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Choosing the right projector may seem like an impossible task since there are dozens of manufacturers and hundreds of projectors to choose from.
Don't think of it that way. Just glance through our simple, straightforward Projector Selector Guide. ProjectorDepotAVP's Projector Selector Guide focuses on the most important features/qualities in projectors and help steer you towards the best projectors for your specific needs.
Projector Technology
First things first, not all projectors are created equal. There are two main projection technologies: LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) projectors and DLP (Digital Light Processing) Projectors. The large majority of projectors that are on the market today feature either LCD or DLP technology. In addition, there is a third projection technology called LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) that is quickly emerging as an alternative to DLP and LCD. Now that you know the main types of technologies, what does each technology do, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
LCD Technology is the oldest and most widely used technology of the three. LCD technology uses three glass panels inside the projector that separate the color spectrum into red, green, and blue. The light passes through these panels and creates the image on the screen.
DLP Technology is a much newer technology than LCD, but has made great strides in the past five years to challenge the LCD market share. DLP is a proprietary technology developed by Texas Instruments. DLP technology takes the light from the lamp, reflects it off thousands of tiny spinning mirrors and through a color wheel, which then makes up the image.
LCOS Technology is one of the newest technologies to surface in the projector industry. Thnk of it as a hybrid between LCD and DLP technology. It is a reflective technology that uses liquid crystals instead of individual mirrors. In LCOS, liquid crystals are applied to a reflective mirror substrate. As the liquid crystals open and close, the light is either reflected from the mirror below or blocked. This modulates the light and creates the image.
Although it might help to understand the differences in technologies, the best way to determine which technology you need is to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Advantages of LCD Technology
Color Saturation- LCD projectors typically have better color saturation, which means that the colors are deeper and more vibrant. Historically DLP projectors tended to produce colors that were a little washed out. Today, many DLP home theatre projectors have a six-segmented color wheel. This improved color wheel greatly improves the color saturation. However, if you put a DLP projector next to a LCD projector and projected the same image or video, most people would say that the LCD projector had better color saturation.
Detailed Images- Not only is the color better in an LCD projector, images and data are more detailed. LCD can usually deliver a slightly sharper image than DLP at any given resolution. The difference between the two is noticable in the display of material like detailed financial spreadsheets. However, there is no visible difference in the sharpness of video.
Brightness- If you need a very bright projector (3000 lumens or more), an LCD projector is probably your best choice. DLP isn't a very light efficient technology, therefore there are only a very few 3000+ lumen DLP projectors on the market. You'll find dozens of LCD projectors that range from 3000 lumens to more than 6000 lumens. Plus, a high-lumen LCD projector will be far less expensive to a comparably bright DLP projector.
Advantages of DLP Technology
Less Visible Pixels-The main reason that many home theater enthusiasts prefer DLP technology is because with DLP technology, there is less visible pixilation. In the past, you could see a "screen door effect" when viewing video from LCD projectors. This effect was due to the pixels that were visible across the entire screen. Today's LCD projectors have reduced the pixilation to make video comparable to DLP, however DLP's pixels are still less visible.
Contrast Ratio-Another reason that DLP technology has been adopted by many home theater enthusiasts, is because it is capable of producing higher contrast ratios than a comparable LCD projector. Contrast ratio is the measure of how black the black levels look on video. While there are more DLP projectors on the market with higher contrast ratios than LCD projectors, LCD projectors are now closing the gap. Today, you can find many LCD projectors with great contrast ratio.
Portable Projectors-One more advantage of DLP technology over LCD is that the DLP projectors can be much smaller than LCD projectors. Since the DLP light engine consists of a single chip rather than three LCD panels, DLP projectors ten to be more compact. Most projectors under four pounds are DLP projectors. If you need a micro-portable projector, you should look at DLP.
Rainbow Effect in DLP Projectors-If there is one single issue that people point to as a weakness of DLP, it is that the use of a spinning color wheel to modulate the image has the potential to produce a unique visible artifact on the screen commonly referred to as the "rainbow effect". Not everyone, however, sees the rainbow effect. In fact, most people cannot detect color seperation artifacts at all. However, for some who can see the rainbow effect, it is so distracting that it renders the picture literally unwatchable. Others report being able to see the rainbow artifacts on occasion, but find that they are not partivularly annoying and do not inhibit the enjoyment of the viewing expierince. With today's faster spinning, six-segmented color wheel DLP projectors, the reported problems of rainbow effect have dropped dramatically. So it is not nearly the problem that it once was.
LCOS - Liquid Crystal on Silicon
LCOS-based projectors typically use three LCOS chips, one each to modulate light in the red, green, and blue channels. In this it is similar to an LCD projector which uses three LCD panels. Both LCOS and LCD projectors deliver the red, green, and blue components of the light to the screen simultaneously. There is no spinning color wheel used in these projectors as there is in single-chip DLP projectors. LCOS technology is usually a very high resolution, and typically higher in price than most LCD and DLP products. Most all LCOS projectors are SXGA (1365x1024) resolution class and higher. So by definintion they are not inexpensive.
LCOS Advantages
No Visible Pixels-As a result of the extremely high resoluiton, there are no visible pixels on the screen when projecting from a LCOS unit. If you want an image as smooth as silk (but more costly than cashmere), LCOS is your best solution.
Rich Colors-Like LCD technology, LCOS technology also delivers rich, saturated colors. Brilliant colors plus pixel-free images equals pristine video that will impress most anyone.
No Rainbow Effect-Forget about getting headaches or having trouble watching a video. Because LCOS is more similar to LCD technology, there is no rainbow effect.
LCOS Disadvantages
Low Contrast Ratio- The primary weakness with LCOS technology, besides the high price tag, is a lack of contrast ratio. Most LCOS projectors fall in the range from 500:1 to 800:1; much less contrast ratio than most DLP projectors.
Limited Lamp Life- Most LCOS projectors have a limited lamp life in the 1000 to 1500 hour range. So not only are you paying a lot for the projector, you'll also be spending more at lamps since most projector lamps last 2000 hours or more.
Whew. That was a lot of information. So now you're ready to buy a projector? Not quite, we've just scratched the surface.
See our next guide in the series which covers brightness and weight of your new projector:
Also visit our guide on Choosing a projector brand based on Warranty considerations:
Learn how to Select your projector by the type of Presenter you are: Education, Business, Road Warrior, Home Theater, or Church:
Choose the features that you need to look for in your next projector purchase:
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