Cheap LED or lamp projector?

Nowadays, having a home theater is easier and cheaper than ever, since with a cheap projector you can enjoy an image of considerable dimensions without requiring a huge investment. In this way you will enjoy to the maximum your favorite movies and series both alone and accompanied, living an experience very similar to that obtained by going to a movie theater.

In this category projectors of diverse ranges are placed that adapt to each available budget. On the other hand, you will get recommendations so that you fully understand the purchase of the model, orienting yourself in the world of the projection that in case of not being stuck in it can become something complex at the beginning.

As LED technology became more important in televisions, it also did so in the projectors. So much so that today the number of projectors based on the aforementioned technology is very high, there is a wide range of models that compete directly with the lamp. A cheap lamp projector provides good image quality, a factor that depends of course on the technical specifications of the device in question. However, it is inevitable to bring up an aspect that as a consumer you must take into account: the lamps have to be replaced every so often.

This does not happen with projectors based on LED technology, which boast a very long lifespan. In some cases manufacturers claim that the figure is around 50,000 hours, a not insignificant figure taking into account that in most cases the projections take place at home occasionally without using the device on a daily basis.

In terms of quality both are on par if the characteristics of the models in question are even, although the LED gives more possibilities when developing smaller devices. In fact, since a few years ago the mini-projectors have acquired a great popularity, completely breaking with the myth that to enjoy the home cinema it was mandatory to get a huge device.

If you are interested in a cheap projector of small size pay close attention to the lumens. This characteristic will determine the degree of brilliance with which the image will be projected.

If the figure is not too high it will be essential that you have the cabin without any light source present in it, and even then it would probably be difficult to clearly appreciate the dark scenes, exemplifying the typical frames of horror movies.

On the contrary, those projectors and mini-projectors that enjoy a generous number of lumens give rise to the fact that the room or the living room does not have to be one hundred percent in the dark. In fact, in broad daylight it is even possible to enjoy content such as a football game and cartoons.

Another myth related to the exciting world of the projectors referred to that its acquisition was not worthwhile in case the distance from the device to the wall on which the image would be displayed was not considerable. However, with a cheap short throw projector it is possible to get an image of many inches in tight spaces.

In turn, if for some reason or other you do not see yourself able to install a screen in the home you should know that these devices offer quite good results when projecting directly into a white wall or other very clear tonality, especially in case of that it is completely smooth without the presence of the traditional gotelé.

Best Cheap Projector to Choose

For years now, the use of projectors and interactive whiteboards for educational and training purposes has been spreading rapidly through schools throughout the country. Schools, colleges and universities, as well as language schools and driving schools, can take advantage of the opportunity to improve the quality of their training offer, so it is essential to take into account some tips when buying projectors.

As a general rule, we recommend using these projectors, since they allow you to place the projector much closer to the screen or interactive whiteboard than with conventional projectors. Being closer to the projected image, it prevents the teacher from being 'in the middle' of the beam of light, which in turn avoids 2 things: shadows in the projection, and glare to the teacher and students who come to the blackboard. As for its installation, it is more comfortable, because they are fixed with wall brackets instead of having to do it on the roof. Examples: Vivitek DX881ST and Epson EB-530.

For primary classrooms, it may be enough with SVGA or XGA projectors and 2500-3000 lumens, and 1.8 m wide screens. Examples: Ricoh X2440 and Epson EB-X39. In institutes, academies, driving schools and small classrooms of universities, the minimum resolution would be XGA and recommended HD High Definition, with a brightness of 2500 to 3500 lumens. These better features will allow us to project a bigger image without losing detail level and make presentations in lighter classes. Use screens from 1.8 to 2m wide. E.g., Epson EB-W42.

For any other environment where there are large classrooms (function rooms, universities, etc.) High Definition HD and High Definition FullHD of minimum 4000-5000 lumens, and 2.5-3 meters screens are recommended. See the article on projectors for large classrooms.

The factor that most determines the maintenance cost of the projectors is their lamp, which has a limited life and a high acquisition cost. When choosing a projector, it is good to take into account:

That has a lamp duration as long as possible: until now lasted 3000-4000 hours but recently have appeared projectors with lamps that last even 10,000 hours. That the replacement lamp is as economical as possible: the lights of the current education projectors cost around 100-150 euros.

Led projectors? Although it is very tempting to forget the replacement lamps, the existing LED spotlights in the market either do not have enough light, or have an extra cost equivalent to buying 2-3 bulbs together with the projector, so it only makes sense if we want to forget maintenance and have a higher budget (example: Casio XJ-V2).


Manufacturer's Warranty: An excellent way to protect the investment in projectors for education is to buy projectors with more than 2 years of Warranty. Epson and Hitachi offer 3 and 5-year Warranty on their projectors. Also, as the manufacturer has more prestige, the warranty conditions will be better, and we thus make sure to quickly find spare parts and Technical Assistance if needed (in this respect Epson are the most recommended for us).