How Do I choose a Home Theater Projector?

Using projectors at home is a trend that’s on the rise. More and more people are choosing to experience the optimum quality that a good projector provides, with the high-quality projection helping you to feel like you’re at the movies from the comfort of your own home. And it’s easier than ever to own your own home theater 4k laser projector.

You really can’t beat a customizable entertainment projection device. Big-screen TVs are available to buy, but they still can’t give you the customization that a home projector provides. The satisfaction of watching your favorite shows, movies, news, sports or just playing a thrilling FIFA match on ps4 on a home theatre is unrivalled.

Why Buy a Home Theatre Projector?

In today’s technologically developed era, use of high-quality image projection devices has become a priority. Now is the time to buy; companies are competing to bring out the best 4k high-definition home theatre projectors, meaning customers are getting the best quality at an affordable price.

You can get the ultimate entertainment experiences sitting at home with a 4k video display. Many new TV shows and movies, including those on Netflix, are being filmed in 4k. What’s more, a projector gives you the freedom to choose the size of the screen you want to watch on for the most comfortable viewing experience.

Key advantages of a home theatre projectorare:

• High-quality viewing experience: View any show in a whole new way in smooth and crisp 4k HD clarity
• Easy to maintain: Laser projectors have almost no maintenance needs, so you can sit back, relax, and watch without worry
• Easy to Install: Projectors often have a simple set up – install and go!
• Portable: Projectors are quicker and easier to pack up and move than a huge, cumbersome 4k TV – especially if you fancy changing your living room around
• Easy customization: Adjustable to suit different areas in your home, you can watch on whatever screen size you want
• Worth every penny: You get years of enjoyment from a home theatre projector

How to Choose a Home Theater Projector?

In order to ensure that you are buying the best home theatre projector, there are a few things that you need to consider. All of these points are notable to make a decent purchase:

1. Laser or Lamp Projector:

Firstly, it is important to know that there are two types of projectors available for you. One is where the image is displayed through lamplight and the other through which the image is displayed with laser light.

There is not much difference in the type of image displayed by both; these projectors both have similar brightness levels, and can have a similar amount of clarity and picture quality. What this comes down to is how often you use your projector. If you’re a big fan of TV and will want to watch often – perhaps daily – on your projector screen, a laser projector is a better investment. They are a good choice for heavy use and ‘all day’ applications because, unlike bulb projectors, there are no issues with overheating. You won’t have any frustrations with them cutting out, or needing time to cool down before restarting!

If you’re purchasing a projector so that you can regularly use it for high quality viewing, choosing a laser projector over a lamp projector makes sense.

2. Screen Size:

This is a very important point to consider before buying a projector – how large should the projection screen be? Because achieving your perfect projector screen size depends largely on the projector itself.

Key to your considerations for the best home theatre projectorexperience should be the aspect ratio of the projector. Aspect ratio is the ratio of the width to the height of an image or screen. So, do you want a more rectangular screen (say, a 16:9 aspect ratio) or a squarer screen (for example, 4:3 aspect ratio). The type of content you want to watch will play as a decisive factor in determining which size you choose. Widescreen format movies will need a very different setup compared to presentations with complex data or small charts in a boardroom.

Remember, you’re buying a projector to enhance your viewing experience; don’t compromise! Check out this guide for the optimum screen size for your enjoyment.

3.Brightness:

There’s nothing worse than when you can’t see details on TV because a show is super dark, as any Game of Thrones fans well know (Battle of Winterfell episode, anyone?) It’s even more annoying when you’re watching in the daytime and can’t see the screen clearly due to sunlight.

Pitch black filming aside, these issues won’t be a problem with a good projector. Make sure that you’re purchasing a projector that has a theatre-like brightness output for the full movie going experience. For this, you need to choose a model with 2000-2400 lumens, or 2400+ lumens if your room is really naturally bright or you want to use the projector with the lights on.

If you can, we recommend going straight for 2400+ lumens to cover all eventualities. You can even get up to 6000 – make sure to explore all options before you choose your projector!

4. Contrast:

Another aspect to excellent viewing quality is contrast. Alongside brightness, this is what you need to consider to make sure your images are well balanced and depict all the details you want.

You’ll hear contrast details described as the contrast ratio, which the ratio between black and white portions of the projected image. High contrast ratios deliver whiter whites and blacker blacks, giving you a deep and full visual experience. A projector may have a great Lumens rating, but if the contrast ratio is low then your image will look washed out. In a darkened room, a contrast ratio of at least 1,500:1 is good, but 2,000:1 or higher is considered excellent.

So, if you only focus on the brightness of the projector screen and completely ignore the contrast ratio, you’ll be highly disappointed. Keep both in mind for the ultimate viewing experience.

5. Lamp Life:

This is a key consideration, which if you choose well can save you a lot of time and money!

In lamp projectors the life of the lamp is limited. The approximate life is given by each manufacturer on their projector box, or in the box or anywhere on the papers. Laser light projectors are attractive because they can have a near limitless lifetime, lasting up to 25,000 hours before needing maintenance. Lamp projector lamps, on the other hand, need replacing every 2000-5000 hours. Not only do you not have to worry about the projector overheating, but you don’t have to spend the money (and time!) replacing the bulb.

To save yourself hassle, choosing a laser projector over a lamp projector is a wise decision.

6. Sound:

For the full home theatre experience, a projector just isn’t enough. You need great sound to go with your great images for a totally immersive experience.

Some projectors come with onboard speakers, but these are often inadequate. You can spend a lot of money to get full surround sound, or, if you’re staying at the affordable end, you can get something like a sound bar. These compact speakers can sit anywhere in the room to enhance the audio of whatever you choose to watch for a fraction of the cost of surround sound speakers. In this sense, you don’t need to worry about your projector having built-in audio.

Essentially, if you’re going for a projector, focus on its image quality over its sound quality. Go the whole hog and invest in some decent speakers as well!

7. Price:

Perhaps the most important factor in deciding which projector you buy is your budget.

As mentioned before, 4k ultra short throw laser projector are no longer a luxury item for the super-rich. They are becoming an affordable option that anyone can access, particularly through crowdfunding sites and brands that offer day-to-day high quality tech. This doesn’t mean that projectors are cheap. You pay more for 4K UHD because of the incredibly pixel density and remarkable picture quality that fills your field of vision. To not see any of the image structure and to be able to sit closer to the screen, you can’t use a regular 1080p Full HD projector.

Ultimately then, bear in mind when establishing your budget that you’re future-proofing your tech, and making a great investment. Spending the money now will save you money in the future, as you won’t have to upgrade your projector when new technology catches up with 4k.

Conclusion:

A 4k laser projector gives you a home theatre viewing experience unlike any other. Alongside checking somehome theatre projector reviewsto know about the top and reasonably available projectors, this guide will help you check everything you need to know about your purchase.

Want to know more about the best laser projector around? We recommend this 4k laser projector from VAVA. Check it out – it will tick all your boxes!