Comparison Epson EH-TW5400 vs Epson EH-TW5300

The lamp model that the projector is designed for. Most projectors come with lamps included, so this information is not needed for normal use. But when looking for a spare lamp or replacement, information about model can be very useful: finding a spare part by the exact name is much easier than by general data like the brand of the projector.

Minimum projector lamp life as stated by the manufacturer. Specified by the total time of continuous operation. Note that if the projector was operated without violations, then upon reaching this time, the lamp will not necessarily fail — on the contrary, it can work for quite a long time. However, when evaluating durability, it is best to focus on the claimed service life.

When working in economy mode, the brightness of the backlight is noticeably reduced, on average by 30-50%. With a decrease in brightness, heat dissipation also decreases, which saves the working life of the illuminator, thereby increasing the lamp life. Thus, the ECO mode allows you to extend the lamp life by an average of 30%. If the typical projector lamp life is 4000 hours, regular use of the ECO mode will extend the backlight life to approximately 5500 hours.

The brightness of the image produced by the projector at maximum backlight brightness. Usually, the average brightness of the screen, derived from a special formula, is indicated. The higher it is, the less the image depends on ambient light: a bright projector can provide a clearly visible image even in daylight, but a dim one will require dimming. On the other hand, increasing brightness reduces contrast and accuracy of colour reproduction.

Accordingly, when choosing this parameter, you need to consider the conditions in which you plan to use the projector. So, for office or school/university use, a brightness of at least 3000 lm is desirable — this allows you to get normal visibility without obscuring the room. In turn, among the top models a very low brightness can be found, because. such projectors are usually installed in rooms specially designed for them with good darkness level. And in ultra-compact devices it is impossible to achieve high brightness for technical reasons.

Detailed recommendations on the optimal brightness for certain conditions can be found in special sources. Here we note that anyway, it is worth choosing according to this indicator with some margin. As mentioned above, as brightness increases, contrast and colour quality decrease, and you may need to use the projector at a reduced brightness to achieve the desired picture quality.

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 size of the panel/chip affects the depth and final quality of the image. The larger the panel/chip, the more light it is able to process, which means the picture will be clearer and more structured. The average projector has a sensor of 0.5-0.7″, advanced projectors use sensors of 1.2-1.5″ and more.

The closest distance to the screen that the projector can be used on. Typically, this is the minimum distance at which the image from the projector remains in focus.

This parameter is especially important if the device is to be placed at a small distance from the screen (for example, in a cramped room). Some modern projectors are able to work normally at a distance of 10 – 20 cm. Also note that the throw distances are determined primarily by the lens, and if the initial range of these distances does not suit you, perhaps the situation can be solved by replacing the optics.

The farthest distance from the screen that the projector can be used on. This is the maximum distance at which the image remains in focus and maintains acceptable brightness — at least enough for viewing in a darkened room on a high-quality screen.

It is necessary to choose according to this parameter taking into account the expected operating conditions and the distances to be dealt with. At the same time, it's ok to have a certain margin for the maximum distance — since, as already mentioned, it is usually indicated for an perfect screen and a darkened room, and such conditions are not always available. Also note that although the throw distances depend on the lens, not every projector with an interchangeable lens allows the installation of more "long-range" optics than the standard one — the device may simply not have enough brightness for an increased distance.

The projector's throw distance is vital in determining what size projection screen to use and how far away it should be from the projector. Most projectors have a variable throw ratio. In the extreme positions, these are wide-angle mode (smallest value) and telephoto lens mode (largest value). Knowing these values, you will be able to determine the range of throw distances within which the projector must be placed in order for the projected image to match the specified dimensions of the projection screen.

According to these values, you need to check or set the optical zoom. We divide the larger value by the smaller value, and we get a figure, for example 1.33-2.16: 1.

If we want to calculate whether this projector is suitable for a certain image size, we do this: 1.33*3 (image width)=the distance at which the projector should hang.