When it comes to Major League baseball, the best way to watch is to be there in person, we all know that. However it’s not always possible to get to the games; they’re expensive, they can be far away and if you have a family, it can be hard to commit to the time spent away from them. This is why so many of us watch at home, and the second best option is to watch the ball games with the biggest, brightest picture available.
In the summer time, there’s not much better than getting friends and family together with some cool drinks and watching the game, but if you’ve got more than a few guests, even a decent-sized TV screen can seem a bit underwhelming. Why not try using a projector? It can give you a much bigger picture with amazing quality, as long as you have the right equipment.
The first thing you need to think about is where you want to use your projector. If you live somewhere with long, hot and dry summers, you might want to use a projector for outdoor screenings of baseball games (and movies) in your back yard. If so, you’ll need a very different model, one with at least 5500 lumens (as you’ll be watching games in the day time mostly to offer enough brightness.
Here’s our list of the best projectors for watching summer time Major League baseball:
BenQ W1080ST+
If you’re watching indoors and want a big picture without a lot of required space, a short throw projector is most likely what you will need, as it will deliver a large, high quality picture without needing to be placed a good distance away. 2,200 lumens of brightness is enough to give you high definition on the action even in the summer time, especially if you can make your room a bit darker. It’s easy to set-up and reliable and is a good all-round option.
Epson EH-TW9300
A 4K picture would certainly bring the game into sharper focus (which may not be what you need if your team is losing), but the price tag for those projectors is still rather restrictive. However, you can get an image that comes close to 4K without breaking the bank and this Epson model delivers that with its LCD technology. It’s still costly and is big enough to need to be a permanent fixture in the room, but if you want your guests to feel like they’re really at the stadium, this might be the one.
Sony VPL-HW45ES
This is a pricey model, but it really delivers incredible quality when it comes to video, whether in 2D or 3D. Sure, the days when broadcasters like ESPN offered 3D coverage of sports seems to have passed, but you’ll be using your projector for more than just baseball right? It doesn’t have quite the brightness of the BenQ projector, with 1800 lumens, but this will still be a good option for rooms you can keep dark, while the Motionflow technology delivers an impressive frame rate to ensure that no matter how fast-paced the action is, your picture won’t falter.
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Tips for using a Projector Outdoors during the Summer Months
When it’s hot and sunny outside, the temptation for most people is to basically live their lives in their backyards, whether to avoid the suffocating heat indoors or just to enjoy the fresh air and rays. However if you’re also looking to watch sporting events or movies outside, it can be difficult to do both. Using a projector can be the perfect solution!
Using a portable screen that you can place outside to give you a big picture will replicate that drive-in movie experience. It can be the perfect fit during the warm summer months. However, it can also be difficult to get right, because projectors are generally designed to be used in relatively dark indoor rooms, rather than back yards in the blazing sun.
So here are some great tips for using a projector outdoors during the summer months:
Get The Right Projector
If you’re going to use a projector outdoors in the summer time, you can’t just go out and buy any projector. You need one that has plenty of lumens’ worth of brightness to be able to cope with the ambient light outside, especially if it’s particularly bright. If you want to use it during the day time, the minimum you’ll need is 5500 lumens, which immediately rules out many standard models of projectors.
You’ll also need one with a good built-in sound system, unless you want to have to hook up a separate speaker system, which can be a nuisance when it comes to setting up and taking down every time you want to use it outdoors.
And finally, you’ll need to check what connectivity options the projector has, in order to make sure they fit with what you’re planning on using to show the sporting event or movies. The same applies for indoor use too, but for convenience you may be wanting to connect to something different outdoors.
Get The Right Location
It should go without saying but if you place your screen in the full glare of the sun, even with bucket loads of lumens, your projector is going to struggle to deliver a decent picture. You need to think about where you should place things in the backyard to make sure you’re giving the projector a chance to show what it can do.
You of course need to think about where people will sit, and the other logistics of whatever you’re going to want to use the projector for, but the most important thing is where the projector and the screen are placed. Everything else can work around them if the picture is good enough.
Think About The Weather
It’s not just the screen that needs to be out of the direct sunlight, you also need to make sure your projector isn’t in the full glare to ensure that it doesn’t overheat. The last thing you need when the big game is on is to have your projector break down on you. If the weather goes the other way, remember that rain and electronics don’t go well together either! By the same token, keep your projector away from any pools or barbeques…
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The Top 5 Most Affordable Projectors
The lure of the world of projectors is clear for anyone who loves watching movies on the big screen and wants to replicate that experience at home. There’s also a more practical use for organizations who need to project images or data in a clear display that can be seen by large audiences.
