PROJECTOR BUYING TIPS

Alternatively, two manufacturers—JVC and Epson—are selling native 1080p projectors that recognize and accept 4K video signals (includ-ing content with WCG and HDR encoding) and use pixel-shifting technology to mimic the onscreen resolution of a native 4K projector. In essence, these systems take in all the information from the 4K signal, then break it up and deliver it to the screen in two sequential 1080p frames, with pixels that are partially overlaid on and diagonally offset from one another. The rapid sequencing of the frames allows the eye to blend them into one image. Although these techniques do provide additional perceived detail versus conventional 1080p, there’s some debate about their effectiveness versus true native 4K. Nonetheless, the benefit of having access to native 4K content—especially on UHD Blu-rays, with their HDR- and WCG-enhanced images— is powerful and undeniable. These pixel-shifting “faux-K” projectors start at around $4,000.

If that’s still too rich for your blood, there are plenty of budget 1080p projectors around today that are very good to excellent. For several years prior to 2014, the entry level for any kind of reasonably good home theater projector seemed to hover around $1,500, and it took perhaps twice that to get to the black-level and contrast performance that could make a hardcore videophile start to croon. Today, it seems a bit foolish to spend $3,000 on a 1080p projector that doesn’t at least accept and display native 4K content with pixel shift-ing, but no matter: If a basic 1080p projector is all you need or can afford for now, you can find acceptable performance for as little as $600 and a decent videophile premium model for as little as $2,000. The $1,200 to $1,500 range is a particularly ripe sweet spot for projectors with quite excellent color, reasonably high light output, and average to above-average contrast. They are much improved over their predecessors in that price class of just a couple of years ago.

Pick Your Pic
There are three major display technologies used in today’s consumer projectors: Digital Light Projection (DLP), liquid-crystal display (LCD), and liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS). DLP uses pixel-sized micromirrors arrayed on dedicated micromirror chips (called Digital Micromirror Devices, or DMDs). The micromirrors reflect light toward the screen and oscillate at different speeds to brighten or darken the image. Most DLP projectors employ a single DMD together with a translucent color wheel that spins around to create the red, green, and blue primaries required for a full-color image. Some DLP projectors employ three DMDs, one for each color, and dispense with the color wheel, but they tend to be very expensive. Optoma, BenQ, and ViewSonic are among the popular projector manufacturers who typically employ single-chip DLP technology.

LCD projectors shine a light source through translucent liquid-crystal panels whose pixels can be individually opened or shut down to modulate the brightness. Of course, this is the same technology used in the vast majority of flat-panel TVs today. LCD projectors typically employ separate red, green, and blue LCD panels for the primary colors, hence the “3LCD” branding used by Epson, this technology’s chief proponent.

LCOS display devices are similar to LCD panels, but they have a reflective backing: Light comes in through the front, hits the reflector, bounces back through the LCOS device a second time, and is then directed through the lens and out toward the screen. JVC’s D-ILA (Direct-Drive Image Light Amplifier) and Sony’s SXRD (Silicon X-tal Reflective Display) are variants of LCOS.

Naturally, certain characteristics are attendant to each of these three display technologies. But with careful selection, you’ll find high-performing and high-value projectors from all of them. You can check our reviews to see which ones shine brightest, so to speak. But here are a few features and performance parameters to keep in mind as you shop:

Brightness. Projector brightness is usually spec’d in lumens. However, there’s no firm standard for making this measurement that all manufacturers adhere to, so it’s best to use this spec only as a general guideline or for gauging the output of one projector versus another in the same manufacturer’s lineup. Anything over 1,200 lumens will usually be enough to achieve adequate brightness on a 100-inch screen in a fully darkened room, but for high-ambient-light conditions, additional light output might be required. Certainly, with the trend toward HDR among 4K-compliant projectors, more bright-ness is better—though in these projectors or any others, it ideally shouldn’t come at the sacrifice of contrast.

Contrast and black level. The ability to deliver something close to true black is as criti-cal for image quality with projectors as with flat-panel displays. While high brightness can be had in many budget projectors, getting high output with good contrast is more challenging. Better projectors start with devices that have a low native black level, then add a dynamic iris or other technique to modulate brightness and improve contrast. LCOS-based projectors have traditionally delivered the best blacks and have made them a favorite among serious enthusiasts, including the reviewing staff at Sound & Vision, but excellent contrast can be had with well-engineered, premium LCD and DLP projectors, too.

