When Would I Need a Projector with a Separate Lens?

Most of the projectors we sell include a lens, because most people are using a projector in a standard size room. But churches, classrooms, and other large venue spaces run into a problem with a standard lens projector. This is because in tehir space, they might need to mount their projector from over 20 feet back for their screen. Why do you need a special lens at over 20 feet? Consider this technological analogy.

Let’s pretend for a moment that a projector is nothing more than a fancy flashlight – at least in the sense that it follows the rules of physics. If you can, visualize yourself holding flashlight and shining it directly on the wall in front of you. When you are close to the wall, the light you see is bright, and small. As you walk backwards (walking slowly and carefully to avoid injury), the light on the wall in front of you begins to increase in size, and decrease in brightness. That’s pretty much what’s happening when you try and mount a projector (with a standard lens) back more than 20 feet (or so) back from your screen.

Now if your flashlight had a lens on the front of it, instead of plain old glass or plastic, you could dial that light in. You could ‘focus’ the light into a brighter beam, and into the size and shape you need. So, if you have to mount your projector in the back of your room, let’s say from as far back as 100 feet from your screen, you will have to have the right lens to create the image size you want, with adequate brightness.

But Why Are There so Many Lens Options?

Projectors mounting location, obviously, will vary from room-to-room, based on the unique space. And a projector’s lens can only focus the light within a specific range (say 4-25 feet). Depending on the screen size you may only get 2-5 ft of play within the 4-25ft. The flexibility depends on two factors; throw distance and screen size. When you see a specification that says it has a throw range of 4-25ft it doesn’t mean you can do any size screen from that distance, but only the specified screen sizes.

So, from a manufacturers point of view, it makes sense to offer multiple lenses on one chassis rather than sort of ‘pre-building’ several hundreds or thousands of projectors with the lenses permanently fixed to the chassis. Also, different lenses sometimes have varying costs associated with them, so providing the flexibility of multiple lenses is a cost saver in terms of production – less waste and a more agile product line. For the buyer, it can also mean the difference between having to purchase an entirely new projector, versus just a new lens, if the projector has to be re-mounted in the same space.

However, looking at the available selection of projectors in this category can be overwhelming. Take, for example, the NEC NP4100 and NEC NP4100W series product line. In it there are optional lenses that enable the user to find the right lens to cover projection distances between 2.6 – 283 feet. There are a whopping twelve different projectors that appear to be almost exactly the same. But, in reality there are two primary differences, the resolution (widescreen or 4:3) and the lens. You’d simply pick the model with the resolution you want, and the throw distance you need. Below is a chart with the throw distance for each model in the NEC NP4100 and NP4100W lineup.

As you can see, NEC gives you alternatives for up to 283 feet of throw distance in this product line. And, the low end of the throw ratio doesn’t change nearly as much as the high end of the distance covered.

Quick Tip : Optimally, you will want to select a lens that fits you squarely in between your distance requirements. So, if you are planning to mount your projector 150 feet back from the screen, you’d do better to choose the “10ZL” model than the “09ZL.” This is because there is slightly more distortion when the light passes through the edge of the lens. A projector has what’s called a “sweet spot” for the distance that provides the optimum image quality through the lens, and that spot is near the mid range of the recommended throw distance. Call a Projector Expert for more information on that.

Why can’t you just use a zoom lens?

Unfortunately, zoom lenses don’t have that much flexibility. Generally speaking, a zoom lens can give you an extra 2-5 feet of “play” in the projector’s throw distance. So, while the extra 2-5 feet is nice, it won’t help you if you need an extra 100 feet. This may change in the future, but for now, the zoom lens is mostly a tool to help the home user install their projector with a little less accurate math.

Quick Tip : The general rule of thumb for throw distance is that your projector creates one foot of image for every two feet back from the screen. So, at 50 feet back with a standard lens, you would have approximately a 100 foot width, and a very dim image.

What if I Need to Mount a Projector Very Close to my Screen?

