When you are looking for a projector, you are likely to hear the term “lumens” a lot and probably think about how to select projector lumens. But what exactly are they, and are they that important? It is easy to become overwhelmed by the lingo involved with projectors while shopping for one for your house or office. Hence, we have put together a simple guide below to help you navigate through these terms you might hear in the projector market.
A lumen is the measurement of luminous flux and the amount of light emitted in a certain amount of time. In the case of projectors, it is used to show how bright the lamp is and how vibrant the colors can become.
Common terms using the word ‘lumens’
1. ANSI lumens
This measurement term has been devised by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which measures the amount of light output by a projector. Meaning, the higher the number of lumens in a projector, the brighter the image it produces.
2. LED lumens
As newer technology advances, cost-saving LED light sources have been a popular choice to replace the traditional lamps many of us have at home. This applies to projectors as well. Some projectors come with these LED lumens as they feel that ANSI lumens are tested lamp light sources.
3. Lux
This term does not include the word 'lumens', but it is another unit of measurement that measures the amount of light that is cast on a surface, which is also referred to as illuminance.
4. Color lumens
This marketing term has been around for the past 15 years to define how projector lamps are designed for human eyes with immersive color brightness, using the vibrancy and temperature of the color of the displayed image. ‘Colour lumens’ is not an official term used by any official organization or authority.
5. Marketing lumens
This is a generic term used for non-ANSI lumens. In other words, there are many other terms that are used for marketing purposes, including:
- Peak lumens
- ISO lumens
- Chinese lumens
- Other terms that include the word ‘lumens’
How to choose projector lumens
Lumen is not an accurate and reliable factor you should base your decision on to purchase projectors because there are too many terms used as “standards”. Some people might claim that standard projectors only have 2,000–3,000 lumens, which is not enough. Some people can also say that the higher the number of lumens, the prettier and brighter the image displayed will be, but in actual fact, the number of lumens do not matter much anymore. The prices and the number of lumens are not justifiable anymore.
How to choose a projector, then
Remember to do your own product research while surveying the internet, but if you are not sure of what to consider, do get in touch with our projector representatives, who can assist you and let you experience the projectors physically at our showrooms.
Where is the best place to buy projector
With more than 15 years of professional experience in the projector industry, INNOVATIVE has been one of the pioneers in providing premium portable projectors to customers in Singapore and from all around the world. Browse our collection of projectors or feel free to call and talk with our projector experts if you are unsure which one can screen your movies or TV series at cinematic quality at 65-6333-5598 (WhatsApp: 65-9862-6658)
PS: Projectors are not the only ones going crazy with lumens; there are even torchlights with 90,000 lumens on the market! 😂
