Ok, there are thousands of projectors available in the online and offline market. You have a lot’s option to choose the best projector for you.

They all are good at something. Except for the Chinese projector. These all are fake products. Stay away from them. 

So now you have to choose a great projector for you from those best projectors. And for that in this article. I will teach you what those aspects are.

Which you should look for. When you are going to buy the projector. And some special features of the projector you should pay attention to.

Especially for home cinema or home theatre, business, outdoor. 

And what are those things? You should not rely on the projector to choose. And a lot of other things we are going to cover in this article.

Related to how you can choose the projector for yourself.

What are you going to do with the projector?

This is a straightforward question. But its influence is very big when it comes to choosing the projector. You have to know very clearly.

What you will do with the projector after buying it. 

Then only you can choose a great projector for yourself. Otherwise, it’s very difficult to choose the projector. Without knowing, what do you expect from your projector?

There are various of using the projector. Because modern projectors are very versatile. The projector is not only used for watching movies and playing games at home.

Also, use for projecting educational or office stuff on the screen. Not at the home. Also at various places.

The projector is also used for projection mapping, cookie making, mural art, and sewing. If you are sure what you’re gonna do.

Then you can judge your projector on various aspects. And you will get the great one that you need.

How do I choose a projector? (Projector buying guide 2022-23)

There are some aspects. We are going to talk. Which can help you to choose the ideal projector for you. No matter what your purpose to have a projector.

Home theatre or other purposes. These are some standard aspects to notice. If you want to choose the projector for business or outdoor. Ahead especially talk about them.

Room 

Analyze the room or place you are going to use the projector. How much there is going to be the distance between the projector and screen. 

We all love the projectors. Because they all give us big-screen experience. And it’s very important to pay attention to the room or place.

Where you are going to use the projector.

If your room or place is big then for sure you can put the projector and screen. At the right distance to get the big screen.

But you have a small place or room. You are going to struggle to get the big screen.

Because it is in the projector description. There is something called throw distance. From a certain distance, only the projector will give you the big screen. 

So it’s very important to check your projector throw distance. And which type of projector is a long-throw, short throw, or ultra-short throw.

If your room or place is big then you should go with the long throw projector. If it’s a little bit congested, a short-throw will be a great option.

And if it’s really short of space, an ultra-short-throw projector will be a great option for you.

Projector technology 

There are mainly three projector technologies that dominate the market. DLP, LCD, and LCoS. In the DLP projector. You will get the little DLP chip.

Which processes the light. Coming from the projector light source to create the image on the screen. 

In the DLP chip, there is a very small mirror. Which moves constantly to create an image. If you are sensitive to the rainbow effect.

Then you are going to see some unwanted light in some movie scenes. This is called the rainbow effect. And can be the cause of headaches.

This is the lack of a DLP projector. Otherwise, the DLP projector is great. And if you are thinking of purchasing the DLP projector.

I will highly suggest going with the BenQ DLP projectors.

LCD projectors. Basically in the LCD projector. There are three liquid crystal displays. Which passes the three different colour lights. To project the image on the screen.

Three LCD panels you will only get in the high price projector. Otherwise, there is also one LCD panel projector. These are cheap projectors.

If you are thinking of getting the three-panel LCD projector. I will suggest going with the EPSON projector.

Because three LCD projector gives you a bright image with better colour production on the screen. 

And the last projector technology is LCoS. Which is great projector technology. For every purpose.

You will get a bright image, good colour on the screen, and a great lifespan of the projector.

But the only thing that can stop you from getting the LCoS projector is the price tag on the LCoS projector.

Their prices are very high. No matter what the purpose is to get the projector. For domestic or commercial use.

You have spent above a thousand dollars to get the LCoS projector.

If you have no price tag concerns. I will suggest you go with the LCoS projector technology. It will not disappear. Forget about the DLP and LCD projector. 

If you want to deep dive into the DLP and LCD projector. Then follow this article on DLP vs LCD/3LCD Projector.

Light Source Options

On the light source, it depends how bright the image on the screen is. And how long your projector life will be. There are three light source options you have. Lamp, LED, and Laser.

The lamp projector is good with image projection. They will provide you with a great image. What we expect from any projector.

But lamp-based projectors also produce lots of heat. You have to take care of projector vents especially. So your projector doesn’t overheat. And the projector also makes noise.

And lamp-based projector also has less lamp life. So you also have to live with one lamp. And check the health of the lamp.

If you like to use the projector in high performance. Then this is necessary. 

It’s not important. When you use the projector in the medium or low settings.

The LED projector is also a good option. When you want the long-life projector at a lower price. They don’t procure heat like the lamp projector.

And also they don’t need that much maintenance. Like the lamp-based projector. And they give you quite a good image quality.

With a reasonable price. In the comparison of lamp projectors.

But when it comes to the laser projector. They are great in any aspect in the comparison of the lamp and LED projector.

Because without producing excessive heat and losing the projector life much.

A laser projector gives you a bright image with good colour. And the long life of the projector. A laser projector can be the charm of your home theatre room.

