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Wireless Projectors, Zoom Lenses and More
 -- Jim Gelder, Projectorian.com


The most obvious factors you will consider when purchasing a projector are resolution, brightness, and portability. However, there are many other features that you will want to consider as well when making your decision.


The state of technology has advanced a great deal in projectors over the past few years, and modern units have many new features that will make your presentation go more smoothly.


One of the more convenient features is wireless capability. Cable clutter is a common problem in the conference room, wireless overcomes this problem and makes for a smoother setup.


In addition, when your presentation is over, there's no need to gather up cables. The wireless function also makes it much easier to switch between multiple PC servers, which can be very useful when you have multiple people making presentations from their own laptops.


A zoom lens can also be very useful, especially in portable applications. A standard projector without zoom will have to be physically moved around to adjust the size of the picture, the zoom factor will let you adjust a stationary unit. Some of the lightest portables have zoom functions, but they do tend to be limited. A greater zoom factor will make it easier for you to adjust your image size to fit the screen. One of the more modern features is a built-in digital camera, which can send an image directly from the camera to the projector.


Another good feature is keystone correction. Keystoning is what happens when the projector is set up to project an image to a screen on an angle, instead of straight on. The resulting image is slightly distorted. If your presentation room is limited, it may not be possible to set the projector immediately in front of the screen, so keystone correction will prove very useful in making an adjustment to correct for this anomaly. Some units have a lens shift feature, which accomplishes the same thing by physically adjusting the angle of the lens.


Computer compatibility is less of an issue than it used to be, but make sure that the projector and PC have the same resolution. However, do consider the connectivity factor. Most PCs will accommodate a direct connection between the PC and the projector, but the Macintosh may require an adapter. Find out ahead of time whether an adapter will be needed. Also, you may need to have multiple inputs if you want to connect more than one computer to the projector.


It is often useful to be able to connect two computers, or a desktop and a laptop for example, to the projector at the same time. The power supply may also be a consideration if you are traveling to foreign countries. Some projectors will offer a universal power supply that automatically switches between 110 and 220 volts to accommodate both European and American systems.


If you plan to purchase a larger, fixed model, you may wish to mount it from the ceiling for greater convenience. If you plan to do this, make sure that a ceiling mount is available for the particular model you are considering.





While most people don't need a ton of bells and whistles on their projectors, some do. If you want to see the latest in gadgetry in regards to projectors, check out this article on ultraportability. You can also find some good information about the wireless projector revolution at pcworld.com.