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A projector's resolution (or more precisely, its "native resolution") is simply the number of pixels that it has available to create an image. The higher the resolution of a projector, the more pixels it has.
Projector resolution is designated with either one or two numbers. A typical two-number resolution might be listed as "1280x720." The first number indicates how many pixels there are in each horizontal row, and the second number is how many pixels make up each vertical column. If you were to multiply the two numbers, you would end up with the total number of pixels on the display device. Often, a projector's resolution will be referred to by one number, such as "720p" or "1080p." This designation refers to the vertical resolution, or the second number in the two-number designator, while the "p" refers to progressive-scan, which simply indicates that the entire picture is displayed at the same time.
Generally speaking, the higher the resolution, the more the projector will cost. The advantages of higher resolutions are that (a) they can display more detail in the picture (assuming the video signal has the detail in it), and (b) they reduce or eliminate the visibility of the pixel structure. Both of these are highly desirable in good home theater. The price difference is not as extreme as it once was, but there is still a gap to be aware of.
Common Resolutions in Home Theater Projectors
Projectors come in a variety of different resolutions, including the following:
- 1280x720: For a long time, this was the most popular home theater projector resolution on the market. Most 1280x720 projectors offer very good to excellent DVD video quality. They also do a beautiful job of displaying 1080-line video, such as the 1080p found on Blu-Ray discs or the 1080i of broadcast HDTV. Street prices on the most aggressively priced models have dropped below $700, so this excellent resolution format is easy to get into from a budget perspective.
- 1280x768: This is a hybrid resolution that combines the ability to display 16:9 video in 1280x720, as well as standard computer resolutions XGA (1024x768) and WXGA (1280x768), in native form without scaling. If your viewing material includes both video and computer data or Internet surfing, this format will allow you to see the computer data signals in their clearest, unscaled form. Note that this is a 15:9 aspect ratio rather than 16:9 as are the others in this list. So when you are viewing 16:9 video material, there will be small black bars at the top and bottom of the projected image. That is the penalty you pay for having those extra 48 lines available to accommodate XGA computer signals. A variant of this format, 1280x800, can display 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x768, and 1280x800 signals natively.
- 1920x1080: The ultimate high definition format; it will display HDTV 1080i signals, as well as 1080i and 1080p signals from Blu-ray disc players, all in native format without any scaling. This gives you the sharpest and most detailed images available today. Due to the pixel density, visible pixel structure is virtually non-existent. The least expensive 1080p projectors are now less than $1,000, while higher-end models range from $1,500 to over $10,000, with a "sweet spot" of excellent performance around $2,000 to $3,000.
Selecting the right resolution for you
We currently recommend two resolutions for widescreen 16:9 format home theater, those being 1280x720 and 1920x1080. If you want your projector to double as both a video and data projector, the 1280x768 and 1280x800 formats should be considered as well.
The 1280x720 format is the best choice if you have a more modest budget and/or you don't want to pay a premium to get the absolute maximum detail out of a 1080i or 1080p video signal. Today's 720p projectors deliver beautiful high definition images from 720p and 1080i HDTV as well as Blu-ray disc players, so there really is not much of a compromise in picture quality by going with 720p instead of the higher resolution 1080p format.
On the other hand, if you have the money to spend, and you want the absolute sharpest and most detailed picture possible from high definition sources, then 1080p projectors are the best choice. While 720p projectors can deliver very impressive HD images, the picture quality in terms of image detail is even better when the projector has the ability to show all 1080 lines of the signal in their native, uncompressed format.
Once you've decided which resolution is right for you, you can go to Find Projectors and select your choice from the "Resolution" drop-down menu. You will likely get a long list of projectors, but other considerations will help you narrow it down later. When you get a feel for what's available, it's time to move on to picking your projector's Brightness.
