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Buyer's guide

Business projectors for more success

visunext buyers guide & test

Best Business Projector Buying Guide & Test

Find out everything you need to know about projectors for seminar, meeting and office rooms in our Business Projector Buying Guide. We explain the most important projector features and present the best projectors from our Business Projector Test 2024.

Content

Business projector test & recommendations

Based on our many years of experience with projectors for business use, we have put together a selection of test winners for you. The projectors presented here are a special recommendation from our experts for AV business solutions.

Business Projector Test Winner

Buying a business projector: what really matters

There are many projector characteristics that determine whether a projector is ideally suited for business use. However, this should not deter you. We show you the quickest way to choose a suitable business projector based on the most important projector features. The business projector checklist will help you with the first steps:

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Business projector checklist

  • Application: Home cinema or business 

  • Technology: DLP, 3LCD, LCoS, SXRD 

  • Room situation: room size, mounting, distance to screen 

  • Resolution: HD, Full HD, 4K 

  • ANSI lumens: higher value = brighter picture 

  • Contrast: higher value = more brilliant picture 

  • Noise level: projector fans are perceived as loud from about 32dB. 

  • Connections: Digital and analogue, audio and video, control connections 

  • Features: 3D, lens shift, optical zoom, keystone correction 

Mobile or stationary Projector- which is the best fit?

Size ratio - stationary projector vs. mobile projector:
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Stationary projectors

If you only want to use a business projector in your meeting or conference room, for example, then we recommend a stationary projector such as an installation projector for business use or a standard business projector for standing or ceiling mounting.

  • good to very good brightness 
  • good to very good picture quality 
  • only one-time installation necessary 
  • larger projection surfaces possible
  • choice of interactive projectors
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Mobile projectors

We recommend projectors for mobile use if, for example, you need to give PowerPoint presentations and lectures at changing locations. These projectors are usually very compact and lightweight. Mini projectors, also known as pocket projectors, are among the smallest mobile projectors.

  • compact 
  • lightweight 
  • portable 
  • low power consumption 
  • quick to use

Is a high image resolution important for business projectors?

The image resolution plays a somewhat smaller role with business projectors than with home cinema projectors. However, it should not be too low as the image resolution of a projector has a significant influence on the overall image quality.

A good business projector that should convince with its image quality should have at least WXGA (1,280 x 800) image resolution. However, we recommend a Full HD business projector, as Full HD projectors can also display text and images equally well on larger projection screens.

  • WXGA (1280 x 800 pixels; 16:10 format)
  • WUXGA (1920 x 1200 pixels; 16:10 format)
  • Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels; 16:9 format)

How bright does a business projector need to be?

This depends on how well you can darken the room in which you are using a projector. Generally, projectors with a higher light output are preferable to those with a lower light output.

Which screen is the right one for business projectors?

If possible, you should buy a screen to match your business projector. The format of a screen then matches the projection image format of the projector. This means that the projection surface is completely filled. A screen for a Full HD (16:9) business projector should also have the 16:9 format.

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1:1 screen format

Of course, you can also project a 16:9 or a 16:10 image onto a 1:1 screen, in which case the projection surface is not used completely. For rooms with high ceilings, however, this projector-screen combination has an advantage: the length of the 1:1 screen compensates for the difference in height. The projection can thus be better aligned to eye level.
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Stationary & mobile screens

We also offer screens for both stationary and mobile use. Stationary screens are permanently mounted and ready for immediate use, while mobile screens must first be set up before each use at a new location. However, the well thought-out construction of the mobile screens allows for a quick set-up.
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Screen operation

The biggest advantage of stationary screens over mobile screens is the choice between two operating concepts: you can either opt for a screen with manual operation or for a screen with a built-in motor for convenient operation.

Our projection screen buying guide will help you choose the right projection screen! We also offer custom-made projection screens with a maximum width of up to 24 metres. Simply call us for a no-obligation consultation!

Our projection screen recommendations

Most Popular Mini Projectors 2024

The best projector technology for the office: LCD or DLP?

DLP (Digital Light Processing) and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) are two projection technologies often used in projectors. DLP technology uses micro mirrors for projection, while LCD works with liquid crystal panels. 

