What You Need To Know About Resolution Before Renting Or Buying A Projector

Last year there were a lot of resolution advancements, and along with it came major price changes in the projector world. Entry level projectors are now starting from as low as $300, but now the 1080p models have dropped in price tremendously as well. You can pick one up for well under $2000.

The lowest end projectors today will have a resolution of about 800 x 600, and can be bought for next to nothing. But these projectors aren't really good for a whole lot, and their pictures aren't even close to satisfying. These projectors account for a very small amount of sales, and are generally the ones you see used in elementary schools. Every current computer now has at least XGA resolution, and so are most tablets on the market like the iPad and most of the Android models. So if you are looking for crisp image reproduction, especially with small text and graphics, you need to make sure that your projector at least has XGA resolution or higher.

If you are looking for a projector for your business, you would benefit greatly from getting at least an entry level XGA resolution model or a widescreen WXGA model projector. This is the bare minimum that you should be using in order to deliver a professional presentation. If your budget allows, you could however step up to an SVGA projector with a higher brightness, or one of the many affordable 1080p models that are currently available.

For short term use for special projects, spending this type of money isn't really a great option. Instead of investing money in an outdated model that is going to deliver poor results, you can always consider a projector rental. Projector rentals are very affordable, and the staff will be able to answer any questions that you may have and be able to help you choose a model that will deliver the results you are looking for in order to make your presentation perfect in your specific setting. Even if you don't understand the details of projector technology, buying or renting from someone who knows what they are talking about can benefit you a great deal more than jumping blindly into an expensive investment.

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New HD Projector Screen from Screen Innovations

If you are one of those people out there who loves to watch movies at home via projector, just as if you were at the movies, then take a moment to examine your projector screen. If you are noticing ridges, waves, bumps or any type of texture whatsoever then it is high time you upgrade. And if you have a 1080p high definition projector then there is no excuse, you HAVE to upgrade.

But you may be asking yourself, "Upgrade to what?" Well that is a very good question and thanks to the brilliant minds over at Screen Innovations we now have an answer: HD projection screen material. Yeah, you just read that right. Specialized projection screen material specifically designed for HD viewing.

The thing is, screen texture can have a serious affect on your HD viewing. If your screen has too many bumps and ridges in it then you can expect your picture quality to diminish making it seem softer. The standard screen you have hoisted up on your wall now could actually be holding your 1080p projector back. Thankfully we all have Screen Innovations.

Screen Innovations has developed a new embossed HD projector screen material that is completely smooth to the human eye. This new screen gives you the ultimate HD projector viewing experience. And for those of you that like options, Screen Innovations has developed multiple HD screens including the popular Solar and Gamma fixed screens as well as Screen Innovation's motorized line.

Pricing on these screens, however, can get a little steep. A 39.3"x69.8"x80.1" Gamma Fixed Screen can run up to $1,200, a 45.2"x80.3"x92.15" Solar Fixed Screen can run up to $1,500 and a 45"x80"x91.79" Motorized Screen can run you up to $1,700. All of these screens are available now.

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Looking for an Affordable LCD Projector Rental then call 800-736-8772 today. Ask about the newest type of projector whose appeal is "all in the mirrors" and see if a DLP Projector Rental is right for you.

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InFocus ScreenPlay 8602 Home Theater

On February 8, 2010, InFocus announced its newest ScreenPlay projector is now available to customers. The InFocus SP8602 Home Theater projector brings your movies to life! You'll feel like you're in a movie theater while in the comfort of your own home.

It features up to 300 inches of crisp images with bold blacks and bright colors, and a native 1080p resolution. It can be used in multipurpose rooms and can even be used with the lights on and it offers high-performance adjustable optics, a 30,000: 1 maximum contrast ratio, and video-optimized 1300 lumens. With its Texas Instruments DLP(R) DarkChip technology with BrilliantColor, it can display one billion colors with amazing accuracy. It also features Pixelworks DNX 10-bit video processing, which allows for super-smooth playback of film and video. The proprietary motion engine with 120Hz support allows for faster transition between frames and fast color refresh.