However, the price tag of top of the range models can be incredibly off-putting for anyone looking to dip their toes into the water and purchase their first projector. Most individuals are looking for a projector that won’t cost a fortune yet will still deliver the kind of quality results that are needed.
There’s plenty of cheap projectors out there, but if you’re bitterly disappointed when you first flick the switch and see what your money has bought, that could be the end of your projector journey. So it’s important to find an affordable model that has value for your money.
Here’s our list of the top 5 most affordable projectors on the market:
Epson VS240
This Epson projector is a very popular model and for good reason. As well as being generally affordable for most budgets, it also has an impressive set of attributes, including 3,000 lumens of brightness and a longer lamp life. It also works great as a first time projector because it’s relatively straightforward to set up and is small and light enough to transport if required. The slight drawback is the SVGA resolution, but the picture is impressive enough for most tastes and purposes.
BenQ TH670
Slightly more expensive than the Epson model above, this one from BenQ is the one to get for anyone looking for slightly more visual appeal at an additional cost. It has the same 3,000 lumens and long lamp life but comes with a full 1080p resolution of 1920×1080 and also has decent built-in speakers, making it ideal for anyone without their own home speaker system who still wants to get good sound from their projector.
Optoma HD28DS
Another step-up in price, but this Optoma model is worth every extra cent. It’s compact enough for being portable, it’s got 1080p resolution, 3,000 lumens, can play 3D video and is capable of displaying an image up to 214×290 inches in the right room and conditions. If you’re looking to supersize your experience without spending more than $1k, this could be the best option for you.
InFocus ScreenPlay SP1080
A slightly cheaper option but still a projector that delivers great performance for its price. It also has 1080p resolution and an excellent image quality and contrast ratio, and while it’s perhaps a step down slightly from the BenQ model in terms of accuracy of image, it’s still an impressive model that is great value for your dollar.
Philips Pocket Projector PPX4010
If you want to try something a little different and definitely save on the price, why not try this pocket projector from Philips? It won’t serve as your everyday movie watching projector but it’s a way to get things started at the very least. With only 100 lumens of brightness and WVGA resolution, you have to know what you’re getting but it’s an ideal first projector for someone looking to take it on business trips to deliver presentations.
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The Best Projector Features for Low Lit Sports Bars
The great tradition of watching live sports in a bar or pub has sustained many drinking establishments through dry times and so it’s no surprise that they all need to keep finding ways to entice sports fans through their doors. This is particularly crucial at a time when so many fans have big widescreen TVs at home to view the games in high definition from the comfort of their own sofa rather than on a bar stool.
Of course, the best way to ensure that you’re packing fans into your sports bar rather than losing them to their homes or rival establishments is to have the largest screen and best picture available. The days of fans straining to watch a regular sized TV over the bar are long gone and something more spectacular is needed to make your business stand out and keep the customers satisfied. Well, unless of course their team loses, but that’s not on you!
Below is our list of the the best projector features to have for low lit sports bars:
Brightness
Normally one of the first things you need to take into consideration with a projector is the amount of lumens of brightness it can generate, and while sports bars tend to be lacking in too much ambient light, it is still something you need to think about. If you want a powerful and clear image, you still need as much brightness as possible. You should aim for at least 2000 lumens in any projector you buy, ideally closer to 4000, particularly if you are wanting to view a larger image.
Resolution
Sports fans have access to large, high definition screens at home, where the beer is cheaper and the seats are more comfortable, so why would they settle for less than that? You need at least 1920×1080 resolution to give them the quality that they expect. Anything less than that, and the experience will be the kind of dull throwback that is neither retro nor satisfying.
Short Throw
The chances are that your sports bar isn’t a large room, so if you want to be producing a big image without the fuss that a regular projector would require, you need a short throw projector. These can be placed very close to the screen or whatever you are projecting onto, and still produce a large and high quality image. It’s more convenient by far and will give you the best results.
Long Lamp Life
In a sports bar, your projector will be switched on for most likely the majority of time time that you’re open. Sports is a 24/7 business now, and there is always something your customers will want to be watching, whether it’s British soccer or Major League Baseball. Even if there is nothing to watch, there’s always breaking sports news and analysis that are covered on various networks. So if you want to minimize the risk of your projector suddenly going dark when the action is heating up, you need to choose a model with a long lamp life.
