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Projector Resolution

Projectorpoint Advice - What is resolution

One of the most common questions we get asked is whether it is worth spending more money on a higher resolution projector? It’s a good question; the answer can affect the price you pay for your projector by hundreds or even thousands of pounds. As you’d expect, the answer is slightly technical, but we’ve broken it down so you can make an informed decision to identify which resolution is right for you.

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XGA, WUXGA, 1080p, 4K, UHD resolution…what does it all mean?

Product-Image-Resolution

Resolution is the number of pixels that the projector is capable of displaying in one image, while the term pixels itself describes the individual dots that make up the projected image. Essentially, the more pixels the projector fits into space, the higher the resolution of the image.

Why do you need to care about this? Well, more pixels in the same space mean greater levels of detail and stunning crisp images. So far, so good. The confusion arises when you take the aspect ratio into the equation as well.

You’ll notice from our tables below that XGA resolution and widescreen XGA resolution (WXGA) have a different number of total pixels because they’re displaying a different shape of the image. The total number of pixels displayed by an XGA resolution projector is lower than that of a WXGA resolution projector, but that’s not the whole story. If you feed a widescreen image (which most laptops and devices are nowadays) into an XGA projector – it won’t even use all of the pixels it has to display that image. It will create black bars at the top and bottom and you’re left with a disappointing result.

Projectorpoint offers a full range of projector resolutions, but we’re definitely seeing a move towards higher resolution projectors. As technology evolves, they’re simply becoming the more accessible and better value for money. Mix this with higher-resolution devices (your laptop may have an HD screen already) and the normality in meeting rooms that bigger is better and the demand for full HD or higher is truly warranted.

Full HD projectors – or 1080p – have become incredibly popular, while 4K UHD resolution is now no longer the preserve of cinemas but can be found in office projectors and of course, top of the range home cinema projectors.

Crunching the numbers

4K-Resoultion-Projector

It probably won’t come as a surprise that as a general rule, the higher the projector resolution, the higher the price. However, there are great value options at each level that make it easy for users to stick within their budget while achieving the best image quality possible.

A good XGA resolution projector can be bought for around £350.00, but for just £100 extra you could be looking at a 1080p Full HD device – not a big jump given the dramatic increase in image clarity.

Moving further up the scale, some Full HD home cinema projectors can cost well into the thousands. But this isn’t all about resolution, it takes into account video processing and colour accuracy as well as contrast for those darker scenes. If you’re breaking the £3,000 barrier, you might want to consider stepping up and purchasing your very own 4K laser projector and going all out on your home cinema and futureproofing yourself.

But don’t forget, if you’re looking at 1080p Full HD projectors in this price realm bracket, chances are they’ve got a lot to offer in terms of the latest technology to ensure image accuracy, connectivity, brightness and more. If you move from here into the bottom end of the 4K market, will you still be getting everything you need? There’s a lot to consider, take the time to balance out your options and requirements and don’t forget you can always give us a call if you need more advice.

Resolution Comparision Table

Wondering just how many pixels you’re looking at on the best HD projectors? Check out the tables below for a comparison. Don’t forget to take a look at the changes in aspect ratio too; it’s not just about the resolution here.

Video Resolution
(4:3 aspect ratio)
   
    
ResolutionPixels HorizontallyPixels VerticallyTotal Pixels
SVGA800600480,000
XGA1024768786,000
SXGA140010501,470,000
UXGA160012001,920,000
    
Widescreen Resolution (16:10 aspect ratio)   
    
ResolutionPixels HorizontallyPixels VerticallyTotal Pixels
WXGA12808001,024,000
WXGA+14409001,296,000
WUXGA192012002,304,000
    
Widescreen Resolution (16:9 aspect ratio)   
    
ResolutionPixels HorizontallyPixels VerticallyTotal Pixels
720p1280720921,600
1080p192010802,073,600
4K Ultra HD384021608,294,400
    
Widescreen Resolution (17:9 aspect ratio)   
    
ResolutionPixels HorizontallyPixels VerticallyTotal Pixels
4K409621608,847,360

Laptop-Pj
How does this apply to my choice of the projector?

The thing you need to remember is that every projector has a “native” resolution (sometimes called “true resolution”;). That’s the maximum number of pixels it can actually project. So an XGA resolution projector can only display 786,000 pixels at a time whereas a UXGA resolution projector can display 1,920,000 pixels and a native 4K resolution projector jumps all the way to 8,294,300 pixels.

This native resolution doesn’t just affect how sharp your image is. It also affects the compatibility of your projector with your computer and how efficiently they work together. If your computer is sending a signal to the projector that is WXGA and your projector has XGA resolution, this causes a bit of a problem. Most projectors have the compression technology which we explain below, so you’ll still see an image. But there are serious downsides with this when the projector is forced to ‘share’ information across fewer pixels and clarity of image becomes an issue.

Don’t forget to consider the longer-term investment you are making. Most computers sold today run in 1080p resolution as standard, but the market is quickly moving towards higher output resolutions.

So if you start using computers that run using XGA, WXGA or 1080p resolution as standard, in the future, you may find you are limited with an SVGA projector to a compressed image and all that entails.

CompressionHow the projector handles non-native resolutions

Spend the time checking your input devices resolution to match it up to your projector where possible. But remember, most projectors will accept a resolution that’s higher than their native resolution. However, to cope with it they will “compress” and adapt the image that is received into fewer pixels.

The result is that some of the original pixels are “shared” across the same pixel that the projector displays. This is less important with photos and video because you don’t notice it so much, but with text, it’s a very different story. Make sure you take this into account if you’re frequently using your projector to display documents, as the case may be with office projectors and classroom projectors.

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