| Important Attributes | | | | need to compress the original data. Any such |
| | | | compression leads to a degradation in the |
| There are many different makes and models of | | | | quality of the image projected. |
| projector on the market, but an examination | | | | |
| of the key features will allow you to, | | | | The connectivity of a projector - that is, |
| perhaps, reduce your list to a more | | | | what exactly, and in what form, you can plug |
| manageable number. | | | | into it - may be very important. You may, for |
| | | | example, want to connect a set top box, or a |
| | | | DVD player, or maybe even a PC or laptop |
| | | | computer - so it's a good idea to look for |
| Another concept that you need to appreciate | | | | component, composite and S-video connections, |
| is that of the "resolution" of the projected | | | | along with RGB, as a minimum, and HDMI or DVI |
| image. The true, or native resolution of a | | | | connections - increasingly common - as well. |
| projector is usually expressed in terms of | | | | |
| the number of rows and columns of pixels, or | | | | Conclusion |
| picture elements, which go together to form | | | | |
| the projected image. These different | | | | A projector, like a large, widescreen TV, is |
| resolutions also have acronyms to describe | | | | not an insignificant purchase, and certainly |
| them, so you may see "800 x 600", or "SVGA", | | | | not something that you're likely to change on |
| or "1024 x 768", or "XGA", and so on. | | | | a regular basis, so it's obviously important |
| Generally speaking, the higher the total | | | | to get exactly what you want at the first |
| number of pixels, the better the image | | | | time of asking. Reputable retailers may well |
| quality. The Hitachi PJLC9, for example, is | | | | let you "trial" a projector, on a "sale or |
| an LCD model with a native resolution of 854 | | | | return" basis, or provide you with a |
| x 480 pixels, while the Optoma EP7150 model | | | | demonstration. However you approach the |
| has a native, XGA, resolution of 1024 x 768. | | | | purchase, make sure that you gather as much |
| | | | information as you can, before actually |
| The resolution describes the maximum level of | | | | spending any money. |
| input that a projector can accept without the | | | | |