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Top Projectors for Multi-Player Gaming
When projectors were invented, nobody had video games in mind for what they would be getting used for, but it’s becoming an increasingly popular combination of home entertainment technologies. With the right kind of projector, both hardcore and casual gamers can maximize their experience and make their games even more immersive by supersizing the visuals.
Even better is when you can use a projector for a multi-player gaming night or to make a party that much more memorable. Playing split-screen games on a normal TV screen has never quite been satisfying, because of how small each player’s section of the screen ends up being, so why not get everyone – even spectators – more immersed with a huge, high quality projection?
Below is our list of the top recommended projectors to use for multi-player gaming.
Optoma GT1080
This Optoma model is a great all-around projector that works very well with video games. With 2800 lumens of brightness, an HD image and 25,000:1 contrast ratio it won’t let you down visually. Having a short throw lens also means that it can project a 100 inch picture from just 3.5 feet away, making it ideal for tight spaces like man caves or basements. It also comes with an excellent built-in sound system if you want to avoid having to hook up external speakers as well.
Sony VPL-HW45ES
This model is more expensive, but it really delivers incredible quality when it comes to both video and games, whether in 2D or 3D. It doesn’t have quite the brightness of the Optoma projector, with 1800 lumens, but will still meet the standards for most rooms that you would likely play games in. The Motionflow technology means an impressive frame rate to ensure that motion (wait for it…) flows naturally without affecting your gaming.
BenQ W1210ST
This is another excellent short throw model (capable of a 100 inch picture from nearly 5 feet away) that comes with a decent price tag and excellent image quality. It’s got 2200 lumens of brightness and an impressive input lag time that means you won’t be cursing it when things get intense in your games. It also has good sound quality available, making it a great choice for anyone looking for something close to the complete package.
Epson EH-TW9300
Of course, the ideal for every gamer would be a 4K image, but the price tag for those projectors is still quite off-putting. However, you can get an image that comes close to 4K without breaking the bank and this Epson model delivers that with its LCD technology. It’s still costly and is big enough to be a permanent fixture in the room, but if you want your games to look better than real life and wow your guests, this might be the one you need.
Whichever model of projector you decide is right for your multi-player gaming needs, at some point you’ll need to replace the lamp bulbs, especially if you’re intending on spending most of your waking hours blasting zombies or racing fast cars! MyProjectorLamps.com has a wide range available. Shop with us today and save!
Top Projectors to Use for Wedding Receptions
In days gone by, the first chance anyone would get to see wedding photos would be once the official photographer had sent them back to the happy couple, but we live in an age of instant results, so it’s increasingly common for photos from the ceremony to be displayed at the reception. Whether the photos are used as part of a speech or for addition to the general atmosphere of your reception, it’s a great way to add interest and a personal touch.
The pictures don’t even need to be from the wedding day itself. They might include baby photos of the married couple or favorite photos of their relationship over the years. Of course, these can be displayed on a tablet or laptop on a table for people to look at, but it’s far more impressive to use a projector and screen to show them on a grander scale, especially if they are going to be used as part of a speech.
Any projector used for this kind of function will need to have a bright lens in order to display a clear picture and you’ll need to bear in mind whether you just want to display photos or videos as well. Also, make sure that the venue doesn’t already have a projector for use before you buy one! Here are some of the top recommended projectors to use for wedding receptions:
BenQ W1080ST+
A short throw projector is most likely what you will need, depending on the space available in the room you’ll be holding your reception in, as it will deliver large, high quality photos without needing to be placed a good distance away. 2,200 lumens of brightness should be enough for most rooms, especially if you can close curtains, etc. It’s easy to set-up, reliable and will make your photos look beautiful with a minimal amount of stress.
ViewSonic PJD7822HDL
This model is reasonably-priced, but if you’re looking to cut costs a bit more without losing much quality, this ViewSonic projector is worth considering. It actually delivers more brightness, with 3,200 lumens, while the SuperColor DLP system will give you more colorful photos with lots of life and vibrancy. With a good price listing including strong brightness and colors, you can’t go too wrong with this one.
Epson BrightLink 536Wi Interactive WXGA 3LCD
If you want to spend a little more (but still not top price) to get more functionality (and brightness), this Epson model is ideal. Offering 3,400 lumens it will tackle almost any ambient light that a room can provide. it also delivers high quality images and video if you want to include those as well.
