It’s been quite a long time since I dipped my grubby fingers into a bowl of popcorn at a movie theatre. The pandemic has ensured that we look at technology that can bring alive the experience at home. The Covid-era has opened our eyes to the advantages of having a projector and the technology is only getting better. One of the leading names in the segment is Optoma, which has some of the best projectors in the market. Here’s what Vijay Sharma, country head India, Optoma Corporation, told us about the opportunities his company has.

How are people using projectors; is it something that is being used only for special occasions?

Projectors at home are being used in multiple scenarios, like movies, gaming, education, and work-from-home meetings. A large screen gives an opportunity for the entire family to sit together and enjoy some entertainment.

Nuclear families and the youth are using it during parties and gaming nights (also during gaming competition). Laser projectors, like Optoma P1 Pro or P2, can be used as an all-time device once combined with an ALR screen. These special screens cut down the effect of ambient light and offer a bright and vivid screen. With advancement in technology, a projector can fulfil all customer needs.

A misconception we have about projectors has to do with cost. In case I want to get a TV screen that matches the video size coming from a projector, the latter is less expensive while the video quality matches that on a TV.

There are two aspects to it — cost of technology and the product itself, and another is cost of per inch of display size. The technology is getting affordable. Now, 4K or full-HD projectors, which were once considered costly, are within the range of a working executive. If we talk about cost of per-inch of display-size ownership, projectors are far ahead than TVs; to put up a screen of 120-inch will cost more than Rs 10 lakh whereas it can be as low as Rs 1 lakh in case of a projector, depending on resolution and type of projector a customer is buying. There’s an advantage in both cases.

Vijay Sharma, country head India, Optoma Corporation

Do you think 2022 will be the year when projectors will become the entertainment hub at homes?

Starting from 2019-20, there has been a definitive rise in the adoption of projectors for home use because people started staying Indoors and entertainment became limited to within the house. The trend, which started as a necessity, has caught up with people who are looking for an entertainment system that’s better and larger than a TV.

At Optoma, we have launched a range of laser projectors which can run up to 30,000 hours without hassle. It ensures a shelf life of close to a decade even with six-seven hours of daily viewing. Further, the content which is available in the form of 4K movies, streaming services, need to be enjoyed on 100 inches of screen size, which you can achieve with projectors.

An issue we keep hearing about from gamers is input lag.

Our current generation featuring models like UHD35+ and UHZ50 are capable of 4.2ms lag time, which matches the requirements of most demanding games. These models are apt for customers who want a display upgrade that goes hand in hand with the new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Gamers can take full advantage of higher resolutions and enhanced graphics next-gen consoles are capable of. UHZ50 and UHD35+ can make full use of high refresh rate capabilities of the latest next-gen consoles — 120Hz@1080P and 60Hz@4K UHD. Optoma GT1080HDR is a full-HD gaming projector which uses short-throw technology and is perfect for even small rooms. There is game mode which enhances darker areas in games without compromising colour and contrast. There will be many more models in our line-up which will cater to the requirement of gamers.

Android doesn’t have a version for projectors.

Some of the smart projector models are equipped with Aptoide while others are having features where the apps can be downloaded from the Optoma Market Place. We are constantly working for inbuilt smart OS features. Other than this, there is the option of having Android smart TV dongle, which is connected through HDMI.

Have you personally done away with the TV at home and watch everything via a projector?

I have multiple devices at home and yes, it has been some time since I have been using a projector as the main device for entertainment. Other display devices, like TV, are secondary devices and are used for smaller areas. I would also like to mention that with a projector, the experience of watching movies, sports and big-ticket programmes have changed completely.