If you want to set up your projector within six feet of your screen, and you want a large image, you’ll want to find a projector with a “short throw lens.” We have a quick tutorial about those here. You can also call a Projector Expert and find out if a “lensless” projector would be right for you. In some cases, they offer the best solution, but there are only a few made.

How Much Will a Projector and Lens Cost Me?

Lenses are typically around $1500-$2000. It’s usually easier to buy the manufacturers lens, for compatibility and inventory reasons. There are some other lens makers out there in a pinch, but prices are usually about the same for a business projector lens.

Projectors that accept multiple lens options are usually in the large installation category. They are high brightness, and higher resolution units, so they start at around $2000 and go up from there. So your lowest priced scenario would be around $3500-$4000 and the prices go up from there. You’ll pay a little more for brightness and features like network monitoring, filter free design, 24/7 useage, lens shift, and other good stuff.

Our NEC series featured here is a premium line, and it retails for around $7,000. But call a Projector Expert, or get a Quick Quote for a significant discount.

Quick Tip : Keep your eye out for installation projectors that sell without a lens. A lower price is usually a tip off. There are some high brightness units that look like a great deal, but that actually will need a lens to work. The NEC lineup we feature here does have one base unit featured, but the rest of the line up ships complete.

Well that’s about all we have for now. Please call a Projector Expert if you have any more questions about any of your large venue projection needs!

We’ve been talking a lot about new $999 entry level home theater projectors lately. But projection innovation is not limited to the home theater frontier. Business projectors now include more brightness for less cash, broader feature sets on entry level projectors, and a big trend towards adding affordable widescreen technology. Wider aspect ratios have been making their way, slowly but surely, into the world of business presentations, churches, schools, and other large venue applications. But what are the advantages of widescreen technologies for business? Is it time to convert for business too?

Why Go Wide?

As home televisions have been stretched to 16:9 resolution, viewers are becoming more and more used to the widescreen image. Back at work, the 4:3 image is starting to look a little square. But there are more reasons than familiarity to change your perspective. Here are just a few :

• Meatier messages – More words and characters bullet point
• More image in tight spaces – Particularly offices with 8-foot ceilings and 3-foot tables
• Waste less image space when used with widescreen laptops
• 4:3 images still work nicely in the 16:10 frame so older tools don’t have to be replaced
• Widescreen weekend – Crossover projecting for weekend HDTV projection fun

If any of these benefits appeal to you, then you will also be happy to know that your selection of 16:10 (and 16:9) products has been increasing, slowly but surely, each year. Price points have also been reduced as competition increases in the widescreen space.

Some Well-Priced Widescreen Business Projectors

• NEC NP500WS – $849* [ WXGA (1280 x 800), 2100 lumens, short-throw lens, 7.3 lbs. ]
• Sanyo PLC-WXE45 – $1395 [ WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution, 2000 lumens, 7.5 lbs. ]
• NEC NP3151W – $3,499* [ WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution, 4000 lumens, wireless capable ]
• Mitsubishi WL6700U – $7995** [ WXGA (1366 x 800 pixels) resolution, 5000 lumens ]

* Prices are after rebate.
** Additional discounts may apply.

Find more here with our Projector Finder tool!

As always, if you have more questions about 16:10 projectors, or any projectors, call us today

If you’ve been shopping on auction sites for a low priced projector, it’s time to wise up. Right now you can get a new projector for the price of a replacement lamp or a dim old clunker on an eBay. But how do you know if you’re getting a deal with your low priced projector? Here’s what you need to know..

Business Projectors Under $999

So what are your options now for under $999? You can expect to find a wide range of options under $999 these days. Just to give you an idea of how far your money can go, here are a few of the specification ranges you can expect for your business projector dollar. You can also do your own product filtering using our Projector Finder tool. It will help you search by resolution, brightness, price, and a number of features.

