More LCD projector buying tips

Here are some more tips to help you pick the right LCD or DLP projector for your needs. Much like air conditioning or power steering in a new car, these extras may help make your projector more manageable in difficult presenting conditions.

Inputs
The projector you buy is not an island unto itself. You will probably be hooking up a laptop or two, maybe a mouse, a VCR, or audio player to boot. Be sure to check out your input and output options and buy the projector that can meet your connectivity needs.

Remote Control
While the remote that comes with your projector may not be a life or death feature, it is important. The ideal remote lets you control all the features you use during a presentation without making it too complex. With your remote, you should be able to advance slides, control audio volume, switch between input sources, laser point, and zoom. In addition, most come standard with remote mousing capabilities and screen markup that allows you to digitally draw on a screen to highlight areas of interest.

Infrared remotes work just like TV remotes – they require a direct line of sight between the remote and the unit. Radio frequency (RF) remotes that do not require line of sight are becoming more common and can be useful if you have employees who like to pace around the room while giving a presentation.

Picture Adjustment
You should be able to set the contrast, brightness, and sharpness for a presentation. “Keystone” correction is useful if you have to set up the projector at an angle – it allows you to square up the borders of the picture and remove distortion. Automatic keystone correction takes care of the adjustment for you. Better models allow you to save different settings for each input source.

Projection Options
For permanent installations, you may want to look for a model that can be adjusted for rear projection or inverse projection to make the projector less intrusive. Rear projection flips the image so the projector can be positioned behind the screen, while inverse projection turns the image upside down for projectors that are mounted on a ceiling.

Memory
If you plan on giving the same presentation to different audiences, you might want to look into projector memory capabilities. Memory presentation allows you to run a previously stored presentation without a computer. Simply insert a disk into the machine or a PC card into a PCMCIA slot, and present away. This can result in substantially less luggage, but eliminates the option to make changes to the presentation on the fly.

Audio amplifier and speakers
Most projectors have a built-in speaker, but the quality can vary widely. If sound plays a big role in your presentations, it's easy and economical to add a lightweight sound system for use with large groups. Add-on speakers almost always have sound quality way beyond anything built into a projector.

Wireless
Some newer projectors are wireless for easy set-up and less clutter.

More tips
Want more LCD projector tips? Read buying tips submitted by other BuyerZone users.