After years of toiling in meeting rooms, projectors have loosened their ties and come home from the office. Projectors have become small, light, bright and, yes, even cool. And people are catching on to the idea that yesterday's business tool can be a wonderful centerpiece of today's home theater.

Projectors deliver more than a big picture. Projectors offer brilliant color, vivid contrast and detailed images. They're light, mobile and highly connectable to other home theater components. And of course, there's the size. Imagine sitting in your favorite chair while enjoying an image the size of a wall—with video quality unmatched by your local cinema. With the right projector, it can happen.

Ready to look at the big picture? You'll want to start by learning about the two primary types of projectors: DLP™ and LCD. When you understand what makes each type unique, you'll be able to choose the projector to give you that private theater you've always wanted.

Think of 802.11 as a consensus between wireless developers. Every new 802.11 standard reflects an agreement within the wireless industry to build devices that follow standard specifications. This ensures that devices made by different manufacturers will work together seamlessly. As technologies improve, new standards are developed to keep pace. There are currently three primary standards for home networking: 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g. The wireless industry is already hard at work debating the standards for the next generation of wireless: 802.11n.

The most important factor in choosing a projector is figuring out where and how you will use it. We'll look at how DLP and LCD compare in the areas of mobility, brightness, resolution, contrast and connectivity. Both DLP and LCD projectors have their strengths and weaknesses. We want to identify the type that is strongest in the areas that will matter to you.

Mobility

Think about where you'll be taking the projector. Will you carry it back and forth between meetings? Or will the projector be the stationary centerpiece of your home theater? The more you plan to move your projector, the lighter you'll want it to be. When it comes to weight and mobility, DLP has the advantage. While LCD requires three liquid crystal panels, DLP requires one mirrored chip. As a result, DLP projectors tend to be smaller and lighter. While an average LCD projector could weigh six pounds, a DLP could weigh as little as two. Thanks to their all-digital technology, DLP projectors also score high marks for durability and easy setup.

Brightness

Next, think about the space where you'll be using your projector. Does the room have a lot of windows? You'll want a projector with an image bright enough to stand up to the light. Image brightness is measured in lumens. The higher a projector's lumen output, the brighter the viewing area can be. So just how much brightness is enough? The answer depends on the technology used. LCD projectors produce saturated colors and can seem brighter than DLP models with the same lumen output. As a general rule, outputs of 800 to 1000 lumens are ideal for LCD projectors that will be used for home theater. For DLP, the higher output of 1000 lumens will be just fine. But if your room is fairly light (or large), you could use more brightness.

Resolution

As a general rule, resolution determines the quality of the image–the higher the resolution, the greater the clarity and detail. Before you consider projectors with the highest possible resolution, find out the resolution of the source of your image–you'll simply want to match it. If your primary goal is to watch standard TV or connect to an SVGA computer (800 x 600 resolution), an SVGA projector will suit you perfectly. If you want to connect newer laptops or enjoy high-definition video, you'll want to go with a projector with XGA (1024 x 768) resolution or higher. You can find these resolution levels in both LCD and DLP projectors.

Aspect ratio

Whether you plan to view spreadsheets or widescreen movies on your projector, you'll want to know its aspect ratio—the width of the image relative to its height. Although many video sources feature a relatively square 4:3 aspect ratio, widescreens have 16:9 proportions. You'll want to match the ratio of your favorite video source. Standard-format DVD and TV, computers, video games and VHS use a 4:3 aspect ratio. If you love widescreen movies or HDTV, a projector with a 16:9 ratio is the way to go. You can still enjoy the view if the ratios don't match—you'll simply have some unused black space in the projection. If you want to enjoy all of the formats without this space, look for projectors that let you switch from one aspect ratio to another. This feature is available in both types of projectors.

Contrast

Simply put, contrast is the difference between light and dark. Contrast ratios reflect the difference between the whitest whites and the darkest blacks in the projected image. With high contrast ratios, colors are enhanced and sharp details are revealed. DLP projectors are especially good at preventing wayward light from reaching the screen and reducing contrast. As a result, DLP projectors tend to have better contrast ratios than LCD models. Regardless of the type of projector, contrast ratios of 700:1 and higher will provide strong highlights, shadows and details.

Connectivity

Before you decide on a projector, you'll want to see how it connects to your favorite devices. DLP projectors connect to digital devices without having to convert the signal to analog–they work especially well with everything from cameras to gaming consoles. LCD projectors have the advantage of being able to connect directly to more types of devices. Either way, be sure to choose a model with RCA, S-video and component connections if you want the new projector to anchor your home theater.

Now that you understand the differences between DLP and LCD technologies, you're well on your way to finding the right projector for you. So go ahead—stop by the store and take a look. You'll be amazed at the brightness, color and clarity provided by today's projectors. With such great potential for home theater, you'll wonder why it took so long to bring projectors home from the office.