Outdoor movies in the backyard and million-dollar presentations in the boardroom both share one thing: multimedia projectors make them possible. Take your favorite productions, games, or slideshows off-screen for a crisp display you can share with large and small groups with the same level of clarity.
How to Choose a Projector
Most projectors have the flexibility to pair with various media sources, but many are intended for specialty use, such as home theater projectors. Consider the primary intended use, as well as where you'll position it. This way, you can choose a device with specific functions, such as entertainment focus or data-centered designs that are compatible with the need to display spreadsheets or slides. Think about major features such as these:
- Screen size: Some devices can project images nearly 40 times that of a 50-inch TV
- Throw distance: How much space there will be between the projector and the screen
- Ambient light estimates: Controlled lighting helps produce the best image from the video projector
Home Theater Projectors vs. Business Projectors
Home theater projectors produce deep blacks and rich colors to simulate how images appear in a darkened movie theater, so you'll need to be able to control the ambient lighting in the room. If you can't, look for devices with higher brightness, and be prepared to invest in a better quality reflective screen. These projectors are also good for sports, 3D movies, video games, and picture slides. Home theaters have softer fans, and extra HDMI ports to connect to your theater system seamlessly.
Business projectors are part of a line of audio visual presentation tools best suited for meetings and classroom instruction. These data projectors are brighter than home theaters, so they don't require controlled lighting. Overheads and open windows won't affect their picture quality. They work best with still images such as graphs or slides, but they're also compatible with multimedia projections. Like home theater projectors, they usually include an HDMI port to pair with laptops and other devices.
