So when shopping for a 4K projector, don't let the difference in pixel count between those two choices affect your decision. As you get closer, the differences between resolution levels get easier to discern, but you'd have to be closer to the screen than recommended for any given screen size to spot any difference between an image produced by a TI XPR-based projector and the original version of Epson 4K Pro-UHD technology. An eagle might, but the human visual system can't. Sit far enough back from a screen, and you won't be able to tell the difference between a 4K image and VGA (640-by-480-pixel) resolution. Another reason is that your eyes may be wonders of nature's engineering, but they aren't exactly the James Webb Telescope-there's only so much detail you can see. One reason is that your perception of image sharpness and detail depends on other factors besides pixel count, including contrast, lens quality, and video processing, which Epson's Pro-UHD technology takes advantage of. But surprisingly, it delivers image resolution-in the sense of ability to resolve detail-that's indistinguishable from models based on TI's pixel shifting. The older version of the technology, still available in less expensive models, puts two sets of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels onscreen per frame.īy sheer pixel count, the older, more affordable version of Epson's approach is only half of 4K. The newest, and more expensive, 4K Pro-UHD models, including the Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 4K Pro-UHD Laser Projector, also deliver four sets of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels to the screen for each frame, much like DLP-based models. The Epson scheme is available in two versions, both of which use three 1080p LCD chips. Epson's Pro Cinema 4050 is one of the company's Pro-UHD 4K projectors.Īt this writing, the only projectors in this price range that use a different pixel-shifting technology are Epson's 4K Pro-UHD models. Your eye integrates all four sets into a single 4K image. This technology breaks each 4K frame into four sets of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels, then displays all four sets on screen one at a time, shifting the pixels' position between each set. The majority are based on 1080p DLP chips that use TI's XPR fast-switch pixel shifting. That's partly because of a trick called "pixel shifting," and partly because there are limits to human visual acuity (even if you don't need glasses).Īlmost all projectors that offer a 4K image or its equivalent and cost less than about $4,000 use one of two pixel-shifting techniques. The same is not true, however, for 4K projectors. But no matter how high-quality its lens, the resulting image will have a softer focus than an otherwise identical projector with a 1080p chip. A projector with a 1,280-by-720-pixel chip can accept a 1080p (1,920-by-1,080-pixel) signal and downconvert it to a 720p image on screen. Native resolution-the actual number of pixels that are physically on a chip-is a big deal for lower-resolution projectors. Understanding Native Resolution: Must My Projector Have a True 4K Chip? Below, we'll first cover our favorite models for common projector applications, choosing from among the projectors we've reviewed, then cover the issues you should consider when choosing a 4K model. And some-display technology, light source, audio, and input lag-are essentially the same as for any other projector. Others, such as brightness and portability, need to be considered differently with 4K versus lower resolutions. What are the issues to look at for 4K projectors? Some features were newly introduced along with 4K, notably support for high dynamic range (HDR) imaging, and a different approach to native resolution. But that's not going to happen anytime soon. But if you choose carefully, you'll have a big-screen image you'll love-at least until 8K becomes the norm. If you're shopping for a 4K model, you need to know that some issues shake out a little differently than they do with 1080p and lower resolutions, and some new factors come into play, too. So while 4K resolution (3,840 by 2,160 pixels) has long since taken over as the standard for flat-screen TVs, 4K projectors are only now approaching and even dipping below $1,000 to reach the sweet spot as consumers' preferred resolution. When TVs, desktop monitors, and even laptops embrace more pixels at lower prices, home theater and office projectors follow, but often lag in affordability.
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