Lamp power
The power consumption of the backlight lamp installed in the projector.
Theoretically, the more powerful the lamp, the brighter it is. However, this is only true when comparing lamps of the same type (see above); and even in this case, the brightness may also depend on the nuances of the design. Therefore, when evaluating the capabilities of a lamp, it is worth focus not so much on power, but on the directly claimed brightness in lumens (see below).
But what this parameter directly affects is the total power consumption of the projector: the lamp is the most “greedy” component of the device, compared to it, the power consumption of the rest of the electronics is very small. Also note that many powerful lamps have high heat dissipation and require cooling systems, which affects the size and weight of the projector.
Real resolution
The native resolution of the image produced by the projector matrix.
The minimum for modern projectors is actually
the VGA standard, which assumes a resolution of 800x600 or close to it. The most limited of modern high-definition standards is
HD (720); the classic size of such a frame is 1280x720, but projectors also have other options (up to 1920x720). A more advanced HD format is
Full HD (1080), which also has several variations (the most popular is 1920x1080). And among high-end projectors there are models of
Quad HD,
Ultra HD (4K) and even
Ultra HD (8K) standards.
In general, the higher the resolution, the clearer and more detailed image the projector can produce. On the other hand, this indicator directly affects the cost, and all the benefits of high resolution can only be appreciated if the reproduced content also corresponds to it. Note that modern projectors can work with higher resolutions than the “native” ones – for more details, see “Maximum video resolution”.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi standard supported by the projector.
Wi-Fi is known mainly as a method of wirelessly connecting to the Internet and local networks. In addition, more recently, this technology has also been used for direct connections between wireless devices. Accordingly, the methods of using Wi-Fi in projectors may also be different. Thus, some models are capable of connecting to local networks to work with content via DLNA (see above); in others, such a connection is used for control from a computer or other network device; in others, a “remote control” like a smartphone or tablet can connect directly via Wi-Fi.
As for Wi-Fi versions, the most popular options in modern technology - Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) and Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) - are quite compatible with each other, and the difference between them in this case is not critical. Therefore, you don’t need to pay much attention to these details when choosing.
There are also
Wi-Fi ready projectors, which do not have Wi-Fi out of the box, but when connecting the appropriate adapter (purchased separately) are capable of a wireless connection.
HDMI version
HDMI interface version supported by the projector.
About the interface itself, see above, and its different versions differ in maximum resolution and other features:
— v 1.4. The version released back in 2009. Despite this, it has quite decent specifications, due to which it continues to be used in modern video equipment. Specific features of HDMI v1.4 include 3D support, the ability to work with 4K video (4096x2160) at 24 fps and with Full HD at 120 fps. In addition to the original version, there are also improved modifications — v.1.4a and v.1.4b; they differ only in some 3D-related improvements.
– v 2.0. Standard introduced in 2014. Thanks to the increased bandwidth compared to v 1.4, it allows you to transfer 4K video at speeds up to 60 fps, as well as up to 32 channels and up to 4 audio streams simultaneously. In addition, this version was the first to introduce support for the 21:9 ultra-wide format, and the v2.0a update introduced HDR compatibility, with further enhancements to this feature in version 2.0b.
— v 2.1. A version released in 2017 also known as HDMI Ultra High Speed. The data transfer rate has indeed been significantly increased, allowing the support for video up to 10K at 120 frames per second. In addition, some improvements regarding HDR have been made. Note that connecting via HDMI v2.1 requires the use of special cables, although the basic features remain available when working with standard cables.