What You Get For $999 or Less

• Brightness : 1000 – 3000 lumens
• Weight : as light as 2.4 lbs. (typically in the 4-10 lbs. range)
• Contrast : Up to 2000:1 (for business projectors, 10000:1 or less in Home Theater under $999)
• Keystone Correction : Available on many models
• Short Throw Lens : Available on select models
• HDMI 1.3 connection : Not common
• Component video : Available on many models
• Widescreen Format : Available on many models

So that’s a quick look at features to expect in a $999 projector today. If we haven’t covered something of specific interest to you, call a Projector Expert for more information. We have over 100 options in sub $1000 projectors. In fact, our projector options at $999 were so vast, we created a Projectors Under $699 page for the serious bargain seeker.

Pico Projectors

These are a category of projector that did not exist until a year ago. These tiny low-priced projectors lack the brightness of a true presentation projector, but they may be the direction of presentations future. They range around $200-$350 and they are small enough to fit in your pocket, though they will be a touch bulky in your tight pants. Here’s a list of pico projectors we sell.

New Home Theater Projectors Under $999

And if you haven’t heard the news yet, there are some true HD (1080p) home theater projectors coming soon. These new $999 home theater projectors make front projection a more affordable option for restaurants, sports bars, and other entertainment facilities. There is also an opportunity for those who have slipped behind after the digital transition to get up to date for less.

Vintage Projector People Deals

Just for fun, let’s take a look back at what a similar projector would have cost you a few years ago. We’ve run a number of stories about how much brighter, cheaper, and better projectors are now compared to “just a few years ago” so here are some examples for you. Each of these examples below were (I promise) competitively priced projectors at the time of the deal.

• Proxima DP6810 [ XGA, 900 lumens, 200:1 contrast ]
• $4,999.00

• Sony VPL-VW10HT [ WXGA (1366 x 768), 1000 lumens, contrast not specified ]
• $5,199.00 (We actually had a very long waiting list for this projector at this price!)

• NEC LT170 [ XGA, 1500 lumens, 3.9 lbs. ]
• $1,699.00

• Panasonic PT-LB50U [ XGA, 2000 lumens, 400:1 contrast ]
• $1,299.00

• Sony PLV-EX70 [ XGA, 2600 lumens, 900:1 contrast ]
• $749.00

The Good News

Will projectors cost $300 in 2 years? Moore’s Law would indicate “yes”. But “maybe” is always a safer guess. The tiny pocket projectors on the market today are very cool, but they are not even close the brightness and performance of today’s presentation projectors. New laser projection technology, or improved DLP and LCoS pico systems may make pocket projectors the wave of the future. But we won’t know how much they will cost until they are fully developed. So, barring the sudden emergence of a new technology, low-priced LCD and DLP projectors really can’t get much cheaper. And if you’re in the market for a projector, your dollar is going farther than ever before. And that’s good news.

As always, if you have more questions about our business and home theater projectors under $999, please contact a Projector Expert today!

What’s SOOO Great About Black Diamond Screens?

Three things come to mind : improved contrast, clarity and color. These are the top reasons the Black Diamond screens are so sought after by home theater enthusiasts. Let’s discuss more about each.

Contrast : Better Black and Better White

As the name suggests, a Black Diamond screen is black – not just the velvet border around the screen – but the screen surface itself. The black color, as you might expect, pumps up black levels, making for a deep, dark black experience when projecting black. Producing dark black is a challenge for projectors even though great strides have been made in just the past five years. The Black Diamond screen offers an even greater improvement in black levels.

So, the next obvious question is, how does the black screen manage white? The answer, amazingly well! It may be an optical illusion or something, but white really punches off the BlackDiamond screens. I am sure there is technical information on how it works somewhere. But it’s really something you just need to see to appreciate. We have video below so you can get a look for yourself.

Since contrast is a comparison of black to white in an image, you can imagine that improving both black and white performance is going to make for a dramatically higher contrast image.

Clarity : Brightness That Lasts All Day Long

As somebody who was probably famous once said… a picture is worth a thousand words. So, moving images must be like 24x that. Here’s a quick video to give you a visual of how the Black Diamond screens do (compared to a white screen) in a room with ambient light. Check it out below.

