Now that home theaters are becoming more affordable, essentially everybody has one, and many are choosing to go with DLP projectors.
The most important component of any home theater is which projector you choose. Your choice will determine the quality of your picture, ease of use and optimum viewing conditions. There are a variety of options available, but in most cases, for fantastic movie theater quality at home, DLP projectors are your best bet. These projectors feature Texas Instruments’ specific micro mirror technology to produce the most clear picture possible.
DLP digital projectors make use of micro mirror technology by employing micro fabricated light valves. Each model varies from one another as there are three basic types with this technology. Some projectors use one micro fabricated light valve, while others use two or three. The only problem with DLP projectors is that because of the color wheel rotation to display your picture, occasionally a rainbow will appear in the picture being projected. This is less common in DLP TV projectors that feature three micro fabricated valves, but can happen in models only employing one or two.
DLP multimedia projectors can also greatly vary in price from model to model. One of the biggest deciding factors is picture quality. For the best DLP picture quality, you would want to purchase one of the better resolutions available. Typically that means a 1080p DLP projector, which will fully support high definition images and movies. These tend to be the most expensive however, so there are options that offer 720p DLP projectors and even 480p projection, so the quality isn’t as high but the price will reflect that.
If you’re planning on projecting the images in your home on a very large projection screen, a higher resolution is best. Especially considering that DLP projector quality can be greatly reduced the larger an image is magnified. The smart option is to only purchase DLP projectors that support images of around 16 feet at maximum. Chances are you’ll never display anything at that size, but that also means you’ll have no trouble displaying any smaller images in your home theater.
Another factor to consider before purchasing, is an HDTV DLP projector’s lifetime. Because most of the quality units cost in excess of $1,000, you want a unit that’s going to last for some time. Always check how much continuous use a DLP video projector supports. 2,000+ is usually a good target, as that will take a very long time to burn through. Continuous use refers to how long a projector will work before the lamp that projects your picture burns out.
Another factor to consider is how many colors a DLP projection device can display at one time. DLP home theater projectors with lower rates will display washed out images that aren’t as crisp as a theater’s displays. For best quality, look for projectors that can display at least 1billion colors on screen at once.
The best place to actually shop for these projectors are stores that specialize in entertainment, and that feature large selections of home theater items. Best Buy is a good starter, and Sears is usually good for a few options as well. Be prepared to shop around once you find a model that meets your needs, so that you can get the best price for that model. DLP projectors are expensive, and shopping around will get you the most value for money.