The main things to consider when looking to rent a projector are:
Brightness
Resolution
Connectivity
Image Size
Throw Distance
We'll quickly go over all of these below:
BRIGHTNESS
Projectors come in a wide range of light outputs, which are measured in ANSI lumens or lumens for short. The brighter the projector, the higher the lumens. The brightness specification required depends on a few factors.
The amount of ambient light in the room: The brighter the room the high the brightness projector required. The screen size: Bigger screens require higher brightness Content being displayed: Presentations generally require higher brightness. Movie & Video applications are generally displayed in a darkened environment thus lesser brightness will suffice. Front or Rear Projection: If you are using a rear projection screen, you will require a brighter projector.
Typical Brightness Options
Entry Level Boardroom Projector – 2,500+ Lumens
High Brightness Boardroom Projector – 4,000+ Lumens
Conference Projector – 5,000+ Lumens
High Brightness Conference Projector – 7,500+ Lumens
Large Venue / Event Projector 10,000 – 20.000+ Lumens
RESOLUTION
In my opinion – the higher the resolution the better! Up until a few years ago, most standard rental projectors were XGA resolution (1024 x 768) but more recently WXGA, Full HD & WUXGA resolutions have become standard. The most important point to note is the shift here from 4:3 square format to 16:9 widescreen format. More detailed content i.e. spreadsheets, web pages, etc. will look better on higher resolution projectors. However, because there is more screen area, the content will also look smaller and therefore a larger image size may be required.
The resolution refers to how many pixels (W x H) are displayed on a screen. – SVGA (800×600) – XGA (1024×768) – WXGA (1280×800) – SXGA+ (1400×1050) – UXGA (1600×1200) – FULL HD 1080P (1920 X 1080) – WUXGA (1920×1200)
CONNECTIVITY
The most popular ways to connect to a projector are using HDMI & VGA cables. HDMI will support the High Definition signal as well as carrying audio to the projector. Other used connectors are S-Video, DVI, Composite.
Projector Rental Guide: Image Size & Throw Distance
Image size generally depends on audience size. For smaller events, the most popular is a 6' tripod screen. As a guide, this will cover an audience of up to 60 people. To determine the size of the screen you need, measure the distance from the screen to the audience member that will be farthest from the screen. Your screen height should be about 1/6 of that distance.
The throw distance is the distance from the projector to the screen. Consider whether there are any restrictions in relation to where the project can be positioned. Most projectors have a zoom lens which allows adjustment of the throw distance. Large conference & venue projectors have swappable lenses that provide much greater flexibility.
Need To Rent a Projector?
Need to rent a projector but have a question that you’d like answered? Want to speak to an AV expert? Then call us or email now for help with any projection related questions.
Comments