Color : Vibrant and Accurate

ISF calibration, or home DVD color calibration, is a big deal for many home theater enthusiasts. And whether they know it or not, it also makes a big difference with people who just like great looking video. You know, people who like grass to look green, and the sky to look blue. So, those who live and breathe home theater will want to have their projectors ISF calibrated so that the image looks the way the director intended. And everyone else will just want what they watch to look ‘normal’ and consistently good while watching a dark action film, or a daytime game.

One of the claims to fame for the SI Black Diamond screen is that it keeps that ISF calibration ‘valid’ in rooms that have varying light levels. When the lights are on, the Black Diamond screen keeps the color in the image consistent, and does not allow the ambient light in the room to affect the image. Since many people want to use their projectors for daytime – for watching football or other daytime sports for example – this is a real benefit, and keeps projectors more in line with the performance of an LCD or plasma TV.

QUICK TIP : Watch the video below. It provides a great example of how well the Black Diamond screen can perform in lights on situations. Before the Black Diamond screen, projecting a 100-inch image on a screen outdoors was really somewhat of a leap of faith. Viewers had to accept a far less than perfect image, and in some cases, would have to strain to catch all the action.

So, bar owners and restaurateurs, take note of the video around 1:50. This is an alternative to an LCD or plasma that would cost much more for a display of that size. A projector can also be easily put away when not in use – at the end of the night or in bad weather. The Black Diamond screen can simply be covered, and can be washed down if it gets dirty.

So, as you can imagine we are very excited to offer these high quality – potentially industry changing – screens to our selection of home theater screens. Orders can be placed today online at ProjectorPeople.com. You can also speak to one of our Projector Experts about pricing and shipping information for Black Diamond and other SI Screens.

Click here for a list of available SI Black Diamond screens from ProjectorPeople.com.

Or click here to visit the SI Screens website.

World’s Thinnest Projectors

The Casio XJ-S68 and XJ-S63 are two of the brightest new products available in the world’s thinnest projector line. The new SuperSlim projectors are 43mm at their widest point and 32mm at their slimmest. The projectors are small, but bright, with 3500 lumens. That should make them a contender for most presenters, even those who present to larger groups. They can also project from as little as 2.75 feet up to 30 feet.

Other features of the Casio XJ-S68 and XJ-S63 include 2x power zoom and focus lens; automatic and manual vertical keystone correction ±30 degrees; RS-232 control; 1 watt mono speaker; security features, including compatibility with Kensington lock and power on password; and direct power on/off.

The XJ-S68 and XJ-S63 are both built on the same chassis, but there is a USB port on the XJ-S68 that can be used for wireless connectivity using a wireless adapter.

Expected Prices : $1,299 to $1,399 Shipping Date : September 2009

Widescreen SuperSlim

No, it is not a contradiction to be both SuperSlim and widescreen. At least not in this case. Casio has added the XJ-S43W as it’s first widescreen (1280 x 800) format ultraportable in the SuperSlim family. It’s sporting 2500 lumens, an 1800:1 contrast ratio, 2X zoom lens, auto keystone correction, HDMI input, and direct power on/off. It also has a wide projection range from 2.8 feet to 30 feet distance.

Expected Price : $999 Shipping Date : September 2009

And the Rest…

There are more projectors on SuperSlim Island. To round out the line Casio has the XJ-S58, XJ-S53, XJ-S48, XJ-S43, XJ-S38, and XJ-S33. Each of these new projectors offers a 2x power zoom and focus lens; ±30 degree automatic vertical keystone correction; RS-232 control; power on password and compatibility with Kensington lock; and direct power on/off. The essential differences are the brightness, and USB connection for wireless.

The XJ-S58, XJ-S48, and XJ-S38 all feature a USB host function that will allow for wireless connectivity through an optional WiFi receiver and for computer-free presentations with USB storage devices.

Expected Prices : $699 to $1,199 Shipping Date : TBD

New Lineup En Brief

Casio Projectors : Brightness by Model 3500 lumens : XJ-S63, XJ-S68

Bonus Casio Treat!

We also came across this creative application for Casio video projectors. On this Make TV episode creative designer artist types use what appear to be Casio SuperSlim projectors to “transform public spaces into massive sound and light shows.” It’s a pretty cool video. Check it out here.

