BRIGHTNESS

How bright should my projector be?

Projector brightness is measured in ANSI lumens. DLP and LCD projectors come in various sizes and brightness to fit the various needs of consumers.

Portable Projectors:

Ultra-portable projectors (range from around 800-2000 lumens in brightness. Low or lights-off presentations are generally considered less desirable, as they allow for less visual interaction with the audience. A projector with at least 800 lumens is desirable for use in rooms where there will be little ambient light. You should also consider the size of your typical audience when selecting the right brightness. Larger audiences require larger images, which also require higher lumen output.

• 800 lumens for lights-off, low ambient light, presentations
• 1000 lumens with some ambient light - becoming the standard
• 2000 lumens with bright ambient light

Training/Conference Room Projectors

Typically, the brightest projectors (around 2500-7000 lumens) are slightly less portable. These larger projectors (around 13-30 lbs.) are perfect for conference rooms, training rooms and classrooms.

• 2500 lumens for audiences of less than a hundred with ambient light
• 3000 lumens for audiences of 100-200 with ambient light
• 5000 lumens for audiences of 100 or more under bright lights

Home Theatre Projectors

For home theater projectors, brightness typically ranges from 700 - 2000 lumens or more. Your viewing environment will be a big part of determining how bright your projector needs to be. Dedicated home theaters (rooms with controlled lighting and no ambient light) will not require as much brightness as a space with ambient light from windows or other household lighting. Projector People recommends the following lumen outputs:

• Dedicated home theaters need 700 lumens or better.
• Rooms with some ambient light should have at least 1000 lumens..
• Spaces with high ambient light need about 2500 lumens.

Tip:  In many cases, manufacturers rate projector lumen values based on data output, not video. Lumen output for video is typically not as high as data. For help determining which projector is right for your viewing environment, contact one of our professionals. Our projector experts have personally seen most units perform in video mode.