Help Buying a Projector

lumens
resolution
color accuracy

these are basic principles.
the ability to adjust the temperature of white can lower the brightness of the white and allow you to raise the overall brightness.
that way you bring the white back up.. but you also bring up the other colors too.

be certain you check the sharpness before you buy it, and do it at the distance your going to place the projector from the screen.
if you have to hold it, and the sales person cannot get the screen to look good.. you could always bring it closer to learn what the furthest distance is.
that might mean you move the projector up closer than what you originally intended to.
but if all you have to do is move the projector up closer 5 or 10 ft to get a really really good picture for a lower cost than the competition.. the moving of the projector should be welcomed.

Check out the Epson ProCinema 9700ub. Excellent picture quality, extremely felxible in placement with a 3 year warranty and includes a spare lamp and ceiling bracket.

You also should focus part of your budget on a good screen, it makes a difference. Just a reminder  

of course it could make a difference.

to be PERFECT..
you find out what shade of black or gray that your projector is missing.
and
if the color isnt too dark.. you buy your screen with that shade of black/grey.

obviously..
if the shade of color is a deep black, you wouldnt want to buy a black screen when it ruins the white and other colors.

anyways..
you could use the white to black scale to learn the color missing.
or
you could go the further step and do each color from dark to bright and see what shade of 'gamma' is missing.
then average the gamma numbers to find the 'middle' compromise.

your screen would then be the gamma color of that 'middle' average.



how do you find the 'gamma' color you ask?
well you should be looking at a greyscale picture to see what shade is missing or blending together.
you put the screen up that breaks the blending on the greyscale.

you could do this with a test pattern and a bunch of different projector screens.
generally.. your gamma should reflect the greyscale to some degree.
if it doesnt..
you get those colors on the display.. and you find a screen that breaks the blending part.

all of the primary colors go from dark to bright.
you simply need a picture that shows all of the thousands of different shades in between.
when you look at the fade from dark to bright.. you will see some of the colors blurring together.
your screen color should help break that blending blur.

once you do that.. it will be as perfect as possible.
but
you might want to check on it again every 3 years to see if your screen is dirty or if you need a new color screen.
- the bulb could have changed
- the projector might have settled into its new home
- the projector might need an adjustment

keep the screen in case it is the bulb going bad.
when you replace the bulb (if you replace the bulb)
you will have the other screen to bring the final gamma back to something calibrated once again.

thnax