LED Projector Light Sources

Micro portable projectors are now hot on the scene. Unfortunately, the projectors that slip easily into your pocket still have some maturing to do before they can replace their big brothers. The pocket projectors use LED technology, so they produce good color. They also require less energy to operate which means they can run on a battery for an hour or two. Their only real drawbacks are their limited connectivity, lower resolution, and their brightness – or rather dimness. They are just not realistically bright enough for many practical applications. Most hover at somewhere between 10 and 20 lumens.

However, the slightly-bigger-than-pocket palm sized LED projectors have reached more impressive lumen ranges of up to 100-150 lumens. Resolutions are also improved in the palm sized units. There are now XGA (1024×768) resolution products coming to market sometime this year.

There are also clear intentions toward entering LED projection into the home theater market with a widescreen resolution optimized home theater LED projector. LED technology in home theater projectors is an exciting proposition because users would benefit from longer ‘lamp life’, lower power consumption, and a nice accurate color space.

LED home theater projectors look to be a few months out at least, and will probably have a significant asking price. Call it an early adopters tax.

3-D Projectors Coming Soon

Speaking of early adoption, one of the big pushes at InfoComm this year was 3-D projection. Mitsubishi has released several TVs this past year with 3-D technology built in, and that technology is also coming to projectors.

So is your dream of 3-D becoming a reality? Maybe not just yet. For starters, the manufacturers seem to be targeting the Education market for this new technology. Probably because the technology isn’t quite mature enough for the demanding consumer. Additionally, buyers will need to purchase a set of 3-D glasses to enjoy the action. Not the kind you get free at the IMAX theater, or the kind you get from a cereal box (do they still put toys in cereal boxes?) but rather a special pair that will cost you somewhere between $125 to $300. That might be doable if you wanted to watch your 3-D alone, but of course you would have to multiply that by the number of people you like to get motion sickness with. Only kidding. The technology is really very cool, and 3-D might be to HDTV what color was to black and white. And it might also be a great tool for educators, particularly in the Arts and Sciences.

If you want to get yourself some 3-D, you shouldn’t have to wait too many more years. There were a number of manufacturers promoting the technology which should keep things progressing. We will be sure to get some 3-D projectors to review if we can so we can take some 2D video of it and share it with you!

Other Projector Stuff

There were a few other potentially exciting developments, but we still don’t have enough details to post anything yet. But we will keep you updated when we know more about new products coming out for fall – and on any other developments in home and business projection.

Fun Picture

Here’s a graphic that made us chuckle at InfoComm this year. We took a picture so you could take proper safety measures.

Note that the graphic is placed directly next to the lens in small pictures. The message is not immediately evident, so you might expect people to lean in to figure out the message… which is telling you not to look into the lens.

Thanks for reading! As always, we are welcome to suggestions and comments!

More InfoComm 2009 Roundups

Art has sorted through some of the thumb drives he picked up at InfoComm and is sharing his perspective with you here.

InFocus is on the move with some great new projector technology in their latest line of portable projectors. The IN3100 line (see short list below) includes one of the cooler new technologies to come to projectors in years – DisplayLink. You might also hear this referred to as “content over USB”. So why is this technology cool and how is it the Missing Link to easy presentations? Read on… or watch our video with Benjamin Joy from InFocus discussing DisplayLink.

Watch and learn about InFocus DisplayLink technology.

Travel Lighter

If you travel with your projector, you know that while cables are small, they can still add some bulk and weight to your carry bag. And the largest cable most Road Warriors have to travel with is the old standard VGA cable. It may not weigh a full pound, but it’s pretty bulky as cables go. With new DisplayLink technology, you can leave the big VGA cable at home and replace it with a much smaller and lighter USB 2.0 connector. It’s the same kind of USB cable you use for many digital cameras or PDAs with the smaller end connecting to the projector, and the larger end coming out of your computer.

