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Best Video Projectors 2012

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Top Rated Video Projectors 2012

Video projector's have long been used as a presentation tool in business and commercial entertainment, and in some expensive high-end home theater systems. Today however,Top Rated Video Projectors are becoming far more available and affordable for the average person.

Currently are two major types of Video Projectors: DLP (Digital Light Processing), and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). additionally, other variants of LCD projection technology are: LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon), D-ILA (Digital Imaging Light Amplification - developed by JVC), and SXRD (Silicon Crystal Reflective Display - developed by Sony). If you are contemplating a projector for your home theater, you'll find them best suited for watching HD sports, DVDs, or Blu-ray movies.

If you normally just view regular TV, an LCD/DLP projector might be an overly expensive option as the bulb (light source) generally need to be replaced after about 3,000 hours of viewing, with some new projectors offering upwards of 4,000 hours plus of bulb life.

Video projector replacement lamps can cost $200 or more, and in some models up to $800 or more, so if you compare that with an LCD or Plasma TV you normally have a life of 60,000 hours or more, albeit with a smaller screen.

I would recommend a smaller easily manageable unit since portability offers some advantages and not just enabling you to move or travel with your projector, but will simplify installation and setup. It also makes it easy to try different screen sizes, distances, and different rooms to see what works best.

A portable projector will even allow you to hang a sheet on an exterior wall or garage door in nice weather and enjoy your own drive-in movies or have a sports party in your backyard to watch your team with friends and neighbours.

Best Video Projectors

Remember without sufficient brightness your projected image will appear muddy and soft, even in a dark room. Make sure to check the ANSI Lumens rating. In general, projectors with 1,000 ANSI Lumens or greater have sufficient brightness for home theater use. In addition room size and screen size relative to distance will also affect the need for more or less lumens.

In conjunction with brightness contrast ratios deliver whiter whites and blacker blacks. A projector may have a great Lumens rating, but if the contrast ratio is low, you image will appear washed out. Contrast ratios of at least 1,500:1 are good, but 2,000:1 or higher is considered excellent.

When comparing video projectors pixel density is a very important factor. LCD/DLP projectors have a fixed number of pixels. If most of your viewing is HDTV, it's important to get as high a native pixel count as possible (ideally 1920x1080). A native pixel count of 1024x768 would be sufficient for DVD. However, 720p HDTV signals require a 1280x720 pixel count for native display, while a 1080i HDTV input signal needs a native pixel count of 1920x1080. If you have a Blu-ray Disc player, consider a projector with 1920x1080 native pixel resolution and the ability to the display the 1080p format.

Be certain the projector you choose has the inputs you need, such composite and S-video for analog sources, component inputs for DVD, and DVI or HDMI inputs for HD sources. Most projectors now also have VGA-type inputs for linking to computers.

Top Sellers in Video Projectors

Top Rated LCD Video Projector

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8350 (V11H373120)

Find Out More About the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8350 (V11H373120)

It's interesting to note that as I write this review that this model is both the best selling AND top rated LCD Video projector. Often you'll find that best sellers are dominated by lower priced models. This suggests to me that this is an outstanding choice for those looking for a high quality LCD video projector.

The Epson Powerlite 8350 boasts extremely sharp, crystal-clear detail with an impressive contrast ratio up to 50,000 to 1 which results in brilliant images, both day or night resulting from 2000 lumens color and white light output. This projector gives a high-definition, 1080p home theater experience with the D7 chip which delivers precise 1920 x 1080 resolution with excellent detail and rich realistic color.

This model is extremely easy to set up and also very quiet in it's operation as the fan is barely audible even in complete silence. If you are looking for an 8, 10 or 12 foot display to enjoy movies, sports or gaming you'll be very pleasantly surprised by the clarity and contrast achieved even in bright rooms.

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080p Projector

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080p Projector
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Top Rated DLP Video Projector

Optoma HD20 High Definition 1080p DLP Home Theater Projector

Find Out More About the Optoma HD20 High Definition 1080p DLP Projector

This is a very reasonable price point for a 1080P resolution projector which is conveniently portable and simple to set up for most video applications. Brightness and contrast are quite good for a DLP unit and fan noise is reasonable but may take some getting used to if you are used to watching a flat screen TV. This projector is an excellent option for those concerned with price ... it's a great value!

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