Flat panels are great. However, a growing option for consumers that want to take the big-screen experience to the next level is the purchase of a two-piece projection system.

A projector and a video screen typically comprise the projection system. In some cases, however, homeowners are opting to throw an image on wall instead — either a wall that’s been specially painted with a substance that enhances video images or, simply, a white wall.

Regardless of the screen surface, projectors provide homeowners the opportunity to create in their homes screen sizes that are up to 14-feet wide, with shapes that match commercial movie theaters.

Basics 4-1-1: Back in the early days of consumer video, a projector employed three cathode-ray tubes (CRT) to form a color image, but today things are much different.

Many manufacturers use what is called fixed-pixel technologies, like Texas Instruments’ Digital Light Processing (DLP), as well as liquid crystal display (LCD) and variations of liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), which include Sony’s SXRD technology and JVC’s D-ILA technology.

Generally, like other television products, projectors are classified and priced by their ability to fully deliver high-definition images.

Like televisions, projectors are often defined in resolution capabilities — headlined, today, by the state-of-the-art resolution of 1920 x 1080.

Prices for projectors usually start at about $700. These starting-point units generally offer 854 x 480.

High-end units can cost six figures and generally provide high levels of brightness and definition resolutions as high as 2048 x 1080.

Currently, most of the projectors on the market offer resolutions of 1024 x 768, 1280 x 720 and 1920 x 1080, and their prices range from about $1, 200 to $40,000.

Some of the factors that affect the pricing of projectors include the lenses and lamps (light source) used.

Pluses and Minuses 4-1-1: Video enthusiasts point out that projectors provide consumers with a movie theater-like experience. Many will add that projectors are easy to adapt to the many changes that occur over time in the A/V market.

For starters, once a consumer purchases a projector screen and lens option, the system can be updated to accommodate new technologies and trends.

A good example of that adaptability is the retrofitting of projection systems with new anamorphic lenses. Many home theater owners are adding these products, which uncompress video content and eliminate the black bars that are often seen with DVD, without much difficulty.

These anamorphic lenses can transform a projector that is defined as a widescreen (16:9) product into a CinemaScope (2.40:1) product that shows movies in the same aspect ratios as the movie theaters.

One of the minuses popularly cited with regard to projectors is the fact that the system needs to be installed in rooms with controlled or controllable ambient light. Because of this need, some of the aftermarket updates to projector systems can be costly.

Installation 4-1-1: Depending on the placement of the projector and the level of complexity of the product, installing a projector can be as relatively simple as placing it on a table or other flat surface and allowing it to throw an image on a wall.

Of course, projectors with CinemaScope lens systems, or projectors that use mounting brackets or throw images onto professionally designed screens, will require more advanced installation techniques and will likely ensure optimal performance.

Another installation consideration is the calibration of the projector. Performance and calibration methods developed by The Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) and THX are recognized throughout the video industry. These organizations train installers to properly set up and calibrate projectors of all types.

Profits 4-1-1: Video projectors are among the few products that offer true margin potential. Margins generally range in the 20 percent to 35 percent range, and accessories can also add to the category’s revenue potential with similar percentages.

Projectors also lend themselves to upselling and top-down sales techniques in which consumers buy into a product or system that offers significantly more performance and revenue potential for the dealer.

Warranty 4-1-1: In most cases, depending upon the manufacturer, projectors are covered by warranties, often spanning a year or two.

The lamp mechanisms within the projectors tend to be covered by separate warranties that are quoted such terms as 3,000 hours or six months. Lamps are replaceable and typically cost a few hundred dollars.

More 4-1-1: There are several Web sites, consumer electronics trade events and organizations that can provide additional information on the topic of projectors.

Learn about them from the following organizations: Imaging Science, THX, Consumer Electronics Association and CEDIA.