Follow this step-by-step article, and you won't go wrong.

1. Low-cost projectors normally make two main sacrifices. The brightness, which is measured in ANSI lumens, will be relatively low, and the native resolution will be limited to 800x600. Neither one of these will be serious drawbacks providing you lower your room lights, draw the blinds, and there isn’t too much detail in your slides. Home cinemas definitely do not require anything more. Movie enthusiasts are more likely to be concerned with the lamp life and replacement cost.

2. Image quality is obviously important but very hard to test based on specifications. A high contrast (500:1 or above) ratio adds depth to the picture and is one substantial benefit of projectors based on digital light processing (DLT), as opposed to the older LCD technology. Do keep in mind though; the optics and color balance cannot be assessed without consulting a review.

3. Where you will be using your projector also needs to be put into question. Size and weight are obviously very important if you’ll be moving the piece around a lot. If portability is a factor, aim for a projector that is less than 3kg. Small rooms will demand a quiet (below 33dB) projector with a flexible throw distance – or how close or far away the screen must be. Most projectors can rotate or mirror their image to cope with ceiling mounting or rear projection.

4. Make sure the projector you are looking at covers all the signals you might want to feed it with. Common video formats are supported by almost all projectors, but high-resolution VGA signals aren’t. High quality pictures will only display at their best only on pricier projectors, with a 1,024x768 native resolution.Follow this step-by-step article, and you won't go wrong.

1. Low-cost projectors normally make two main sacrifices. The brightness, which is measured in ANSI lumens, will be relatively low, and the native resolution will be limited to 800x600. Neither one of these will be serious drawbacks providing you lower your room lights, draw the blinds, and there isn’t too much detail in your slides. Home cinemas definitely do not require anything more. Movie enthusiasts are more likely to be concerned with the lamp life and replacement cost.

2. Image quality is obviously important but very hard to test based on specifications. A high contrast (500:1 or above) ratio adds depth to the picture and is one substantial benefit of projectors based on digital light processing (DLT), as opposed to the older LCD technology. Do keep in mind though; the optics and color balance cannot be assessed without consulting a review.

3. Where you will be using your projector also needs to be put into question. Size and weight are obviously very important if you’ll be moving the piece around a lot. If portability is a factor, aim for a projector that is less than 3kg. Small rooms will demand a quiet (below 33dB) projector with a flexible throw distance – or how close or far away the screen must be. Most projectors can rotate or mirror their image to cope with ceiling mounting or rear projection.

4. Make sure the projector you are looking at covers all the signals you might want to feed it with. Common video formats are supported by almost all projectors, but high-resolution VGA signals aren’t. High quality pictures will only display at their best only on pricier projectors, with a 1,024x768 native resolution.