What are ANSI lumens?

ansi vs conduit

ANSI refers to the American National Standards Institute , a non-profit organization that establishes and coordinates standards in the United States, in addition to collaborating with different companies.

Well, ANSI lumens measure the total amount of light coming out of a projector : the more light coming out, the more ANSI lumens it will have specified. This is a measurement of luminous flux, with mixed opinions: some experts consider it more accurate. Therefore, most commercial projectors are usually measured with ANSI lumens.

To measure ANSI lumens, 9 points in the screen area where the projector emits light are taken as the basis for calculating the average. Be careful because here it is not the resolution of the projected image that matters, but rather the area where the light is projected.

I tell you that ANSI lumens are the ones taken into consideration to know what intensity of light we can expect. Why? Basically because it is a more precise measurement system because It uses a scientific method certified by an international organization . This way you won't get misleading numbers.

LED Lumens

Then we find the lumens of the LEDs which take into account the HK effect that we explained. The brightness of LEDs seeks to measure the extra brightness resulting from more saturated colors generated by the lumens of the LEDs.

By this type of measurement, you will see that projectors with LED lumens will have a higher value than the ANSI.

ANSI vs LED, what measurement should I consider?

Mostly, ANSI lumens are generally taken as a measure , so the ANSI vs LED duel would already be ready. When we find a projector that offers the measurement in LED lumens, we just have to convert it to ANSI lumens to see what real lumens we have.

So, a ANSI lumen equals 1.3 to 2.4 LED lumens , so if we have 2,000 ANSI lumens, we will be talking about 4,800 LED lumens. If we get the figure in LED lumens, we will simply have to divide by 1.3-2.4 to get an idea of ​​the figure in ANSI. Following the previous example, a 4,800 LED lumen projector will have 2,000 ANSI lumens.

In this way, we end the ANSI vs LED debate, advising you to always look at the ANSI figure. Just see in what type of lumens the luminous intensity is measured in the most reputable projector brands. And if you don't know what I'm referring to, I'm talking about Epson, Nec, Viewsonic, BenQ, LG or Optoma, among others.

How many lumens do I need in a projector?

how many lumens projector

This is the key question we all ask ourselves when we go to buy a projector, how many lumens are enough ? It all depends on the scenario chosen, as well as the distance between the projector and the screen.

To correctly measure the distance from the screen at which the projector should be placed, you must take the projection factor as reference . There are 3 types:

  • Normal plan: suspended from the ceiling in large rooms, requiring more than 2 meters from the screen.
  • Short focal length: its lens can transmit a wide resolution at a short distance
  • Ultra-short shot: less than 1 meter.

The first hypothesis is to buy a projector for home cinema , right? Well, think of a 100-150 inch screen , so you will need a ready wall or a panel 2.2 meters wide and 1.24 meters high (if you want a 16:9 ratio), at least! This means you will have to place the projector 1.87 meters from the screen.

Once this is calculated, all that remains is to know how many lumens you need based on lighting conditions and a 100 inch screen :

  • In a dark 100 inch room, 1000 lumens is enough.
  • In a dimly lit room, I recommend around 1200 lumens.
  • For a room with average lighting, start at around 1,300 lumens.
  • If the lighting is high, you should start here from 2000 ANSI lumens.

The examples shown are set at 100 inches, with lumen requirements increasing dramatically as we increase the screen size. For example, for 150 inches, you'll need 2,000 lumens just for a dark room.

Lumens Aren't Everything: What to Look For

Don't think that having more lumens will give you better image quality: here, it happens like on televisions. I advise you to pay attention to the contrast ratio and to color spaces offered by the projector in question. Another interesting indicator is the color depth 10-bit, this means that the projector is capable of displaying a wide range of colors, more precisely more than 1000 million.

We must also look at the resolution : if you are projecting on a 100 inch screen, opt for resolutions higher than 1080p.