Here are a few things to be aware of in order to buy one that is right for you.

Resolution

When shopping for a home theater projector, one of the most significant factors to always keep in mind is resolution size. You should think about the purposes the projector will serve for you, the kind of media that will be most frequently viewed, as well as any HD channels or movies that you want to watch now and in the future.

This should be considered because some projectors are built more to be better at certain tasks than others. With that said, what do you need to know about resolution size in relation to quality? When resolution is higher, so is the pixel count, which basically translates into higher picture quality.

Contrast

Another critical component to consider when evaluating home theater projectors is contrast ratio. The more expensive and higher quality projectors provide a greater contrast ratio, meaning more contrast between colors. This is especially true with black and white. The greater the contrast ratio, the more you can expect to pay for the projector.

Lumens

Some emphasis should also be placed on light output, or lumens as referred to in the world of electronics, when deciding on the best home theater projector for you. This basically refers to the level of the picture’s brightness. When a projector has many lumens, the picture will be brighter, translating into more brilliant colors in the picture display. The more expensive projectors usually have a larger amount of lumens, as you can imagine.

The amount of lumens you want is somewhere in the range of 1000 and 4000 for a quality projector.

As important as the projector is in terms of getting the highest quality picture possible, the screen should not be ignored in this process. The screen is what the projector will display the movie or media onto. Screens provide even further enhancement to the picture quality.

If you currently only have the budget to a get a quality projector but not a screen, there is an alternative. If you take a section of a wall in your home, smooth it out, and cover it with a flat white paint, you can still get good results.

See Also: Home Theater LCD Projectors

However, an HD projector may not be the answer for everyone. The following are some factors to think about before buying a projector:

• Do you have a room that is suited for a home theater?
• Is there enough space to hang a large screen from the wall or ceiling?
• Can you mount the projector from the ceiling?
• What distance can you place the seating from the screen?
• How much light can penetrate into the room?

The most important of these questions to answer arguably is the last one. The HD home theater projector image quality is dependent on how much light is in the surrounding area. Ideally, you want no light to penetrate the room whatsoever. If you have light entering the room, the projector will have a hard time creating a high quality picture with shadow and deep blacks.

The amount of brightness necessary for a sharp picture, the image size that can be projected, and the distance the projector can be set from the screen is all dependent on how much light is in the room. One of the reasons movie theaters are so attractive is because their rooms are completely dark.

The best place for your HD home theater projector is the room where you can completely control how much light comes in. A basement is a great place to set up a home theater system because generally no light can come through, unless you have windows. Any room with windows or multiple doorways should not be used for a home theater.

If you decide however to use a room without being able to block all the light out, you will have to accept a less than quality picture with very little contrast and detail. The other option you have is to buy a projector that can produce a high lumen output to create a very bright picture, although other aspects of quality with falter along with it.

Finally, you could go without a projector period and use a Plasma or LCD screen, though they might be smaller than the home theater projector screen you want. LCD’s can create very bright images even in areas of light.

HD projectors in recent years have been enhanced to create stunning images. Their prices continue to decline, while offering a greater lumen output and higher contrast ratios. If you have any extra dark rooms and have the budget, you can’t go wrong with an HD home theater projector.

See Also: Home Theater LCD Projectors

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