If your money is not a concern for you. Otherwise, Lamp-based projectors are also good to go with.

If you want to compare these three light sources. Then I will suggest you follow this link Laser projector vs Lamp vs LED.

Resolution 

Before I get into the projector resolution. What is projector resolution? The maximum number of dots your projector can project vertically and horizontally. 

There are many resolution numbers you will get in the projector description. But some are totally manipulating. And some are useless for you.

So what is the best resolution for your projector?

If you are especially looking for the resolution in the projector. Try to know what the native resolution of the projector is.

Because of some projector manufacturer. Try to manipulate the people. 

They don’t tell you about the projector’s native resolution. Some Chinese projector manufacturers. Claim their projector accepts 1080p resolution.

But in reality, the projector native resolution is only 480p. 

So it’s important to know your projector’s native resolution. Because resolution affects the image quality. If you choose the projector. The native resolution is only 480p. 

Then don’t imagine a 100-inch screen. Because your projected image will be grainy on the screen. And this disaster you will don’t want with your image.

If you are choosing the projector for home cinema. It will be native 720p. It can fulfil your movie’s desire. Not bad like the 480p. At a reasonable price.

If you want to spend more on the projector resolution. I will suggest you go with the native 1080p resolution projector. Will be good for any purpose. 

If you want something premium, like the cinema hall. On a big screen. And you have a good budget. 

Then I will suggest you go with the 4k projector. There are two types of 4k projectors available. The pixel shifting and native resolution.

The 4k pixel-shifting projector uses pixel-shifting technology. To project the 4k image on the screen. Which image is close to the 4k image. 

This is done beautifully by the Epson 5050UB projector. And in the 4k resolution projector, it’s quite reasonable.

Other than the pixel-shifting 4k projector. Native 4k projector has a crazy price tag. Everyone can’t afford a native 4k projector by big names like JVC, Sony, and others.

Lumens & Ambient light

Lumens have a big role. When it comes to the environment, we’re going to use the projector? Does your environment have ambient light or not? 

If you are going to use the projector which is full of ambient light. You will need the projector with the high lumens output projector. If this is inside the home. 

If you are using the projector outside the home during the day. You have to do lots of other preparation to use the projector outside.

Let’s go back inside the home. Not only will you need a good lumen output projector. Your projection screen or surface also should have some special character. 

Your projector screen colour should be grey. Which is optimal. If your room has ambient light. And it will be better if your projector screen is ambient light rejection. 

And your projector screen should also have the screen gain bigger than the 1.0. Then bigger the screen gain number you have. 

The more amount of projected light will return towards you. And make sure your projector screen can reflect the light at some certain angle like 160 degrees.

So every viewer can get a bright image. All these things you have to care about. When you are using the projector in the ambient lightroom or place.

If you are using the projector in the room or place. Where you have control in the ambient light. 

You don’t need to hassle with all these things. Make sure your projector lumens are 1500. And nothing to care about.

Whenever you choose the lumens for your projector. It will be good if your projector lumens are claimed in ANSI lumens. It will be good.

Gaming

People think that projector is bad at gaming but that is not true. Yeah, some projectors have a high latency rate. But not all.

There is various projector available on the market. That can run the projector beautifully with the low input lag.

The 16ms input lag is great for those who want to place some intensive games.

If you are not crazy about playing games on the projector. Then gaming projector with 40 ms input lag will be quite good.

And you don’t need to worry about it. How you will connect all consoles with the projector. Because you have the HDMI port available in the projector. 

With help of that, you can easily connect your all gaming consoles. No matter what, PlayStation, Xbox, and Wii.

For more information, you can check out our comprehensive articles:-

1. How to connect PS4 & PS5 perfectly to projector wired & wireless?
2. How to connect an Xbox One to a projector [With the Sound]
3. How to connect Wii to projector [In two easy steps]

Screen Size & Placement

The reason people like to buy the projector. Because people get a big screen from the projector screen. To how big a projector screen you need.

Follow our article on how to measure projector screen size. Where you will also learn about the far or close. You should sit.

And about the placement. You can hang the projector from the ceiling. Or you can put it behind, where you are going to sit on the shelf.

Or put it on the table. I hope you know. Where you will put the projector. So you choose the projector according to that.

Aspect Ratio

Aspect ratio is also an important point. You should pay attention. While choosing the projector. Because of the shape and size of the image.

Depend upon the projector aspect ratio. It’s also important while choosing the projector screen.

Generally, you should go with a 16:9 aspect ratio for normal use of the projector. And if you like to watch the movie most. Then 2.35:1 aspect ratio is great.

Read more here about the projector aspect ratio.

Choose a Projector for outdoor events?

Generally when you plan the outside projection. We do projections with a huge number of people like 15 to 20. For all viewing purposes. We use the big projector screen. 

So you have to be serious about those projectors. Which is good resolution and their lumens are high. It will be better if your projector is battery-powered.

You can use the projector outside the home for the cinema. Without the worry of power source.

The power source is not concerned. You can also use the normal projector.

How to choose business projector?

In the office or any workspace. We use the projector to project the PPT and images. So when you are choosing the business projector.

