Tag Archives: projectors

How to Choose Your First Short Throw Projector

In today’s blog, we will talk about short throw projector. Choosing a projector can be a difficult decision when you are a first timer because you have to learn about projectors’ features such as brightness (lumen), contrast ratio, resolution, throw ratio, and so on. When shopping for a projector, one of the most important decisions that you have to make is picking between short throw or long throw. So, what is a throw ratio? The throw ratio is the relation between the throw distance and the width if the projected image. In short, the smaller the throw ratio, the larger the image that a projector will project at a shorter distance. A short throw projector has a throw ratio between 0.4 – 1, and the ultra-short throw has a throw ratio between 0.1 – 0.4.

Pros and cons of short throw projector.

Pros: When you are in a small space area, a short throw projector will come in handy as it will save you more space than a long throw projector. Its ability to project much larger image will be great to replace your regular TV.

Cons: There are some disadvantages of a short throw projector. Cost is one of them, a short throw projector tends to be more expensive. And brightness is also an issue because projectors can’t go as bright as a TV.

Here are some of the best short throw projectors that we hand-picked for you to consider:

  • Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS300

The Epson LS300 short throw projector is the most expensive short throw projector in this list, MSRP at $1,999.99. It delivers picture up to 120” at 1080P (accepts 4K format). With an incredible 3,600 lumens, the LS300 short throw projector produces vivid picture even with some ambient light in the room. The Audiophile 2.1 sound system by Yamaha is nothing like others, it provides a unique experience. All in all, you can’t go wrong with the Epson LS300 projector, it’s an ideal short throw projector that could be a replacement for your TV.

Pros: High lumen brightness, loud speaker, high contrast ratio

Cons: Expensive for 1080P native resolution

Amazon Link for the Epson EpiqVision LS300 short throw projector

  • AAXA P400­­

The AAXA P400 is a budget short throw projector. It’s the most portable and affordable mini short throw projector in the list with the price tag of $269 MSRP and the dimension of 4.5″ x 4″ x 2.3″, and weighs at 19.8 ounces. It can easily fit in your palm. Even though the P400 short throw projector is small, it’s a powerful unit which can project a vivid 100″ screen with 1080P resolution at just 5.25 feet from wall and holds up to 2 hours of battery in one charge. If you are in a position where money is short, and want a short throw projector that can get the job done, you can’t go wrong with the P400 since it offers almost everything that you need in a short throw projector.

Pros: Portable, native 1080P FHD, inexpensive, best value for money

Cons: Lack of smart features

Amazon Link for The AAXA P400 short throw projector

  • BenQ TK700STi

The BenQ TK700STi short throw projector is made for gamers with a low input lag 16ms at 4K/60Hz, you can experience your gameplay with unnoticeable lag. It’s compatible with major consoles such as Xbox, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and a few more. This short throw projector is an incredible entertainment powerhouse. The only downside of the TK700STi is the throw ratio of 0.9 so you will need to place it a little far away from your wall in order to have a big screen.

Pro: Low latency, great for gaming, 4K resolution

Cons: 0.9 Throw ratio, not great black level

Amazon Link for The BenQ TK700STi short throw projector

Should you get a short throw projector?

Deciding what kind of projector is best fits for you need depends on numerous of factors. The most important characteristic that you should consider when purchasing a projector is space. If you are setting up a home theater in a small room, then you should consider a short throw projector. Not only it will save you more space, but also preventing unwanted shadows. And if space is not an issue for you, then you should consider getting yourself a long throw since it will save you some cash.

Things To Do With Your Friends This Fall 2021!

As the summer heat cools down and the leaves on trees change color, this can only mean one thing and one thing only, Fall is coming! We’ve come up with a list of things you can do with friends this Fall.

Going to a Pumpkin Patch

Pick the Perfect Pumpkin Patch around Lake Wylie

Starting off with going to a pumpkin patch! When Fall comes the season of pumpkins starts. These pumpkin patches aren’t just for picking out pumpkins, you could say they’re more like mini-festivals! They could have anything from; games, attractions, petting zoos, and food! Go out to your local pumpkin patch and see what’s in store!

Pumpkin Carving

10 Best Pumpkin Carving Kits - Pumpkin Tools for Halloween 2021

If you went to your local pumpkin patch, then you had to have bought some pumpkins right?! Next, we have pumpkin carving, a great activity to do with your friends and family during the Fall Season. Carve the coolest or wackiest designs with your friends and family to see who did the best!

Halloween Decorating

Ghostly Apparitions - AtmosFX Halloween Digital Decorations – AtmosFX Digital  Decorations
Link: Digital Decorations for Halloween 2021

As Fall comes, then that means Halloween is just around the corner! Decorate with your homes with your friends to see who had the scariest decorations! You could even use uncarved pumpkins with digital decorations and a projector to project some spooky animations!

Outdoor Movie Night

Link: How to Have the Best Backyard Movie Night This Summer!

Last but not least, you can’t do Fall without having an outdoor movie night! Whip out your favorite projector and invite your friends and family to have a nice and cool Fall movie night! Bring your favorite snacks and bring out a projection screen or even a big white blanket to play with your favorite movies outdoors!

