Resources
New Equipment
If you are interested in purchasing media presentation equipment, here is what we recommend. We also make our projector services available, to churches that support ABWE missionaries. We do not sell any equipment. Our purpose here is only to make recommendations for missionaries and supporting churches.
For ABWE personnel who (1) attend an ADEPT training module or (2) have a video or computer-based presentation created by ABWE Media Department personnel, a projector "lease to own" plan is available. Please visit our projector leasing page for more information.
Please contact the Media Department for more details or pricing information.
Video/Computer Data Projector
What do I look for when I purchase a computer data/video projector?
If you have ever attempted to purchase a computer data/video projector (unit that will project both computer and video signals), you know that there’s a jungle of techno-jargon through which you must wade. Here’s a brief guide to help you make an informed decision regarding the projector that you need:
Brightness
Projector brightness is measured in lumens. At this stage in the development of projectors, 1000 lumens is at the low end of acceptability and 3000 lumens is at or near the high end for most applications. What determines the amount of light output that you need?
- The brighter units are needed in meeting facilities, such as medium to fairly large church auditoriums, where the screen is large and/or there is quite a bit of ambient light (such as from windows and other light sources) in the room.
- A projector on the low range of the lumens scale is generally intended for small conference rooms where the room can be darkened.
- For on-the-road missionaries, who will be presenting in a wide variety of environments, we recommend projectors at or near 2000 lumens.
Resolution
XGA (1024 x 768 pixels) or SVGA (800 x 600 pixels) are the two most common native resolutions of projectors on the market today. XGA gives you a better quality image, but costs a few hundred dollars more than SVGA models. For PowerPoint or video presentations, SVGA does an acceptable job, but for those occasional presentations involving Word documents or spreadsheets, etc., the higher resolution is very important. For long term and multi-purposed uses, we would generally recommend XGA models.
Weight
Most projectors fall into one of three weight classes:
- Approximately 15 pounds
These are luggable units that are designed for fixed locations, such as in a small to medium size church auditorium. The current models in this weight class generally produce brighter images than smaller projectors. Also, the lenses for these projectors often provide a greater variation of throw distances, allowing you to set the projector farther from the screen than can be done with smaller models. - Approximately 10 pounds
These are portable units that can easily be carried on an airplane. However, even though 10 pounds doesn’t sound like a lot of weight, these projectors can seem bulky and heavy when carried through airports, from one flight to another. We would generally recommend these only if you plan to travel primarily by automobile. - Approximately 4-6 pounds
These ultraportable units are ideal for air travel. Generally, the brightness of these units is going to be limited to the 1000-2000 lumens range. Since they are designed primarily for conference room settings, they tend to have a shorter “throw distance,” which means that they need to be setup close to the screen.
Video Quality
Most computer data/video projectors work well with computer-based images, such as those from PowerPoint or Scala. However, the quality of projected video (video cassettes or DVDs) varies greatly from one projector model to another. Since portable and ultraportable projectors are designed primarily to accommodate the needs of corporate salespeople who use only PowerPoint, and not video, projector manufactures often “dumb down” the video components of portable and ultraportable models in order to keep projector costs attractive. If you plan to use your projector frequently for videos or DVDs, you need to be assured that the unit excels in video projection, as well as computer data projection. Unfortunately, there is no objective marketable specification that defines video quality and most projector salespeople do not even know that video quality is different from computer image quality. Thus, the only way of knowing the video quality of a specific model is to confer with a true expert in the projector industry who has a good knowledge of the performance qualities of most major current models.
Warranty and Service
Two and three year warranties are common with projector purchases. However, be sure to read the warranty information carefully. Does the projector carry with it a three year warranty or can you negotiate for the third year of coverage? Does the warranty include parts and service, or just parts? How quickly does the vendor or manufacturer guarantee repair and return of the equipment? Will repair service be provided to you overseas? Will the vendor negotiate with the manufacturer, for you, in case of warranty disputes? Most online projector sales companies will ship a projector to you, perhaps more cheaply than you can purchase the same model through an office-based projector vendor, but generally you will be on your own if you have problems with the projector, particularly after 30 days or so.
For additional assistance in purchasing a computer data/video projector, contact Ben Barrett of the ABWE Media Department.