Although there’s still something of the sci-fi about them, laser projectors are now firmly established as a ‘gold standard’ in home cinema projection, with manufacturers such as Optoma offering a wide range of laser models. Compared with lamp and LED-based projectors, there are many advantages, which we’ll take a look at here.
Longer-lasting
With bulb-based projectors set to be banned from sale by 2026, laser projectors already provide a more future-proof option. What’s more, with no bulb to replace, they promise to be much more cost-effective to run. With a life expectancy of around 20,000 – 30,000 hours, a laser projector could provide 15 – 20 years of entertainment, if used for four hours a day! In contrast, a bulb-based projector would probably require a new bulb every 2000 – 3000 hours, meaning that it would require a total of ten bulbs over the same time period. With projector bulb prices often above £100, it’s easy to see how the running costs soon mount up and how a laser projector saves you money over time.
Brighter
As well as being longer-lasting, a crucial advantage with laser projectors is their brightness. They tend to be much brighter than bulb-based or LED projectors, making them especially suitable for regular home use. With a laser projector, you no longer need blackout blinds and dimmed lights to get a crisp and bright picture.
Ready for a close up
Laser projectors are now firmly established as a ‘gold standard’ in home cinema projection.
Laser technology is flexible enough to work at extremely close range. Combined with the superior brightness, this has made the tech popular for a new range of ‘laser TVs’ or ultra-short-throw projectors. These deliver massive images of around 100 inches, with the projector just inches from the wall, and in normal room lighting conditions. It’s thanks to laser technology that a big picture in a normal living room environment is now a cost-effective proposition.
Colour accuracy
If you’re looking for the most lifelike and vivid colour, laser projectors are usually amongst the front runners. With a wider colour gamut, you get improved colour precision and it’s this that makes images simply more ‘real’. A wider range of colours means better skin tones, more textured nature documentaries and games that ‘pop’ with vivid detail.
Better for longer
With bulb-based projectors, the picture can yellow over time. Although LED technology is far better in this respect, they can still fade in the long-term. Laser technology doesn’t suffer from fade, meaning that even after thousands of hours use, you still get the same colour precision as you did on day one.
Ease of use
If you’re using your projector on a daily basis, laser projectors are the most convenient to live with. Unlike bulb-based and, to a lesser extent LED projectors, laser projectors don’t require a pre-heating ‘warm up’ period and are therefore ready to show almost immediately. Because they run cooler, they also tend to run quieter, as they are less reliant on noisy cooling fans.
So there you have it – if you’re looking for a projector that’s brighter, true to the natural colour, longer-lasting and, above all, simply easier to live with, laser has a cutting-edge appeal. If you’d like to know more, head down to your local Richer Sounds store for a demo and a chat.
