Recently Church Production Magazine surveyed projector manufacturers to determine what those companies believed to be their best model for churches. That is, a single projector in the manufacturer's line that's most appropriate for the vast majority of church sanctuaries (with capacities between roughly 500 and 2,000). We also harvested the specifications that play a crucial role in a technical team's choice of projector.
By no means is this an exhaustive list of suitable models, nor do the specs tell the whole story. However, in sharing this data, we expect that the numbers will serve as a starting point for conversations between your technical team and either a manufacturer, a reseller, or a systems integrator. Choosing a projector is a significant decision, and as always, it's helpful to have as much information as possible at your fingertips.
Download the projector specification grid here.
Barco RLM-W6 | (678) 475-8000 | www.barco.com
Barco positions the RLM-W6 as the world's first three-chip DLP projector (1920x1200) that comes with a single-chip DLP price tag. The manufacturer touts the RLM-W6 for its color saturation, stability, rich contrast and long-lasting brightness (6,000 lumens and a lamp life of 1,500 hours). Quiet at 37 dB in full power and 28 dB in Eco mode, the RLM-W6 is, in that regard, ideal for worship environments. It's compatible with a wide range of sources found in presentation environments, including computers, laptops, and multimedia players. Barco software allows users to take full control of the system any place, any time via a handy web interface. Its power-saving design also makes the RLM-W6 an excellent choice for houses of worship interested in conserving resources.
Boxlight Pro5000SL | (360) 464-2119 | www.boxlight.com
The Pro5000SL is perfect for difficult installations that require a variety of lens throw ratio options. Starting from a 1.5:1 throw ratio and going clear to a 4.1:1 throw ratio, Boxlight makes the projector work for your room, and not vice versa. The company's ISF Certified Service Center installs the lens of choice upon order confirmation; free of charge just like the technical support, which is good for the lifetime of the product. Additional features of the Pro5000SL are a built-in email monitoring system, internet control of the projector through LAN, and 5,000 lumens of brightness, ensuring a crisp and detailed image.
Canon LV-7585 | (516) 328-5000 | usa.canon.com
To provide a powerful, bright, and feature-rich projector for situations that call for permanent installation, Canon offers the LV-7585. With new design details that enhance its efficiency in mounting and operation and its 6,500 ANSI lumens, the LV-7585 is ideal for demanding worship installations. HDTV and HD compatible, it has been designed and built to provide the range of image controls and versatility that churches need.
Christie Digital Systems HD10K-M | (714) 236-8610 | www.christiedigital.com
Just one of Christie's M Series of 3-chip DLP projectors, the Christie HD10K-M is a promising choice for churches and other places of worship because of its versatility, affordability, small form factor, extremely quiet operation, and reliability. The Christie HD10K-M is a high-efficiency dual mercury lamp system with 1,920x1,080 HD resolution. It can be operated in single- or dual-lamp mode, depending on a sanctuary's brightness needs and energy requirements. Lamp redundancy assures that mission-critical performances can continue without interruption. Additional standard features include embedded edge-blending capabilities, plus an expanded lens suite and warranties, service and support.
Digital Projection Inc. E-Vision WXGA 600 | (770) 420-1365 | www.digitalprojection.com
Digital Projection announces the WXGA 600, the first in the recently unveiled E-Vision series, offering numerous lens options, swappable color wheels, advanced color controls, and 6,000 lumens of brightness. Weighing in at 44 lbs., the dual-lamp E-Vision WXGA 600 uses TI's 1,280x800 dark metal DLP technology to deliver up to 6,000 lumens and up to 2,400:1 contrast. DPI positions the E-Vision WXGA 600 as a solution for corporate boardrooms and conference venues, houses of worship, and digital signage. A variety of fixed and zoom lens options gives the E-Vision WXGA 600 a throw range of 0.77-8.3:1. Swappable color wheel options allow the integrator to select the projector/color wheel combination that provides the proper balance of lumens and color depth to suit a church's lighting conditions and primary goals.
Epson PowerLite Z8000WUNL | (562) 981-3840 | www.epson.com
Designed for large-venue applications in education, corporations, and houses of worship, the Epson PowerLite Pro Z8000WUNL offers 6,000 lumens of output and widescreen WUXGA resolution. The 3LCD model features a liquid cooling system, durable optical panels, and a dual-lamp design. The projector includes a centered lens design for easy installation, and can be installed +/-30 degrees off-axis horizontally and +/-10 degrees off-axis vertically. Installers can choose from six optional lenses, including a rear-projection option, to customize a solution that fits challenging mid-sized to large venues. Other features include LAN connectivity, a built-in closed captioning decoder, plus continually updated monitoring and control capabilities via Epson's included software solution.
Hitachi CP-X10000 | (914) 631-0600 | www.hitachi.us
Rated 7,500 lumens, the 3LCD CP-X10000 is plenty bright for most mid-sized sanctuaries. The model features inorganic optics, which means a longer projector life. The CP-X10000 also offers a 10,000-hour filter, which means maintenance is needed less frequently. Adding to the versatility of the CP-X10000 projector are six bayonet-style lens options, which offer a range of throw distances for different size audiences. The CP-X10000 includes an RS-232 network bridge for serial pass through, along with a mechanical shutter for blank mode. The CP-X10000 also offers closed captioning functionality. In designing the projector, Hitachi placed strong emphasis on security. The projector features Hitachi's proprietary My Image Campus Notification System. Anti-theft features include a security bar and transition detector.
