All sports fans will agree on one thing: nothing beats a projector when it comes to watching your favorite team score. The big screen really has the knack of making you feel as if you were on the field among the players. But, with thousands of models and specs on the market, finding the perfect match is often very tedious. Worry no more, because we’ll tell you everything you need to know to buy the best projector for sports.
Keep reading to find out what to consider when buying a projector for your home stadium experience or visit ViewSonic Projection solutions.
Looking for a projector to watch football, basketball, or baseball? Or maybe some tennis or figure skating? You name it, you got it. There are so many great games and sport disciplines to watch these days and there’s no better way to enjoy them than on a comfortable couch with a perfect view, like a VIP.
Ask any sport fan, projectors really work like a teleportation device: within seconds you’re at the soaring stadium witnessing a World Cup final, the NBA All-Stars, the Superbowl, or Wimbledon, just to name a few. Then, moments later you’re back at your place, with the freedom to completely change the space by switching off the projector, putting it away or playing something else.
You could argue TVs do the same thing, but that’s not exactly quite right…
Best Projector for Sports and Why Is It Better Than TV
TVs used to be the centerpieces of our living rooms for a very long time. However, the rapid development of LED technologies and their significant decrease in price collided into making the latest type of LED projectors an unrivaled competitor when it comes to entertainment. Lighter and more mobile than the other projectors, they’re no longer restricted to one indoor area. They give you a lot more opportunities to enjoy game time with your friends, close ones, or by yourself in a different setting. With a projector’s high-quality resolution, portability, customizable screen size, and crisp in-built audio you’ll be ushered into a new era of home and outdoor entertainment that maximizes comfort.
While on the topic of relaxation, let’s also not forget about eye care. After watching a late-night game on TV for a few hours, eye strain can be real. But LED projectors come to the rescue in this regard too. With an indirect (also known as reflective) light, the projector is much gentler on the eyes. A projector’s reduced blue light, which is the main cause of eye fatigue, makes your eyes feel more rested and does not affect your sleep as much as regular screens do.
Best Projector for Sports – Things to Consider:
With a projector, you can reach the home stadium in a heartbeat, no matter where you are. But given the variety of projection solutions, you want to make sure you find the one that will providen exactly what you’re looking for. Here are functions and features you should consider when buying a projector to elevate your sports watching experience for the years to come. Let’s get the ball rolling:
1. Setup and portability
The ease of setup can be a dealbreaker for many. That’s why, it’s important to figure out what your ideal setting for a game night would be. If you’re a casual sports enthusiast, you might want to choose a smaller, compact-size portable device that’s also optimized for outdoor cheering. This literally opens doors to game-related backyard parties, BBQ gatherings, and not missing your favorite event when camping or traveling.
If you’re a die-hard sports fan, though, and spend your free evenings following tournaments and championships, a bigger, more powerful indoor model might be right up your alley. There again, portable or movable versions could be a right fit. But if you’re also in for cozy movie nights or intense gaming sessions, you might want to go for an extremely capable ceiling-mounted version.
2. Image Resolution and Quality
The resolution refers to the number of individual pixels that create each visual and determines how detailed the image is. The higher the pixel count, the more detailed will be the projection. The resolution also affects the pricing, so it’s important that you know what resolution will match your needs.
4K UHD is the highest quality option readily available on the market and comes in at 3840 x 2160 pixels. 4K UHD projectors will work magic and give you an ultimate viewing experience, making you feel like you’re inside the game. The second-best resolution for at-home sports fans, ideal if you’re planning on streaming your games, comes at 1080p with the standard aspect ratio of 16:9.
Another key ingredient to a wonderful display quality is brightness adjustment and the color gamut. And you don’t want to compromise on those specs. Vibrant visuals just make everything look better no matter the screen size. LED Projectors that offer brightness adjustment will allow a more precise fine-tuning. And, for maximum immersion and true-to-life colors, look for a projector offering 125% Rec. 709 (the standard for HD television) that will make any game a vivid spectacle that can impress even those onlookers who are not into the game itself.
Side Tip: The Best Wall Color for Projector
The best projector for sports doesn’t need to have a special display wall color. With the latest high-quality technologies, the visuals will be projected properly on various surfaces. Easy brightness and contrast adjustments will help you further customize the viewing experience.
If you are very serious about prepping your walls for your new home theater setup, though, and want an expert opinion, here’s a tip not many people know about. The best wall color for projection is actually grey and not white. But don’t worry, the whole point of projectors is to be able to redefine your space whenever you want, so feel encouraged to pick your favorite wall color.
3. Easy-to-customize Screen Size
The projected screen sizes can reach 100”, even 120”/150” +, and the projectors who offer it, are, in fact, better priced in comparison to TVs in this size range. On a bigger screen, all action-packed moments look clearer and better, so that you can feel like you’re on the field yourself. It can prove itself to be extremely beneficial when it comes to watching picture-in-picture visuals, or text, like the subtitles and scoring tables.
Depending on the size of your room and its arrangement, you might want to choose between a short or a long throw projector – the throw refers to the distance between the projector and the display wall space. The good news is that many LED projectors are in fact, short throw, what will grant you big entertainment in any space – no matter how small it is. If you want total control over the projection angle, choose the 360-degree one, for projecting to a ceiling, for example.
The best projector for sports should also have both horizontal and vertical keystone and 4 corner adjustment. With these two features, you won’t have to worry if the device isn’t placed central to the display surface, because they’ll allow you to have a nicely aligned screen. Otherwise, you may end up with a trapezoidal image instead of a rectangle or square. An additional vertical or horizontal/vertical lens shift lets you switch between vertical and horizontal positioning without moving the projector.
4. Sound – Immersive Feeling
Quintessential to the experience, sound quality shouldn’t be neglected, especially if you’re not planning on investing in a good sound system on the side.
Nowadays, many projectors come equipped with built-in Bluetooth speakers so, opt for a model that can offer the best audio within your budget rather than having an external speaker as an additional item to carry around or to think about. If you already feel the decision and spec overwhelm, remember that you can’t go wrong with models that collaborate with well-known speaker brands.
5. Ease of Use
Questions provide answers and the more you research, the more you’ll be able to enjoy your purchase.
Are you going to move the projector from room to room or between different houses? Maybe you’re put off by the increasing cable clutter in your drawers? This is when USB-C – the solution of the future comes (or rather plugs) into play. This standard will allow you to use one cable to charge and connect all your devices.
Do you want to be outside and project the game in an unusual setting? Having the option to charge your device via a power bank could be sports-fan-life-changing and is another thing to take into consideration. Another function that will offer you maximum convenience is the wireless screen mirroring directly from your phone or an iPad. Try it once and you’ll know it’s a keeper. Some models even have an in-built app store, facilitating the access to all your favorite streaming platforms for once the game is finished.
Final Thoughts
The best projector for sports gives you the ability to enjoy your favorite games anytime anywhere and can turn any space into a multimedia room. You can easily customize your screen, bring it to your friend’s backyard, and not worry about your eyes after a few hours of watching.
When purchasing a projector for your personal stadium, you might want to first consider the setup (indoor or outdoor, portable or fixed installation), image quality and resolution, as well as the general sound option. Finally, always take ease of use into account, because the last thing you want is a device that’s difficult to turn on when you’re late for the game’s kick-off. Once all these are checked, you’re geared to witness breakthrough sports moments.
If you enjoyed this read, have a look at 6 Advantages of Projectors for Home Entertainment or discover ViewSonic range of LED projectors.
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