---   TIPS ON BRIGHTNESS   ---


Tips on Projector Brightness Needs
 -- Jim Gelder, Projectorian.com


In addition to resolution, brightness is one of the most important considerations when selecting a projector.


Light output varies a great deal between projector units, but projectors with more light output tend to be more expensive.


The brightness of the room, the size of the screen, and the detail of the presentation will all determine how bright a projector you will need. However, this is one area where more is almost always better.


Several different factors make up how much brightness you need to get a good picture. The size of the image you're projecting onto the screen will determine your light requirements, since if you have a larger viewing area (bigger screen), the light is spread over a bigger area and is therefore diminished.


More light is necessary for a larger screen. Another consideration is room light. Turning off the light during a presentation isn't always an option, especially in a business setting, where participants may need to take notes or refer to printed material in front of them. But operating in a lighted room will require a brighter projector.


You can always vary the amount of ambient light in the room to achieve better results. In some cases, just dimming the lights in the room slightly will yield a significantly better picture on the screen, and will eliminate the need to spend money on a new projector with a higher lumen rating.


The type of projector you have will also make a difference. Projectors will use either LCD or DLP technology, but an LCD projector will usually yield a better image than a DLP projector with the same lumen rating.


The screen itself can also have an impact. A projector screen with a high degree of reflectiveness is good for making a projector with a low lumen rating look better. The type of presentation will also make a difference. If the presentation is going to include a lot of detail, such as spreadsheets and small print, a projector with greater brightness is in order.


Projector lighting is measured in ANSI lumens. For the purpose of comparison, a 100 watt light bulb will create 1,200 lumens. A projector with a higher lumen rating will generate a brighter and more vivid picture - although the size of the picture also makes a difference. The effective brightness will be diminished when the image is projected onto a larger screen.


The least expensive projectors will have less than 1,000 lumens. This will be best for presentations that can be made in a darkened room. Projectors with between 1,000 and 2,000 lumens are better for a conference room, and although dimming the lights may be advantageous, it is not necessary to turn off the lights completely with a projector that has this rating.


For higher-performance tasks, a projector with 2,000 to 3,000 lumens is ideal for a larger conference room, and this type of projector will work well in a room with the lights on. There are projectors with lumen ratings of over 3,000 lumens, which are used in very large rooms and auditoriums, but this would probably be overkill for ordinary conference room or classroom presentations.





In my travels I came acorss a site that offered a decent amount of information on ANSI lumens that you may find useful as well as a chart you can use when deciding what brightness level you need based on the type of room you will use most often.