Avoid these 7 common PROJECTOR buying mistakes

This video was removed/reposted to correct a factual error about throw ratio. Thanks to subscriber @Paul Vail for pointing it out.

I'm looking for a projector just to watch the odd movie on and mainly mirror my holiday videos from my android phone. I have trouble mirroring them to my TV( breaking up, freezing etc) . With a budget of £300/350, can you recommend a choice please?

Really great summary - I would just stress one more thing about brightness: More brightness from the projector means more light bouncing around the room and if you have white walls and ceiling, you will have nothing even approaching real black even at night with the room lighting turned off. It will look ok in dark secens, but any brighter scene will light up your whole room and instead of staying immersed in the movie you will see the room as if someone just turned on the ceiling lamp. That's why it's better to choose a lower-brightness projector or a grey screen for such rooms - even if it seems to you that the image is not particalurly bright, after a minute your eyes adjust and you will enjoy the depth and immersion.

With ambient lighting, you're not going to achieve a cinema experience without closing the curtains anyway and the picture will always be inferior to a TV. Just get a cheaper TV for casual day-watching and a low-brightness projector with white screen or a higher-brightness projector with a grey screen for the evening big-screen watching when you can turn off the lights and really enjoy it. That's what projectors are for and they're not good at pulling double duty.

Those prices are ridiculous! Are those China inflation prices?

Impressive, Mike! I like how you design it. 👏🏼

Wish I'd of seen this before I bought my current projector. Was actually searchign for a way to make my pc pair using wifi to my profector like it says can be done but doesn't work. I paid like 100 with tax for mine and it look good IMHO but still more knowledge would've been helpful before hand.

Very concise and well explained presentation. Thank you for this.

I am looking at the Casiris Omnistar L80 with fixed 120 in Screen! It claims to have 1500 ANSI lumens but possibly might be a little loud on fan noise... Do you think this will be good for outdoor late afternoon evening movie, ball games? Do you have any experience with this company or this unit?

Great video, I was about to make just about every mistake covered in the video 😅

What about 720p projectors

Excellent video.
I would like to hear your thoughts on the Paris Rhône SP005 True 4K Ultra HD Projector going on sale currently. Thanks.

maybe mention how you connect it to sound source

Is the epson CO-FH02 good for a home theater in a bedroom? It says 3000lumens so 1250Ansi. I would have approximately 2-2,5 meters .

It feels that Laser wont be good for your eyes in the long run.

Hi this was a very informative video I was kind of surprised actually of how in-depth it went.
Thank you

Great video. Thanks. Just bought a cheap projector but I'm thinking it will suffice based on the things you just mentioned. Will really just connect it to my laptop.

Your vids are SO helpful. THANK YOU!

1) Brightness
More light in room better
- ANSI Lumens matters (LUX is by square area)
- LED lumens = Nits
- Light source to ANSI x0.015
- LED to ANSI /2.4
- Outside required, of course, more ANSI Lumens which is higher price
- Depends on how dark is the room. More dark requires less ANSI lumens

2) Buy planning fixed location
DO NOT BUY Portable projector due to less performance
Portable?? Then look a xGimi Halo Plus spec.
Not Portable?? Then Optoma GT1080HDR spec.

3) Picking the wrong Light source
A) HID Bulb
- Only for once in a while projects
- Low cost
- High Brightness
- LOW LIFESPAN
- HIGH ENERGY
- MORE HEAT
B) Led
- For Replace TV projects
- Low cost
- Less energy
- High LIFESPAN
- LOWER BRIGHT unless you buy a good one
C) Laser
- For replace TV projects
- High Brightness
- Low energy
- Low heat
- High life span
- OF COURSE HIGH COST

4 ) Ignoring throw ratio
- Standard [1.0-1.5 Ex: 1.5 and 100" means 150" (3.81m)]
- Short [Ex: 0.5-0.7 100" x 0.5 = 50" (1.27m)]
- Ultra short 0.2-0.3 [Ex: 100" x 0.2 = 20"" (0.51m)], best option

5) Not buying a screen
Screen gain == 1.0 : all the light reflect back to the viewer
Screen gain < 1.0 : improves black levels by absorbing ambient light
Screen gain > 1.0 : Uses lensing to focus light from the projector to a narrower viewing angle (GOOD)
- Multiply by the Lumens Ex: gain 0.8 X 650 Lumens = 520 Lumens

6) Resolution means nothing
Bright and contrast matters
Native type
Shift type (DMD)

7) Smart functionality may not work
- Check NVIDIA Shield

Thinking of replacing my 82" TV with an LG Gru510N with a 120" (maybe 135") VIVIDSTORM ALR Slimline Motorized Tension Obsidian Long Throw ALR Projector Screen (.8 gain). Bright part of the house (though we do have blinds). We sit 16 feet away from the screen, would the 135" screen be too big and do you like the LG units? Thanks so much!

