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What’s the Best Projector for Me?

What’s the Best Projector for Me?

Projectors can be set up for a cinema-style viewing experience almost anywhere; whether projecting onto a purpose-designed screen or a blank wall, so that a larger number of people can view a much larger image rather than crowding around a standard TV. Since there are so many different kinds of projectors out there, which one is the best fit for you? In this Buyer’s Guide, we cover all of your most frequently asked questions to help you find the right thing. If you can’t find the answer to your question here, feel free to contact us!

1. Why Use a Projector at Home?

First of all: because the picture can be enormous! People often pick up a projector so they can enjoy a cinema-style experience from the comfort of their own sofa. Even when projected onto a two or three metre wide screen, films can be just as intense as they are when seen at the cinema, and the bigger screen you can fit in your living room, or the wider the wall you’re projecting onto, the better. Besides watching films, you can take in entire series and even watch the football with a bunch of mates and enjoy a full, immersive viewing experience.

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2. Why Use a Projector at Work?

The answer is simple: meetings and presentations. If only a few colleagues need to view the graphs and diagrams on your laptop, then you have everything you need, but if you’re giving a presentation to room full of maybe twenty managers, then the picture will need to be much bigger. Also, presenting a short clip about the company you represent will always have more impact when supported by a large, clear projection and good sound.

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3. Why Use a Projector at Schools?

Essentially, for pretty much the same reasons as they would be used at work: to make presentations to a room full of students with the support of a large, clear projection. While you can never do without the classic chalk board or white-board, a projector can prove a really useful teaching tool. They can be used to project a virtual white board, where, using special markers, the projection can be ‘written on’. There are also projectors able to project lines or grids onto a white-board to provide a guide for drawing or writing.

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4. What Resolution Should My Projector Have?

Resolution: This measurement describes the pixel size of the image and is indicated by two numbers, e.g. 1024 x 768. The first number refers to the number of pixels along the width of the picture, while the second number refers to the number of pixels along the height of the picture. The higher the numbers, the sharper the image. As such, this does not refer to the size of the image that a projector is able to deliver. See Question 5 for information about native resolution.

Aspect Ratio: Say that the two numbers indicating the image resolution are the same, then the image would be perfectly square. If the first number is much higher than the second, then you have a relatively wide image. Often, the relationship between these two numbers is reduced to a ratio, like 16:9 (the most-used aspect ratio for videos), and the more square, 4:3.

Advice: First, think about the kind of aspect ratio you want. For films, a projector with a wide image is the best to go for, like 1920 x 1080, or 3840 x 2160. For business or educational purposes (diagrams and graphs, etc), then a more square image will work perfectly, like 1024 x 768, or 1600 x 1200. Then, find a projector with the highest resolution that is able to project the kind of image you need and that fits your budget. Going for the highest resolution possible will ensure you’re getting the sharpest image possible.

Remember that there is always a little ‘scattering’ when projecting any light beams. This means that projected images can never look quite as sharp as the image on your computer screen. However, with the newest models, you can usually count on a pretty sharp and sleek image.

Tip: When browsing through all of the projectors on the Bax Music site, you can use the filters found on the left of the page to select the resolution and aspect ratio you want.

Projectors with a 4:3 aspect ratio
Projectors with a 16:9 aspect ratio
Projectors with a 16:10 aspect ratio

5. What’s the Difference Between the Native Resolution and the Maximum Resolution of a Projector?

Native Resolutie: A projector (just like a computer screen) has a maximum resolution, like 1024 x 768, or 1280 x 800, for example, and this is what’s referred to as the native resolution since it’s the maximum sharpness that the beamer is able to deliver.

Maximum Resolution: Modern computers usually have a higher native resolution than a projector, which is not a problem, since the projector will simply reduce the image size. As such, the maximum resolution of a projector refers to the highest resolution that it’s able to reduce.

Say you have a projector with a 1280 x 720 resolution. While you can view a special Ultra-HD version (3840 x 2160) of a film, no matter the format, the image quality won’t be any better than that of a lower resolution film, since the image will be reduced by the projector, back down to 1280 x 720.

Tip: When browsing through all of the projectors on the Bax Music site, you can use the filters found on the left of the page to select the native resolution and maximum resolution you need.

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6. What does ANSI-Lumen and Contrast Ratio Mean?

ANSI-lumen indicates the light intensity and is one of the most important features of a projector. In general, the rule applies that, if you pick out a projector with a higher lumen level, then you’re better prepared for all situations. In the same way, anyone who’s ever used a torch will have noticed that the light intensity decreases as the distance increases. So, if you want a large image and need to place the projector further away from the projection surface, then the light intensity needs to be high enough so that you’re not left with a weak image. Also, if the room you’ll be projecting in isn’t completely dark, then your projector will also need to have a higher lumen level. For general use, a lumen level of around 2,000 to 3,000 will be about right.