Even More Pluggier and Player

Beyond traveling lighter, you also get some improved usability with DisplayLink products. When you plug in your USB cable into the computer and projector, the DisplayLink technology is smart enough to determine the best matching resolution automatically. It also magically determines how to mirror the content on laptop and projector when possible. That question alone, according to Ben Joy, InFocus Product Manager, accounts for about 80% of their tech support calls. And here at Projector People, we get that question all the time too. So, if you’re a projector rookie, this is a feature that will spare you some first-time frustration.

Is It Tricky to Set Up?

It doesn’t seem to be. The software for the DisplayLink technology is loaded on the projector, so all you do is plug in the cable and the software comes directly off the projector to your laptop. You can get the software on as many computers as you want, there is no limit as there sometimes is with wireless software. And, with multi-display capability, you can connect up to six projectors at once from one computer. This feature also allows users to present content from multiple sources during meetings, making it very handy for videoconferences and collaborative meetings where two or more inputs need to be shown simultaneously.

Now Mac Compatible!

In January of 2009, InFocus announced that their DisplayLink technology is now Mac compatible. That’s a good thing since many tech support teams don’t know how to troubleshoot for Apple computers.

[ See all InFocus Projectors here» and a selection of InFocus projectors with DisplayLink below ]

• InFocus IN3102
• InFocus IN1102
• InFocus IN3106
• InFocus IN1100

So, DisplayLink looks to be about as Plug and Play as you can get. And since it’s built-in to the new line of InFocus portable projectors, just about any new InFocus portable should have it. Ask your Projector Expert for details.

We have just added a new Business Projector Selector to the Projector People website. It’s a simple way to find a projector for some of the most common uses. To save you time scouring the specs for the right product, we make one sure fire winner projector for each of our most common business user types.

Business Presenter : “I am a Road Warrior, is there a projector that is better for traveling?”

Suggested Projector : Casio XJ-S41B

Business Presenter : “I need my conference room projector to be bright with the lights on. What have you got for me?”

Suggested Projector : Toshiba TLP-XE30U

Business Presenter : “I am like a rock star. I present to hundreds of people. I need a projector that can hang.”

Suggested Projector : BenQ SP920P

Business Presenter : “I work hard and I play hard. I need a projector that’s a performer at work and at home for sports and movies.”

Suggested Projector : Optoma EP1691

Business Presenter : “My business is watching movies and I want to go HD.”

Suggested Projector : Panasonic PT-AE3000U

We will try and keep this list updated as time goes on so that you always have the latest and greatest in stock selections to choose from. See the live link here. Thanks for reading!

Mitsubishi recently announced a new green initiative in their popular projector line. They outline some of the efforts they are taking to reduce their impact on the environment in an announcment below.

In order to lessen our impact on the environment and conserve natural resources, Mitsubishi Electric is committed to being socially responsible. Over the last few years, we have incorporated numerous environmentally friendly features into our products. In an effort to Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle the finite resources of our planet—the following are some eco-friendly initiatives we have implemented in the design and production of our projectors:

• Energy-efficient, long-life lamps
• Lead free solder on all Printed Circuit Boards
• Our newest models consume less than 1W on standby mode
• Use of recycled paper products for user reference guide and carton box
• Projector cabinets are not painted, and conductive coating is not used
• User manual has been converted from paper to a digital format (CD)
• Compliant with both California and European RoHS standards

Guided by our commitment to make positive contributions to the Earth and its people through technology and action, we will help bring about a sustainable society through our business activities by promoting a wide range of distinctive, advanced technologies and proactive, ongoing actions by our employees. We truly are making changes for the better.

The release also indicated that they are working on a recycling program in the near future. You can expect to see other projector manufacturers following suit – and others those that have been working on green efforts may begin touting their efforts.

It’s not like we are all just now catching on to the Green thing, but for a long time there was seemingly little discourse about greenifying projectors. However, with all the “green” stimulus money in the news, there is more talk than ever about going green. So, in order to allow our readers to be a part of the greenversation, we wanted to offer up some reminders for more eco-conscious projection.

Use Only What You Need

Believe it or not, this mantra of less consumption can also be applied to projection habits. How so? Well it essentially comes down to power consumption. The more lumens you project, the more energy you use. So how can you reduce power usage? Two ways : Use Economy Modes and Shop Smart.

