Buying guides
Which one, for the job you actually have
A hub compares everything in a family. A guide answers one question — a budget, a first projector for someone who has only ever owned a television, the three things that turn a bright living room into a room you can watch a film in — with a ranked shortlist and a reason for the order.
- Getting started
A first home cinema, in the order it earns its place
Four purchases cover a real home cinema, and the order matters more than the brands — because the first one fixes the complaint people actually have.
- Bright rooms
A projector for a room you cannot make dark
Brightness alone will not do it: the screen decides as much as the machine, and an ultra short throw with a rejecting surface decides most of all.
- Budget
A first projector without the fantasy numbers
At the accessible end, the brightness claim is the least reliable specification on the box. Three machines that state something measurable, and what to expect.
- Screens
Which screen, and why the mechanism decides first
Fixed frame, motorised, pull-down or tripod — the room chooses the mechanism, and the fabric comes second.
- Dialogue
A soundbar for hearing what people say
A centre channel, not more power. The specification that answers the complaint is the third number in "3.1", and it costs less than surround does.
- Surround
Building a surround system, one speaker at a time
The order in which channels earn their place — and why a "5.1 package" usually needs an amplifier you have not bought.
- Accessories
What to buy with the projector
The four purchases that turn a projector into a working installation, and the one that is not optional.
- Cables
Which HDMI cable, and why length decides
Certification and length are the whole specification. The version number printed on a cable is not one, and licensing forbids selling by it.
- Mounting
Mounting a television, and what the rating does not cover
Fixed, tilting or full-motion — and the stated load describes the bracket, never the wall behind it.
- Budget
Better television sound for very little
Three purchases under the price of one soundbar, and two settings that cost nothing at all.
- Sources
A streaming box that will not soften the picture
DRM certification decides resolution more than the processor does, and audio passthrough decides whether a receiver gets what it needs.
- Maintenance
Replacing a lamp, and the three tiers listings blur
Original module, bulb-inside, or compatible — three different products at three prices, described almost identically.