Talk about providing the biggest picture with the smallest space! Home theater projectors are a great solution for those of you who want a screen size typically bigger than what todays picture tube, rear-projection, and flat screen TVs provide. The biggest tube TVs top out at about 40" diagonally. LCD and Plasma TVs currently on the open market top out at around 70 inches, although larger ones are on the horizon.
The cost of a 70" flat screen TV as of this writing is upwards of $10,000. Now if you prefer to have a flat screen TV and do not mind the cost, then enjoy it! For the rest of you, a home theater projector may be just the ticket.
There are a few different technologies available in these devices which I will explain; however, there functionality is the same. They are:
DLP , LCD , and a larger more antiquated type called CRT .
Both DLP snd LCD Projectors are a typically less expensive method of getting great home cinema. They can range in size from about the size of 3 loaves of bread side by side to a device you can place in the palm of your hand. Those on the smaller scale are designed more for business presentations and will not likely have the features to maximize the high definition movie experience.
You can mount it on your ceiling, and aim it toward a white wall, or better yet, a screen that can be fixed, retractable, or even motorized to descend on command. The best part is, depending on your room size, seating distance from the screen, and projector, your image can be larger than 200" diagonally! Just imagine a screen so big that you feel like you are actually in a theater.
Combine this technology with the spectacular image of blu ray and the cinematic experience is simply breathtaking!
How do these technologies work? Well, there are some differences to consider:
Projector Technology:
There are three principle technologies available with variances and improvements made in all of them over the years.
- LCD Projectors
- DLP Projectors
- CRT Projectors
There are advantages and disadvantages of LCD and DLP and CRT technologies when compared to each other. Color accuracy, brightness, contrast ratio, image clarity, among many other picture attributes are constantly compared between them.
When added to home theater systems, the end result for LCD, DLP, or CRT home theater projectors is a beautiful projected image that, depending on your budget, room size, screen size, and seating distance, can rival the impact of your favorite cinema.