The contrast ratio (e.g. 10.000:1) indicates the relationship between the black and white in the projected image; so the precision with which a projector is able to reproduce light and dark colours. The larger the ratio, the better the image quality, but it’s worth noting that, since the contrast ratio can be measured using various different methods, it’s not necessarily a reliable criterion for choosing the right projector.

Tip: When browsing through all of the projectors on the Bax Music site, you can use the filters found on the left of the page to select the lumen amount and contrast ratio you need.

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7. How Should a Projector be Positioned?

In the ideal situation, the lens of the projector is pointed directly at the centre of the projection surface. Practically speaking, this is not always possible, since people are usually sitting in front of the projector and casting shadows across the screen, or sitting behind the projector so that it’s always in sight. As such, it’s better to place the projector out of the way, which usually means suspending it from the ceiling, or mounting it on a wall. There are plenty of ceiling and wall brackets available for securely positioning projectors. The possible problem caused by doing this is that, since the lens isn’t pointing directly at the screen, it can slightly warp the image, leaving you with a trapezoid projection. But this can easily be corrected by the keystone-correction function that almost every projector comes with.

It’s worth noting that, if you want a larger projected image, then your projector will need to be placed further away from the projection surface, so you’ll need to make sure that you have enough space. For example, for an image with a 2.5 metre diagonal, you’ll need to place the projector 3 metres away. There are also (more expensive) ‘ultra short throw’ models available that don’t need as much space. See Question 9.

Ceiling & Wall Brackets for Projectors
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8. Do I Need a Projector Screen?

Even if it’s cheap, a purpose-designed projector screen will almost always result in a better image than a wall – even if it’s a nice and clean, white wall, since projection screens are designed for optimum light reflection. It’s best to pick a screen that has the same height and width as the aspect ratio of your projector (see Question 4). So, if you have a 16:9 projector, then a 16:9 projector screen will be perfect. Of course, you can also project a widescreen image onto a 4:3 screen, but white bands will be visible along the top and bottom of the screen. The black border around the edge of projection screens has been included to ensure that the projected image has a tight, clean edge.

If you don’t have the budget for a screen, then you can simply make sure that you use a smooth white wall as your projection surface. So, a brick wall or textured wall should be avoided since the surface needs to be as smooth as possible.

Projection Screens

9. What Does the Minimum and Maximum Image Diagonal Mean?

The maximum and minimum projection diagnonal will always be included in the specifications of any projector we have available, and is measured in inches. This doesn’t mean that the projector is unable to deliver a larger image; since it projects light, the projector only needs to be moved back from the screen in order to make the image larger. But, if the distance from the screen is too great, the quality and clarity of the image will suffer. So, by using the measurements indicated by the minimum and maximum diagonal, you’ll get the best possible image, in the best possible quality. For more on this, see Question 7.

Tip: When browsing through all of the projectors on the Bax Music site, you can use the filters found on the left of the page to select the maximum and minimum projection diagnonal you need.

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10. Do I Need a Computer to Run a Projector?

You definitely need to connect a source. This source could be a computer or another piece of equipment with something like a VGA and/or HDMI output. See Question 11.

Some projectors are able to play back media from a USB stick. Besides films and images, projectors can also be used to project Office documents, like spreadsheets and presentations. Some projectors are also able to play back media from a USB stick, in which case you can get away without using a computer.

Note: If a projector is fitted with a USB port, this doesn’t always mean that it’s able to read media from a USB stick. Always check the specifications to be absolutely certain of what a projector is capable of to avoid disappointment.

Projectors with VGA Inputs (15-pin D-SUB)
Projectors with HDMI Inputs
Projectors with USB-A Ports
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11. What Accessories Will I Need With My Projector?

A projection screen (Question 8), wall or ceiling bracket (Question 7), and a VGA cable (also known as an S-VGA), or HDMI cable are generally the most essential accessories. If both your projector and computer have an HDMI port, then an HDMI cable is the best option and ensures optimum quality.

An extra-long VGA or HDMI cable can also be handy. Since you might be mounting your projector on the wall or ceiling of a larger room, a longer cable will be needed. And, to neatly route the cable to your computer or audiovisual source, you can use cable mats or bridges, or (slightly less deluxe) cable binders.

If your projector supports 3D, then you will need special 3D glasses. The best-known method is DLP-Link, and you can pick up DLP compatible glasses produced by makers like BenQ.

If you’re not connecting a computer to your projector and playing back files directly from a USB stick (see Question 10), then you will usually need to connect a set of speakers to the audio output of the projector.

HDMI Cables
VGA Cables
Ceiling & Wall Brackets for Projectors
Projection Screens
3D Glasses
Cable Bridges & Mats
Cable Binders
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