Comparison Hisense C2 vs Hisense C1

Main purpose of the projector.

This parameter is somewhat subjective and largely depends on how the device is positioned by the manufacturer; nevertheless, for the most comfortable use, it is best to follow the stated purpose. The options may include: universal, for presentations, for home theater, professional, portable, gaming. Here is a more detailed description of each option:

— Universal. The simplest type of projector, roughly speaking—any model that does not belong to one of the specializations described below. Most have fixed optics, a projection distance of 1 – 12 m, an image diagonal of approximately 1 – 7 m (see below), and a relatively low price.

— For presentations. Projectors primarily intended for business use, particularly for giving presentations. They generally have a short projection distance with a fairly large image diagonal, allowing them to be used in small rooms; they can work with both widescreen and standard image formats (see below), and support resolutions typical of computer graphics cards—for example, 1280х800. At the same time, the native resolution itself (see below) may be quite low. In addition, an almost mandatory feature of this type of projector—with rare exceptions—is a 15-pin D-Sub...input (see “Connectors”).

— For home theater. Projectors intended primarily for watching films. The main criterion for assigning a particular model to this category is how the projector is positioned by the manufacturer itself (in other words, whether this purpose is specified in the official documentation). However, there are also some common features: cinema-oriented models generally support widescreen image formats, have a high native resolution (see below), allowing them to work with HD video, and are equipped with the appropriate interfaces (see “Connectors”).

— Professional. High-end projectors with advanced specifications, numerous features and, accordingly, a considerable price. They are characterized by high image contrast ratios, support high-resolution video (including cinematic image formats), feature optical zoom for scaling the image without loss of quality, allow the connection of multichannel audio systems, and much more. The specific set of options in professional projectors may vary depending on the model, but in any case, these are fully loaded devices with top-tier specifications.

— Portable projector. An ultra-compact type of projector: most models are small enough to be carried in a pocket. These devices are primarily intended for giving impromptu presentations. Their form factor and power supply can vary. Some models are standalone devices with their own built-in storage and batteries (and sometimes even a full-fledged mobile OS such as Android on board). Others are designed like external cases or add-ons and, when in use, are attached directly to a mobile phone, using it as the signal and power source. However, in all cases, portable projectors have rather modest specifications due to their small size—for example, they have neither high brightness nor high image contrast. Battery life (in models with their own batteries) generally ranges from 40 minutes to an hour and a half. Energy-efficient LED lamps are also characteristic of this type (see below).

— Gaming. Specialized projectors intended for use with video games. Externally, they often feature a distinctive “aggressive” design, which may follow the style of a particular line of gaming PCs or laptops. As the name suggests, their practical specifications are primarily geared toward delivering a high-quality gaming image. To this end, projectors for this purpose typically offer, among other things, high native resolution (at least 1920х720, and more often 1920х1080 or higher), color reproduction of 1 billion colors, support for refresh rates (see below) of up to 120 Hz inclusive, and at least one HDMI input for receiving a digital signal from a computer graphics card. In addition, such models often support 3D. The maximum image diagonal may reach 7.5 m or more; this category also includes ultra-wide-angle devices capable of providing an image diagonal of about 3 m from a distance of about half a meter.

This parameter largely determines the ability of the projector to work in a well-lit room. For a dark room, 1000 lumens is enough to make the projection picture bright, rich, clear and understandable. But when working in a lit room, the projector will need at least 3500-4000 lumens. Do not confuse ANSI lumens with Peak lumens. These are two different brightness standards. To convert one type of brightness to another, you need to multiply Peak lumens by 10-12. The result will be an approximate value of ANSI Lumens.

However, experts do not recommend chasing high ANSI lumen brightness values. There are many professional projectors with brightness up to 3500 lm. The lower the brightness, the lower the power consumption, and at the same time, the life of the illuminator increases. Of course, if the projector will be installed in a work office or classroom where good lighting is required, it is recommended to purchase a model with ANSI Lumens brightness of 4000 lumens and more.

The static contrast of the image provided by the projector.

Static contrast refers to the maximum difference between the brightest white light and the darkest black that a projector can provide within a single frame. Unlike dynamic contrast (see below), this parameter describes not conditional, but quite real capabilities of the device, achievable without the use of any additional tricks like auto-brightness. And since the quality of colour reproduction and detailing depend on contrast, the higher this indicator, the lower the likelihood that details will be indistinguishable in bright or dark areas.

The dynamic image contrast provided by the projector.

Dynamic contrast ratio is the ratio between the brightest white and darkest black colour that a projector can produce. Recall that the quality of colour reproduction and detailing depend on contrast, the higher this indicator, the lower the likelihood that details will be indistinguishable in bright or dark areas. However, dynamic contrast is a rather specific parameter. The fact is that when it is calculated, the brightest white at the maximum brightness settings and the darkest black at the minimum are taken into account. As a result, the figures in this column can be very impressive, but it is impossible to achieve such a contrast within one frame.

