Lamp vs. Laser Projectors: Which Is Best?
Comparing Two Sony4K Projectors for Your Home Media Room
Movie lovers and TV buffs choose to install projectors formany reasons. First,you can enjoy screen dimensions vastly larger than most TVs, then retract it into the ceiling when it’s not in use. Projectors allow for dynamic, multipurpose spaces, where in one moment you’re chatting and playing games with friends and in the next, create a home theater setting.
But not all projectors produce the same image quality. Some projectors use an internal lamp as the video’s light source, while newer models use a laser light source. The difference between a lamp or laser creates different visual results—and the amount taken out of your wallet.
Sony, one of the most highly regarded projector manufacturers worldwide, builds both a laser and lamp 4K SXRD projector for home media rooms. We’ll compare the qualities of both so you can find the best fit for your Charlotte, NC home.
SEE ALSO: AudioControl: Improve Your High-Performance Audio at Home
Lamp Projectors
How They Work
Lamp projectors are what most people are familiar with. DLP (Digital Light Processing) projectors use an internal lamp to project images on a screen. LCD projectors also use a lamp but offer sharper, crisper images and may appear brighter than DLPs.
Advantages
Lamp-based projectors are a lower investment than laser projectors, and while you may have to replace the bulb every few years, full brightness will be restored when you do. Many high-quality lamp projectors are available, like Sony’s VPL-VW715ES, providing 1,800 lumens of brightness and 4K resolution.
Disadvantages
Lamp projectors have a much shorter lifespan than lasers, with only 6,000 hours compared to laser’s 20,000. Still, that’s a lot of time before you’ll see image quality and brightness degrade.
In general, lamp projectors are not as bright and therefore offer a duller image than a laser would. It takes time for the lightbulb to warm up and requires an internal fanto prevent the projector from overheating. The whirring fan can be distracting, and if anything happens to the lamp, your projector is useless. Whereas in a laser lamp, if one laser diode fails, it can still function.
LaserProjectors
How They Work
How does a laser produce a movie on your wall? If we’re getting technical, laser projectors use blue laser diodes that shine onto a phosphor-coated spinning wheel. The separated red, green, and blue colors are sent to a chip, sending the light through a lens onto the screen.
Laser Advantages
Laser projectors, like Sony’s VPL-VW915ES, last five times longer than lamp-based projectors. In fact, a laser projector could run continuously 24/7 for two years before it gave out. That means you could also play it for forty hours a week for a decade before needing to replace it.
Laser projectors produce much stronger color contrast and color accuracy than lamps, so your image screen won’t look ‘off’ or distorted. The laser’s performance is more consistent and steadier and won’t dim over time. The VW915 by Sony is brighter, too, at 2,000 lumens, so you’ll still see a clear image even if there’s some ambient light in the home theater.
Lasers have a more focused energy source, reducing heat dissipation. You won’t have to worry about it overheating, and it requires less power for an even brighter outcome.
Laser Disadvantages
Laser projectors are much pricier than lamp versions. But consider that you won’t have to change the bulb for a laser projector and likely won’t have to replace it in your lifetime.
A Lamp or Laser Projector Is Right for You If…
If you want the best image quality and longest lifespan possible, then a laser projector is your best bet. If a lower price is important to you and you’re willing to sacrifice color and brightness, then go for a 4K lamp projector.
If you’re looking for 4K Sony projectors in Charlotte, NC, you can see them in action at The Integrated Home’s Showroom. Contact us here to learn more. We look forward to helping you!