Mitsubishi XD3200U | (888) 307-0349 | www.mitsubishi-presentations.com
Mitsubishi touts the XD3200U for its accurate color reproduction and low cost of ownership. The new projector offers a range of features designed to ease installation, including motorized vertical and horizontal lens shift, zoom and focus. When dust reaches a projector's color wheel, it can interfere with overall color performance; the XD3500U has a virtually sealed color wheel that helps prevent dust accumulation. The XD3500U's lamp life of 4,000 hours in low mode decreases the overall total cost of ownership by reducing the frequency of lamp replacements. When the inevitable lamp exchange is required, this model is designed with convenient side-loading lamp access, so the projector can stay in place on a shelf or on the ceiling. Similarly, easy lens access makes switching optional lenses easier, according to the company. The low noise level of the projector-26 dBA in low mode-helps the audience stay focused on the presentation rather than distracting fan noise. The XD3500U is also designed to consume less than one watt of power when in stand-by (low) mode.
NEC NP3250 | (630) 467-3000 | www.necdisplay.com
NEC recommends the NP3250 projector for church sanctuaries of many different sizes because its stackable nature enables the creation of configurable, high-brightness projection systems at reasonable price levels. NEC's system aligns the images of stacked projectors seamlessly into one. Stacking projectors also means instant redundancy, which prevents the complete loss of an image if a lamp should fail. Built for commercial-level duty, the NP3250 offers 5,000 lumens of brightness in a small (about 16 lbs.) chassis. With several lens options to suit the distance to the screen, the NP3250 can serve church sanctuaries of just about any configuration.
Panasonic PT-DZ6710U | (800) 211-PANA | www.panasonic.com
Panasonic highlights a number of unique features of the PT-DZ6710 single-DLP projector, such as the RGB Booster, which enables both vivid color reproduction and high brightness by combining the company's Vivid Color Control and Lamp Drive Modulation System. The model's auto-cleaning filter pushes away the need for filter maintenance to approximately 10,000 hours of operation. A built-in multi-screen support system includes edge blending, color matching, and multi-screen processor capabilities for the projection of extra-large or multiple images. The PT-DZ6710U also incorporates built-in geometric adjustment technology, making it suitable for a variety of curved-screen applications. Also standard is an HD/SD-SDI input terminal.
Projectiondesign F82 | +47 69 30 45 50 | www.projectiondesign.com
According to projectiondesign, the F82 series 1080p projector is ideal for showing HD video and computer sources in native resolution and perfect color thanks to 1080p 3-chip DLP imaging and ACOP color processing. The projector delivers up to 10,000 lumens brightness from a compact design, and its wide range of lens options allows positioning almost anywhere within the sanctuary.
Sanyo PLC-WM5500 | (619) 661-1134 | us.sanyo.com
This WXGA projector has the highest brightness in its class (up to 5,500 ANSI lumens), according to Sanyo. Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes enable simultaneous presentation of two images, such as song lyrics and IMAG video.
Sharp XG-P560W | (201) 529-8200 | www.sharpusa.com
Sharp's XG-P560W WXGA projector is ideal for a house-of-worship setting of 500 to 1,000 people, according to the company. This model's three DLP chips deliver high color accuracy and image quality. The XG-P560W's dual-lamp system offers redundancy for uninterrupted presentations. For rooms that require reduced output, such as shaded sanctuaries, users can run a single lamp or operate the unit in its "Eco" low-brightness mode, effectively extending the lamp's life. The projector has seven lens options, providing a multitude of placement choices-even out of reach on a high ceiling. All zoom lens options are powered, so adjustments can be made remotely. Motorized horizontal and vertical optical lens shift allows the user to adjust the lens in order to minimize keystone distortion. The unit's standard lens is a 1.25X powered zoom/focus that serves a maximum screen size of 280 inches. Lens replacement requires no special tools.
Sony VPL-FX500L | (201) 930-1000 | pro.sony.com/bbsc/home.do
The new Sony VPL-FX500L model delivers 7,000 lumens and is capable of the widest lens shift in its class, according to the manufacturer. The projector applies Sony's Bright Era technology, and has XGA resolution of 1,024 x 768 pixels. Its white, flat cabinet allows the VPL-FX500L to blend easily into white ceilings when installed. There are no terminals or ventilation slits on the rear of the model. The VPL-FX500L's twin-lamp system, which alternates the lamps, allows the total expected lamp life to reach approximately 8,000 hours. The VPL-FX500L ships without a lens, and offers backwards compatibility with certain models of Sony's existing accessory lenses. Depending on the lens used, the VPL-FX500L can shift images approximately +/-96 degrees vertically and +/-64 degrees horizontally from their original position, making projection possible without having images distorted by digital keystone correction. This feature is recommended for applications where the ceiling-mount position is limited by lighting fixtures or water sprinklers, or where the position is higher than the screen.
