For those of you who haven’t yet noticed, you’re going to want to brace yourself for a somewhat shocking nugget of news: It’s the digital age, my friends.
Even the most traditional churches are aggressively adopting various forms of video technology to compel new generations of seekers and saints to connect to the unchanging gospel through their unique congregational expressions. So, whether your church meets in a steeple-clad chapel, a strip mall, or a stadium, you’ll eventually find yourself scouring the Sunday Saver in search of the perfect projector to fit your venue and your vision. And when that time comes (almost certainly sooner than later), how will you know what it is you’re looking for? Good question. Great question, in fact. And it just so happens to be one I’ve learned quite a bit about. So here are a couple key tidbits to file away until the day that all-too-important projector search finds its way onto your to-do list:
Right off the bat, you should know that most projectors fall into three major categories—(1) LCD Projectors, (2) 1-DLP Projectors, (3) 3-DLP Projectors. We’ll unpack the latter two a bit later, but for now, lets take a look at the first and most common projector—the LCD.
LCD Projectors
A LCD projector relies on a process wherein light separates into three different liquid crystal layers—red, green, and blue—and then filters through a prism to assemble one cohesive image. This is what’s referred to as transmissive technology. LCD projectors have a native resolution of XGA (1024×768—4:3) or WXGA (1280×768—16:9 and 1280×800—16:10). The light output can range anywhere from 2,000-15,000 lumens, suiting them best for graphics-based uses, as opposed to magnified video presentations. These projectors are what you are likely to see in a smaller venue (like a classroom, boardroom, or youth room) and drift toward the inexpensive end of the projector spectrum.
DLP Projectors
The next two categories of projectors belong in the DLP family tree, a technology in which light reflects off panels of scores of tiny mirrors that collaborate to produce a singular projected image. DLP projectors tend to offer superior color control and capacity for brightness when stacked against an LCD. Their native resolutions are also much higher (the standard is 1920×1080—1080p). The two types of DLP projectors are classified as single chip (1-DLP) or three chip (3-DLP) projectors. The number preceding DLP in the title indicates how many panels of mirrors are involved in the compilation of the final image output. As you might infer, the three chip variation offers the best color accuracy and boasts the heftiest price.
Lamps
Every projector will use either a UHP or Xenon-type lamp and will range in brightness anywhere from 2,000-30,000 lumens. The light output from a UHP lamp tends to color drift as the lamp ages while steadily maintaining a uniform brightness. The Xenon will do just the opposite. UHP lamps typically have a longer life than their Xenon counterparts and are significantly cheaper to maintain and replace. Often many DLP projectors that utilize UHP lamps will leverage the simultaneous use of two to four lamps, which offers a few advantages: increased brightness, longer usage between lamp replacement, and a built-in multi-bulb backup system to prevent the projector from awkwardly dimming or dying in the middle of a presentation. But, before you bump Xenon lamps to the bottom of your wish list, it should be said that their exceptional color accuracy and high light output make them enormously beneficial where video image magnification is the primary presentation focus.
Regardless of which lamp you settle on, it’s important to know whether or not the projector’s dust filters can be cleaned or simply need to be replaced after a time. Either way, periodic maintenance of the dust filters is crucial to the health of the projector. When the lamps heat up, the projector can overheat without the proper airflow (which dust filters are designed to maintain). Overheating leads to short lamp life and even power-downs during presentations, so mind the filters.
Brightness
As a rule, the more competing light present in a given venue and the larger the screen, the brighter your projector needs to be. Also, brightness and contrast tend to go hand-in-hand. So, if you’re showing a great deal of video content, having a sufficiently bright projector will provide you with the headroom you’ll need in order to adjust the contrast so that skin tones appear accurately. The LCD and 1-DLP projectors have a hard time with accurate color reproduction, so the contrast range for true colors is going to be much more limited than on a 3-DLP. You’ll also want to beware of the “high brightness” mode. You’re probably sacrificing some color depth in order to achieve the extra brightness advertised.
Noise, Size, and Weight
The overall noise, size, and weight of a projector should be considered in accordance to its placement in the venue. When utilizing a front projection configuration in which the units often need to be safely suspended above your audience, noise, size and, weight become of the utmost concern. Typically, projectors utilizing a UHP lamp run quieter and are smaller in both size and weight than those operating with a Xenon lamp. Likewise, an LCD projector will weigh significantly less than a DLP, which can weigh upwards of 400lbs.
Power and Control
Normally, a standard 110v outlet can’t power larger and brighter projectors. Double-check the power requirements of a projector before making a selection, especially if it’s being added to an existing space where 208-230v power is not readily available. Another item to consider is how you will control the projector. All projectors will come standard with a remote. Some remotes have the option to be hard-wired to the projector, allowing units which are far away or in difficult to access areas to be casually controlled from a considerable distance. It’s also becoming more common to find network capabilities included on the projector. This option provides direct control from a computer, and it’s a feature worth investigating.
Signal Inputs
Most new projectors come with a variety of input signal options. The most common are standard video, S-Video, and computer inputs. Lower-end LCD projectors often use more consumer-grade inputs, such as RCA connectors for video and four-pin mini-din for S-Video. The computer input will most likely be an HD15 VGA input, but a DVI input might be offered as well. The high-end LCD and most of the larger DLP projectors will utilize more commercial inputs, such as a 5-BNC input—a somewhat universal input that accepts video, S-Video, component, and computer signals by directing different signals to the various connectors. It should be noted that if you happen to have two separate video sources, you would probably need two 5-BNC input modules. Although, depending on the make and model of the projector, in addition to the 5-BNC modules, you might also find additional video and S-Video inputs, as well as dedicated computer inputs using either a VGA or DVI. Newer projectors might also feature an HDMI input for displaying HDCP content from a Blu-ray player. In a professional video system, you’ll often find SDI signals, which can be either standard (SD) or high definition (HD). Not all high-end projectors come standard with this particular type of input (although SDI/HD-SDI are becoming more standard).
Aspect Ratio
If you’re looking into new projectors with the knowledge that you’d eventually like to convert to a widescreen format but need to maintain a 4:3 aspect ratio at present, it is possible to purchase a 4:3 native projector and use it for future widescreen applications. One key area of consideration would be whether you are projecting from the front or the rear. With front projection, depending on the lighting situation, you may be able to see the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen when utilizing an LCD or 1-DLP in a non-native widescreen setting. However, in a rear projection situation, the backstage wall would almost certainly mask this, making it less of a concern. An additional benefit to a 3-DLP projector is that they can actually box out certain pixels from within the unit, so it’s possible to use a 4:3 native 3-DLP projector in a front projection 16:9 scenario and avoid having to see the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen.
I know, I know. It’s a lot to take in. With a cache of various available features, options, featured options, and optional features all swirling around your brain, the process of selecting a projector can be tedious and somewhat daunting. But in the end, it all boils down to a few simple questions: What’s the primary substance of your presentations—video or graphics? Where will the projector be located? What type of signal will you be sending to the projector? More important (and often most frustrating), what’s your budget?
The answers to these questions and the information provided above should put you on your way toward finding the right projector for you.
John Stewart is a Consultant with Clark [www.clark.is] (formerly Clark Promedia).