Economy Modes Good for Your Economy

If you’ve been shopping around for a projector, you have probably come across some products that feature “economy modes.” This feature was initially billed as a way to extend a projectors lamp life (and it can nearly double it), but busting from the fine print to the headline is the fact that Economy Modes also lower your projector’s power consumption.

Projectors don’t typically lose a lot of brightness in Economy Mode – usually only a 25-30% of their total lumen output – but they can significantly reduce energy consumption. For example, our featured projector the NEC NP901W drops from 310W usage to 260W in economy mode. So, when it’s an overcast day in the boardroom, economy mode is – as the name implies – more economical.

Quick Tip : If you want to be the greenest of the green, it might be worth considering lights-off projecting when the situation permits. Lights-off-projection has two benefits. First, fewer lumens are required to create a big and bright image in a dark room. And second, you’re not using any energy to light up the room.

Shop Smart

When it’s time to purchase a new projector there are a few eco-friendly factors to consider. The most significant decision in terms of energy usage is in the projectors energy consumption.

Unfortunately there are not “Energy Star” ratings for projectors just yet. But most manufacturers list the power usage in their complete specifications, so they are easy to compare. In general, brighter projectors use more energy than lower lumen products – although some of the micro-portable projectors may pull a little more juice to cool the projector. So, should you just buy the projector with the lowest energy consumption? Not exactly. The trick is to buy “only the brightness you need.”

How Many Lumens Do I Need?

If you already know how many lumens you need, then you can compare energy use by model. If a projector has an ecomony mode, you may see two values for lumen ratings. Pick a projector that gets most of what you need done in the eco mode. You’ll have a longer lamp life (reducing waste) and leave a little leeway if you need more brightness from time-to-time.

If you don’t know how many lumens you need, we have a team of seasoned Projector Experts who can help you determine with unusual accuracy the right lumens required for just about any application. So if you need to fill up the side of your house for an evening movie, they can tell you what you need. If you need to project to six people in a dark room, they can tell you the magic lumen number. So, if you need help deciding how many lumens you need, just give us a call at 888-248-0675.

Quick Tip : In your zeal to become green, don’t unplug your projector too quickly! You still need to give most projectors a minute or so to completely cool down before unplugging and storing them. You will know it’s ok to unplug them when you hear the fan stop turning. If you unplug your projector before it’s been properly cooled down, you may do damage to the lamp, shortening its life span and causing unnecessary waste.

Disposing of Unwanted Projectors and Electronics

Did you know that most electronics can be recycled? Odds are you did. But, what most of people don’t know is where to take their out-dated electronics. The EPA.gov website has information on how to dispose of most kinds of electronics. Both the electronics inside of the projector and the lamp module are recyclable. In fact, many projector lamps have some mercury in them, which means you are required to dispose of them properly. So when you remove that old lamp, be sure to follow the EPA recommended steps for proper disposal.

Some projector manufacturers have “trade-up” programs (like NEC’s Eco-Care), where you can send in your old projector for a discount on a new one. Some programs will take any old projector, while others only take trade-ins for their brand equipment. These programs are a wonderful idea, but don’t expect an enormous discount for your donation. The biggest benefit is that the manufacturers will be sure to properly dispose of your old equipment with less hassle for you.

Now Go Be Green!

These are just a few very basic things that can be done to make your AV greener. There are more ways to make your AV greener, particularly if you have a network that you can integrate your AV into. There are also some manufacturers that say they use greener production methods when building their projectors. But these are all topics for another newsletter. Stay tuned!

Quick Tip : When I was a kid, those crazy grown-ups used to say that it took more energy to turn a light off and back on again than it does to just keep it running. As it turns out, that isn’t exactly true. Mary Beth Gotti, manager of the GE Lighting and Electrical Institute in Cleveland, says that for all practical purposes, “it almost always makes sense to turn the lights off.” She continues, “From an environmental standpoint, the best way to save energy is to turn off the things that you’re not using.” (source Scientific American)