WARNING! Don’t buy your next projector until you read this! |
You want a projector that is going to do exactly what you need it to do and you don’t want to pay any more than you need to. But before you set out to buy your projector there are a few things that you may want to consider. |
YOUR PROJECTOR WARRANTY; |
First consider the warranty, some projector have just a one year warranty while others have three or even five year warranties and you know as well as I that the longer the warranty usually means a better built machine. Also consider if the projector is going to be installed in a conference room or home theater. Spending extra money for mounts and labor for installation on a projector which only has a one year warranty usually is not a good idea. You are usually better off spending a little extra money for a projector with a longer warranty for a projector that is going to be installed. One year warranty projectors usually will only last a little over one year. |
Glass or Plastic Lens in your Projector |
Consider the importance of your presentations and the quality of your images you wish to present. Some projectors use high quality glass optics where other low cost projector use low quality plastic lenses which can distort your projected image as the lens warms up. Manufactures must cut cost somewhere when they are producing a low cost projector and using plastic lenses is one way to do it. |
Be Aware of Gray Market Projectors |
Also be aware of Gray Market projectors, these are projectors which were meant to be sold overseas but were imported to the US. Some manufactures will not cover Gray Market items. These projectors must be shipped overseas to be repaired or you will need to pay a technician to repair it. |
Don't get caught with a Black Market Projector! |
You must also look out for Black Market items. A growing number of electronic items are now being manufactured in China and other countries which are counter fit. These items look just like the original but are made of inferior components and are not covered by any type of warranty. These are copy-cat projectors which are not made by the original manufacturer. |
Filters are a must... |
Higher quality projectors usually have filters on the air intake to filter out dust and dirt. Keeping the inside of the projector free from dust particles which allow it to last longer, run cooler and your image quality will be clear and free from dust. |
Get the Right Projector |
One of the most important things to consider is will the projector do the job, will it be bright enough, will the image be clear, with good color saturation. Just like sound systems need to be sized to the space they are to be used in projectors also need to be selected for the space they will be used in. You wouldn't put a boom-box in an auditorium full of 5,000 people, the same is true of projectors. |
What features should you consider? |
Also consider the features you will need or will not need. Do you need power-zoom and power-focus, or would manual zoom and focus do the job just fine. How about lens shift, some higher end projectors have both vertical and horizontal lens shift. Lens shift allows you to move the image vertically and horizontally without moving the projector, this can be very important for some installation situations. Also consider vertical and horizontal keystone correction, but did you know that any type of keystone correction will distort your image and should be avoided at all costs. You should design your AV system so that your projector can be mounted so that keystone correction is not needed. |
DLP or LCD |
| DLP and LCD is another feature you may want to consider. A 2,000 lumen LCD projector will look brighter than a 2,000 lumen DLP projector. Both technologies produce good images and reliability is also very close. Because DLP and LCD are so close in quality these day I would put more importance on the other features of the projector, like filters, lens shift, cost, etc. |
Are they an Authorized Dealer? |
| You also want to make sure you buy a projector from an authorized dealer and preferably one that buys their projectors directly from the manufacturer, which would eliminate the possibility of getting a gray market or black market projector. |
Installation |
| Installation is another thing to consider. If you will be installing the projector yourself or if your going to hire someone to install it, it's a good idea to purchase you projector from a company that does installs so they can make sure you will not only get the right projector for the job but also make sure you will also have all the miscellaneous items like which you will also need for a correct install. Some companies will have their own staff of AV systems designers that can design a complete AV system for you and provide the support once it’s complete. |
Support after the sale! |
| Support after the sale is always important. There is nothing more disappointing than purchasing an item only to find out after the sale that there is little to no support for the product. You either have only email support in which you rarely get an answer or you have a phone number which is not toll free and you must wait on hold for what seems to be ages all at your cost. |
Rental, Demo, Remanufactured and Returns |
| When you purchase your new projector make sure your really not getting a rental, demo, remanufactured or customer returned projector. |
| In Conclusion: |
| National Projector is here to help you avoid the pitfalls above. We only purchase NEW projectors directly from the manufacturer. We have AV Systems Designers on staff to help you plan and design the right AV system for your needs and we back everything we sell on our site with FREE Toll-Free technical support for as long as you own the product. Our prices are competitive but our service is unmatched! We do our best to provide our customers with the absolute best customer service so that they want to return again and again, and also refer their friends. |
Best Regards, P. S.: Remember where here to help! Your success is our success so give us a call toll free 1-800-600-5405 or drop us an email. |