By introducing this parameter, the manufacturers went to a certain trick. However, this is not to say that dynamic contrast has nothing to do with image quality at all. Projectors can use automatic brightness control, in which the overall brightness, depending on the "picture" on the screen, can increase or decrease. This format of work is based on the fact that the human eye does not need too bright areas on a general dark background and very dark areas on a bright one, the image is normally perceived even without it. The maximum brightness difference achievable in this mode of operation is exactly what described by dynamic contrast.

The color gamut characterizes the range of colors that a projector can reproduce.

This parameter is specified in percentages, but not relative to the entire variety of visible colors, rather to a specific color space (color model). This is because no modern screen can display all the colors visible to the human eye. The projector's specifications may specify which color model the gamut is based on. The larger the color gamut (100% and above), the more accurately the colors will match those originally intended. A too small color gamut results in a dull, faded image, while a too large one results in unnatural and oversaturated colors. However, in practice, values from 90% to 110% are considered quite acceptable for most cases and do not lead to noticeable image degradation.

Input Lag is the delay between the signal from a device (e.g. computer, console) and its display on the screen. It is measured in milliseconds (ms) and is especially important for gamers, as high latency can cause the image to lag behind the player's actions.

Regular cinema projectors have an input lag of 50ms or more, which is unnoticeable when watching movies, but can be noticeable in fast-paced games. Gaming projectors with low lag (10-20ms) provide a smoother response, making them suitable for console and PC gaming.

The actual maximum frame resolution that the projector is capable of processing and displaying.

Many models allow project images at a higher resolution than the actual resolution of the projector matrix (see above). For example, a 1920x1080 video can be displayed on a device with a frame size of 1024x768. However, the quality of such an image will be noticeably lower than on a projector, which initially has a resolution of 1920x1080.

The maximum resolution is closely related to both the overall picture quality and the size of the projection screen. The higher the resolution, the sharper the image details become. Of course, the screen size itself should be taken into account. The fact is that on a 40-50″ projection surface there will not be much difference between the Quad HD and 4K formats. A high-resolution picture will be able to show itself on a truly large screen.

Support for HDR technology — expanded dynamic range — by the projector.

This technology allows for extending the brightness range displayed within a single frame — in simpler terms, it enables displaying both very bright and very dark colors on screen simultaneously. This significantly improves color reproduction; furthermore, small details on very bright or very dark parts of the frame that would be invisible on a regular image remain visible. However, it's worth noting that all the advantages of HDR become noticeable only on a high-quality screen with maximum dimming. Additionally, this function significantly affects the cost of the projector, and the content being played back must initially be recorded in HDR — using exactly the technology supported by the projector (this detail can be clarified in the manual). In light of this, HDR support is mainly found among high-end models for home theaters. It should also be noted that there are several different HDR technologies that are not compatible with each other. Therefore, when purchasing a projector with this function, it's crucial to clarify which exact version of HDR it supports. The following are available:

— HDR10. Historically the first of the consumer HDR formats, less advanced than the options described below but extremely widespread. In particular, HDR10 is supported by virtually all streaming services that provide HDR content at all, and it's also standard for...Blu-ray discs. It allows for working with a color depth of 10 bits (hence the name). At the same time, devices with this format are compatible with HDR10+ content, although its quality will be limited by the capabilities of the original HDR10.

— HDR10+. An enhanced version of HDR10. With the same color depth (10 bits), it uses so-called dynamic metadata, which allows transmitting information about color depth not only for groups of several frames but also for individual frames. This leads to further improvement in color reproduction.

— Dolby Vision. An advanced standard used, for example, in professional filmmaking. It achieves a color depth of 12 bits, uses the aforementioned dynamic metadata, and also allows transmitting two image variants simultaneously in one video stream — HDR and regular (SDR). Dolby Vision is based on the same technology as HDR10, so in modern video equipment, this format is usually combined with HDR10 or HDR10+.

— HLG. An HDR format initially designed for TV broadcasting and live transmissions; hence, it is designed for "working without metadata" and is easier to transfer between different sources. Unlike HDR10, which uses static metadata, and particularly HDR10+ / Dolby Vision, which can dynamically adjust the picture frame by frame, HLG often provides a more universal and predictable HDR signal, although not as precisely tuned for a specific display. However, HLG has a strong point — excellent compatibility: the same stream can appear acceptable even on devices that are not fully HDR-capable, which is crucial for broadcast/satellite content. An example of use is viewing HDR broadcasts and TV content from a set-top box/tuner or streaming where HLG is encountered: the projector will correctly receive the signal and display the extended brightness range and more vibrant colors without manual tweaking of settings.

Support by the projector of one or another technology of brightness/contrast enhancement.

Usually in such case, software image processing is implied to improve brightness and/or contrast (if necessary). Specific processing methods may be different — in particular, in some cases we are actually talking about turning standard content into HDR, and some manufacturers do not specify technical details at all. The effectiveness of different technologies can also be different, and besides, it is highly dependent on the specific content: in some cases, the improvement will be obvious, in others it may be almost imperceptible.