Projectors as we know them today have come to evolve into what they currently are with the advent of technology.
Modern digital projector can be easily connected to a computer or other device, in other to project an image or video from the computer or device on a wall or screen. They can either be fixated on the ceiling or placed on a stand while in use.
There are two main types of digital projector;
- Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) digital projector
- Digital Light Processing (DLP) digital projector
Both types of digital projectors have their own merits but the most commonly used one is the liquid crystal display projector. Howbeit in this write up, I’ll be pointing out the major features of a modern digital projector, as a guide for business.
Features
- Color: The DLP projector projects alternating red, green and blue colors multiple times per second causing an optical illusion known as the rainbow effect. LCD projector on the other hand puts all the color on the screen at the same time. This makes the LCD projectors more suitable for business presentations especially among a relatively large number of people where it is more likely somebody will be affected by the rainbow effect.
- Brightness: LCP projectors gives better, brighter and more saturated images and videos than the DLP projector. This is because the lamp’s light passes through the image elements to the lens, most of the light from the source gets to the screen and the amount of light lost is almost inconsequential. The DLP projector uses a rotating color wheel and a set of small mirrors and these reduces the brightness of the image being projected. A business projector will often require a brighter outlook, the higher the lumens of a projector, the brighter it is. LCP projectors generally have more lumens than the DLP projectors. this explains why they are brighter.
- Sharpness: Although the DLP does not project blurry images, the light path of the LCD projector is simpler than the DLP’s. This gives the LCD an advantage in producing sharper images. This makes the LCD more useful for business presenters.
- Cost: the LCD projector has always had the advantage of being the cheaper of the two digital projectors. Although the cost benefit has greatly reduced over the years, it is still slightly less expensive than the DLP projector. The LCD projector are also less expensive than the DLP projector, they have fewer parts and does not require a motorized color wheel like the DLP projector.
Based on common features LCD projectors are better than the DLP projectors. The manner in which the Liquid Crystal Display technology is developed gives it a significant advantage over the Digital Light Processing projectors.
Most of the LCD projectors have 3 small transparent panels for the red, green and blue lights and they have a bright light passing through them. They are very useful in making presentations especially to clients and customers or even to employees as well.
- Resolution: In making a choice of projector, another key factor to consider is the display resolution of the projector. The display resolution refers to the total number of distinct pixels that can be displayed in each dimensions. A high display resolution means the image will be sharper, it generally increases the visual performance of the projecting device.
Few years ago, 4k resolution was introduced but they came at a huge cost. 4k resolution refers to a horizontal display resolution having approximately 4000 pixels. 4k resolution projectors were very expensive and almost unaffordable at the time, with prizes as high as $25,000 for some brands. More recently, there have been an introduction of cheap 4k projectors, even for as low as $1500.
That’s quite a price for a projector of such great resolution. You can now get your desired product and still save a huge chunk of money.
When you’re talking about projector for business, this definitely is a good deal. The more pixels a projector can display, the crisper and detailed the images will appear.
Other features to look out for in a projector
- Portability: in getting a projector for business, this is a feature that must be put into consideration. The projector has to be small enough and light enough to ensure easy transportation between places as the need arises. As important as this feature is, it cannot replace the more important features such as the brightness, sharpness, color, and display resolution mentioned earlier. There’s no point in having a portable projector that is less than a projector. You must be able to find the right balance among all the features.
- Durability: nobody really likes to spend unnecessarily especially on a device you think you have. It’s bad for business when you have to spend unnecessarily and regularly to repair or change a device when you should have get a durable one that will last longer and in the long run save you more money.
- User interface: the projector have to be easy to operate. Like every other electronic device, it should have a user friendly interface that allows it to be easily operated to get the best out of it.
- Contrast ratio: contrast is the amount of difference between the lightest and the darkest part of a picture. High contrast ratio in a projector adds a sense of depth and dimension to the picture by allowing you see the deep black levels and a well-defined shadow detail. This is a more important feature to look out for in home theatre projectors than in business projectors. this is because business projectors are used in a well lit room, so the contrast is not easily noticeable, unlike the home theatre projectors used in a dark room, the contrast is more noticeable. This is however a feature of any good projector.
Business projectors are mainly used for official purposes; meetings and presentations. They are primarily designed to project static images, it’s why they are best for power point presentation. They work better in a room with overhead lighting and windows.
