Select the right picture mode - HD Video Projector Wall

Select the right picture mode - HD Video Projector Wall

Now that everything's running, it's time to make sure the projector looks the best it can. Like TVs , projectors have preset picture modes, so you'll want to choose the right one. The best one for overall picture quality in a dark room is typically "Movie" or "Cinema." If you're dealing with ambient light, you might want to choose a brighter mode like Vivid or Dynamic, but be aware that they often skew blue, green or both. Check out our tutorial on finding the right settings. It's for TVs, but projectors use all the same settings.

There are only two major settings different with projectors versus TVs. The first is the lamp mode. This, as you'd probably guess, is how bright the image is. For the most part, brighter is better, but the projector will be louder (from fan noise) and the lamp won't last as long. Usually there's some setting called "Dynamic," not to be confused with the picture mode with the same name. This will vary the lamp power depending on what's on screen. Again, typically this is a good thing, but with some projectors it does mean you'll hear the fan ramping up and down with the brightness. 

Watch this: Six things to know about home theater projectors

Related is the iris setting. Not all projectors have an iris, but those that do will usually give you the option to turn this on or off. The iris will darken dark images, and open back up to make sure bright images stay bright. It doesn't improve the native contrast ratio, but it might help make high, gray-like black levels less noticeable with darker content. You might see it in action, with a pulsing of the brightness of the image, and if you do, feel free to turn it off.

Lastly, most projectors have a game mode, which will reduce the input lag. This is better for gaming, but if you're not a gamer, don't worry about it.

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