Projectors are great devices to give office presentations, corporate training, or organize seminars in front of a small-to-large audience. They let you convincingly present your research and viewpoint.
As the saying goes, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ Showing images of your data makes a more lasting impression on your audience than words. Thus, it is scarce to imagine a professional presentation currently that doesn’t utilize a projector.
The following image shows the global growth forecast of interactive projectors.
Maybe you are searching for a shiny new projector for professional use or planning to buy one in the future for personal use. You’re in luck since this is your one-stop guide to buying projectors for the office.
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1. Light Source
All projectors use a light source to produce light that illuminates the projection screen. The light sources for a projector include bulb light, LED, and laser. Most projectors currently use bulb lights, also known as Ultra High Performance (UHP) lamps, as their light source.
These lamps are very bright and don’t cost a lot. However, they produce a lot of heat while working and tend to lose their brightness over time.
People are turning to LED light sources for use in projectors as they are energy-efficient and friendly to the environment. They also provide consistent light, good color saturation, and durability.
Laser light is the latest and the most high-tech light source for projectors. It produces very bright light, as well as great color contrast and saturation. Its only downside is the higher cost.
The following image shows how a projector throws light and images onto the screen.
2. Brightness
Meeting rooms and conference rooms in offices usually have bright lights, in addition to natural light coming in from the windows. Therefore, you need to make sure that the projector’s brightness is sufficient to produce a clear image.
A projector’s brightness, also named light intensity, is calculated in ANSI lumens. Research indicates that the optimal brightness for office spaces is between 2000 to 3000 lumens.
3. Resolution
Resolution is the number of pixels displaying an image. The higher the projector resolution, the greater the image quality would be. Popular projector resolutions in use nowadays include the following:
- VGA (640×480 pixels)
- SVGA (800×600 pixels)
- XGA (1024×768 pixels)
- WXGA (1280×768 pixels)
- SXGA (1280×1024 pixels)
- UXGA (1600×1200 pixels)
- 2K (2048×1080 pixels)
- 4K(4096×3072 pixels)
The image below shows the resolution of a projector against the number of pixels.
According to studies, SVGA resolution projectors are economical and appropriate for simple data such as charts and videos. On the other hand, more advanced presentations require higher resolutions such as XGA and WXGA.
4. Contrast Ratio
The contrast ratio calculates the extent to which the projector can replicate black and white. In other words, it is the difference in the brightness of black and white.
It would help if you had a good contrast ratio in office projectors to make the pictures in presentations look sharper and more natural. It would help if you also kept in mind the brightness of the room you are using the projector in. Brighter rooms make the contrast ratio seem lower than it actually is.
Research reveals that most projectors available nowadays offer a minimum contrast ratio of 5000:1. You should choose a projector with a high contrast ratio if you frequently make presentations with the lights on.
5. Connectivity Options
When purchasing an office projector, you will obviously select one offering connectivity to the computer or video source you use. However, remember that you won’t always use the same source. In case you have to connect the projector with data sources, you would require a connector cable or adapter.
So, make sure to check whether the projector features several interface ports (USB, Network, HDMI, Composite Video, etc.). This will allow you to attach various video sources to the projector.
A number of projectors present Wi-Fi connectivity nowadays, thus eliminating the need for direct cabling. The computer screen sends pictures or videos via a Wi-Fi connection to the projector.
6. Size & Weight
You should determine the size and weight of the projector you want by its use and application. For instance, a traveling business person who carries a projector to make presentations to clients would need a small portable projector.
You can go for a larger and heavier device if your projector stays in one place in your office. In this case, you can mount your projector at a certain height in your office meeting room or conference hall.
After going through this article, you know all there is to know about projectors. So now you can make a great choice and an informed decision when buying a projector for your office use. Ultimately, the perfect projector for your office will suit your particular office space and your presentation requirements.
Image source: Freepik Premium
