Projectors for Churches
Considerations & cost-cutting advice

This advice is aimed at a typical church of up to 250 people. All churches are different: Our advice is based on our own opinions and may not be the best advice in all circumstances.

	LCD or DIP?
	LCD and DLP are the two major technologies for projector display. Each has its pros and cons. One of the main advantages for DLP is that the projectors can be smaller, but this is unlikely to be a major issue for you. As for picture quality, there are many factors that need to be considered. At the end of the day, the only likely deciding factor between LCD and DLP is likely to be concerns about the "rainbow effect" a few people experience when looking at the image from a DLP projector. Although very few people have problems with this, there is the possibility that people in your church might find that looking at your DLP-projected images gives them a headache!
	Resolution
"Higher resolutions give a sharper picture" they say - but it depends on the resolution of the images you display! For most churches and most budgets, the best choice is XGA. It is more future-proof than SVGA and we reckon it's worth the extra cost: The hi-res At Hand Worship Visuals will benefit from the extra pixels! In most circumstances, moving to an even higher resolution is wasted money. SVGA projectors are 800 x 600 pixels XGA projectors are 1024 x 768 pixels SXGA projectors are 1280 x 1024 pixels UXGA projectors are 1600 x 1200 pixels The first number is the horizontal size and the second the vertical size in pixel squares The usual Aspect Ratio for projected images in churches is 4 : 3. If you divide the image width by 4, then multiply by 3 you'll get the height (try it with the numbers in the above table). Tip: If you have a large church and your Projector is a bit small, you could buy a super-bright, super-hi-res replacement. Alternatively you could save hundreds of pounds and your old projector by purchasing an XGA projector so you have two projectors and two screens. It can work out hundreds of pounds cheaper and be more versatile: You can display different images on each screen (singing in parts etc) and you have the option of using a single projector for a smaller congregation. In wider churches, having a screen at each side allows people near the front to see a screen at a more comfortable viewing angle.
	Brightness & Contrast
	Brightness is measured in ANSI Lumens and is an important factor: Churches often have sunlight that streams in through large windows and makes screens difficult to see. The brighter the projector's light, the more likely people will be able to see it. Most churches will need 1800 ANSI Lumens or more. If your church is a bright place, 2500 ANSI Lumens will be more the mark. Higher still is even better but unlikely to be necessary in most churches. Contrast is measured as a ratio such as 400:1. Don't worry about the numbers - just go for 400:1 or higher (e.g. 1000:1). If you're just displaying text, your image will be high contrast anyway (e.g. black on white) but when you're displaying visuals, it's good to have lots of difference between 'black' and 'white' - A high contrast ratio is a good sign! Also, if a projector has a high contrast ratio, it can compensate somewhat for a lower brightness level.
	Cost
We've looked round at projectors and their prices. Even if you're planning on getting a company to provide an 'installation' (specific advice with the projector and screen provided and fitted in the cost) it's worth knowing how much the actual projector is worth so that you can be sure you're getting good value for money, and so that you know how much it would cost to replace or insure. We found that Misco had the best prices around and stocked a good range of projectors. To see their brightest & best range of projectors, Click here. If you prefer to go to a shop, you can Click here to see what's in store at PC World. Ethics We avoid listing companies we believe to be 'unethical' but people have different ethical values and companies don't always stand by their own ethical statements. Wherever you shop, we encourage you to consider the impact of your purchase on the environment and others. Bulb life - replacement bulbs (lamps) Replacement bulbs can be very expensive. Bulb life is sometimes guaranteed but you can't be sure how long a bulb will last - 'bulb life' figures are only 'typical': You may well choose to buy a 'just in case' bulb along with your projector, so the bulb cost can have a considerable impact on the price of your projector. However, it's unlikely that you will be using many bulbs: If your bulb life is 2000hrs (as many are) and you use the projector 3 hours a week, your looking at a typical 12+ years per bulb! Who knows how much the replacement will cost by then? Or will they still make them? Will projectors have come down in price so much that it isn't worth replacing the bulb anyway? Who knows?! To check out the likely cost of (or buy) a 'just in case' bulb, compare prices by Clicking here - but the cost of further replacements is unlikely to be a major factor in your decision of which projector to buy.
	Computer
	A laptop or notebook PC is ideal: You can prepare for the worship at home then take the PC into church - and you don't need to leave the expensive equipment in church. Typically, you will need: Screen size 15" or higher (i.e. 15 TFT). This will match your XGA projector's 1024 x 768 resolution* and be readable. Operating system: XP Home is standard these days. You don't need anything more. Other figures are likely to be 256MB or more memory, 1GHz or more speed, 40Gb HD storage. CD/DVD player will be standard Click here to take a look at some well known brands of portable PCs and their prices. Even the most basic 'new' model should be more than enough for your needs. DELL are a very popular choice. *The screen resolution The computer's screen resolution would need to match that of the projector so that the projector can display what is on the computer screen. However, most computers these days allow 'dual screen display' and the ability to connect a 'second monitor': Two screens of different resolutions can then operate at the same time. This is ideal for projector use as it means you can use the computer as a 'primary display' and plug the projector in as the 'second monitor' for the 'secondary display'. The computer acts as the operating console with the projector displaying the 'output image'.
	Projector screen
Churches sometimes have problems mounting projector screens from the ceiling because the ceilings are often so high up! Make sure that projector screens are positioned so that people don't get neck ache from looking at them (see 'Tip' here) Projector Screens can be ceiling mounted, wall mounted or tripod based (which can be a good versatile option for many churches!) Check out what's available and for how much by Clicking here Keystoning Projectors can't always be positioned so that they point straight at the screen: If not, the most likely scenario is that the projector has to point upwards, and the result is that the picture looks a bit wonky! Modern projectors offer a keystoning feature so that the wonky picture can be 'corrected'. Some projectors can 'correct' greater distortions than others, allowing the projector to be placed very low down (or high up) compared to the screen. Some projectors can even 'correct' horizontal distortions, allowing the projector to be set to the left or right of the screen! It might sound good, but is 'distorting a picture so that it looks less distorted' really the best idea?! - If at all possible, try to reposition the projector and its screen instead. - 'Keystoning' is a useful feature to have, but one you should avoid needing!
	Extras
	Presenters / Controllers In some churches, a helper will sit next to the computer and operate the digital projector. Alternatively, you may want (or need) to operate the system yourself. If you don't need access to the computer, you can use a dedicated 'wireless presenter'. which lets you move backwards and forwards through presentations at the click of its buttons. Check out what's available and their prices by Clicking here Stands, trolleys and mounts Where are you going to put your projector? How will you make sure it's at the right height? Check out what's available and their prices by Clicking here for stands and trolleys or here for mounts. Software Check out our advice on projection software: General Powerpoint compatible software and dedicated Worship software is freely available. Click here for more information. Visuals Once you've got all the equipment up and running, you'll need some quality visuals to display, so make sure you've got the At Hand Worship Visuals Disc at hand!