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Tips for Using Your Projector to Host an Outdoor Movie Night
Outdoor movie watching has been a popular activity since the 1950s when drive-in theaters were the coolest way to pass an evening with a date or alongside friends. Today, it’s a common summer event around the world to have outdoor screenings of classic movies in parks and public spaces, but it’s something you can also do in your own backyard with a projector, which is a lot easier than hauling your TV outside. It’s also a much better way of evoking that nostalgic drive-in feeling.
However, you need to make sure you know what you’re doing before you gather an audience that includes family and friends, otherwise you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Below is our list of top tips for using a projector to host an outdoor movie night:
Get a projector with enough brightness
This can’t be stressed enough. It’s a lot more fun to watch a movie outdoors when it’s warm, and this means that the weather will most likely be bright until quite late. So, unless you’re going to wait until half past nine to start watching your movie, you need a projector with at least 3000 lumens’ worth of brightness. The more lumens, the brighter the image will be and the better chance you’ll have of not having the ambient light make your movie hard to see.
Make sure you know how to hook up
No, this isn’t about what guests you invite, that’s up to you. This is making sure you don’t buy a projector and then find out it’s next to useless for you because you can’t connect it to whatever you’re going to use to play the movie. Whether it’s going to be a Blu Ray player or a laptop or a USB stick, you need to either make sure you get a player with inputs that match, or get the necessary adapters. Otherwise, you might find yourself leaving the party to find a late night electronics store.
Think about the throw
When you’re setting up a home movie room indoors, you need to factor in the best layout for the room and find a projector that suits it, but at least you know that everything will likely be in the same place every time you use it. Outdoor movie nights however, are much more haphazard, so you need a projector that will be easy to set up and one that will create the picture size you need whilst fitting into the space you have available.
Don’t sweat the details
While you of course need to make sure your guests can actually see and hear the movie, you also need to accept that you will never create the ideal movie-viewing circumstances outside. Drive-in theaters and outdoor screenings done professionally are never the same as going to an indoor theater, and neither will anything that takes place in your backyard. Get the basics right and have a great time!
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Top Projectors for Fast-Paced Action Films
For many of us, the appeal of having a projector at home is to be able to watch movies in the most epic, cinematic way possible without the sticky floors and noisy patrons of a real movie theater. The problem is that most modern blockbusters are visually stunning feasts of special effects and fast-paced action, and some projectors can’t cope, leaving you frustrated and choking on your popcorn.
So what you need is a projector which can cope with the speed of whichever explosive motion picture you’re watching, whether it’s Star Wars, Guardians Of The Galaxy or The Fast And The Furious. Here are some of the top projectors for fast-paced action films:
Epson Home Cinema 2040 3D 1080p 3LCD Projector
Buying a 3D 3LCD Projector with a resolution of 1080 pixels isn’t cheap, but this Epson model is affordable without losing any of the reliability or power. There’s no rainbow effects showing up, no matter how colorful and spectacular the action on screen is and it has a short lag time so you won’t be flustered no matter how fast the pixels are flying. It has good brightness for rooms with ambient lighting and is just a great all-round model.
Optoma GT1080
The differences between modern movies and modern video games are getting smaller and smaller, so it’s certainly worth looking at projectors that are targeted at gamers when you want to find one that will play your favorite movies the way that looks best. Like action movies, games are fast paced and need a short lag time, otherwise they are almost unplayable/unwatchable, and this Optoma model is ideal, especially if you like video games as much as action movies.
BenQ HT1085ST
One of the most popular home entertainment models out there at the moment, this BenQ short throw projector is perfect for smaller rooms where you still want to create a large and great quality image. Short throw projectors like this one are ideal for home entertainment set-ups because of the ease with which you can fit it into any room layout without having leads going across the room. It may not have quite as high definition as some of the others, and will have some rainbow artifacts at times, but it is still more than effective enough to blow you away when you’re watching the Avengers.
Vivitek H1186-WT
Another excellent model that works well for both fast paced action movies and video games, this Vivitek projector offers 1080 pixels of resolution in both 2D and 3D and while it does sometimes have issues with rainbow artifacts, it has the short lag time required, one of the shortest you’ll find in any projector. It’s also very customizable for day time or night time viewing, making it a flexible and effective model that will give good service for home entertainment, no matter how fast and furious your movies might be.
