Business Projectors: What You Need To Know Before You Buy

While you can find business projectors for a few hundred dollars these days, looking for the cheapest price around may be selling yourself, and your audience, short. Many lower cost business projectors only work well in completely darkened rooms, and when's the last time you gave a business presentation in the dark? The optimal price range for finding good value and great features? In between $1500-$2000, says Peter Knaak of the German consumer testing organization Stiftung Warentest in Berlin. Knaak adds that he has yet to see a projector priced at less than $1500 that is worth recommending for business presentations.

Okay, so we've nailed down price, but what about features?

Brightness, which will always be measured in ANSI lumens, should be between 2000-2500 lumens at a minimum, preferably on a model with XGA resolution. But there is a little caveat you should be aware of. Just because a model's specs states it has a 2500 lumen brightness doesn't necessarily it means it'll always reach it. It's not uncommon for such a model to only average a brightness of more like 1500 lumens. The solution? Check out test reports ahead of time. The internet is full of good first-person, non-biased reports. Or if you have a little extra cash at hand, you can always rent beforehand to test out different projectors yourself.

Because most biz presentations don't occur in the dark, image resolution is another very important feature to consider. XGA resolution is a minimum, but HD resolution is even better. The lighting technology, whether it be DLP or LCD is yet another consideration. DLP usually offers better contrast ratios and brightness, but the method of projection can produce a noticeable rainbow effect when images switch from light to dark. However, if your presentation will consist of mainly still images such as photos or slides, LCD projection offers better color reproduction. Really it's a matter of personal preference.

If you're checking out product reviews beforehand, take a quick look at fan noise levels, which vary considerably, and make sure the projector can project a 2m picture measured diagonally only 75cm from the screen surface. This is very important if the majority of your presentations will be given in board rooms where space is limited.

April 27, 2008

Business Projectors: What You Need To Know Before You Buy