As is the case with most office products, video projectors have a few important features that are crucial to understand before making the right purchase. The projector type, resolution, brightness, lamp type, and lens specifications will all depend on the primary role the projector will fill: part of your traveling show, or permanent addition to your conference room?

Video projectors fall into three broad categories: ultralights, conference room projectors, and fixed installation projectors.

Ultralights
If you're a "road warrior" – a sales or business development professional who makes frequent presentations on the road – an ultralight video projector is probably right for you. Every year, these lightweights get smaller. The lightest ultralight a couple of years ago was proud to be less than five pounds. The latest models tip the scales at under three pounds, spurring some manufacturers to offer an even smaller “micro portable” category.

Created to serve the mobile business community, ultralights now come close to matching larger models in brightness and other extra features. If weight is an important issue for you, be sure to find out the total weight of the projection system (cables, remote, case) and not just the projector. But try not to get carried away: even on an extended trip, you are not likely to notice a difference of six ounces and you'll pay extra for the very smallest models.

Conference Room
If your projector is more likely to move from room to room rather than across the country, focus on less on weight and pay more attention to performance. Conference room video projectors, sometimes called multipurpose projectors, tend to be heavier, brighter, and more adaptable to a large room than their ultralight counterparts. Depending on your budget, these projectors come with many extra features such as extra computer or video ports, remote mousing, or a laser pointer.

Fixed Installation
The pinnacle of all video projectors, fixed or in-house machines are usually installed in a permanent spot in an auditorium or presentation hall. Weighing as much as one hundred pounds, fixed machines are the most expensive projectors of the bunch, but they also are the most powerful and versatile. These projectors can handle different resolutions and image sizes, easily project in large, bright rooms, and often include ceiling mounts for permanent installation