will overcome all lighting conditions should be sufficient

3. I am creating an image that is over eight (8) feet wide but less than ten (10) feet wide:
   
   
   1. In a 100% light controlled room - 1500 lumens should be sufficient
   2. In a room with some ambient light, but no direct lighting on the space you plan to project the image - 1500 to 1800 lumens should be sufficient
   3. In a room with the lights on, but no light directly over the area where you will project the image - 2000 lumens should be sufficient
   4. In a room with bright ambient light - 2000 to 2500 lumens should be sufficient
   5. I don’t know how bright the room will be but I do know that my image size won’t surpass ten (10) feet. - 2500 lumens to ensure that you will overcome all lighting conditions should be sufficient

4. I’m creating an image over ten (10) feet wide but less than fourteen (14) feet wide:
   
   
   1. In a 100% light controlled room - 2000 lumens should be sufficient
   2. In a room with some ambient light, but no direct lighting on the space you plan to project the image - 2000 to 2300 lumens should be sufficient
   3. In a room with the lights on, but no light directly over the area where you will project the image - 2300 to 2700 lumens should be sufficient
   4. In a room with bright ambient light - 2700 to 3200 lumens should be sufficient
   5. I don’t know how bright the room will be, but I do know that my image size won’t surpass fourteen (14) feet - 3200 lumens to ensure that you will overcome all lighting conditions should be sufficient

5. I’m creating images for very large audiences that will surpass fourteen (14) feet in width.
   
   
   1. Contact The Projector Pros directly. They’ll need additional information to help you select the most appropriate projector for your needs.

Many people will find that their application lies within two different categories, or they may not know the size of the image they’ll display. If you do know the size range of the images you will need to display, you’ll need to select a projector that can produce the largest images in your range. If you don’t know the image size you’ll need, please refer to the below chart for help.

1. Standard size room with an eight (8) foot ceiling - Maximum width is six (6) feet wide using a business projector with a 4:3 aspect ratio (not widescreen)
2. Rooms with nine (9) foot ceilings - Maximum width is 7.33 feet wide using a business projector with a 4:3 aspect ratio (not widescreen)
3. Rooms with ten (10) foot ceilings - Maximum width is 8.66 feet wide using a business projector with a 4:3 aspect ratio (not widescreen)
4. Rooms with twelve (12) foot ceilings - Maximum width is 11.33 feet wide using a business projector with a 4:3 aspect ratio (not widescreen)
5. Rooms with ceilings over twelve (12) feet are usually closer to twenty (20) feet; for this scenario, please use the extended table below:

1. How far is the furthest person back from the screen? Take that distance and divide it by 1.5 to 2.5 and you’ll have a range of screen widths to use. The larger the width you’ll choose, the better those seated in the back will see the image.

Example: The furthest person in back is 20 feet away.

20 / 2.5 = 8 feet wide and 20 / 1.5 = 13.33 feet wide. You will need at least a nine (9) foot ceiling to display an eight (8) foot wide screen and at least a fourteen (14) foot high ceiling to display a 13.33 foot wide image.

The school where I teach recently purchased a LCD projector and I'm having some trouble getting it to play video... [mi] It's a Hitachi cp-x328 and it seems to be working fine, until i try to play a video file (ie: avi, .mpg, vts type files) in windows media player or powerdvd. quicktime converts/plays the aforementioned files fine (vts, of course being the exception). but wmp and powerdvd just show a blank screen on the projector image, despite the fact that the laptop dispaly is showing the playback fine. all the other desktop features are still visible on the projector's display, but the video window is just black. the children will not accept this.

both the laptop and the projector are set to 60hz. the projector's set to auto select the video input type, but even when i manually switch to ntsc i still get no video playback. however, the projector's picking up the audio signal fine. what am i missing? the problem seems like it should be simple enough to solve, but i'm stumped.

When looking for a projector for your business, the first thing you’ll notice is that projectors seem to come in all sizes, resolutions, and even technologies. What’s more, wading through all of the industry jargon can be a tough job.
We think the first thing you’ll need to consider is which technology best suits your needs. In order to answer that question, we’ll have to figure out what application(s) you’ll use the projector for. Please understand that we are trying to make the purchasing decision easier for you by simplifying some potentially complex issues.

We have found that, for the most part, the following guidelines will effectively serve the majority of the projector shoppers. If you need personal assistance in determining the best projection technology for your specific needs, we highly recommend contacting The Projector Pros at 800-649-9809, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. (ET), or email them at info@theprojectorpros.com.

1. The projector will be used on the road, with a great deal of airline travel:

For this application, you should consider a DLP™ powered projector. They are currently the smallest and lightest projectors on the market — with some weighing as little as 1.9 lbs — and can fit easily into a briefcase. LCD powered projectors can weigh as little as 4 lbs, but for a person who is always on the go, the lighter the projector, the better.

2. The projector will be stationary, but may occasionally move around the office:

Any technology is likely to perform well in this application. Differences in features, brightness, and price are more likely to guide you.

3. I will use the projector 24 hours a day, 5-7 days a week:

DLP™ projectors are powered by the only technology proven to last for long periods of time without being turned off for cooling. LCD and LCOS projectors can be used for long periods of time, but are not designed to be operated all day, every day.

