- Brightness: Technically the brighter the better but this depends on your operating environment and application.
- Contrast ratio: The higher the ratio, the better the image quality (blacks appear blacker and depth of field deeper).
- LCD vs DLP vs LCOS: Firstly weigh up what your intended usage patterns are going to be ie: 90 percent data and 10 percent video, then make your decision based on the costs of the differing technologies. There is no point in paying the extra dollars for a technology you will rarely benefit from.
- Lamp life: Just remember a projector that is always on the move and is constantly being turned on and off is going to go through lamps at a far greater rate than a permanently mounted projector that is switched on for longer periods. Also look for projectors that can run in eco mode.
- Connectors: DVI, Component Video, and RCA Audio are some of the standard connectors you will find on a projector. Some projectors include PC Card slots or USB ports, which means you can do a presentation without the need of a PC. Wireless and wired network capabilities are also now becoming mainstream.
- Resolution: Aim for resolutions of 1024 x 768 or above. The lower the resolution the more obvious the pixelation will be.
In summary we reviewed the latest in projector offerings from the leaders in this area. Since our last review we've seen more features being fitted to these products and their footprints reduced. Image quality has also improved, the Canon was a prime example of how a projector should display images. Higher resolutions are also coming our way; the only thing we are still waiting on is for improved lamp life and cheaper lamps.
Scenario
This company wants to replace all of its meeting room projectors with network data projectors.
Requires: Three projectors with high brightness and networking.
Concerns: Meeting rooms allow a lot of natural light into the room so brightness is critical. Image quality and network capability are of equal importance. 1024 x 768 or above resolutions preferred.
Scenario winner and Editor's choice: Epson EMP-835
It was pretty easy finding a winner this year. The Epson was one of the brightest projectors tested. It offered very good image quality and more features than any of the other projectors all at a price we couldn't go past. The Canon also deserves a mention as its image quality was most impressive. Unfortunately it didn't offer networking and that, plus price, is why it didn't win.
Lamp doesn't last long enough for the price.
There isn't enough IR ports.All ok if you don't mount it but once mounted IR ports just not good enough