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Digital projector buying guide

By CNET Asia staff
August 20, 2008

Introduction

The backbone of early movie theaters, modern digital projectors have evolved tremendously and are now common sights in auditoriums, offices and even private home theaters. They're also a lot more affordable these days and offer a big-screen experience that's second to none. In a nutshell, these light cannons are most cost-effective for screen sizes in excess of 60 inches, considering the exorbitant pricing of similarly sized flat-panel TVs such as Panasonic's S$99,000 103-inch plasma.

Type of projectors

Although there's a dazzling array of makes and models available in the market, projectors can be segmented into two broad categories.

LCD vs. DLP vs. LCoS

The latest crop of beamers are powered by three major display technologies, differentiated by their unique strengths and weaknesses.

Key features

Every specific application will have its unique requirements. That said, here's our list of key features which you should take a closer look at.

Price parameters

Though these light cannons are available under different brands and makes, they can nonetheless be categorized into the following distinct price categories.

Connectivity options

Confused by the myriad array of audio, video and control ports? Here's our cheat sheet that will demystified the usage of each shiny jack on the connectivity panel.

Accessories

There're a whole lot of addons you can always go without, but here's our recommended list to optimize your purchases and to bring out their full potential.

Type of projectors »