"The sleek design, simple user interface and plethora of features makes this projector one of the best home theater models available on the market. The SP8602 recreates a true cinematic experience with astounding realism that will amaze both casual and hard-core home theater enthusiasts," Benjamin Joy, the product line director at InFocus, said in a press release.

If you're looking to upgrade from 480p or 720p projectors, the SP8602 is a great choice. Installation and projection are made easier with the automatic ceiling detection that will flip the image when necessary, centered lens with manual lens shifts that can work on images up to 300 inches, and image warping to adjust the picture and produce square crisp images on various surfaces. It also offers the latest in HD connectivity, with analog and digital connections, including two HDMI 1.3 ports.

Not only does it function well, but can also choose what color projector you want, making it an attractive accessory to your living room or home theater. Choose between matte black, glossy black, walnut or pre-primed for a custom finish. The integrated cable management system makes it so that cables are out of sight, adding to its attractiveness.

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Looking for an Affordable LCD Projector Rental then call 800-736-8772 today. Ask about the newest type of projector whose appeal is "all in the mirrors" and see if a DLP Projector Rental is right for you.

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Mitsubishi HC3800 Home Theater Projector

New from Mitsubishi is the HC3800, a DLP 1080p which falls somewhere between really good projectors that do not have the best leading edge image quality for around $1,000 and fully featured 1080p projectors for around $2,000 and up. The HC3800 has a bright picture with good contrast to allow for use on a large screen in a darkened theater atmosphere but it is also good enough to be used in your personal living room.

The HC3800 has a high lumen output which makes it good for dark and bright rooms. Many projectors come with image modes but this device does not. It does, however, come with many different color and gamma temperature settings which allow for completely customizable settings. The brightest picture was created by using the "sports" gamma and the "high brightness" color temperature presets. The picture measured 1346 lumens. While in this mode, the contrast is slightly lessened as well as color balance. However, put this thing in a room with ambient light and it will produce a dynamic picture.

"Cinema" mode puts out a bright 621 lumens picture which is very comparable with other projectors and you can also use a screen up to 150" diagonally in a dark room with decent light control. However, 621 lumens is pretty bright for many situations. But by turning on low light mode you can reduce the lumen output by 15%. Low lamp mode has a few benefits to it other than a lower brightness. On one hand it greatly reduces fan noise and it also increases lamp life potentially from 2,000 to 5,000 hours. You can also reduce lumen output by another 22% by turning off BrilliantColor which is enabled by default.

The HC3800 has a contrast ratio of 4000:1. With such a contrast ratio, many people may think that the picture will be bland or dull. However, the HC3800's ANSI contrast exceeds 600:1. This ratio matches and even exceeds some projectors that carry extreme on/off contrast ratings. The HC3800's black levels can not compare with more expensive projectors but the HC3800 does look just as good as any other device.

Fine detail is cleanly displayed, even when it is in motion. The HC3800 had no problems passing the HQV Film Resolution Loss Test. In addition the HC3800 has very little digital noise in comparison to other models. Solid color areas like backgrounds and wallpapers are very clean and have nearly no noise about them.

The lens on the HC3800 has a manual 1:5:1 zoom lens which is very good for a DLP projector like this. Only 18% of maximum light output is lost between the telephoto and wide ends of the zoom lens. This allows the HC3800 to have a better throw range flexibility than some other DLP projectors available for $999 which offer 1.2x zoom.

Considering that the HC3800 is an inexpensive DLP projector, it is not surprising that it does not contain a lens shift. The image offset is 29% of the picture height which means, for example, that on a 100" diagonal screen, the bottom of the screen will appear 14" above the lens' centerline. An aggressive offset like this is useful mounting the projector on your ceiling or placing it on a small, low table. However, because of this you rule out rear shelf usage.

Overall the HC3800 seems to be a solid projector and it seems to be a good competitor in the low priced 1080p home theater projectors market. It comes with a bright video optimized picture that contains excellent contrast coupled with a 1:5:1 zoom lens. The HC3800 is economical with it's 5,000 hour lamp which will greatly reduce maintenance costs down the line. The HC3800 does require some calibration but that has proven to benefit most projectors. In conclusion Mitsubishi's HC3800 is an excellent projector and well worth your cash. You can pick one of these up for $1,499.

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