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TECH FEATURE

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7 Throw

Throw refers to the distance between a

FROM SPECS TO SCREEN 10 THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN A PROJECTOR

projector and the screen/wall. Long throw projectors are generally

Which projection system?

positioned at a distance of around three to five metres away, at the rear of a room or ceiling mounted. These are best for large home theatres and living spaces, or boardroom presentations.

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• DLP (Digital Light Processing) projectors use micro mirrors and a spinning colour wheel to create an image. They are compact and deliver a high quality picture with reduced motion blur. Good for gaming and general use. • LCD projectors use three liquid crystal panels to beam a bright image with high colour accuracy and deep blacks. Good for home theatres and business use. • LED (Light Emitting Diode) projectors can be DLP or LCD. LEDs are used in portable and short throw projectors, deliver high brightness and colour, and have a long life. Good for on-the-go use and short-distance projection. • LASER projectors use a laser to create light instead of a lamp, and have a long lifespan. They are extremely bright with high colour accuracy and deep blacks. Good for large rooms, home theatres, and viewing 4K HDR content.

portable outdoors for a movie night, 1,000 ANSI lumens and above is considered optimal. Minis and portables that project an 80” screen size or smaller are likely to have a lower lumen count of around 200–500. The amount of lamp hours is how long a projector’s light source will last before it needs to be replaced. Most modern LED/laser models have a long lamp life of 20,000–30,000 hours, and are also eco-friendly due to their lower power consumption. 5 Contrast ratio Just like a smart TV, a projector’s contrast ratio is important for enjoying great picture quality and bringing out the best in HDR content. Contrast ratio refers to the difference between the brightest and darkest parts of the image that the projector displays. The higher the ratio, the more balanced, vibrant and detailed the picture will be. A contrast ratio of at least 2,000:1 is good for casual projection and gaming, while home theatre projectors are generally higher at 3,000:1 and above for low light home use and a rich, cinematic picture. 6 Auto picture adjustment Modern projectors are designed to be user-friendly and most incorporate automatic image adjustment tools to keep the picture in focus and properly aligned on the screen.

Ultra-Short Throw projectors use a series of lenses to beam a big screen size from a very short distance, and can be placed on an entertainment unit where a TV would normally sit. They are best positioned just over a metre away to project a 120” screen size, and are ideal if space is limited. Ultra-Short Throw projectors are usually brighter and recommended for home theatres and viewing 4K HDR content. 8 Sound Most projectors have built-in speakers (and the latest models continue to deliver greater sonic punch), which are fine for on-the go, outdoor and casual use. However, if you’re watching a blockbuster movie on a 120” screen in a dedicated home theatre or lounge room, you’ll want a big and immersive soundscape to complement the visuals. Check that the projector has an HDMI port for connecting a soundbar to get the full surround sound experience (see page 32). 9 Smart features Many projectors share the functionality of smart TVs, with a built-in user interface for accessing the popular streaming apps, voice assistant support for hands-free control, and built-in Chromecast for mirroring content from

webOS have you covered for all your streaming needs, which is particularly handy for portables. You will need a Wi-Fi connection to watch, of course. 10 Connectivity While streaming content directly from a projector’s inbuilt operating system is highly convenient, you may also want to expand your entertainment options and hook up a games console, 4K Blu-ray player, laptop, or soundbar. Most projectors have HDMI ports for connecting said external devices, along with USB inputs for playback from a flash or hard drive, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Common functions include keystone correction to straighten an image that appears angled; screen fit to automatically set the screen size, keystone and focus; and optical zoom for manually adjusting the lens to control picture size. The more auto picture functions a projector has, the less manual tweaking you’ll have to do to get the picture looking just right.

compatible devices like a smartphone or tablet. Projectors with inbuilt Android TV or a proprietary OS like Hisense’s VIDAA and LG’s

14 JUNE 2024

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