Working System

Projectors, especially the high end home theatre models represent a significant purchase including the replacement cost of the projector lamp, which will eventually need replacement. For the novice, selecting the right projector for themselves is a journey which in many cases results in a wrong decision.

It is best to become at least a little bit educated about what the options are and the strengths and weaknesses of the different types of projectors on the market. High Definition projectors are now available and the standard choice, given the future of high definition broadcasts. There are basically three types of high definition projectors: LCD LCD (liquid crystal display) HDTV projector, DLP (stands for digital light processing) HDTV projector, and the latest technological development, the LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) HDTV projector.

An LCD projector produces a brighter sharper image but at certain resolutions and size of the image, pixilation may occur. A DLP projector will give better black levels (provides a better image when the image is a night seen or of an indoor scene in an dim room), although the image details are usually less sharp. While price is a very important factor in selecting a projector, it is important to make sure the model selected will meet you picture viewing needs. Other considerations include: 1. what will be the room light conditions as rooms with un-shaded windows will require a high lumens rating; 2. if the unit will be ceiling mounted, will air conditioning be available as hot air rises and excessive heat may lessen the projector fan's ability to cool the lamp; 3. type of bulb may vary between UHP - Ultra High Performance, UHE - Ultra High Efficiency (most common), or metal halide lamps; 4. how many and what type of connection ports there are; and 5. what size projector do you need (if portability is involved).

While the cost of a DLP HDTV projector ranges around $2,000 and more, an LCD HDTV projector generally cost less than $2,000. Recently LCOS HDTV display has become popular given its higher resolution of 1920x1080 internal resolutions, although the cost of $5,000 to $20,000 is generally prohibitive.

Finally, note that the cost of replacement lamps range from $200 to $600 so inquire what that cost would be for your model.

by Greg Thorpe