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Buying a LCD Projector
LCD projectors have three separate LCD panels, one for red, one for green, and one for blue components of the image being processed by the projector. As light passes through the LCD panels, individual pixels (or picture elements) can be either opened or closed to either allow light to pass through or be filtered out. In this way the light is modulated and an image projected on to the screen.
They produce more accurate colours (due to the three separate LCD panels), they produce a slightly sharper image (although this is as good as undetectable when watching movies) and they are more light-efficient, which means they produce brighter images using less power.
In an LCD projector, a small, very clear liquid crystal display panel receives the light rays in red, green, or blue. A prism lined with these LCDs, which direct the light to the screen, result in a vibrant-colour, and very precise image with high definition. If an LCD projector runs for more than ten hours, the picture will begin to lose quality.
The main advantage of the LCD projector is that since the LCD chip is miniature in size, the whole unit is quite compact, which is very practical, especially for mobile professionals. Most LCD projectors are also typically capable of producing 2,000 to 2,500 ANSI lumens brightness with 1024 x 768 VGA resolutions, resulting in better image quality. Power consumption is also relatively low. And, in comparison to CRT Projectors (which are still manufactured), LCD versions are quite inexpensive. For example, the Sony VPL-CX1 Superlight LCD Video Projector only costs around $2,000, but is still capable of producing super image quality.
ANSI Lumens
If you're using the projector in the same room all the time, you'll determine how many ANSI (American National Standards Institute) lumens you need by how much ambient light is in the room. If you're going to use it in a variety of settings such as a speaker sometimes does, carrying the projector to various sites, that will be a determining factor.
The size of your screen also makes a difference in how many ANSI lumens you need in your projector. An image from a projector with 2000 ANSI lumens will look washed out on a 100-inch screen, but it will be quite sharp on a small screen. If you have ambient lighting in your room or if you're using it in a variety of settings, 1400 ANSI lumens or more are generally recommended.
Contrast Ratio
The higher the contrast ratio, the blacker the blacks and the whiter the whites. This, of course, affects colour definition. With 1000:1 contrast ratio, the whitest white is 1000 times whiter than the blackest black. A rule of thumb is that 4000:1 is good for any setting although adjustment of contrast is more flexible with a higher ratio, for example 10,000:1. |
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