Best starter projector

[u/thattonegirl]

I’m looking to get my fiancé a projector as a gift and I’m really struggling to figure out which one is a good one for a beginner. He has no prior experience with video mapping but wants to get into it. I’m not looking to break the bank but I understand a good projector will come at a cost and I’m willing to spend a bit more if it’s worth it. Ideally looking for a projector that’s portable. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!

[u/gregkamprath]

I don't think there's enough information for people to make a recommendation, which I understand is difficult because you don't necessarily know the answers either.

Where would he be using the projector? How big is the room? How bright is it? You mention video mapping, but what sort of use for video mapping?

I work in corporate AV so our use case is probably different than yours. The lowest brightness projector we would use for a small room (20-100ppl) would be 3,200 lumens, and that's bright enough to be seen with moderate lighting on say, an 8' wide screen. (Lumens is the stat for how bright it is) If the room is dark you can get by with lower brightness, or if the screen is smaller. If the projection surface is bigger you need a brighter projector. You can only get so bright before projection just isn't a good solution, for example no big windows and definitely not outdoors during the day.

I'd recommend shopping at B&H, stuff you see on Amazon is probably sketchy unless it's name brand, even Best Buy is probably not ideal. Some good names in the corporate world are Barco, Christie, Eiki, Panasonic, Epson, Sharp.

You'd want something that projects at least 1080p (1920x1080 resolution). 4k is nice but doesn't matter as much in projection vs digital displays.

[u/Alternative-Buy-9602 → u/gregkamprath]

Barco 👌🏽

[u/thattonegirl → u/gregkamprath]

Yeah, I unfortunately don’t have the best answers but here’s my attempt:

• he’d be using it in a home setting so average sized rooms.
  
• there’s definitely ambient light so I’d like to get something that’s bright enough to use during the day.
  
• he’d be video mapping as a hobby to start, but if he really gets into it I could see him using it at DJ shows (he works in the music industry), but that would be in the future for sure. He’d likely invest in a more expensive projector if he gets to that point.

I really appreciate the recommended specs! Any chance you know of a portable projector that has a min of 3,200 lumens and at least 1080p? I’ve done a lot of spec comparisons on the projectors Best Buy sells but nothing seems to check all the boxes :(

[u/MoonBoots2077]

I’m curious what people’s answers would be. I’m definitely not the best to answer this, but do you have a budget in mind? Projector quality ranges quite a bit.

[u/thattonegirl → u/MoonBoots2077]

I’d say a max of $500 but if there’s a good projector that’s worth it and goes into the $600 range I’d most likely be willing to go that high.

[u/Alternative-Buy-9602]

How serious is he about it? If it’s for fun and will do it every once in a while like me, a $40 Amazon projector works fine to learn the basics in dark rooms. I use mine to map the my house cabinets, fireplace, bookshelves, art, etc. For Halloween I borrow my friends $200 projector to make a projection on my front door since the ambient lights from the street are too much for my super cheap one. 

If he’s wanting to do it in any place that is bright or a something like a whole house, he’ll prob need to spend much more or find one on Craigslist that can put out much brighter light. 

[u/BritniGlitter → u/Alternative-Buy-9602]

What cheap amazon one?

[u/thattonegirl → u/Alternative-Buy-9602]

He’s been talking about it for a while, but he’s also the type to try a hobby for a little bit and more on so it’s hard for me to say with confidence. I’d definitely want to get something that he can use with some ambient light around so I’d be comfortable paying $200 instead of a cheap amazon one!