Office Projectors Buyers Guide

Choosing the right projector for your business.

Is there a difference between a home & business projector?

Yes. Whilst you can use a home or entertainment projector for business use these type of projectors tend to feature lower brightness levels so will require a darkened environment to get the best result. Business projectors (also called Data Projectors) tend to be brighter, allowing the user to present in an office without having to turn off the room lights. Select Data projectors can also include additional features such as Wireless Display and some models can be made very small for easy transport. Data projectors range significantly in performance depending on whether it is designed for portability, conference rooms, or large convention centre style spaces.

What brightness level do I require?

Brightness with digital projectors is universally measured in ANSI Lumens. The brightness level required in a standard size conference room can range considerably, depending on the screen size and ambient light. Traditionally a brightness level of 3000-4000 ANSI Lumens or more is sufficient for a standard screen size like 90" to 100" in a lit room. Your viewing environment will be a major factor in determining how bright your projector must be. A lower brightness can still be used, however the ambient light in the room may have to be lowered or the screen size reduced to ensure a clear image. The larger the screen, and the higher the ambient light is in the room, the more powerful the projector will need to be. If presenting in large conference venues (ie 30-150 pax) you would be best to consider a 5000 lumen projector, if you are in a very large venue requiring a large image size (ie 3-5 metres wide) then a large venue grade projector with 6000+ lumens would be best.

What Resolution is right for me?

A native resolution is essentially a measurement for the number of pixels being projected. Usually this is represented in a number of pixels width to height e.g. 1920 pixels width and 1080 pixels high. Projectors may accept signals higher and lower of the native resolution but will have to convert or compress the signal to display in the native resolution.

The most common measurements for education projectors are

• SVGA - 800x600 - For basic PowerPoint presentations with large font sizes. Is slowly being phased out.
• XGA - 1024x768 - Great for basic Powerpoint and video presentations. Also being phased out.
• WXGA - 1280x800 (HD) - Enough detail to handle smaller text or HD video e.g. Excel Spread Sheets
• WUXGA - 1920 x 1080 or 1920 x 1200 (Full HD) - Great detail, perfect for all presentations and high quality video's
• UHD - 3840 x 2160 (4K) - The newest and highest quality resolution. Great for very high quality projection such as CAD or highly detailed architectural drawings. Primarily this resolution is used for home theatre but there are some high-end business projectors starting to utilise this high resolution.

Are there Portable models available?

Yes definitely! Whilst most projectors tend to not be overly large there are some smaller models that are great for portable use. The smaller projectors tend to not be as bright as the larger models so you have to keep that in mind when selecting your new projector. If, for example, you are presenting to groups of 100 or more you would be best to stick with a brighter (and larger) projector to ensure the image will be large enough for everyone to see. If you are only presenting to a few people you could get away with a Mini or Pico projector.
There are a few classes of projectors as below:

• Mini Projectors -
  These range from tiny pocket projectors to the slightly larger units up to around 1.5kg. Most of these models will have brightness levels ranging from 200 up to 1500 lumens. These are great for small groups of 6-15 people.
• Portable Projectors -
  These tend to weight around 1-2kg and have 2000 to 3500 ANSI Lumens brightness. They can handle typical meeting room sized areas.
• Multipurpose Projectors -
  Represent the bulk of projectors with brightness levels between 3000-5000 lumens. Multipurpose models are great for conference rooms and small halls. They usually weigh around 3kg so are still easy to transport.
• Large Venue Projectors -
  Most large venue projectors will have brightness levels of 5000 lumens or more... some having well over 10,000 lumens. These projectors are great for larger conference venues but tend to weigh 5kg or more so are not as portable.

What do the PC Free and Wireless features mean?

PC Free and Wireless functions are two relatively new technologies to be included in select presentation projectors. PC Free allows the unit to project a presentation, image or some video files without the need to connect a computer or any other AV device. The correctly formatted files can be loaded onto a USB flash drive or SD Card, which is then connected directly to the projector. The projector can only read certain file types, some projectors may only be able to display a picture file while others can display some Microsoft PowerPoint slides or PDF files. PC Free is a great option for teachers that have many sessions or presentations a day and do not wish to carry around both a projector and a computer.

Wireless connectivity allows the projector to connect to a computer without the need for cabling. Wireless typically transmits at a low frame rate so is only suitable for presentations and photo's, not for motion (video/movies). There are several types of wifi technologies in use with Miracast currently being one of the most commonly used.

Is there anything else to look out for?

Do you sell to Government Departments?

Yes! Just Projectors regularly supplies to local, state, and federal government departments. Once you have decided on the products you require, you may attach your official purchase order to an email and send to sales@gmmultimedia.com.au. Please ensure your purchase order includes billing and delivery instructions and is signed by an authorised person. Payment terms for government departments is 30 days, however restrictions may apply depending on order size.

What projectors do you recommend for business?

The team at Just Projectors are constantly testing new releases to work out what are best for corporate use . Below we list a range of models we recommend for use in meeting rooms and conference venues. As always if you have any queries feel free to get in contact with us.