Home theater projectors may all seem similar, but it’s the specifications and performance that makes every projector very different. 4K, UHD, 1080p, HDR…. Getting lost in the sea of specs? Here’s the top 5 things you should be on the hunt for when buying a home theater projector for your home!

The majority of home theater projectors on the market will be Digital Light Processing projectors (DLP). DLP projectors use a color wheel (a spinning wheel with multiple color filters) and tiny mirrors to reflect light. Generally, these projectors are portable and generate a higher contrast.

Projector manufacturers generally use standard Red, Green, Blue (sRGB) as the default color setting. In terms of accuracy, a video captured within this setting should be reproduced on a screen with the same color accuracy as the moment it was shot. But projectors are more sensitive than other types of displays depending on the light output, contrast and distance; all of these should be taken into consideration. Color is subjective; what looks bright red to you might look pink to others. That’s why it’s important to ensure one color standard for everyone.

Rec. 709 color is a standard for TV, movie and AV industries to ensure the same color gamut, resolution, frame rate and video specifications for all HD equipment including displays, DVDs, and Blu-ray.

BenQ’s latest home cinema projectors all utilize CinematicColor™technology for the most vibrant and supreme colors.

The clarity of an image produced by a projector is referred to as resolution. A general screen image is made out of tiny dots called pixels. The more pixels on a screen, the better the quality of the image is going to be. If your goal is to watch movies or play games, what you need to look for is a resolution with a high number of pixels.

A good resolution for a home theater projector is 1920X1080, which we call Full HD & 4K UHD (3840X2160, referred to as true 4K). A 4K projector resolution creates the clearest and most detailed images out of all resolutions; more value for your money. For reference, BenQ’s 4K projectors have 8.3 million distinct pixels for each frame, four times the resolution of Full HD 1080p. A 4K projector resolution creates the clearest and most detailed images out of all resolutions; more value for your money.

Are you looking to put your projector indoors or outdoors? Will it only be watched by a few people or many viewers? What size is the room the unit is placed in? Not just any projector will do; you also need to take the environment and its ambient light into consideration.

When we refer to the light output and brightness a projector produces, we use brightness measured in ANSI Lumens. The brightness output is essential to how it is perceived by the audience and there’s a difference between putting a projector in a place where there’s a lot of ambient light, or a darkroom. For a home cinema projector that can still display a clear image despite some ambient light, you’ll need a projector above 2000 lumens. BenQ takes ambient light into consideration.

You need to think about connectivity; to display movies, games or any digital image through the projector, you need to hook up your projector to the original source, like a laptop or a game console. Many projectors have VGA ports, giving you a range of options, but for gaming you generally require an HDMI port. BenQ’s Home Cinema projectors provide USB Type A, mini B, HDMI and VGA options.

Whether you live by yourself or with your family, taking the space you put your projector in into account is important for how you prefer your viewing experience. Depending on size and decoration, you firstly need to take into consideration where you place your projector; in the middle or to the side. Especially if you have a family with children, the space may be limited. If you’re looking to put your projector on a table or the ceiling, look for projectors that can adjust its image based on where it is located. Short throwprojectors, lens shift functions and sideways keystone correction all contribute to adjusting the imaging depending on the angle and location of the projector.

Projectors are sensitive to light. The brightness output is essential to how it is perceived by the audience. So there’s a difference between putting a projector in a place where there’s a lot of ambient light, or a darkroom. As mentioned, lighter environments require a model that allows for more than 3,000 lumens is best, whereas darker locations may only need brightness up to 2,000 lumens.

Projectors come in all shapes, sizes and prices and they have different functions depending on which one you buy. You may have a family and want to enjoy quality time together enjoying movies. Maybe you’re into gamingand want to have your friends over to play multiplayer games together on the big screen. The latest sports competitions may make you want to gather friends and family and watch the big game outside. Whatever the reason, you should consider a projector that suits your needs and requirements!