Projector Buying Guide for the Creative Person

Projectors are by their very nature, an artistic display device. Like ideas, light emanates from the lens which can land anywhere the creative mind desires. Buildings, subway tunnels, natural formations have all become a canvas for the visual artist. Projection is becoming a more frequently used form of expression in modern art and new examples of communicating with the projection medium may inspire even more creative (and even interactive) exhibitions. At Projector People, we see projectors used primarily in business and home theaters, but we are genuinely excited when we hear of projection innovation.

Projectors in Art : Video Examples

Before we start our buyers guide, we wanted to provide a few examples of projectors in creative applications, just in case you missed some of the cool stuff people are doing with projectors in the real world. Most of these videos come from YouTube.com and were found on a simple search for 'projectors.' There is great creative potential with projection, which is why so many artists have begun using video and projection to express themselves. Let's start with a few selections below:

YouTube description: "Some students attached a suitcase (with a mac mini inside) that projected a little movie on the wall of the tunnel while the the subway was moving." (alt link)

Our Thoughts: In this display, the artist was able to fashion a portable power source and tuck away a laptop and projector along with it into a suitcase. A simple hole was cut for the lens. Some very reliable suction cups were also used. Projectors with portable power supplies will be on the way soon, as low powered projectors are now being built in to cellphones. These projectors are very low lumen (compare 25 vs. 2000-4000 lumens) and are also reported to be battery hogs. Still, portability can make for inspiring art.

YouTube description: "riley harmon and kent sheely, two art majors at the university of oklahoma create underground video art by subverting public spaces into an interactive motion image canvas (video includes some profanity)"

Our Thoughts: If you ignore the potentially dangerous implications to large projection on a busy city street, these artists show the power of projection in public spaces. The artists use what is typically space for marketing and advertising and turn it into an opportunity to connect with people without a commercial motive. Billboard advertising companies are already producing powered roadside displays with very bright LED technology. The introduction of video on roadside advertising has been disputed because many consider it to be a hazard. With GPS systems, iPods, and other devices already distracting drivers attention, video billboards do not seem out of the realm of possibility. Now, however, there is a window of opportunity for artists to command this space.

YouTube description: "Turtles Ninja (TMNT) invade native of São Paulo in projection in the facade of a building of 25 you will walk." (Translation from FreeTranslation.com)

Our Thoughts: As this is an advertisement for a film, projections like this are obviously also being used in creative marketing campaigns. The short annimation captures a lot of attention in a high traffic area, as viewers are drawn in by the drama. With a city as the canvas, there is so much potential to inspire with short and creative material like this. For an installation of this size, more than one projector may have been used to create the effect. With this level of sophistication, an installation like this would only be possible at night, or under controlled lighting.

YouTube description: "This is a short video I made yesterday. The idea is to project some live visuals on a building, and also play with the existing elements (doors, windows..) and light up elements separatly, in rythm with the music. Not perfectly in time, but this is live ! :)... Made with flash and arkaos. Music: Modul - Isol"

Our Thoughts: Projection art created for a specific space and used as a music video. A bit of planning is required in an installation like this one. A zoom lens and lens shift would be helpful for any artist who might want to set up this project more than once in the same space. Here the artist connects the external elements of the building to the projection and music.

YouTube description: "French artist Xavier de Richemont illuminates Old City Hall, one of Toronto's most prominent buildings, with a 15 minute projection show set to an original audio track."

Our Thoughts: Another brilliant use of projection that connects new technology to classic architecture. An installation of this magnitude would require multiple projectors and most likely an additional device to sync the signal from one of more digital sources.

YouTube description: "Projexorcism, opening for Mark Hosler's (of Negativland) video presentation, runs his projectors inside the Werehouse in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, backed by a full band. Filmed February 25, 2006, by Chris Childrey."

Our Thoughts: This installation includes multiple 'old skool' film projectors, music, and original film audio in a North Carolina 'werehouse'. Creative layering of video images also make for a unique effect. As more movie theaters turn to digital projection, there may be opportunities for visual artist to snap up older film projectors and put them to use. Digital video projectors can probably be purchased for less, however, and content options less limited. Either way, large overlapping images complete with overlapping sound can create a sensational emmersive experience.

YouTube description: "Modern art projected onto buildings from a mobile disco in Budapest."

