Unfortunately for many of us students, most dorm rooms don't include a TV, you're not allowed to mount your own TV on the wall, and there isn't much space to use a TV stand. Hence, projectors are a student favourite: you can put a projector on a side table, and ideally point it towards wherever you want on the wall. Plus, there's $50 ones on Amazon, right?
That's what I thought until I delved into the world of shopping for projectors and discovered that there is way more that needs to be considered than one might imagine, and unfortunately for a projector to actually be convenient you are looking at spending several hundreds of dollars. However, if you know what to look for, you may snag yourself a good deal, so here's some helpful info!
What to look for when shopping for projectors
Native Resolution vs Supported Resolution
"Wow 1080p! That's really good, and such a cheap projector too right?". In fact, if you click into the page and look closely, you're likely to see something like this:
Vertical/Horizontal Keystone
One of the nicest things about some projectors is that you can point them towards the wall at an angle, but it adjusts (either manually or automatically) so that the video is straight. This is important because it's very unlikely you'll be able to find a nice place to put the projector that is straight on to where you'd like the screen, and also level with the wall. However, this feature requires additional technology to work well.
If you want this feature, search for and look out for the word "keystone", and make sure you know whether you want vertical, horizontal, or both types of keystone, and whether it's important for you that it's automatic or if you're okay with setting the keystone manually. In my experience, horizontal keystone is harder to come by but allows you to angle the projector left or right while having a straight projection which can be useful.
Lumens
This one is much more annoying than it sounds because there are actually different standards for lumens. There are ANSI Lumens and ISO Lumens (and also LED Lumens? I'm still confused about this) which are measured differently and differ by about a 6X factor.
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| Image from https://ca.xgimi.com/blogs/projectors-101/lumens-ansi-lumens-in-projector |
In addition, many projectors don't even specify which method was used to measure lumens. So for checking the brightness of a projector, I highly recommend reading reviews or watching videos. Bright projectors are actually significantly more expensive, so consider if you're okay with closing the blinds when you watch TV.
Throw Ratio
The throw ratio refers to the ratio between a projector's distance from the wall/screen to the size of the projected video. In a dorm room, you probably want a shorter throw ratio (closer to 1:1 than 2:1) since you have a limited distance away from the wall.
DLP vs. LCD
This one isn't as important, but DLP and LCD are among many projection technologies and I personally think DLP may be a bit better. DLP projectors can be lighter and the technology allows for better contrast (LCD can look better in other ways). LCD projectors use a bulb that has a limited (but still long) lifetime, so DLP is generally a bit more reliable since LCD bulbs are not cheap to replace.
Connectivity
This one is obvious and rarely a deal-breaker, but it's easy to overlook. Are you okay with connecting your computer via HDMI cable to the projector or do you want some wireless technology like Miracast built-in? Whatever it is, check if you have the required cables or where to purchase them. You can also buy something like a Miracast Dongle to add wireless casting to a projector that doesn't have it built in.
For ultimate convenience, some projectors even have on-board operating systems so that you can watch Netflix, Prime, other TV, and even browse the web without having to connect any external device!
Brand Names/Reputable Companies
I'm not usually a stickler for brand names, but with projectors I think it can be important since the difference between a bad projector and a good projector is much higher than between quality of TVs. My best advice for this part is to read reviews, of course there are off-brand projectors that are great and brand ones that are not-so-great. Some reputable brands are Epson, BenQ, and Sony - try to watch out for sales from them!
Conclusion
Projectors can be a great purchase for your dorm room that can be reused for years, but make sure you know what you want out of one and read specifications and reviews.
I hope this guide helps or has been interesting! Let me know in the comments if you have any projector questions (I'm no an expert, but I think I can help) or if you have any comments/suggestions.
Also, stay tuned for Part 2 where I will be reviewing my dorm experience with the unique and super-portable Samsung Freestyle projector!
Until next time :),
Ana
Wow certainly didn't know almost any of these. No wonder there is such a huge price range for projectors.
ReplyDeleteThis is quite informative! You may want to add that the "bulbs" that may have to be replaced can cost hundreds of dollars! Important if one expects heavy usage or if considering buying second-hand.
ReplyDelete