5 things I’ve learned from having a projector

I have enjoyed the projector I have bought. My first one and I wanted to share 5 things that may help you determine what kind of projector you should buy.

1. Whatever you buy first you are going to be unhappy with. I am not dissatisfied with this projector, but eventually, I will want to try different features of newer projectors. When you are a tech-curious person or early adopter you want to see the progress technology has made. I love the fact that the short-throw projector can show such a big image in such a small area. I think that is pretty awesome.
2. Placement and adjustment are everything. I have messed around with the settings almost constantly and it is remarkable how even a minimal change in the projector makes a huge difference on the screen. I was familiar with some of the projector technology from using projectors at work, but they have come such a long way. The unit I bought weighs about the same as an average laptop, and it is quieter and more pleasant than I remember projectors being in the past. Honestly, I can’t understand why someone would want the bother of having a TV these days. It is so convenient.

3. 

   Consider what is most important to you. I liked the fact that the projector I bought came in a carrying case and would be easy to transport. Since I live in an apartment, I can’t mount a screen on a wall, so the outdoor stand is acceptable to the landlord. Even though it looks ridiculous what it does is so remarkable. At night and when it is dark during the day the image quality is amazing. For me who has glasses and doesn’t care and can’t perceive every pixel a 4k screen/projector is overkill. When I bought the TV I had my first 4k screen and I was underwhelmed. I think 4k for people with glasses is probably more hype than reality, and certainly isn’t required.

4. Support is key. I contacted support when I had a question about a bit of fuzziness that I noticed in the very extreme lower right corner. It is not noticed when you watch a movie, just when you have a screen full of text like this WordPress UI shared via their HDMI cable. They tested it and said it was working as designed. Ok. For me, it is a non-issue because I rarely look at the lower right corner and when I do it is clear enough to do what I need.
5. Be conservative with the expectation of performance in strong light conditions. The way the screen is set up at my apartment is that the screen is facing my desk and the back of the screen is facing the window. It is about 15 feet from the window so it is not getting direct light, but reflected light from the light-colored white/greyish walls. During the day it makes it less contrast than at night, but this is not an issue for me. I can still see what I need very well, and I have bought a room divider and have blackout curtains that I am going to hang in front of the window. That will be a bonus. Still, right now I have no problem making out the text or video and in many ways, it is better than the almost $1000 TV that I bought a year ago.
   1. How is it better than a $1000 TV? The biggest problem that I had with the TV was reflections. I wear glasses and that tends to reflect things even though I have an anti-reflective coating on it. Every TV I have ever had including the most expensive one, had reflections on the screen. I tried to minimize that by keeping the curtains closed as much as I could, but when I did that then it was difficult to have meetings where I was seen. So I would half open the curtains so there would be enough light for people to see me on the camera. However, that meant that the TV reflection would make it harder to read and just like a computer monitor the reflections were often distracting.

Projectors are the future of home entertainment and monitors. I can’t wait to see the improvements.