Short Throw Projectors

When choosing a short-throw projector, first consider what it will be used for

Film projectors

As movies are filmed in widescreen resolution, projectors with an aspect ratio of 16:9 or 21:9 are ideal home-cinema devices, i.e. projectors with native resolution of HD (1024 × 768 pixels), Full HD (1920 × 1080 pixels) and 4K (3840 × 2160 or 4096 × 2160 pixels).
 

Office projectors for presentations

For projecting presentations, we recommend an aspect ratio of 16:10 or 4:3. Office projectors woth native WXGA resolution (1280 × 800 pixels) or higher provide sufficient image quality .

Read about the difference between the native and maximum resolution of the projector.

What else should I consider when choosing a short-throw projector?

Throw distance and diagonal size

Before buying a film projector, first determine how far from the screen or wall it will be placed. If the projector isn't placed within its optimum projection distance, it won't provide a sufficiently sharp image. Generally, the further you place the projector from the screen or wall, the larger the size of the projected image.

Luminosity

• Up to 2000 lumens - suitable for darkened rooms with minimal lighting.
• 2000-3000 lumens - recommend for less well-lit rooms.
• Over 3,000 lumens - provides a highly visible projection, even in daylight.

Technology

• DLP projectors - have excellent contrast and shadow detail. Compared with LCD projectors, they require less maintenance (no need to clean the dust). The disadvantage is that fast moving objects may cause a rainbow effect on the canvas.
  • With halogen lamp - compared with LED projectors, they are often larger in size with higher luminance and power consumption.
  • With LEDs - generally smaller in size; they offer low power consumption, but also lower luminosity.
• LCD projectors - outstanding colour reproduction. Compared with DLP projectors, they are more prone to rainbow effect but are quieter. They are also slightly more difficult to maintain (some models have a dust filter, which must be cleaned from time to time).