What kind of Projector?

Below is information regarding the type of projector that works best with Trialdirector and in court presentations.

Without going into exhaustive detail on how the technology works (you can do that by clicking the links above), I will summarize that LCD (liquid crystal display) and DLP (digital light processing) projectors have two very different methods of painting a picture on a screen.

LCD has 3 light-emitting panels, each of which can be at full brightness, or dimmed for darker colors and shadows. The lumens rating is a true indicator of the power of the projector.

DLP, on the other hand, uses a chip to emit the constant white light source, a series of mirrors (one per pixel) and a rotating color wheel, through which the light passes, thus creating the display. The downside of this is that in order to display darker colors, less light (lumens) is displayed on the screen by tilting the mirrors away from the lens. In other words, a DLP projector lumens rating is based on full-on white, and other colors may be as low as 50% of the rated lumens value of the projector. There is also a "flickering" effect which may be visible at times, due to the rotation of the color wheel.

So, which is better for courtroom use? Well, it appears there is more light available from an LCD than a DLP, meaning a brighter picture. This is critical, as most courtrooms are well-lit, many with sunshine flooding the room during the day.

More importantly, a DLP projector produces a very nasty looking highlighting feature when used with TrialDirector or Sanction trial presentation software. It actually appears to be a yellowish-green color - but certainly not the yellow that you will see on your own monitor. In my opinion, DLP is not a good choice for trial presentation, regardless of the price difference.

The projector used in court should typically be a minimum 3000 lumens, LCD technology. There is little benefit to displaying documents and other evidence if it cannot be easily and clearly viewed by the jury. An optional short-throw lens will facilitate placement of the projector nearer to the screen, and out of the way of counsel, making it less likely for you to display documents on your forehead.

Also there is an LCoS type projector but read below:

What Technology Do You Want?

Today's projectors are based on one of three technologies: DLP, LCD, and LCoS. Most DLP business projectors project their primary colors sequentially rather than all at once. This leads to a rainbow effect, with light areas on screen breaking up into little rainbows for some people when they shift their gaze or something moves on screen. Those who are sensitive to this effect can find it annoying. LCD projectors don't have this problem, but tend to be bigger and heavier than their DLP equivalents. The general consensus is that LCoS projectors offer the best quality images, but they tend to be even bigger and heavier than LCD projectors, and far more expensive than either of the other two types.