Best projectors

Best projectors, one way to enjoy good movies is in the tranquility of your home, with a bowl of popcorn and no noisy or talking company around us.

Of course, building a home theater is not a luxury that many of us can get, but a good alternative is projectors designed for the home, transporting part of that theater to our family.

Why a projector?

  • The projectors are used to having the cinema at home or for corporate purposes (work presentations, exhibitions, master classes).
  • At home, the projector’s use intends for entertainment; for moviegoers, it is ideal because it gives them the spectacular nature of cinema; if we like sports, it will be like being on the playing field.
  • As knowledge advances by leaps and bounds, the market offers us different types of projectors, from the most sophisticated with an exorbitant price to the smallest that fits in the palm.
  • To choose an excellent monetary projector for the home, some aspects must be considered, such as the imaging technology, contrast, resolution, brightness, etc.
  • An inexpensive projector must have a good value for money, so it is difficult to find high resolutions (expensive technologies) at low cost but more than acceptable quality to enjoy the right projected image.
  • If we intend to use the projector as a home theater, aspects such as contrast or brightness are unimportant.
  • Still, if we want to use it to watch sports, other elements, such as the image’s definition must be considered not to find ourselves with annoying pixelated photos.
  • Other extras that the projectors can incorporate are built-in DTT, WIFI, Bluetooth, 3D … they are striking but not so crucial for the right choice.
  • Although it depends more on the use, you use it to find devices with this incorporated technology.

Recommendations

The technical aspects that we must take into account to make the right choice of a projector for domestic use and that is economical are the following:

Aspect ratio:

  • Today almost all movies and series are recorded in 16: 9 (landscape) format, although we can also come across the older 4: 3 (square) format.
  • It is recommended that the projector uses a 16: 9 form since it is the most used. Whether we intend to bring the 4: 3 to 16: 9 format, or see in a 4: 3 format something from 16: 9.
  • What we will obtain is the loss of image quality as it does not correspond to the original recording format, that is to say, too “stretched” or “cut.”

Image resolution:

  • Realistic 4K resolution (4,096 x 2,160 pixels or image dots) involves high-tech projectors, often costly.
  • The HD Ready (1,280 x 720) and Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolutions give us image qualities good enough to enjoy a good projection at home at an economical price.

Contrast (also called native contrast) :

  • It is the difference between the lightest (white) and the darkest point (black). A contrast of 1,000: 1 means that the weakest point is 1,000 times more delicate than the darkest moment.
  • How much higher contrast, better image quality, and sharper: Ideally, the projector provides a difference of no less than 2,000: 1.

Dynamic contrast :

  • Similar to native contrast, the difference between light and dark points is in the colors. In conclusion, this value is higher, the better.
  • However, the native distinction is more important than this to get the right image.

ANSI Brightness :

  • It is measured in ANSI (North American Measurement Standard) lumens and is the light intensity an image is projecting.
  • In-home projections are not very important since they are usually carried out in dark rooms but are very important if launched in bright areas or with sunlight. A home projector has to be above 1,500 lumens.

Image technology:

  • LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) technology achieves a high-quality image, and DLP (Digital Light Processing) technology provides more color realism to the print obtained.
  • These two technologies work with a traditional lamp, lasting between 2,000 and 4,000 hours of use, and LED technology has lamp life up to 30,000 hours of use, but with a higher cost.

Connections :

  • The digital connections between the player and the projector make neither the image nor the sound loses quality, the best known is HDMI.
  • The analog VGA connection is still being used (to a lesser extent) that does not allow the audio transfer, only video.

Refresh rate :

  • It is the frequency with which the image is renewed every second and measured in hertz (Hz). For pictures in continuous movement such as sports and video games.
  • A higher refresh rate is advisable to avoid pixelation (images with a checkered appearance) above 60 Hz. A refresh rate of 60 Hz for movies and series is more than enough.

Extras :

  • The projectors can incorporate DTT, WIFI, Bluetooth, card reader, USB port. The choice depends more on the use you want to give the projector, not influencing the quality of the image.
  • But the more technology the projector has, the more expensive it will be.
  • Suppose we want to buy an inexpensive projector with good value for money. In that case, we have no choice but to bet on Chinese brands.
  • Which revolutionize prices with products that fulfill their function without costing us a tremendous economic effort for our pockets.
  • However, you can also bet by more well-known brands that a priori seems more reliable by making a small monetary effort.

Some of the best projectors

1.WiMiUS Upgraded T4

  • If we are looking for an outdoor projector, the WiMiUS Upgraded T4 is the most appropriate because it has a high light intensity of 3,500 lumens.
  • It supports Full HD resolution with a maximum of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. However, the best image quality will be in a 1,280 x 800 (HD Ready) solution since it is its native resolution.
  • Above these values, it is possible that images appear pixelated or slowed down.
  • This projector has a 3,000:1 native contrast, up from the 2,000:1 contrast already considered acceptable.
  • Conclusion: It makes a significant difference between light and dark points, manages to present easily legible texts, and provides excellent image quality due to its sharpness and detail.
  • It supports both the 16:9 and 4:3 formats, regulating the trapezoidal deformation manually up to ± 15º to achieve a rectangular image.
  • Images are best projected at distances of 3 to 5.5 meters from the wall or projection screen. At a distance of 5.5 m, it achieves a projection size of 200″.
  • Its two integrated speakers will provide sound, although not very high power. It is recommending to use extra speakers for higher quality and higher sound volume.
  • The lifespan of the LED lamp is 50,000 hours. It does not include a tripod but the possibility of adapting it to the ceiling.
  • We can use the 2 HDMI connections to connect the video game console or laptop, USB, VGA, AV, SD, and Pb.P. to link our devices with the projector.
  • If we want to connect an Android phone,. We will need an MHL cable or an adapter cable of another type (lightning cable). If we have an iPhone or any other Apple product instead,.

2.Optoma S341

  • Its contrast ratio of 22,000.1 makes this model from the Optoma brand one of the best in this section of home projectors. It has excellent sharpness and clarity in an image.
  • It has 3500 lumens in dark places and areas with some light. However, it is also likely to adjust the color of the projection on the wall. As for the connections, they can be made via HDMI, VGA, or USB-A power.
  • The projector lamp has a lifespan of 10,000 hours.
  • One of the drawbacks of this device is the sound. Its 2W speaker makes the acoustics of the projections not excellent, and it is recommending adding a speaker.

3.Epson V11H719021

  • This Epson projector is a good option because it has interesting properties in all its characteristics. It has a native SVGA resolution and a ratio of up to 15,000: 1.
  • The brightness of the device is 3,200 lumens.
  • With the Epson V11H719021, you can project an iPad or Android mobile device with the Epson iProjection application. Although it requires an optional wireless module,. It has 3LCD technology with easy-to-use functions.
  • Features a 3-in-1 USB: project, stream audio, and control presentations using a USB cable. The lamp it uses is long-lasting (10,000 hours).