How a home theater projector works

Given the capabilities of modern technology, the organization of a virtually full-fledged cinema at home has become a reality that many can afford. This is not even about large-format plasma screens, the price of which in some cases is comparable to the price of a budget car, but about projectors that project the video stream directly onto a white wall or a special surface.

What is a home theater projector and what are its characteristics

A multimedia projector is a device designed to project in a wide format information that comes from an external source. As such, it can be a computer or laptop, or a VCR or DVD player. In some models of projectors, the developer provides connectors for flash drives and USB cords, which somewhat expands the functionality of the device, allowing you to play video without using a computer.

ATTENTION!Most models have all types of inputs, however, before buying, it will not be superfluous to find out from the seller-consultant about the availability of appropriate connectors in the device, since projectors often come with only computer or video inputs on the market.

The main characteristics that you should rely on when choosing a projector include:

1. Resolution.
2. Light flow.
3. Contrast.
4. Uniformity of lighting.
5. The presence or absence of a buzzer.
6. The number and types of connectors for connection.

ATTENTION!If the user intends to purchase a projector for use in presentations on the road, then you should pay attention to such characteristics as the weight of the device and the resistance of the housing to external damage.

Experts recommend giving preference to models with a luminous flux in the range from 1000 to 2000 Lm. Devices with this flow value will be able to work perfectly even in brightly lit rooms, which eliminates the need to darken the room or hall in which reproduction is planned.

As for the contrast, its values ​​should be between the indicators of 1000: 1 and 2000: 1, otherwise all the poorly lit scenes of the film, the audience simply runs the risk of not seeing. In addition to contrast, you should also pay attention to the noise produced by the device during operation. Weak noise during operation of the device cooling system is inevitable, however, it should not overlap the sound track of the movie being played.

How the projector works, its pros and cons

The principle of operation of most projectors is simple: the image coming from an external source is transferred using a geometric projection to a specially prepared surface (in the case of a home theater, a plain white wall will also work). Most people born in the USSR remember the first Soviet home projectors, with which they watched filmstrips, manually scrolling the film frame by frame.

Modern devices have much wider playback capabilities and, due to their ease of use, are gaining more and more popularity among movie buffs on the big screen.

Like any other equipment, projectors have a number of advantages and disadvantages. The first include:

• the relative cheapness of the device as an element of the home theater system;
• simple installation;
• small dimensions;
• the ability to adjust the screen size;
• safety for vision;
• the ability to use for video games.

Among the disadvantages of such devices, it is customary to distinguish:

• the need to darken the room, if the luminous flux of the device is low;
• the difficulty of adjusting the focus of outboard models;
• the need for customization before use;
• inability to use TV broadcast for broadcasting;
• the need to install a speaker system to achieve good sound quality.

ATTENTION!Contrary to popular belief, a large room is not required to play a video stream, and the distance between the device and the wall can reach only a couple of meters. Therefore, you can use this technique in small apartments.

Types of projectors for home

Projectors are classified by the type of technology used to transmit the image:

1. LED / LCD models. The basis of the operation of such devices are LCD matrices, which allows access to a truly high-quality image and high resolution. Such models are quite expensive, but the picture quality fully justifies the price.
2. DPL models. The principle of operation of these devices is based on the use of a mirror matrix. Great for modeling 3D images. The only drawbacks are the appearance of rainbow stains in dynamic movie scenes, when the image changes too quickly.
3. Projectors using LCOS technology. Projectors of this type are not very common on the market and, in fact, combine the principles of projecting the first two types of devices.

If we are talking about choosing a device for home use, it is preferable to choose models with an aspect ratio of 16:10 and 16: 9. This is explained by the fact that most modern films go to world screens in this format.