Digital projectors are now being used in place of overhead or slide projectors in schools and offices. In addition, digital video projectors are becoming increasingly popular in home theatres as well. No matter what you will use your digital projector for there are four points you should consider before making your purchase.

Brightness
Brightness is measured in ANSI lumens and the amount of brightness you need for your digital projector screen depends heavily in the size of the venue and the type of lighting. For example, projectors with 700 lumens are adequate for small settings with dark lighting. However, 700 to 1600 lumens works best in normal sized rooms with reduced or controlled lighting. In addition, digital sound projectors with 1200 to 2000 lumens are ideal in large conference rooms with normal lighting. And digital projector reviews reveal that projectors with more than 2500 lumens can be used in large venues with just about any lighting conditions.

Connectivity
The more connectivity options your digital projector has the better. Multiple ways to connect to a variety of other pieces of equipment allows for flexibility and added convenience. Some digital projector cables your projector should have are RGB in and out ports, composite and S-video ports, component ports, and audio in and audio out ports. Projectors with USB ports are also beneficial.

Resolution
Resolution is measured by the amount of pixels that can fit on the screen. Generally the higher the resolution is the better the picture quality will be. The degree of resolution you need depends heavily on what you will be using your projector for.

For example, PowerPoint presentations and simple graphics displays can get away with 800 by 600 resolutions, typically found in SVGA projectors. However, projectors that are used with DVD players or VCR’s generally require 854 by 480 resolutions that are found in WVGA class projectors. Detailed graphics and spreadsheets would be displayed on projectors with a resolution of 1024 by 768 of XGA projectors. And CAD/CAM applications that have high resolution graphics should use 1280 by 1024 resolution that is found in SXGA class machines.

Portability
If you plan on being a mobile presenter, finding a projector that is easy to travel with is important. Typically digital projectors that weigh less than six pounds are considered ultra portable and are ideal for frequent travelers. Projectors that weigh between six and nine pounds are considered portable and are good for frequent travel. These projectors usually have more features than ultra portable projectors. Projectors that weigh more than ten pounds are called conference portable projectors. They are good for the presenter that travels occasionally.