Home Theatre Projectors Buyers Guide

Choosing a Home Theatre Projector.

What brightness level do I require?

The standard unit of measurement for projector brightness is the ANSI Lumen, created by the American National Standards Institute. This measures the average brightest white a projector can achieve and is a great way of comparing how bright each projector will be. Unfortunately, some smaller brands choose to measure in “lumens” instead of “ANSI Lumens”. Be careful and check the advertised measurement is ANSI Lumens as some brands will exaggerate a ‘Lumen’ measurement quite significantly. (We have seen some advertised 8000 Lumen projectors measure less than 500 ANSI Lumens).

For darker ‘home theatre’ areas the Home Theatre projectors advertising brightness levels between 1500 and 3000 ANSI Lumens are normally ideal. These won’t handle a large amount of ambient light but can give excellent contrast and colour. For brighter rooms, open plan areas, and large lounge rooms, it can be wise to consider at a brighter model. There are plenty of home theatre models now featuring between 3000 and 4500, ANSI Lumens brightness… perfect for those rooms that cannot be fully darkened.

How much do I need to know about image quality?

Should I ceiling mount my projector?

Are There any 3D Projectors?

Yes. The 3D viewing feature is available on many home theatre projectors. To get 3D running you will need:

• A 3D compatible projector.
• Active shutter 3D glasses that are compatible with the projector you have purchased. (Those cheap glasses from the local cinema are 'passive' so will not work).
• A 3D compatible HDMI cable (most modern HDMI cables are fine)
• 3D Bluray player
• A 3D Bluray Disk

Almost all 3D Compatible DLP type projectors (such as BenQ, Optoma, Acer, Infocus) will use DLPLINK type 3D Glasses. Brands such as Epson tend to use IR, RF, or Bluetooth type glasses.

What Inputs/Connections should I use?

How do I set up my Audio?

Many home projectors will have a small speaker inbuilt; this can be handy for movies on the go and for small rooms. These speakers are normally 5-10 watts power, like that of a small TV. For larger rooms, or if you simply want some good quality audio, we recommend the use of separate speakers.

A 5.1 or 7.1 home audio solution is best way to experience amazing surround sound at home. Just Projectors offers a range of bundles of speakers and receivers, or you can build your own. A good quality Receiver (also called an Amplifier) will let you connect multiple sources/players at once, decode your surround sound audio signals, send audio to the individual speakers, and connect the video up to the projector through a HDMI cable. This type of system does take more work to install but the audio quality is amazing. Please visit our speakers page to see our bundles.

Another option, that is far easier and cheaper to install, is a Sound Bar. You can view our range of projector compatible Sound Bars on our Sound Bars page. A Sound Bar can sit on a shelf or TV unit under your screen, or even mount to the wall. Basic sound bars can cost around $250-300 with higher quality options over the $1K mark. Projectors work a little differently to a TV, so when choosing a Sound Bar be sure to select one that features both a HDMI and a separate HDMI OUT port. Often the Sound Bar’s that feature a single HDMI eARC port will not work with a projector.

What is an LED or Laser Projector?

The majority of home theatre projectors will feature an inbuilt lamp that, at some point in the projectors life, will need to be replaced. Most modern projectors feature a very long lamp life so you may only need to replace the lamp once every 2-3 years depending on the use. Lamp-Free projectors, such as LED and Laser, have existed for quite a long time but more recently have become better value, higher quality, and more suitable for home theatre applications.

A projector using a laser or LED does not have a replaceable lamp so has much lower ongoing costs. Projectors with a laser light tend to be brighter than the LED versions although this will change as the technology evolves so always check the advertised ANSI Lumens rating on the projector. Whilst a projector with one of these lamp-free technologies is cheaper to run it does not always mean the projector is better in every way; Features, Colour Reproduction, Brightness, Contrast, and Image Processing will vary between each home theatre projector. Lamp based projectors are still the most common type for home theatre use and, for many clients, could still be the best option. There are also UST projectors also known as Laser TV's which are a new comer to the projector market. 

What else should I look out for when buying?

There are some very cheap projectors ($100-$500) being advertised by some retailers as being great for home theatre. These offer extremely low resolutions, very poor quality optics, and low image quality. At Just Projectors, we have declined offers from our suppliers to sell these projectors as we feel they simply do not offer the quality that is required for home movies. As with all things, you get what you pay for.

What projectors do you recommend for home theatre?

Our staff are constantly on the look out for great quality home theatre projectors that also offer amazing value. The below list is updated regularly with projectors our experts believe are the best home theatre projectors available today. We know it can be difficult to pick the best one for you so if you need assistance please send us an email with your requirements, we are happy to help.