4. I need a projector to show images to very large audiences:

Currently, single-chip DLP™ projectors are only capable of displaying up to 3200 lumens. While this is certainly bright enough for some pretty large audiences, it isn’t bright enough for some applications. Three-chip DLP™ projectors are available for larger audiences, but can be cost prohibitive to strict budgets, while LCD projectors can display up to 8000 lumens and are still moderately priced. If you have an application for fairly large audiences or an application where your projector is being asked to overcome a lot of outside ambient light, your best cost-per-lumen choice is an LCD projector.

5. I need a projector that will display a lot of video such as HDTV and DVD.

These days, many companies are using their projectors for video applications in the workplace. They are creating DVD/VCR based training courses and require projectors that are adept at displaying video. If DVD and VCR are your only video sources, then any technology will work for you. However, if you want the best black levels and overall contrast, then you should consider a DLP™-based business machine.

Using your business projector to display HDTV is another story. We suggest carefully reviewing our home theater section very so that you’ll understand the terminologies and recognize the best features to look for in a projector before trying to select a business projector for HDTV reproduction.

In general, a business projector must be designed from the ground up with HDTV in mind. Things like HDCP, internal scaling, and the native resolution of your projector versus the resolution of HDTV are issues you will need to understand before choosing a projector.

The first and most fundamental question about front projections is, “is it right for me?” It depends. Let’s run through the criteria we think is necessary to go forward with a front projector purchase.

Controlled lighting - Front projectors throw light onto a screen. The projected light is then reflected back to your eye.

The problem with this type of set up is that the screen itself isn’t choosey about what light it reflects back to your eye. If you have lights on in the room or light spilling in from windows, that light combines with the reflected light of the projector and washes out the image.

The question that logically follows is, “how much stray light is too much?” A normal home theater projector usually has a brightness rating somewhere in the range of 800-1500 lumens. Given a projector with that kind of light output, the rule of thumb would be that if a room has enough light to read in, it is probably too bright for a standard home theater front projector. You don’t need to have the room perfectly dark, although the darker the room, the better the image quality you will get out of your projector

If your room just can’t be configured to control ambient light, there are still a couple of options left if you are dead set on using a front projector. The options are as follows:

Buy a brighter home theater projector - To overcome some ambient light, you could buy a much brighter projector. The problem here is that compromises must be made. To gain brightness in a home theater projector, you will generally lose contrast and shadow detail. For most people, this is a fair compromise, but be warned that high lumen home theater projectors will also carry a hefty price tag, especially if you want to have a DLP projector.

Buy a brighter dual purpose projector - Another option to gain a brighter projector is to buy a business projector for your home theater. Business projectors tend to be geared towards brightness, and away from color accuracy and contrast. If you choose to go this route, you need to keep the following factors in mind:

1. Business machines are in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Most will show any widescreen image, but you lose vertical resolution.
   1. An SVGA (800 x 600) projector will give you an 800 x 450 resolution when using it in 16:9 mode. There will be black bars on top and bottom of the image.
   2. A XGA (1024 x 768) projector will give you a 1024 x 575 resolution when using it in 16:9 mode. There will be black bars on top and bottom of the image.
   3. An SXGA (1365 x 1024) projector will give you a 1365 x 766 resolution when using it in 16:9 mode. There will be black bars on top and bottom of the image.
2. The most notable difference between an LCD business projector and an LCD home theater projector will be the difference in resolution. Other differences can be in menu features that allow for fine tuning the image, although some LCD business projectors can rival home theater projectors in functionality.

3. The differences between a home theater DLP and a business DLP are vast in number. The light engine in a business DLP is set up for brightness and the sacrifice of color saturation and color accuracy. You’ll also notice the same resolution and functionality differences in DLP projectors as with the LCD projectors.

4. Brightness ratings for business projectors are calculated while viewing images from a computer. When showing video, the brightness produced will not be close to the stated lumen rating of the projector. There is no numerical calculation available to figure out the lumen output showing video because each technology is different, and each model will vary widely depending on how the manufacturer set up the projector at the factory. As a general rule, expect at least a 30% drop in brightness.

All this isn’t to say that business machines shouldn’t be used in a home theater setting, just that you have to be prepared to accept shortcomings in the brightness you are looking for. Consult a sales professional for the best business machines that can be used for home theater. They will be the best resources to steer you towards models that are set up specifically for dual-purpose multimedia.

Room Dimensions - Your room dimensions and layout are other major obstacles to buying a front projector. We will cover specifics of how to set up a room later, but will give you a starting point here.

Front projectors need room to throw a large image. If you want to have a true home theater experience, we suggest that you start with a moderately large room. The whole point of purchasing a front projector is to give a theater-like experience; this is lost if your room dimensions prevent you from projecting an image larger than six (6) feet wide without costly short throw lenses or complicated, costly rear projection set ups. We suggest keeping it simple.

Think about the room you want to place your projector in. Is there a place for at least a six (6) foot wide screen? Is there available space for proper placement of your surround sound speakers? Is the seating going to be too far away from the screen, thereby ruining the large screen experience, or are they going to be too close preventing viewers from seeing the entire screen without looking from side to side?

If you have a room too small or too crowded, we would suggest looking into the options of a flat panel display or a rear projection television.

For detailed instructions on how a room should be set up, please refer to our section “Setting Up a Room for Front Projection.”