Make sure that the business projector has high contrast ratio. And have a good lumens rating. If it has low resolution it will negotiable.

The special features you should look For 

There lot’s special features to the projector. Which makes it easy to use the projector in daily life. But I think there are some things you should have on your projector. 

You may have different opinions on this. But there are four things I like to talk about. Which you should look for when you buy the projector.

HDMI 

The HDMI port must be in the projector. If there is no HDMI port in the projector. You should try to avoid that projector. Because in their present time. 

If you don’t have the HDMI port in the projector. All the time you face issues. When you’re trying.

To connect the gaming console, streaming device, laptop, or other things. With your projector.

You have to spend on the VGA or DVI adapter. To connect your projector with the video source device.

There is not only one type of HDMI port. There are different types of HDMI ports.

Importance depends upon you. What type of content or video source you are going to connect with your projector.

If you want to stream the content from a streaming platform like Netflix or Amazon Prime. And want to connect your gaming console with the projector.

Your HDMI ports should support HDCP. If they don’t, your projector will not be able to receive the video content. And your projection screen will be blank.

And also check if your projector HDMI port supports 4k high FPS content. Then only you will be able to play the 4k videos from the 4k video source.

And in some projectors HDMI ports also support MHL. This type of HDMI port is useful. When you want to connect your projector with the android phone.

So the HDMI port is very important. So check your projector HDMI port type. Later It will be helpful to connect with different video sources.

3D 

If you are a home theatre enthusiast and movie lover. Then you should try a 3D movie once on your projector.

And for that, it’s important to have a projector that can process 3D content. 

And to watch the 3d content on the projector. You will also need the 3D shutter or active shutter glass. And also the 3d sync port in the projector. And also the 3D blu ray disc.

Lens Shift & Keystone

Not all people have the space to put the projector and the screen. To face each other. And the first time when you project the projector on the screen. You have to adjust the projection. 

So your projected image can fit perfectly on the projector screen. Although I try to avoid using the keystone correction. On your projector to adjust the image. 

You should always shift the lens to adjust the image on the screen. Because using the keystone correction in the projector can degrade your image.

But to use the lens shift mechanism on the screen. You have to spend more on the lens shift projector. You will spend on the keystone correction projector.

But it pays off on the spending on the lens shift projector. When you will do the setup of your projector. 

If I am confused between the lens shift and keystone correction. Then you can read our article on the keystone correction vs lens shift.

Wireless Connection

Wireless connection is helpful. When you are don’t want to mess up with the wire. And want to connect the speakers or soundbar with the projector. 

Wireless connection makes it simple. To connect with a wireless device like the laptop and speakers. If you don’t like the wire.

And don’t want to spend time with the wire. Which cable will go into which port?

And don’t want your home theatre setup messed up. Then you should definitely check that your projector supports a wireless connection.

For the screen mirroring your projector should support the Mira cast. And if you want to connect your projector with the speakers.

Be sure your projector’s Bluetooth supports speakers. And it will be better if its Bluetooth is 5.0.

Wireless projectors are different from normal projectors. You can read about them here how wireless projectors work.

Lens Memory

Because different content has different aspect ratios. And it will be very boring to move between the different aspect ratios.

In your projector, you have to change the lens setting all the time.

And it’s important to watch the content in its native aspect ratio. So you won’t get the black bars at the top and bottom of your screen.

Things for you should not rely on the projector 

There is one thing you should never rely on the projector. No matter how much you have spent on the projector. Never rely on the projector speakers. 

Because they can’t give you what a 100 dollar speaker can give. So if you are going to buy the projector make sure. You have the speakers already.

Or get an external speaker or soundbar. Which you can connect with the projector. If you don’t know how you can connect your speaker and especially the soundbar.

Then you can read our two articles. Where I have explained various ways to connect your projector. With the speakers and soundbar.

1. How to connect soundbar to projector [5 easy ways]
2. How to connect speakers to the projector and get audio [Wired and Wireless]

Should I get the projector screen or not?

After buying a good native resolution projector. If you have left money then you can spend it on a good projector screen.

Then it will be good to go with the projector screen.

If you do not leave the money for the projector screen. Then I will suggest you make your wall the projector screen. By painting the projector wall.

With the special wall screen paint.

Make the space for the projector screen on the wall. And read this article on the type or kind of paint to use for the projector wall screen.

Where I have talked about some best projector screen paints. Which you can use to paint the wall. And also explain how you can paint your wall.

If you are still confused between the projector screen and wall. And want some debate on this. You can read our article on the projector screen vs wall.

Conclusion: How to choose the projector.

Choosing the right projector is very important. When you have to spend your big bundle of money on your entertainment.

And there is a little secret behind choosing the right projector.

All the projector is the best. But if you only need to know. What are you going to do with the projector? Or what are your expectations with your projector?

Then you can judge your projector. On various aspects, you will get the projector. Which is best for you. 

And also don’t forget to check some special things. Which I have told on the projector. While choosing the projector.

Which makes it easy to use and set up the projector.

See you next time…