Send a Powerful, Positive Message
How Bright is Just Right for Your Church?

By Jennifer Andrews

Video projectors can be an invaluable tool for driving home God’s message to large groups of parishioners. But factors such as ambient light in the sanctuary can make your images look dim, dulling the impact.

Projector brightness is measured in American National Standards Institute (ANSI) lumens. The brightness you need depends on several factors, including image size, audience size and the amount of ambient light in your space. The type of technology you choose — Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or Digital Light Processing™ (DLP™) — as well as contrast ratio and projection distance, can also affect the appearance of brightness.

Today’s LCD projectors offer mega-bright options not currently available in a single-chip DLP machine. However, DLP projectors are able to produce higher contrast levels, which can lend the appearance of a brighter image when compared head-to-head with the same-spec LCD. DLP projectors are still a good choice for smaller venues, but for installation in a sanctuary, you’ll likely have more options in LCD.

Ambient light — light from sources that can’t be controlled — is one of the biggest obstacles a church projector must overcome. In many sanctuaries, this additional light enters from outside and through windows, as well as from adjoining rooms within the church. Blinds usually aren’t an option in either case, so the projector must be bright enough to rise above these external factors.

Where you mount the projector will also have an impact on the brightness of the image. As you’d probably guess, the farther back the projector is placed, the more the brightness is reduced. The image also becomes larger, potentially spilling over the screen. A long-throw lens will help offset these effects, but it does add cost to the projector.

In some cases, you might find that a manufacturer provides lumen specifications that are either optimistic or conservative. Ask a projector expert who has the opportunity to see, in action, the majority of the projectors they sell. They’re good resources for determining which projectors will shine brighter than they spec. The good news is that you might be able to get a brighter projector for your money.

Brighter projectors usually cost more than those with lower lumen outputs. Higher-resolution projectors (XGA) are also more costly than those with low resolutions (SVGA). Most churches strive to find a model with the right balance of budget, resolution and brightness.

We’ve assembled a handy reference to help you determine what lumen spec to look for to suit various uses.

Small Study Gatherings [Up to 30 Seats] Watch for projectors that weigh less than 10 pounds for better portability. Good features to have are keystone correction, color-coded cables and auto-sync for easier setup.

Suggested Lumens: 1,000 - 1,700
Average Price Range XGA: $1,299 - $1,799
Average Price Range SVGA: $899 - $1,299

Small Community Spaces [30 to 100 Seats]
Suggested Lumens: 1,700 - 2,500
Average Price Range XGA: $1,499 - $2,999
Average Price Range SVGA: $999 - $1,599

Large Community Spaces [101 to 250 Seats]
Suggested Lumens: 2,500 - 3,000
Average Price Range XGA: $2,199 - $ 5,999 (dependent on feature set)
Average Price Range SVGA: Not Recommended

Large Congregational Gatherings [251 to 500 Seats]
Suggested Lumens: 3,500+
Average Price Range XGA: $2,999 - $7,999+ (dependent on feature set)
Average Price Range SVGA: Not Available

If your church or gathering area has large windows or indoor lighting, you should choose a model on the brighter end of the suggested lumen output. If your projector is 25 feet or more from the screen, you might also need a higher lumen output.

XGA-resolution projectors are a better choice when your plan for use includes viewing images on a larger screen (120-inch diagonal or more). This is because the individual pixels from the projectors panels become more apparent as the image gets bigger. An SVGA projector has fewer pixels inside, making for larger-looking dots on your image. Text will also be easier to read with a higher-resolution projector. Image quality will be greatly improved if the resolution of the computer matches the resolution of the projector. XGA resolution is a newer incarnation than SVGA, making it more “future-proof.”

Some church leaders might be able to simply invest in a new lamp for an existing projector. Lamps lose brightness as they age, causing the picture to dim over time. Replacement lamps typically cost $350 to $500. Remounting the projector or screen away from ambient light might also help improve image quality.

Every church is unique, as is every audiovisual solution. The good news is that projectors are brighter than ever and cost much less than they once did. Armed with the information we’ve provided here, we hope you’ll be able to make the right choice.

Jennifer Andrews is the internet communications manager for ProjectorPeople.com, where she has been writing tutorials on projection technology for five years. Visit www.projectorpeople.com for more information about this dynamic display technology.