With the introduction of the LCD projector about a decade ago it was only a matter of time before high quality projectors would come down in price enough to make them affordable. As a result the long kept dream of many home theatre enthusiasts came a step closer, as buying a projector no longer meant you had to get a second mortgage on the house. The low price point of modern projectors, combined with their excellent display capabilities, makes them very suitable to have a true movie theatre experience at home.



Fig 1. The Dell, InFocus and Sanyo projectors that participated in this test.
In this article we’ll take a look at three entry level multimedia projectors, the Dell 2100/2200MP, the InFocus ScreenPlay 4800 and the Sanyo PLV-Z1, to see how they stack up to each other and what the price/performance level of these entry level devices is. We’ll also go over the technology used in these projectors and discuss why lumen output, contrast and resolution are important when choosing a suitable projector for use at home. Armed with that background information we’ll be better able to understand what makes these devices work and what to look for in a quality projector. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the projector basics such as lumen output, contrast and more.