How bright of a projector do I need?

When searching for a Home Theater Projector most buyer's are inundated by a an endless supply of stats and specifications. One of the most important one is the lumen count or brightness of the projector. How bright of a projector do you really need for a home theater? Please read the guide below and feel free to click on my store link at the bottom of the guide.

How bright of a projector do I need for my home?

Brightness is measured in ANSI lumens for home theater projectors, the higher the lumen count, the brighter the projector. Home theater projectors typically range between 800 and 2,000 lumens. When determining the brightness of the projector one needs to consider the projector viewing environment. When it comes to home theater projectors, brighter is not always better. The ideal compromise is to find a unit that adequately produces enough light to fill your screen with a high contrast image, but not too much light as to create eye fatigue during extended viewing.

How big of screen will you be using?

Each projector has a set amount of lumens, the larger the image you are projecting the darker the image will be as lumens are spread over a bigger area. Conversely, the smaller the image, the brighter the image will be. That being said, the larger the screen, the brighter the projector will need to be.Will you be using a projector screen? If so, what is the gain? Projector screens are highly reflective and are manufactured to reflect the light from the projector back at the audience. A good projector screen can make a large difference in regards to image brightness. The reflectivity of a projector screen is measured in gain, the higher the gain, the more reflective the screen. Typical home theater screens have a gain of 1 to 1.5 and come in either white or gray. White screens result in a brighter picture while gray screens will result in a higher contrast ratio. For more information on choosing a screen check out our screen buying guide here.

How much ambient light will there be in the theater?

Finally, you need to consider the amount of ambient light in the theater from household lighting and windows. High to mid levels of ambient light will require a brighter projector (higher lumen count), whereas low levels of ambient light will allow you to get by with a lower lumen unit which usually have higher contrast ratios. A brighter picture will help compensate for the loss of contrast due to ambient light. Projector Supercenter recommends the following brightness levels for home theater units: Dedicated home theaters need a projector rated at 800 lumens or higher Rooms with low to medium ambient light will need at least 1300 lumens Areas with medium to high ambient light will need 2,000+ lumens depending on the application