Our Thoughts: Here, still images are used to create depth and interest in a Budapest disco. Another example of an emmersive experience in a confined space. And since the images are only projections, nobody has to paint over the floor and walls when it's time for a change. Alternatively, a similar space could be recreated in another venue if desired. Video projectors would not be necessary in an installation like this one, since the projections appear to be still. However, video projection might also add impact and interest.

Creative Person's Projector Buyers Guide

Image from Doug Aitken' Sleepwalkers.

Okay, now that you have seen some creative applications for projectors, let's get back to our guide.

The challenge in putting together one buyer's guide for all creative people is that the projectors are often outside of their native environments of dark home theaters and boardrooms. Each project or space may bring its own special challenge for the artist or curator. However, we have found a few shared concerns which we will cover here. Remember you can always call a Projector Expert for help overcoming particularly tricky project or installation.

So what are some of the basic concerns for creative people's projector needs? Brightness is the first and foremost issue, as making the image visible is usually crucial. Image quality is another important consideration. We will also list some other technical concerns such as network content delivery and installation flexibility with lens shift and zoom. We won't go in to detail since it there are so many variables by project.

We hope addressing these questions will apply to both artists and curators who are charged with the task of finding the technology for creative expression with projection.

Projectors and Brightness

How bright should your projector be? The answer is partially dependent on the environment you are projecting in. Will you have controlled lighting in a gallery? Or will you be projecting outdoors? More ambient light means a higher brightness requirement. Larger projections and larger audiences also mean more brightness.

In some cases it will be cheaper to purchase more than one lower lumen projector to create the desired effect. Using multiple projectors does create additional technical challenges for the artist to separate the digital content and then realign it with the projectors. Once the creative and technical details are determined by the artist, getting the projected image to match the image on the computer is a function of the projector's video circuitry. That leads us to our image continuity challenge later in this article.

Projector Brightness in Common Creative Environments

Projecting Indoors under Controlled* Lighting

• Small image (under 80 inches) = 1200 - 2000 lumens
• Large image (over 80 inches) = 2000 - 3500 plus lumens

Projecting Indoors under Uncontrolled* Lighting

• Small image (under 80 inches) = 2000 - 3000 lumens
• Large image (over 80 inches) = 3000 - 4000 plus lumens

Projecting Outdoors** under Controlled Lighting (non-daylight***)

• Small image (under 80 inches) = 1200 - 2000 lumens
• Large image (over 80 inches) = 2000 - 3500 plus lumens

Projecting Outdoors** under Uncontrolled Lighting (non-daylight***)

• Small image (under 80 inches) = 2000 - 3000 lumens
• Large image (over 80 inches) = 3000 - 4000 plus lumens

* A controlled environment is essentially an indoor space where the lights can be turned off completely or dimmed during the day or evening. Low amounts of ambient light. In a museum environment this should generally be the case. An uncontrolled environment is an area where there is little to no control of the lighting situation (like so many of the video examples above).

** Outdoor projection may require additional safety precautions, power sources, and in some cases may void a manufacturer warranty.

*** Large scale outdoor projection (over 80-inches) in the daytime is not ideal, and in most cases will not offer a satisfactory image. LED technology (if money is no object) is becoming more common on large billboards, stadium displays, etc.

Quick Tip: Outdoor settings are a serious challenge in the daytime. The best advice is really to lower your standards. Once dusk and nighttime sets in, you're good to go.

Image Continuity

Once the correct amount of brightness has been determined, creative people are also very particular about the way the image itself looks. Artists want their work to look the way they intended, with an accurate representation of color, compelling depth, image saturation, and sharpness of the image. So what makes an image look great? Several parts make up the image. Here is a quick look at specs to look for and why.

Resolution: XGA or SXGA (4:3 standard aspect ratio), WXGA (16:9 widescreen aspect )

Resolution is the number of pixels that make up an image. It is measured as width by height. For example, an XGA projector is 1024 pixels wide by 768 pixels high. More pixels per unit of area produce a higher resolution and create crisper images. You should consider the source (computer / DVD player) that will be most frequently used with the projector.

Aspect Ratio: 16:9 recommended for HDTV video, 4:3 for standard NTSC

The native dimensions of the chip inside of the projector. Most projectors are either widescreen 16:9, or nearly square 4:3. Both native 16:9 and 4:3 projectors can usually scale one aspect ratio or the other; however black bars may appear on the side, or top and bottom of the image. (more on aspect ratios here)

Contrast: 2000:1 or higher recommended for video

Contrast is the ratio of whitest to blackest area within an image. Higher contrast ratios make for deeper blacks and usually richer colors.

