There are many reasons you could be considering a home projector. Maybe you have endless home movies that you would love to show off to family and friends in a big-screen format. Maybe you are a movie fanatic and want to experience the theater-like cinematic viewing effects in your home. Or maybe you love hosting informal gatherings or dinner parties at your house and would like the convenient entertainment option of your own home theater. Some people even replace their existing TV with a home projector, using the projector to meet all their viewing needs. Whatever your reason, there are some things to consider before you buy.
One aspect to consider when buying a home projector is the amount of brightness that you will need. If you have a room in your house specifically designated as the “theater” that has controlled light and no ambient light, then you will be able to choose a projector with less brightness. However, if your projector will be placed in a typical room that will be affected by windows or other light sources, you will need more brightness.
As far as image quality is concerned, two characteristics have an impact: resolution and brightness uniformity. Resolution in measured in pixels and XGA projectors are the better choice as they generally offer more than double the number of pixels of other projectors. You should look for a high rating of brightness uniformity, which is a measurement of the consistency of brightness across the screen. A rating of 85% or higher is recommended.
Connections are important because they can have a serious effect on image quality. S-video cables provide the best pictures. Lamp life is another issue to consider because it factors into the maintenance costs of the projector. A typical lamp life, the length of time before the lamp starts to fade in brightness, is 1000-2000 hours. Replacement lamps cost anywhere from $200 to $400. Home projectors are a great technological advance in terms of the home viewing experience, but the degree of technology involved means that many factors need to be considered before buying. These small tips should give you enough information to get started in your search.