How to Choose a Portable Digital Projector

With prices dropping and display technology improving, a portable digital projector isn't just for the boardroom and is becoming an attractively priced choice for home theater use. Keep in mind that a portable digital projector is built for business presentations, so it will perform best with text and slow-moving images. Pay a little more (and pay more attention to the specs), and the investment in a portable digital projector turns from a business need to a portable entertainment system.

Start shopping for a portable digital projector by looking at lumens. Lumens measure the amount of brightness, and higher numbers equal a brighter picture. Most portable digital projectors offer between 300 and 1,500 lumens of brightness. Portable digital projectors with fewer lumens are better for dark rooms and smaller screen sizes. If you plan to use the portable digital projector in a fully lit room or need a larger projection area, look for a portable digital projector with 1,500 lumens or more.

Portable Digital Projector Displays
Portable digital projectors come in different resolutions and use different technologies to create the image. As with projection TVs, LCD and DLP are the two dominant portable digital projector display technologies.

LCD, or liquid crystal display, uses silicon chips coated with liquid crystal to create the image. LCD is excellent for static images but can struggle with motion. DLP uses a tiny image magnified through thousands of microscopic mirrors and a rotating color wheel to create the image. DLP is a better choice for video and has deeper black levels than LCD, which makes your presentations look sharper.

If you choose an LCD portable digital projector, balance the cost against the contrast ratio, which is the difference between the brightest whites and the darkest blacks. Better LCD portable digital projectors have a contrast ratio of 1,000:1 or higher, which enhances sharpness and adds to the expense. For slide presentations and static images that aren't too busy, you'll find that a portable digital projector with a contrast ratio of 400:1 is a cost-effective solution.

Resolution measures the number of pixels in a portable digital projector's display. The higher the resolution, the better the image quality and the more you'll pay for the portable digital projector.

SVGA portable digital projectors have a 4:3 screen with a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels, the same as most older computer monitors and televisions. This is the format that most people are accustomed to, and these portable digital projectors are a good pick if you'll be displaying PowerPoint slides or static graphic and text presentations.

For video and moving images, a portable digital projector with XGA resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels is a better choice. These portable digital projectors support DVD-quality resolution and they're also better at displaying small text and numbers, which is a must for graphs and spreadsheets. You can also use a high-quality XGA portable digital projector for standard-definition movie viewing.

WXGA portable digital projectors offer the 16:9 aspect ratio found on widescreen TVs and monitors and can deliver high-definition 720p images. These are the most expensive portable digital projectors available, but prices have come down significantly in recent years. For around $1,000, you can get a portable digital projector that will work brilliantly for presentations and double as a home-theater projector when you're away from the office.

A portable digital projector won't compete with an HDTV front projector that produces a 1080p image, and it may show some motion blur or ghosting with fast-moving images, such as live sports or action movies. If you can live with these issues, a portable digital projector will allow you to enjoy a much larger home theater image without the high price tag of a larger flat-screen HDTV.

Lens Considerations
The lens on a portable digital projector can affect the sharpness of the projected image, but most projector lenses are up to the task in smaller spaces. For most consumers, the choice lies between a plastic or glass lens. Although glass lenses add to the weight of a portable digital projector, they're more durable and deliver sharper images. Look for a lens with a manual focus wheel that's easy to adjust and firm enough to hold its position.

Presenters who work frequently in large auditoriums will need to consider the maximum image size of the lens in a portable digital projector. Distortion increases along with the size of the projected image, so you'll need a portable digital projector with a lens designed for larger screens. Be aware that all but the most expensive portable digital projectors will struggle with images larger than 100 inches diagonal.

Essential Portable Digital Projector Features
If you're taking a portable digital projector on the road, you want it to be lightweight and easy to set up. DLP portable digital projectors weigh less than LCD models, but you'll pay a lot more for the weight savings. It's better to focus on image quality and connectivity than weight.

Look for buttons placed on top of a portable digital projector, which are easier to reach during a presentation. Connection options should include VGA ports for PCs and composite video or HDMI along with analog video for the greatest flexibility. If you're shopping for a WXGA portable digital projector, DVI inputs are an acceptable alternative to HDMI, but be aware that you'll need a DVI to HDMI adaptor that can add $50 to the cost.

LCD portable digital projectors are a little more forgiving than DLP models when it comes to setup. Most DLP portable digital projectors need to be set at the proper height and distance from the projection surface to create a flat image.

Portable digital projectors need lamps to produce light, and these lamps need to be replaced periodically. When comparing portable digital projectors, learn the cost of replacement lamps and average lamp life, and factor the number of lamps you'll need over the next three to five years to determine the lifetime cost of ownership.

A portable digital projector should come with a durable, shock-resistant case that can withstand airport carousels and unintentional drops. For portable digital projectors that include remote controls, look for a built-in laser pointer.

You may want to get a separate screen, but you can do without one if the portable digital projector has 1,400 or more lumens of brightness. These portable digital projectors will work well against a white wall.

Some portable digital projectors include speakers. This is helpful if your presentation includes audio, but the speakers are only intended for use in small rooms, so think about where you'll use the portable digital projector before spending extra for sound.