I need a projector for my business.Is a "home theater" projector ok?
October 24, 2013 1:40 PM Subscribe
Are the high-resolution home theater projectors good for spreadsheets?
My small business has an old inFocus that is dying (one pixel at a time). It is 1024x768 and rated at 3000 lumens.
I would like a higher resolution projector so that screen sharing, cad drawings and complex spreadsheets aren't down-rezed. At the same time, I'm thinking of upgrading from 100in to 120 or higher on the projector screen.
It appears that business projector resolutions typically max out at WXGA. So, I looked at home theater projectors that offer 1080p (more specifically the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 5020)
Before I try it out I wanted to understand whether "home theater" projectors will give me the eye popping spreadsheets I'm looking for. Also, any other recommendations would be helpful.
PS. I don't care about portability.
My small business has an old inFocus that is dying (one pixel at a time). It is 1024x768 and rated at 3000 lumens.
I would like a higher resolution projector so that screen sharing, cad drawings and complex spreadsheets aren't down-rezed. At the same time, I'm thinking of upgrading from 100in to 120 or higher on the projector screen.
It appears that business projector resolutions typically max out at WXGA. So, I looked at home theater projectors that offer 1080p (more specifically the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 5020)
Before I try it out I wanted to understand whether "home theater" projectors will give me the eye popping spreadsheets I'm looking for. Also, any other recommendations would be helpful.
PS. I don't care about portability.
Best answer: The difference is mostly in brightness. Home theatre projectors are designed for use by small groups in dark rooms, while business projectors are designed for larger groups in brighter rooms. Home theatre projectors will have darker blacks and so on as well - they are optimized for video.
If you are happy with the brightness of your current projector, then don't hesitate to buy a projector with similar brightness, no matter what it is sold as. Remember that if you upgrade to a 120" screen at 16:9, you have 28% more surface area to cover than a 100" screen at 4:3, so the brightness of the image will be reduced by 22%.
With the Epson you mention, you get 2400 lumens, which after reducing for the increased screen size, leaves you only 62% as much light as your old projector. Depending on the light levels in your room, this would probably be pretty OK, but it will be less than what you have now. There are plenty of brighter 1080p projectors available in the same price range though (and lower!), so don't settle for the Epson if brightness is a concern.
Bear in mind that screen gain (how reflective it is) is a major factor as well. It is often more cost effective to buy a higher gain screen than it is to buy a brighter projector. Da-Lite and Draper both make highly reflective screens, though watch the viewing angle to insure these will work in your application.
Projector Central has a calculator to help you figure this out.
posted by ssg at 2:56 PM on October 24, 2013 [3 favorites]
If you are happy with the brightness of your current projector, then don't hesitate to buy a projector with similar brightness, no matter what it is sold as. Remember that if you upgrade to a 120" screen at 16:9, you have 28% more surface area to cover than a 100" screen at 4:3, so the brightness of the image will be reduced by 22%.
With the Epson you mention, you get 2400 lumens, which after reducing for the increased screen size, leaves you only 62% as much light as your old projector. Depending on the light levels in your room, this would probably be pretty OK, but it will be less than what you have now. There are plenty of brighter 1080p projectors available in the same price range though (and lower!), so don't settle for the Epson if brightness is a concern.
Bear in mind that screen gain (how reflective it is) is a major factor as well. It is often more cost effective to buy a higher gain screen than it is to buy a brighter projector. Da-Lite and Draper both make highly reflective screens, though watch the viewing angle to insure these will work in your application.
Projector Central has a calculator to help you figure this out.
posted by ssg at 2:56 PM on October 24, 2013 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Business projectors and home theater projectors have opposite design goals. A business projector should project presentations that are clearly visible in a lit room. They accomplish this by pushing lots of light and cranking up the color green without much regard for contrast ratio or color accuracy. Home theater projectors are designed to represent color and picture detail accurately in an extremely dark room. They're less concerned with brightness in a lit room. They do have living room modes, but they won't be as easily readable in a lit room as a business projector, because they're just not designed for this application.
If you're intending to display CAD in a darkened room, a home theater projector may work for you. If you need the lights on, I'd stick with a business projector.
posted by TrialByMedia at 2:56 PM on October 24, 2013 [2 favorites]
If you're intending to display CAD in a darkened room, a home theater projector may work for you. If you need the lights on, I'd stick with a business projector.
posted by TrialByMedia at 2:56 PM on October 24, 2013 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: @ssg and TrialByMedia - Thank you so much, your answers were really relevant to me! I couldn't believe how hard it was to find a simple answer and you guys nailed it!
posted by colecovizion at 4:45 PM on October 24, 2013
posted by colecovizion at 4:45 PM on October 24, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks @jmsta! I'll take a look at that one. Very intriguing
posted by colecovizion at 4:48 PM on October 24, 2013
posted by colecovizion at 4:48 PM on October 24, 2013
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posted by jmsta at 2:48 PM on October 24, 2013