Published on November 2nd, 2018 | by Sunit Nandi

Your Complete Guide to Choosing a Short Throw Projector in 2018

Just like a first date, or navigating a new job, finding the right tech for your home or professional atmosphere can sometimes be more than a little intimidating. Whether you’re a movie lover, an educator, or a Power Point enthusiast, the best short throw projectors are user friendly and super high quality.

All the bells and whistles on modern short throw projectors can make for a dizzying scene. Most offer HD imaging, wireless connections, split screen capabilities, and so much more! So let’s break it down, and figure out what fits best for you with these easy guidelines.

Image credit: https://www.outdoormoviehq.com/best-projectors-gaming/

Knowing What You Need

The first step to finding the right product for you is to know exactly how you will be using it. Using lightweight projectors at work, a stationary projector in an educational setting, and the end all be all media production projector for your home theater are all great examples of everyday use. Breaking down a projector’s quality is simple.

The things you’ll be looking for are resolution, brightness and contrast ratios, weight, lamp life, and connectivity. Anything with a resolution under 1920 x 1080 would be good for small spaces like an office. Stationary projectors with high quality pictures and easy connection to computers would be fantastic in a school setting. While home projectors need to have it ALL, picture quality, brightness, easy access (HDMI, WIFI, USB, AV, SD), you name it!

Budgeting is also key in finding the right projector. Knowing the capabilities, how often the projector will be used, and the quality of care that it will receive all go into budgeting for a long-term investment, or a short-term item. Knowing how to find the best prices for your projector is a MUST, like a Black Friday sale, Prime Day, or any other big sale event.

Great Projectors for the Workplace

Image credit: https://www.lg.com/in/business/projectors

Technology in the workplace can help increase productivity and communication, so using a projector for projects and presentations isn’t anything new. If you’re using the projector for work, then it’ll have to be user friendly, because Tom from HR may be good with people, but can barely send a text message on his phone.

Philips Pico PPX4010 is a lightweight projector that is small and easily portable from office to conference rooms. It doesn’t have the best picture quality (only 854×480 resolution) but it would be great for presentations. Find it for around $195-$220.
ViewSonic PA503S is an incredibly bright, light, and user friendly projector. At approximately $299.99, this projector is great for small meeting rooms. Again, the resolution is 800 x 600, so not for streaming Netflix or anything. It also has a SuperEco Mode for those offices who are more eco-conscious.
Epson VS250 SVGA is a compact projector that will run around $299. It is compact and would work well in a small place. With 800 x 600 resolution and about the width and length of a piece of paper, it’s a good projector for office use.

Educational Uses

Projectors are being used in schools all over the world. From elementary schools to ivy league colleges, they are becoming a must have for the class room. Short throw projectors are amazing tools for education. The projector should be durable from multiple uses, and EXTREMELY user friendly.

FUJSU 1080P Video projector is a great resource for a classroom. It has a resolution of 1280 x 800, it has HDMI, VGA, USB, AV connection. It is great to hook up to Blu-ray players or laptops, so good for the nature documentary and that presentation on the life of fruit flies. $189.99.
Sony VPL-DX221 is on the higher side of the budget at $481. It has a brightness of 2,800 lumens, it has a resolution of 1024 x 768, and it would be great for an educational setting.
BenQ MX631ST Projector has a resolution of 1024 x 768. 3,200 lumens and a $600 price tag make this a long-term investment for your local school system.

Projectors for Home Theater

Using projectors for your home will require a little more… finesse. Your movie collection is precious to you, your gaming console is an extension of yourself, and you can’t just binge watch your favorite shows with ANY old picture quality! It’s really important to pay attention to lamp life and your picture quality for home projectors, because they will be used A LOT.

Optoma UHD60 4K UHD Projector is the “go big or go home” of home theater projectors. This baby had a resolution of 3840 x 2160, a brightness of 3,000 lumens, lamp life of 15,000 hours, and a price tag of $1,700.00.
Epson Home Cinema 5040UB 3D 4K Enhancement Projector is going to hit home at $2,499.00. The HD resolution at 1920 x 1080 and brightness of 2,500 lumens make this great for movies. This particular model isn’t compatible with gaming consoles, however, but Blu-ray players are good to go!
Optoma GT1080DARBEE projector is for all the gamers out there. At $749.00 it is a reasonable price for 1920 x 1080 resolution home short throw projector. It comes with an “Enhanced Gaming Mode” and will turn any RPG or first person shooter into an extreme experience.

Choosing Wisely

Like any other major decision, getting to know what you’re getting into is TOP priority. Projectors represent a significant investment for your office, school, and home. Imagine meeting someone for the first time, you ask them questions, you get to know them, you feel like maybe one day, you could be best friends and spend Thanksgiving together.

This should be the same approach to choosing the best short throw projector for your needs.

Will it look good in my home or office? Will the picture quality make my 16 hour extended cut Lord of the Rings trilogy look spectacular or spectacularly sad? Will it get along with my cat? All very important questions!

When choosing, choose wisely. Know what you’ll need the projector for, know how it will be used and who will be using it, and budget accordingly. That way you get the best quality for your money and the best projector for what YOU need.

Tags: 2018, choosing, complete, guide, projector, short throw

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.