If you’re creating a home theater, then you’ll undoubtedly ask yourself the question, “Should I get a projection screen and theater projector, or should I just get an HDTV?” There are several pros to home projectors. For instance, you can pay up to $9,000 for the new 65-inch Panasonic plasma TV or you can spend $2,500 on a 61-inch Samsung rear-projection unit. Economically, it makes sense.
Also, projection screens fit up against the wall and maximizes more space in a room, and the screen and projector won’t mess with the acoustics in your room like a big clunky television set might, so your home theater will be perfectly calibrated with this type of system. Here are some factors to consider when shopping for that perfect, home theater projector.
digital projector
One point to consider when looking at projectors is what aspect ratio do you want? “Aspect ratio” refers to the shape of the video image. For instance, most TV sets have aspect ratios of 4:3 (4 units wide, 3 units high), whereas HDTV standard models have an aspect ration of 16:9 (16 units wide, 9 units high).
If you view a lot of classic films or DVD TV series, then a 4:3 configuration may be preferable to you; it’s easy to shrink a larger picture down, with black borders to account for any discrepancies. However, most home video projectors are being marketed in the 16:9 ratio. If you watch a lot of HDTV or wide screen DVD, then a 16:9 ratio makes sense.
The one drawback is that viewing 4:3 content on this massive unit will make the display look tiny and even if you stretch the frame to fit the screen, the resolution won’t be as good. There is yet a third choice for wide screen movie aficionados; the 2.35:1.
projection screens
For instance, Lord of the Rings, Tombstone and Star Wars are all set wider than 16:9. A “constant image height” setup can stretch the image out to its ideal size, although you will need to purchase a 16:9 digital projector along with an expensive anamorphic lens to accomplish this task.
Next, you’ll need to choose a resolution and brightness for your projector. Resolution refers to the clarity of the picture and it can be as low as 854 x 480 or as high as 1920 x 1080, although most consumers choose 1280 x 720, which lets you view HDTV and Blu Ray discs perfectly. When considering projector lamp brightness, be aware that brighter is not better.
Brightness is measured in ANSI lumen rating and foot-lamberts. In a dark room, luminance of 12-22 fL will provide comfortable brightness for you. If you still have some ambient light filtering into the room, then screen luminance of 30-50 fL will compensate for any loss of contrast due to the room’s natural lighting.
The most high-end format on the market is the 1920 x 1080, which doesn’t require any scaling and gives you the sharpest picture, with virtually no pixel shape visible.
theater projectors
Lastly, you’ll want to check out contrast specifications for your home theater projector. The bare bones contrast level is 2000:1, which is just enough black level and color saturation to avoid a muddled picture. Many consumers have a 5000:1 projector, which provides good definition on a midrange unit.
For top-of-the-line color saturation and definition, you’ll want a 10,000:1 contrast for the best shadow detail. While this may sound very confusing, often times, you can get someone to come out to your house and calibrate everything just right to be sure you’re getting the most out of your home theater experience.
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If you ask me (not sure why you would when Soderbergh is perfectly happy to), I’d tell you to letterbox everything. I’d rather throw away a little definition in return for a lot of content. Besides, I think there’s a certain amount of disrespect in watching a movie modified from its original form. Like listening to a great album through a mono speaker, or appraising art while wearing really dark sunglasses.