-FOR PRODUCERS- If you are are into HD production, one of the big challenges is finding a really good HD "monitor" to evaluate your work. The problem with HD is that to really scrutinize the image you not only need resolution, you also need size. And size doesn't come cheap, at least with traditional monitoring solutions. Thus, the best and most cost effective solution for many HD production companies might actually be a digital projector.
Projection technology has come a long way in the last 5 years. When most people think projectors they think washed-out images like those in conference rooms and sports bars. With the perfection of LCD and the advent of DLP, those days are over.
I've been heavily into digital projection for the last few years, even doing several home theater installations based around projectors (here is one example). The biggest thing I've learned over that time is not to listen to the people at consumer electronics stores. Even the home theater stores were pretty uninformed about digital projection until the last couple of years, there is just a ton of misinformation out there.
The great thing about choosing an HD projector for screening or monitoring HD production work is that your set of requirements are not as high as that of a typical consumer. Basically you need a projector that can reproduce a vibrant HD image with accurate colors and good contrast. You aren't going to be as concerned with how good the "scaler" is (for upconverting SD material), or if it is bright enough to show in a lit room (you can most likely control the lighting in your work area while the projector is in use), etc.
Here are some tips for what to look for in an HD projector:
1) First, have a good resource for reviews, specs, etc. In my opinion the best site bar none is projectorcentral.com. Check out their "highly recommended home theater projectors" section, it is broken out by price and is based on professional reviews instead of just popular ratings.
2) Ignore the DLP vs LCD issue. Both technologies can reproduce a great picture, and I would seriously resist the temptation to rule out one technology or the other. Evaluate the specs, read reviews, go see demos, etc.
3) Go for true HD resolution (1280x720, 1920x1080 isn't affordable yet). If you were a consumer I would say a 1/4 HD (960x540) or EDTV (854x480) projector would be a good compromise because SD images actually look better at those resolutions. But you are trying to evaluate your HD work, so full HD resolution is pretty important.
4) Avoid data/business projectors. Those projectors are rarely HD resolution (usually 800x600 or 1024x768 with a 4:3 aspect) and are optimized for presentations not video. The result are images that have poor color accuracy, bad uniformity, etc. Home theater projectors are very affordable now, don't make your life more complicated by trying to rig a data projector to fit your needs.
5) Don't get too carried away with specs, ESPECIALLY contrast ratio. Most of the contrast ratio ratings are bogus, and can only be reproduced in test environments. The truth is once you surpass a contrast ratio of 1000:1, everything else is gravy. Don't think the contrast from a 2000:1 projector will be double that of a 1000:1 projector; in reality it will be a very subtle difference. Once you hit 1000:1 contrast ratio, your money is better spent on extra brightness, because additional brightness (as long as the color is accurate) results in more perceived contrast anyway, especially with the prescence of ambient light.
6) If you are on a budget, plan for a 90" or 92" (diagonal) projection surface instead of 100". This will compensate for the lower brightness and contrast typical of lower cost projectors. In general, the closer the projector is to the screen (and thus the smaller the image), the more vidid the image.
7) Choosing a screen is going to be one of your most difficult decisions. You might want a portable projection surface, but unfortunately portable screens are not the best quality and the good ones can be fairly expensive. If you don't need a portable screen, then your most cost effective option might be to use a "paint on" screen like the product from "Screen Goo". Whatever you choose, the specs should be the same -- 16:9 aspect ratio, a high contrast / low gain surface, 90 - 100" in size, seamless, with a black border. The black border is important because it sets off the image from the background, which is what your brain is used to from watching TV. If you are on a VERY low budget, you can even use a neutral colored wall, as long as you use black tape or some other type of masking material to create a black border around the image. In any case, avoid high gain screens, they are not suitable for critical viewing of your work, and usually create a "sparkle" effect that is not desired.
8) Features like noise level, lens shift, electric focus and zoom, and weight might also be important to you, depending on your installation environment. Ignore keystone correction, that is rarely a feature you would want to use for accurate video monitoring; use lens shift instead, or better yet adjust the placement of your projector accordingly.
If your budget is under $2,000.00, then your options for true HD projectors are fairly limited, which can be a good thing. My personal favorites are the Sanyo PLV-Z2 ($1,500.00 street) and PLV-Z3 ($1,800.00 street), both true HD projectors with enough brightness and contrast for controlled environments. The Z3 gives you better contrast, a better scaler, and a nifty vacuum feature that allows you to clean the dust off the LCD panels without opening up the case. The scaler probably isn't that important for professionals unless you plan to watch SD material as well, and the contrast on the Z2 is still very good, so the extra $300 may be better spent towards a screen, cables, mounts, etc.
The HD image quality from both of those projectors is absolutely stunning, especially in a near-dark room. In my personal opinion digital projectors not only provide the best price / performance for the size, they simply provides the best HD image period, even when compared to plasmas, CRTs, or rear projection TV's. Simply put, there is no better way to critically evaluate your HD production on the big screen.
by Ben Buie
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