How bright should my projector be?
Projector brightness is measured in ANSI lumens*. Home theater projectors generally start out at about 1000 lumens and range upwards to 2500 lumens and more. Your viewing environment is the deciding factor on how many lumens your projector needs. Dedicated home theaters (rooms with controlled lighting and no ambient light) will not require as much brightness as a space with ambient light from windows or other household lighting.
Projector People recommends the following lumen outputs:
- Dedicated home theaters need 1000 lumens or brighter.
- Rooms with some ambient light should have at least 1500 lumens.
- Spaces with high ambient light need about 3000 lumens.
Tip: In many cases, manufacturers rate projector lumen values based on data output, not video. Lumen output for video is typically not as high as data. For help determining which projector is right for your viewing environment, contact one of our Projector Experts. They have personally seen most units perform in video mode.
*Get geeky! A lumen is equivalent to the amount of light a birthday cake candle puts out in a square foot-sized area. Now you know!
