For large format display in spaces like houses of worship, projection systems can be one of the most cost effective options. However, shopping for a projection system can be confusing—with so many variables like throw distance, brightness, screen reflectiveness, and lamp type, it can be hard to know which projector is right for your space. To help, we’ll take a look at some common factors we look at when choosing a projector, and how to decide which projector & screen combination is right for you.

The Basics: Brightness

Projector brightness is not measured right from the light source. Instead, we use the unit lumen, which (stay with me here) is the “quantity of photons emitted from a 1 candela light source through an area of 1 square meter on a sphere 1 meter in radius surrounding that light source.” Essentially, the brightness measurement for projectors tries to factor in some light diffusion.

How do you know what the right brightness of projector is? The main factors you need to consider are ambient light and throw distance. Ambient light in a space can come from many sources: traditional light fixtures, windows, or even emergency exit signage. The main reason ambient light control is so important is contrast: higher levels of ambient light raise the system black level, which is the darkest possible image level. If the system black level is too high, it can be harder to see details on text, presentations, or other high-detail content.

Throw distance is the space between the projector and screen. While this can be less of factor thanks to the inverse-square rule, a long throw distance combined with high ambient light is hard to overcome. In these scenarios, we’ve often found video walls to be a more cost-effective solution, simply due to the projector brightness required. 

While a brighter environment generally requires a brighter projector, there is no “one easy trick” to choosing the right projector—throw distance, ambient light and screen gain are all important factors.

Light Source: Laser vs Lamp

Recently we’ve seen a pretty large move in the industry away from halogen lamp projectors to laser light sources. However, lamp-based projectors are still the more affordable option, and may be worth considering depending on your use case and budget.

Lamp Projectors

For a long time, halogen lamp projectors have dominated the large format display market. They provided the easiest way to display a larger than life image, at the expense of somewhat frequent bulb replacements. For much of its history, bulb lifespan was measured in hundreds of hours. It wasn't until the last 10 years or so that we began to see lamps lasting over 1000 hours.

Along with better lamps, the need for brighter projectors led to the introduction of dual-lamp systems. This achieved the desired effect, but also increased the ongoing maintenance costs to keep the unit functioning.

So, why choose lamp-based over a solid-state solution? The easy answer is that lamp projectors are best for those who are using projection infrequently, like a movie night once a month, or a few times a week in a classroom. Small churches, or venues without a lot happening during the week could still find a valuable use for lower-cost lamp projectors.

LED Projectors

First introduced in 2017, LED projectors use an integrated light-emitting diode. These provide up to  4 times the lifespan of lamp-based projectors, but do not have replaceable lamps. Despite this, they can be more affordable to run over the lifetime of the projector due to the longer light source lifespan.

LED projectors also provide many of the same benefits as higher priced laser projectors: instant on/off, better color reproduction, and noise-free operation. The main downside is brightness—LED projectors cannot compete with the brightness of laser projectors, especially for large venues.

Laser Projectors

Laser projectors are one of the fastest growing segments in professional A/V, and share some features with LED projectors: both can claim a long light-source life, low maintenance operation, and lower heat generation.

What separates laser from LED is that laser projectors can have up to 20 times brighter light output than LEDs. This means large venues can take advantage of the lower cost of ownership that solid-state light sources bring. Large churches, theaters, schools, outdoor projection mapped exhibits, and other spaces that need large-format projection can use laser to lower costs without sacrificing brightness, color or image quality.

Choosing the right projector depends on the screen size, ambient light, and throw distance. Keeping these factors in mind when choosing a type of projector can help ensure you’re getting the right unit for your use case.

Projection Screens

No projection system is complete without a screen to go alongside it. Projection screens can come in a variety of configuration options, including rear projection, tensioned or non tensioned, and electric or manual screens. There’s also screen gain to consider-the reflectivity of your screen. We’ll break down some of the factors we consider when choosing a projection screen for a project.

Front vs Rear Projection

Front and rear projection screens are pretty self explanatory—front projection screens are designed to show images projected from the front, rear projection screens show images projected from behind the screen. This specification can also affect light levels, however. Rear projection screens generally provide higher contrast, but with a reduced total brightness. Rear projection is a great choice for theatres and performance spaces, assuming there is room behind the screen for an adequate throw distance for the projector.

Front projection screens are probably the one you’re most familiar with, and likely to see in most installations. These systems don’t require as much “dead space” as rear projection systems, since the projector is in the same space as the audience. However, in some venue scenarios, this can cause issues if there are staging elements or fog in front of the screen. Front projection  screens also have more options for screen gain (see below) compared to rear projection.

What is screen gain?

Simply put, gain is the amount of light a projector screen reflects compared to a standard whiteboard. In situations where extra brightness is needed, using a higher gain screen can help boost the brightness of a projector. However, higher gain screens often have worse viewing angles and color reproduction and will also multiply the ambient light that hits the screen.

For house of worship applications, we typically use a unity gain screen. This has a gain of 1.0, which preserves viewing angles and color white still providing good visibility with moderate ambient light levels. For some churches that have a more theatrical setup, we’ll use a lower gain screen for more dramatic contrast of visuals.

Take a look at some of our recent projection system installations:

The Best Projectors for Churches, Temples and Mosques

Looking for a house of worship projector? Look no further. Here are some of our top picks for medium venues.

Panasonic FRQ-60

The FRQ-60 delivers 6000 lumens from a laser light source. This means there’s no warm up or start up delay, making it easy to set up before your services. The FRQ60 also supports 4K content despite being a relatively affordable projector by using Panasonic’s Quad Pixel Drive technology—rapidly shifting the projector’s native HD resolution 240 times per second to create the 4K image.

Sony VPL-FHZ85

This Sony projector also has a laser light source, but provides a few distinct advantages. This projector features 3 display chips: one for red, blue and green. Using separate display chips for this provides more vibrant colors and better contrast. The Sony also works with a wide range of lenses, allowing more flexible installation for either front or rear projection setups.  

Sharp NP-ME403U

If you’re looking for a more budget-conscious projector, this model from Sharp is definitely worth considering. Equipped with a 1.6x zoom lens and horizontal, vertical and diagonal image correction, the NP-ME403U gives plenty of flexibility for installation locations. You can also play slides or video off a USB drive without needing to connect a computer—perfect for announcements before and after services.

Large Format Projectors

For really big worship productions, large venue projectors are usually the best choice. These will usually have a light source of 10,000 lumens or more, and a wide range of lenses. Because installations like this tend to have a lot of variables, including cooling and power requirements, your best bet is to consult with an AV integrator to make sure you’re getting the right system for your space.

Looking for help with projection in your house of worship? Get in touch—we’ll do a free on-site evaluation and build an AV solution that fits your needs and budget.