When making the choice to invest in a video projector for the home, most people are drawn in by the allure of a large screen and a theater like experience. In other articles we have covered how important location and layout of a home theater is to the overall enjoyment of a home video projector. In this article we explore the pros and cons of the relatively low cost of a video projector versus the overall features and long term maintenance associated with them.
Video Projectors Cost Lest Initially But Have A Higher Maintenance Cost:
One major issue that can be of significant concern to people that leave their television on for long periods of time is that unlike LCD or Plasma television sets, video projectors have a very limited lamp life. Most LCD and plasma televisions are now rated at up to 50,000 hours of life while most video projector lamps are rated at between 2,000 and 4,000 hours. In addition, the plasma and LCD lamp life is only a "half-life" rating, meaning that after 50000 hours the lamp will be half as bright. This is not the case with a video projector. When the lamp dies, it must be replaced. If a consumer leaves their video projector on for several hours each night, they can expect to have to replace the projector's lamp once a year or so. Lamps for video projectors cost hundreds of dollars, are very fragile, and contain various nasty chemical substances that require them to be disposed of properly.
Additional Costs and Issues Associated With Home Video Projectors:
Video projectors are essentially bare bones video monitors. While most projectors have multiple inputs for computers, RCA video, and even component video, the vast majority do not have an over the air tuner, cable, or antenna inputs, so an external device such as a cable box, TiVo, or satellite receiver will be necessary to decode and process the HDTV signals. Some more recent video projectors now accept video wirelessly from a Wi-Fi equipped computer, however full motion video and audio is generally not possible in this manner. Special VGA or DVI cables will have to be run from the computer to the projector if it is to be used in this way. Video projectors also require a great deal of energy and time to warm up and cool down after use. While great improvements have been made in this area, startup times for video projectors still can last up to a minute in some cases. Upon shut down, a fan will continue to run to cool the lamp for several minutes.
Lastly, just like wall mounted televisions, not all video projectors can project full 1080p HDTV images. 1080p is currently the highest quality image signal being used by broadcasters in the United States. Be careful to read the specifications before purchasing any video projector and make sure that it can project 1080i and/or 1080p images. 1080p is the highest resolution HDTV image. Although not many programs are provided in 1080p at the current time it is always better to have the capability available should it be needed.
