November 1, 2007

1 min read

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Working Knowledge: Digital Projectors—Two Technologies Shine

By Mark Fischetti

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As prices drop, consumers are increasingly buying digital projectors to cast big images in company conference rooms, home living rooms and backyard “drive-ins.” Two technologies—micromirrors and liquid-crystal displays (LCDs)—have been vying for these markets, but they are doing equally well in today’s home and business arenas, says Art Feierman, editor of ProjectorReviews.com.

Both varieties can project sharp images from DVDs, digital cameras and presentation software such as PowerPoint. The choice depends on what buyers value most. In the inexpensive range (below $1,200 or so), micromirror machines may be slightly smaller and lighter and may project higher-contrast images. LCD machines may have better color accuracy, however, and run quieter and cooler. More expensive models of both types often compensate for any inherent technological weaknesses.

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Mark Fischetti was a senior editor at Scientific American for nearly 20 years and covered sustainability issues, including climate, environment, energy, and more. He assigned and edited feature articles and news by journalists and scientists and also wrote in those formats. He was founding managing editor of two spin-off magazines: Scientific American Mind and Scientific American Earth 3.0. His 2001 article “Drowning New Orleans” predicted the widespread disaster that a storm like Hurricane Katrina would impose on the city. Fischetti has written as a freelancer for the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian and many other outlets. He co-authored the book Weaving the Web with Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, which tells the real story of how the Web was created. He also co-authored The New Killer Diseases with microbiologist Elinor Levy. Fischetti has a physics degree and has twice served as Attaway Fellow in Civic Culture at Centenary College of Louisiana, which awarded him an honorary doctorate. In 2021 he received the American Geophysical Union’s Robert C. Cowen Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism. He has appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press, CNN, the History Channel, NPR News and many radio stations.

More by Mark Fischetti
Scientific American Magazine Vol 297 Issue 5This article was published with the title “Two Technologies Shine” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 297 No. 5 ()
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican112007-7kJnAIV08SVEtA5pK7NCqZ
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