Here’s a list of some projectors you can use for your outdoor movie night:

AAXA P6X Pico Projector
Anker Nebula Solar Portable
Dr. J HI-04 Mini Projector

Digital Decorations for Halloween 2021

Things are finally beginning to cool down, and with Fall just around the corner, the next big seasonal holiday is none other than Halloween! Did you know that you could use a projector to create digital decorations? The use of a projector paired with holographic effects can create even the scariest illusions for your haunted house this Halloween! We’re going to dive into the necessary tools needed to create these digital decorations.

Projector

The Best Home Projectors To Screen Movies At Home | IndieWire

The first thing you will need to create these digital decorations is going to be a projector! You will want to have a projector that has a short to medium-range throw ratio. The projector will not need high resolution, standard resolution will work perfectly fine! Lastly, lumens will make the biggest difference, as this will factor in how the holographic image is produced on the projection screen. We recommend something with at least 100 LED lumens or more!

Here’s a list of some of the projectors we think would be the best for this:

Projection Screen

The next thing you will need for the digital decorations is going to be a projection screen. However, this isn’t going to be just your average projection screen, you’re going to need something that is thin and semi-transparent for this to work perfectly! We recommend using thin mesh netting, transparency film, or anything that is really see-through. This is a necessary piece as this will provide the illusion of a holographic effect, the more see-through your screen is the better the effect!

Here’s a list of some materials you can use as projection screens:

Amazon: Bridal Veil

Visuals

Lastly, you are going to need the star of the show, your visual effects! You can use a vast majority of different visual effects, however, we recommend something that isn’t too bright with now background images as it can cause make the projection screen visible.

Here are some examples:

Evil Twins
AtmosFX Evil Twins
Musical Skeletons
AtmosFX Musical Skeletons

Once Halloween comes by let us know what you did for your decorations in the comments below!

Living Room Setup with 4K Projectors

For a lot of people, finding the perfect spot for TV can be tough considering the many factors like the lighting and limited space. With the increase in popularity for 4K home entertainment projectors, many people are switching to 4K projectors instead of traditional 4K televisions. The benefits of a 4K projector setup is that you can go from 50 inch to 150 inch screen without taking up any space in your living area. It is also cheaper to buy a flat 100-150 inch screen than it is to buy 100 inch televisions. 

Projectors are increasing in all aspects including throw ratio, allowing users to display 100 inch screen size with the projectors only 3-4 inches away from the screen. It used to be much more expensive to get a projector with a high lumens brightness, but now it is much more affordable. The number of lumens needed for a room is determined by the amount of ambient light in the room. If there is a high amount of ambient light then the projector will need higher lumens to properly light the screen. With modern 4K projectors ranging from 2000-5000 lumens, there are many options out there that will work best with your home setup. 

When setting up your projector for your home setup, there are many options to mount or place your projector. Most will mount the projector, place it on a table, or mobile projector stand. Mounting the projector is the most common because of the fixed location and the option to hide cables into the ceiling. Mobile home theater entertainment is also becoming popular with new mini portable 4K projectors like AAXA 4K1 Projector, allowing the user to not be limited to just the living room with the size and portability of the projector. 

The built in sound quality of internal speakers in the 4K projectors are good, but not movie theater experience good. To add to the home theater experience, most people will include external speakers to the setup. There are many types of external speakers that you can use, like sound bars, bookshelves speakers, or Bluetooth speakers. Sound bars are popular aesthetically because of the form factor, allowing users to install under or near the screen without taking up much space. One good cheap sound bar is the Bose TV Speakerswith options to connect using HDMI or optical audio. For wireless Bluetooth connection, the Sonos Oneis a mid-priced smart speaker with the option to control audio from your phone, without the hassle of running long cables from your speakers to the projector.

Interactive Video-mapped using Projectors

Have you ever seen floors, walls, or objects with abstract light and shadow effects, that look like they are coming to life? If so, you probably saw a version of video mapping or projection mapping. Lighting a 3D object or an irregular shape with a digital display is called video mapping or projection mapping. Video/projection mapping had been popular with DJ artists using lights from projectors to enhance the audio with synced visuals. Recently, projection mapping has been used on a large scale projection such as Cinderella Castle in Disney Parks, which is used to project special 3D events and shows. Large scale projection mapping like this uses large projectors with 20,000 lumens output or greater. Video mapping has also become more mainstream with the accessibility to many different types of projectors as well as specialized software to help design and map the projection. 

Video and projection mapping is not easy work as it requires a lot of planning as well as learning 3D modelling. If you are thinking of creating your own interactive video mapping project, here are some simplified steps that might help you understand the process. A more detailed instruction can be found at Make an Affordable Interactive Videomapped Installation. The first step is to determine what image or video to project as well as the object or surface that you want to project on. After that, you would need to find out what projector you want to use based on your where, how, and what you are planning on doing for the mapping. You want to install the projector at a fixed location. Next, you are going to need to design your image to fit with the surface that you are working on. On irregular surfaces, you will need video mapping software such as MadMapper, HeavyM, Qlab, Troixatronix’s Isadora, FaçadeSignage, ArKaos, or Photopshop to help you edit your design. If you are able to get your design, the next step is to use your projector to display your designs. For more examples for creative ideas, you can check out: Top 20 Best Projection Mapping Examples. For smaller scale video mapping on everyday objects, check out this Projection Mapping website.