Vertical lens shift is extremely important as well. You should get a projector with 100% vertical shift where the projector lies flat and the bottom of the image will be level with the projector. If you don't have lens shift then you can't get the best picture from the projector by putting it on a table, or mounting it on the ceiling since you will need to adjust keystone correction and it's impossible to focus the entire image. In order to avoid keystone adjustment you must place the projector level with the middle of the image which means that the projector cannot be placed in front of you as it will block your view, the only option is to place it behind you, but then it will be you blocking the projector! So vertical lens shift is a must, but adjustable lens shift is a nice to have.
Edit: I realise after writing this that vertical lens shift may have been omitted from the video because it should almost be assumed that a projector has it. If you don't buy super cheap then it probably will and actually finding the cheapest projector with vertical lens shift is probably a good way to get good bang for your buck.

Just excelent, I am just ready to buy one, my 85 inches Hisense uled tv did die yesterday with big green flash 🧐😢

which ones play the most file formats

I use Projector Central, which is an online source that I mainly used for its "Throw distance calculator" that would tell you exactly how far away to place the projector to get the image size you want, but it also has an "Estimated Image Brightness" which shows you "nits" as well as messages like "Recommended image brightness for rooms with high ambient light", "Recommended image brightness for rooms with low ambient light" and if your projector is too far away it will say "Reduce image size. Image brightness is too low" (around 52 nits).

Is 7500 Lumens /150 ANSI Lumens ok ? i hope so i just ordered one from Ebay.

Then why leave this failed link up....... delete it !!

Hello !!! May you answer me 1 question.. I would like to have a portable projector. You recomended XGMI Halo + but this video is 1 year old. What do you think about Nebula Mark 3 1000 ANSI lumen 1080p for a presentation in a room. The constrac ratio is low 400:1 🤔
Thank in advance!!!

For a portable version the palm-sized KODAK Luma 150 Ultra Mini Pocket Pico Projector is the best for just over $200.

I bought a led projector. It's so bright , but the video isn't smooth. I have a 20 year old Epson that plays flawless. But at only 1024 x 768. I thought I was upgrading

What do you think about Acer h6531bd?

Do you still stand by your recommend products in the description?

Heyo, I'd like some help if you could offer.

Anyway, I'd like to choose a projector for home-use case, it would probably serve as a 2nd monitor for my laptop (mainly watching movies or anime, or perhaps streams)
preferably under 500$ (tax included) (I have no idea if that's enough but I don't wanna spend too much) - more realistically, under 300$(tax included)
and it'd be used mainly during the night (closed curtains) - or when I feel like watching with projector
preferably available shipping to Czech Republic

recap:
1. use case: home
1.5: already have a speaker system, so if it had digi_out, that be great - HDMI in
2. budget: <300$ (tax included)
3. most likely short throw range
4. at night or when I feel like it
5. shipping to Czech Republic

Nice crisp video. thanks for making this

Great video ! ! ! ! Loved it. Thanks!

Hey! Love your videos I just subscribed. What do you think of the epson EF12 projector?

What projector do you personally use now in 2023? And what screen? I have watched a ton of your videos and trust your word. Thank you

I am a Sunday school teacher in Kenya at a remote area. I am actually in need of a projector to help the children learn the bible and interact with the world. Most of their parents cannot afford smart phones. There are nice interactive programs online and I hope to help them have the same experience as children elsewhere. If anyone has a second hand projector they are not using they can feel free to donate to us. Or if one can donate a projector for us we would be so greatful. I would like buy one for them but I can afford right now and it would be so far fetched to tell the church to buy one because of the bigger needs at our parish.

god i did not expect such elaborative video on youtoube - let alone about projectors - amazing video thanks!

Epson- you'll never fo wrong.

Fantastic job explaining projectors. Can't thank you enough. I knew a little but your clear and concise explanation certainly clarified and filled many of my knowledge voids. I just placed the order for the Wemax Vougue Pro Native for work. Lets hope it does the job. Congrats on every good video.

One big Point is the ability to zoom the image

Very informative video!
I'm currently looking to buy a projector and connect it to my gaming PC. So I got to ask you:
Does every projector with Wi-Fi can connect to a PC?

Good day! New subscriber here as I am going to setup a home theater. What size or projector screen do you recommend if my wall distance is about 8'5 inches? I figured that 100 inches would be too much and uncomfortable and now I'm stuck on thinking what size should I buy. Thank you so much for a very informative video! Cheers!

Hey bro can I get ur advice on a projector that I've been looking at but don't know if it's any good

Hurry up !!!

Barely anyone on YT doing super well explained info on projectors that seems trustworthy. Thank you!

Very informative, I learned a lot!

How do I find the proper chip for my projector?
I have an Optoma HD146X DLP Projector