Hooking Up Cable and Satellite to a Projector Rental
For a really "big show" - whether it’s a five-family Super Bowl bash or backyard movie night viewing with neighbors – the way to go is with a projector rental and a 100- to 200-inch screen that you create (using a white wall or flat surface)l. Add in a home-theater-style surround sound system, and you’ve got first-rate sights and sounds,for whatever kind of show you want.
Pick Your Picture Quality
With modern projectors and their extensive array of inputs and outputs, you can plug in every kind of video source imaginable – computers, DVD and VHS players, cable and satellite TV, video iPods, and so on. Learn how to get your cable or satellite plugged into a projector rental, and attach room-filling speakers (to match the room-filling size of the screen).
Many consumer video devices have several kinds of output ports, and you should always choose the connection with the best picture quality. The following list of video connections has the highest picture quality at the top:
- HDMI and DVI connections (highest quality)
- Component-video connection
- S-video connection
- Composite-video connection (lowest quality)
To connect SCART video devices, which are found primarily in Europe, you will need a special SCART adapter. It is unlikely that you will rent or buy a SCART device in the United States, but we mention it just in case.
Connecting the Tuner to the Projector
HDMI is the newest of the connections that the "movie projectionist" or armchair quarterback need to learn about. It is becoming a standard in the home theater universe because it offers the same video quality as DVI, but also carries sound through the single cable. If you have HDMI out on your cable box or satellite receiver, use it and skip down to “Sound Decisions” for help with the audio side of the equation.
The DVI port only accepts digital video sources, and this high-quality connection is now widely available on cable boxes, satellite receivers, and a growing number of computers. A DVI cable and an audio cable of some kind are required for this connection. Check for common ports on the box/receiver and the projector’s control panel; you can use RCA cables (separate L and R), a stereo mini-jack (single) cable or (less often) a S/PDIF digital cable.
It is highly unlikely that you won’t have common ports to connect, but in case you don’t, or are short on cables of certain kinds, there are adapters to help you make the connections work.
Your satellite receiver or cable box may also have component-video jacks (RCA connectors). This will transfer video only, so you will need a separate audio connection as in the preceding example. The three RCA connectors may be labeled Y, Pb and Pr or Y, Cb and Cr. If you can, set the video source to use progressive scan output (480p, 575p, or 720p).
HDMI, DVI and component video are the best ways to connect for the best picture. There may be two other connections on both your box/receiver and your projector – S-video and composite video – but these are inferior video transfer methods. S-video is a single cable for audio and video, whereas composite video has two RCA cables for stereo audio and a single one for video.
There may be one more connection you want to make, video-wise; if you want to monitor your presentation, you can connect the projector’s VGA out port to an external monitor with a VGA cable. If you are setting up for a Super Bowl party, forget about any small picture. And get ready for some big sounds, too.
Sound Decisions
If you intend to have a big room with a big screen and a big crowd on Super Bowl Sunday, don’t forget the powered speakers. You could also use you home stereo system, by getting a cable with a stereo ¼” or mini-jack (depending on the projector’s audio out options) on one end, and two RCA connectors (L and R) on the other; jack into the projector rental and connect the audio RCA cables to the auxiliary in ports on your stereo. Don’t forget to select auxiliary on the amplifier or receiver output or function switch.
The easiest way to get great sound, though, is to rent a couple of powered speakers; they come in all sizes and strengths, but remember that bigger is not always louder. There are PA-type speakers – made by Mackie, JBL, Peavey and others – as well as powered computer speakers and amplified home-stereo speakers, from AudioEngine, Logitech, Acoustic Research and many others. They all have amplifiers built in, so you don’t have to make do with the anemic 6- to 10-watt amps in most projectors.
Powered PA speakers would be a real party hit, since they will even make your party look better; however, most use XLR connections, which are not found on projectors (and the cables cost more). Most powered computer or home-stereo speakers will have at least two connection options, most often ¼” phono jacks on the one hand, and either banana plugs or wire binding-posts on the other.
If you elect to use the stereo jack audio out on the projector rental, you will need to get a cable with a mini-jack on one end and two jacks, for L and R, on the other. Sometimes, however – especially with the three-piece speaker systems with a subwoofer, called 2.1 audio – you will connect the audio out from the projector rental to the subwoofer, and then connect the L and R speakers to that.
Whichever route you choose for your audio, your cable or satellite video will sync right up with it, and you will have powerful sounds to go along with those modern, high-def sights. So the next time you want to 'super size' the viewing experience, order a projector rental from Projector123 -- they offer secure online ordering, competitive rental rates, guaranteed delivery and easy set-up.
