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| A good
front projector system is fun and fantastic to look at.
Things to consider when buying: |
Front
Projector by Vidikron |
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Ambient light:
projectors are at their best in with little or no
ambient light. That is why many people choose to put a
dedicated home theater room in the basement. Blackout
shades work great too. Some ambient light can be
compensated for by using special screen materials, a
smaller screen and a brighter projector. But no matter
what you are told, at some point ambient light washes
out the color from a projection screen. |
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Light output: The
greater the light output, the brighter the picture.
Light output is measured in ANSI lumens. By itself, the
lumens count tells you very little, and comparisons work
best for products made by the same manufacturer |
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Projector placement:
projectors are typically mounted to the ceiling, rear
wall or shelving, some distance away from the screen,
known as the “throw distance.” Sometimes people will
put the projector in a separate room (a large closet or
a utility room, for example), if they don’t want to see
it. |
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Screen Types: can be
fixed or manually or electrically retractable. Fixed
screens are most often affixed to walls. Retractable
screens are housed in a small metal case which can be
attached to a wall, the ceiling, a beam or recessed
within the ceiling. If you want, the recessed metal
case can even be completely hidden behind a trap door.
Retractable screens can extend to any drop distance, and
can be configured to cover windows or doorways when
extended. |
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Screen Size: you can
pretty much go as big or as small as you want. But the
bigger the screen, the more powerful (and expensive) a
projector you will need. |
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