If you regularly use your home projector for entertainment, you’ll know the importance of replacing the lamp when it goes dim or burns out. MyProjectorLamps offers the largest market! We offer an unbeatable selection of high-quality replacement lamps at low, affordable prices. Shop with us today and save!
Top Projectors for Museum or Art Exhibits
Finding the right projector for the job is always key if you want to avoid disappointment, and this is even more crucial when you are going to be using it on public display. A projector that works well in the home would not necessarily be the right model to use for a museum or art exhibition, because it will have different qualifications and may not perform well in such a large space with lots of ambient light, which is known to be a common problem in older buildings.
Another factor to take into consideration is what exactly the projector is going to be used for. Increasingly, museums and galleries are needing to put on elaborate, headline grabbing displays to attract visitors, and projectors often play a significant role in these, which means that more advanced models are needed. Taking that into consideration, here are some of the top projectors for museums and art exhibits:
Sony VPL-FHZ55
The world’s first 3LCD laser projector, this offers 4000 lumen brightness (which would deliver great results in almost any light conditions) and a resolution that’s even higher than Full HD, even on huge screens and curved surfaces, making it ideal for museums and galleries. The ARoS Aarhus Art Museum in Denmark bought 21 of these projectors for a special show in 2014 that required crystal clear video and photo on a large scale, and its power and flexibility makes it a great option for similar venues.
Panasonic PT-RZ970
Another factor to take into consideration when buying a projector for a museum or gallery is that they may be getting used far more intensively than anywhere else, often staying switched on for the entire time the venue is open to the public. This Panasonic model – as well as offering 10,000 lumens of light and good picture quality – is a strong and stable performer that claims to provide up to 20,000 hours of continuous maintenance-free operation, so it won’t let you down. Or at least, it shouldn’t.
Christie WU14K-M WUXGA
Offering both a long lamp life and a compact size, this Christie model is popular with museums and galleries and was used in an exhibition at the Musuem Of Modern Art in New York by Isaac Julien, which required large scale projection of images and video including the kind of quality visitors to MoMa would expect. It needed to be visible and enjoyable from all floors of the museum, and staff chose this model to deliver that. If it’s good enough for MoMa, it should be able to meet these requirements!
If you regularly use projectors in your museum or art exhibit, you’ll know the importance of sourcing replacement lamps, and MyProjectorLamps offers the largest market! We offer an unbeatable selection of high-quality replacement lamps at low, affordable prices. Shop with us today and save!
Recommended Portable Projectors to use for Camping Trips
A projector might not be the first item on many people’s checklists for a camping trip, but a good quality portable model can be a great way to provide entertainment for those long evenings when you may have forgotten your playing cards or when you need to stay inside due to rainy weather. Simply hook up your smart phone and you can project your favorite movies and TV shows using a larger image to provide viewing for more than one person at a time.
Of course, you need to make sure you’ve got the right model, because the last thing you need on a camping trip is to be carrying around a big heavy projector that you may not be able to provide the proper connections for. You might have to do your research to find one that fits your requirements and won’t be more trouble than it’s worth.
To help you out, here are some of the best portable projectors to use for camping trips:
Philips Pocket Projector PPX4010
One of the smallest and lightest projectors out there, it more than lives up to its ‘pocket’ name, and won’t cause you any problems when it comes to packing for your camping trip. With that size, you of course are trading in some of the power, so it only comes with 100 lumens of brightness and a resolution of 854×480, There’s also no batteries, so it needs to be connected to a power source. However, if you’re looking for portable, THIS is portable.
AAXA M5 Mini Projector
Another projector that might not be quite as small as the Philips model but is still more than portable enough to be great for camping trips, this AAXA device is compact and comes with its own carrying case, while it also has a rechargeable battery. What it does lack is higher image quality on videos, but on a camping trip you’re likely to be more forgiving this odd issue, and its portability and durability are high selling points.
Magnasonic LED Pocket Pico Video Projector
If the AAXA model’s video issues are a significant problem for you, then you might want to consider this Magnasonic projector instead. It’s small, portable and very affordable too. At just 25 lumens of brightness, it doesn’t deliver great power, but its video quality is surprisingly good, as long as you’re able to watch your shows and movies in a dark space. It comes with a rechargeable battery and would be a great addition to any camping kit.
MyProjectorLamps.com is your top source for projector lamps. If you’re in the process of purchasing a new portable projector, make sure to bookmark us for when the time comes to replace your lamps. In the meantime, happy viewing!