Technology: 3LCD® for better color accuracy. DLP® for greater longevity and higher contrast.

The two dueling projector technologies each have their strengths. However, LCD projectors have historically provided more accurate color reproduction, which may be absolutely crucial for some artists. DLP® technology historically has better longevity (or less degradation of color and uniformity) over time.

Video Scaling: Home theater projectors have the advantage here

It's not that business projectors can't produce decent video; it's just that home theater projectors are optimized for video display rather than computer slide presentations. Business projectors, however, are more likely to have a VGA input. Consider what kind of material you will be projecting before making your purchase.

Quick Tip: For more on color accuracy and other image quality considerations, check out our Photographer's Buyers Guide.

So that's a quick round up of specs that relate to image quality. What's left to consider?

"Good to Have" Projector Features for Creative Environments

Lens Shift and Zoom Lens

Essentially, lens shift allows users to adjust where the image will land on the wall (or screen) without having to move the entire projector body. Horizontal and vertical lens shift are available on a number of home theater and installation projectors. A zoom lens allows you to increase or decrease the size of the image (also without moving the projector). These two features may need to be used to be appreciated.

Without lens shift or zoom lenses, the placement of the projector will determine the size of the image. That means if you need a specific size image, you will need to place your projector at that distance. Lens shift and zoom lenses are very handy features in permanent installations and are can be a life saving feature on projectors that will be used for multiple projects.

Quick Tip : Ok. This isn't really a tip. But it is an interesting video installation and a website worth bookmarking.

Specialized Lenses / Projectors with Effects

Specialized lenses, like long throw or short throw, are most commonly used when the projector must be mounted at an unusual distance from the screen so as not to affect the esthetic of a piece. Portable projectors (under 7 lbs. or so) don't typically offer multiple lens options, but many larger installation projectors do. Lenses with effects are specialty items, but can be found. There are also some conversion boxes that will 'distort' images in different ways. Any specialized lens or conversion box purchase is best made after consultation with an expert.

Network Compatibility

Creative content for display on a projector is typically stored on a laptop computer. This is not always the case, but it seems to be the most common. With the addition of network projectors, many users have hoped for the ability to post files onto a network that can then be simply fed to the projector. However, there are a limited number of projectors that can actually display content from a network. This is because there is on board computing required of the projector. Currently there are only a few models that include the hardware and software for network content delivery. The Sony VPL-FX40 is one example of a projector with that capability. If you would like to consider adding a network projector with content delivery, contact a Projector Expert for more information. Projector People also provides technical support before and after the sale.

Quick Tip: Many projectors include USB inputs or PC Card slots that can be used to display content from a USB storage device. Support for video is not typically very good, but has improved with new MPEG compression algorithms. There are also some networkable projectors that can push content to a projector, which is convenient if the projector is installed permanently.

What about Flat Panel TVs?

Keep in mind that in some cases a plasma or LCD television might be a better way to display creative video. If the lighting conditions are completely out of control, and the image does not need to be over 50-inches or so, then it would be worth looking into both options. As plasma and LCD displays become larger, the price goes up significantly. With a projector you will pay for additional brightness and/or resolution, but the cost difference is less dramatic than it is with a large flat panel display.

Artistic Projection

Beyond the videos we showed you earlier, here are a few stories and photos from art installations that have used projection in the news.

• International Slavery Museum [ see image ]
• Hirshhorn Museum [ read story ]
• Project Green Light : Graffiti Laser [ read story ]
• MoMA : Sleepwalkers [ read story ]

[ photo : Image from Project Green Light - Graffiti Laser ]

Creative Projection : Quick Takes

Some images of projectors in creative environments.

• USF Contemporary Art Museum (Blood and Sea: Exhibit from February 2004)
• Architect's Loft Projection
• Gasparilla Film Festival

Some Projector People Creative Customers:

• USF CAM, Tampa, FL.
• The Cooper Union School of Art
• James Cohan Gallery
• Agora Gallery
• Art Institue of Boston Lesley, Boston MA.
• Art Institue of Chicago, Chicago IL.
• Guggenheim Museum, New York NY.
• Ringling School of Art and Design, Sarasota FL.
• Museum for African Art, Long Island NY.
• Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego CA.
• Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago IL.
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston MA.
• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston TX.

ProjectorPeople.com is an avid supporter of local art institutions including the University of South Florida, Tampa Theatre, as well as various creative events and installations in the local Tampa Bay area.