4K content playback. We’ve already covered the difference between native 4K and the enhanced 1080p image provided by pixel-shifting. While native 4K projectors remain pricey, they offer the attractive option of allowing you to enjoy more pristine 4K source material with higher resolution, wide color, and HDR, particularly from UHD Blu-rays. Alternatively, you can simply go for an even less expensive, high-quality 1080p-only model as an interim step before going native 4K.

Low fan noise. In many home setups where the projector gets mounted near the seating, it’s critical for the projector to have a sufficiently quiet cooling fan that won’t interfere with viewing. Our reviews point out when a fan is unusually noisy.

Laser- versus lamp-based light engines. Laser-driven light engines found now in some premium pro-jectors have the benefit of not requiring the regular replacement of expensive lamps, which naturally lose brightness and shift their color pro-file as they age. And laser-equipped projectors aren’t susceptible to damage from rapid or unexpected power cycles, the way lamp-based projectors are. Consider the rated lamp life of any lamp-based projec-tor, and if you’re serious about always getting the best performance from your projector, be prepared to recal-ibrate periodically and replace the lamp prior to its rated half-life. (Half-life is the point at which the lamp’s output is expected to drop to half of its brightness when new, and it depends on how you use the projector—for example, the lamp brightness setting you select.)

Lens and setup options. In permanent installations, setup is something you do once, so the lack of remote-operated, motorized controls for lens shift, zoom, and focus shouldn’t be a deal breaker. But you’ll find this convenience in better projectors, along with lens memories that allow you, for example, to change from a 16:9 image to a widescreen 2.35:1 image with the push of a button. More critical, though, will be the potential lack in budget projectors of lens shift controls, or the burden of an overly restricted zoom range. Make sure the projector you buy will fit your space and mounting requirements.

Short-throw projectors. Some projectors are designed with short-throw lenses that allow placement of the projector close to the screen rather than above or behind the audience. These are primarily targeted for business use, though some 4K-resolution, “ultra short-throw” console-style projectors capable of throwing a 100-inch image from below and just a few inches off the screen are emerging now for living-room use. With rare exceptions (primarily some high-end models from Sony), these so far don’t appear to offer either the per-formance or the value that can be had with a conventional projector and an ALR screen. We’ll be reviewing these models as they become available.

Screen Dreams
Some folks think it’s OK to use a bare wall with white, off-white, or specialized screen paint for a home theater screen. I’ve even seen home theater projectors—usually cheap ones built on a biz-projector platform—that have menu adjustments to change the color temperature to correct for different colored walls!

Don’t do this! Well-engineered screens are designed to reflect back at 1.0 unity gain (or perhaps be more reflective as the situation requires), to optimize contrast, and to provide a smooth, uniform, ripple-free surface. And excellent-performing matte-white screens around 100 inches diagonal that live up to those criteria are available today for perhaps $200 to $300 from high-value manufacturers like Elite Screens, VisualApex (VApex), and Silver Ticket.

That isn’t to say you can’t find good reason to spend more on a screen. The price range cited above is for fixed-frame screens that hang on a wall, typically stretched on a black-felt frame that creates a light-absorbing border around the edge. But if your application requires that your screen be hidden until you need it, a manual or motorized retractable screen can provide a stealth installation—and also protect the screen from damage in a multipurpose room. Retractable screens come in surface or flush-mounted casings, and in tensioned (generally recommended) and non-tensioned versions. But such screens are typically more expensive, not to mention that they often require professional help for proper installation, particularly in large sizes.

There are screens made from acoustically transparent materials as well. And if you require use in high ambient light, there are those ALR screens discussed earlier. Here at Sound & Vision, we’ve been working our way through tests of various ALR screens as they’ve become available. Note that some are stiff panels rather than roll-up screens, and they come in a variety of gains and styles, including a bordered or edgeless look. Some ALR materials are starting to appear in roll-up, retractable formats, however.

Get the Big Picture
Hopefully, we’ve disproven the myth that projection systems are either too expensive or simply no longer serving a useful function in a world of ever-expanding flat-panel TVs. Projectors are affordable, adaptable to different living situations, and still the best path to the big picture. So...what are you waiting for?