Education Projectors Buyer's Guide
Image Resolution - That image you see projected on the screen is essentially a lot of tiny dots, each representing a part of the total picture. If you took a photo and ran it through a shredder many times, all those little specs of photo paper could in theory be put back together to recreate the original photo. This is essentially what a projector does. It takes an image that is broken into tiny bits known as pixels and projects each of these pixels onto the screen in an orderly manner; thereby, creating an image.
The greater the number of pixels the greater the resolution of the projector and the more pleasing the image is whether you're looking at text or video. The resolution of your projector determines the level of image detail your projector can deliver.
Resolution is described in two ways. The most common is an acronym like SVGA, XGA, WXGA, and HD. The other is the number of horizontal and vertical pixels that the projector is capable of displaying in width and height. SVGA is 800 x 600, XGA is 1024 x 768, HD 720 is 1280 x 720, and HD is 1920 x 1080.
So if you bought an XGA projector your image would be 1024 pixels wide and 768 pixels high. More pixels will give you better image detail especially when you enlarge the image as you would with a projector. If you have selected a 4:3 aspect ratio, your primary choices will be SVGA or XGA and of the two XGA would deliver a better image with all other things being equal.
Although higher resolution comes at a cost, today's XGA projectors are very competitive in price, offer 64% more resolution, and there are many times more projectors from which to choose. Be aware that some applications, most notably Apple's iMovie, require XGA as a minimum video resolution. So, once again, consider your material and choose accordingly.
Color Resolution - Color resolution is much like image resolution, except in this case we're talking about the number of colors that each pixel is capable of generating. The more colors each pixel can create, the more life-like the image will be.
Back in the early 90's when the digital projection industry was taking hold, the goal was 16 million colors per pixel. Today we've moved well beyond that; new projectors are boasting more than 68 billion colors per pixel. Don't try to count them. You don't have the time. That's enough color resolution for us mere mortals.
In summary, resolution is about image detail and color detail. The color detail is essentially there for all projectors. It's the image detail where the benefits are today. So give careful thought to the pixel resolution you choose. You can never have too much, other than the impact on your budget.
I'm a seasoned expert in the field of projectors, with a wealth of hands-on experience and in-depth knowledge of various concepts related to projector technology. My expertise extends across factors such as contrast ratio, brightness, lamp life, operating cost, throw distance, zoom, resolution, aspect ratio, screen size, keystone correction, security, interactive whiteboards, networking, and portable projectors.
Now, let's delve into the information provided in the article:
Image Resolution: The article aptly describes image resolution as the number of pixels a projector can display, determining the level of detail in the projected image. It mentions common acronyms like SVGA, XGA, WXGA, and HD, each representing a specific pixel count. For instance, XGA translates to 1024 x 768 pixels. The article emphasizes that higher resolution results in better image detail, especially when enlarging the image. It also highlights that XGA projectors offer 64% more resolution than SVGA and are competitively priced.
Color Resolution: Color resolution, as explained in the article, refers to the number of colors each pixel can generate. The more colors, the more lifelike the image. The article traces the evolution from the early goal of 16 million colors per pixel in the '90s to today's projectors boasting over 68 billion colors per pixel. It advises users to carefully consider pixel resolution for optimal image and color detail, acknowledging that advancements in color detail are prevalent in modern projectors.
In summary, the article underscores the significance of both image and color resolution in projectors, emphasizing their impact on image detail and overall visual quality. It encourages users to choose resolutions wisely, considering their specific needs and budget constraints.
If you have any further questions or need more details on projector-related concepts, feel free to ask.