Due to the respective technology, there are certain advantages and disadvantages with both DLP and LCD projectors. Depending on the intended use, you should take these advantages and disadvantages into account before buying.

Projector, white
Projector technology
Application
DLPPresentations in which good contrast plays an overriding role.
LCDPresentations where high colour fidelity and vibrant colours are more important than high contrast

Buying a business projector with lamp or LED?

Just as with the choice of a suitable projector technology, the decision here also depends on the advantages and disadvantages of the respective light-generating technology

Projectors with a mercury lamp are on average significantly brighter than projectors with LEDs as the light source. LEDs, however, have a life that is many times longer than that of a projector lamp. A comparison: a projector lamp needs to be replaced after about 5,000 to 6,000 operating hours, while LEDs supply a projector with light for 20,000 operating hours in some cases.

Speakers for business projectors

In a presentation or lecture, it is often not only the projected image that is important, but also the sound. For this reason, many manufacturers equip some projector models with integrated loudspeakers. The output power of such projector loudspeakers is very limited and is not sufficient to provide sound in large rooms. For smaller offices and office rooms, however, we recommend projectors with integrated speakers.

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For larger rooms and better quality audio reproduction, you can also use external projector speakers. You can choose between passive and active speakers. The following table will help you to choose suitable speakers.
Speaker
Advantages
Disadvantages

integrated- no additional loudspeakers necessary
- quickly ready for use
- only recommended for small rooms
passive- more flexible positioning
- large selection
- require an amplifier
active- do not require an amplifier- positioning restricted by limited power and audio cable length

Top speakers for Business Projector 2024

The most important business projector connections

Whether a projector connection is important depends on which playback device you want to connect to the projector. Both the projector and the playback device, such as a Blu-ray player or a notebook, must have at least a pair of the same inputs or outputs for video and audio. Additional connections must be available for the transmission of data and control data.

Business presentation secret tip: The best solution for an interactive wireless presentation is offered by Barco ClickShare. Using a single button connected to a notebook via USB, several participants can switch between individual presentations without delay. 

The most important business projector connections at a glance: 

Connection
Audio
Video
Data
Properties
VGAAnalogue video signal only
HDMIDigital multimedia connection
DisplayPortDigital video connection
DVI-IDigital and analogue video connection
Cinch-StereoFor transmission of stereo signal
USBOnly for data transmission
USB-CDigital connection for multimedia and data
LANTransmission of control data
3.5 mm jack Transmits audio signal to external audio devices

Our product recommendations for wireless transmission

The most important business projector features

There are a lot of projector features that make the handling of a business projector much easier and more comfortable before, during and after a presentation.

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MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link)

If a projector supports MHL, then you can easily transfer high-resolution content from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets and charge them at the same time.
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USB/SD-Reader

The easiest way to get content onto the screen quickly. Projectors with a USB/SD reader can play various file formats directly from a USB stick or SD card.
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Direct Power on/off

A feature that makes your projector ready for use or transport in the quickest possible way. Projectors with Direct Power On do not need a lamp warm-up phase; they project an image immediately after being switched on. With Direct Power Off, the projector can be switched off immediately. However, both features are usually reserved for LED projectors.
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Mediaplayer

An extremely practical feature is a media player integrated in the projector. This allows you to play various media formats from a USB stick, for example.
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Miracast

Projectors with the Miracast wireless screencast standard also stream multimedia content from smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. However, the prerequisite is that the mobile devices used also support this standard.

Projector alternative: Interactive displays

There is hardly a better alternative to a projector than an interactive display. Especially as interactive displays also offer some functions that are reserved for interactive projectors. Unlike most projectors, interactive touch displays can also be operated in bright rooms, and the image quality is not affected by the incidence of light.

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Interactive displays - all advantages

  • Stable installation
  • Operation via touch input 
  • Outstanding picture quality 
  • 4K displays also available
  • Some pre-installed software
  • Collaborative working

Our product recommendations: Interactive displays

Tobias Berg and Oliver Stenzel - contact persons in Purchasing and Sales - write on glass pane

Do you still have questions?

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