Welcome to your environment! You can order everything from your assortment with your personal budget here.

You can always return to the normal Coolblue website by clicking here.

Your outstanding budget (incl. VAT) is always visible here, so you know exactly how much you can spend.

Coolblue home
Written by Laurence

The differences between a Full HD and 4K projector

If you're looking for a projector that projects sharp images, you might consider a Full HD or 4K projector. We've listed the differences and similarities for you in this article, so it's easier to make your choice.

Coolblue's Choice 4K projectors: Optoma UHD35

4K resolution | 3500 ANSI lumen | Home cinema, gaming, business use
Retail price 1.049,- 799,-
in stock
  • You can even see the smallest details on the screen, thanks to the 4K resolution.
  • With the high contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, the colorful images have a high contrast.
  • While you game, the low input lag minimizes the delay between the controller and the action on the screen.
  • Thanks to lens shift, you can also project a high-quality image from a different angle.
  • You can't connect the projector to a network via internet.
  • This projector only projects from 1m away from the wall or projection screen.

Coolblue's Choice Full HD projector: Optoma HD146X

Full HD | 3600 ANSI lumens | Meeting rooms, classrooms
Retail price 579,- 479,-
temporarily sold out
  • This projector projects sharp images, thanks to the Full HD resolution.
  • Thanks to the 3600 ANSI lumens light output, you can also clearly see the projections in large rooms.
  • With the keystone correction, you can correct the vertical line of the image up to 40 degrees.
  • The contrast ratio of 25,000:1 is enough for colorful image with a high contrast.
  • This projector doesn't have smart functions, so you have to play movies from a connected laptop.
  • Due to the projection distance between 1 and 10m, it's harder to place the projector.

Comparison of a 4K and Full HD projector

4K projector Full HD projector
Number of pixels 3840x2160 1920x1080
Aspect ratio 16:9 16:9
Recommended use Home cinema, gaming, business use, and education Home cinema, gaming, business use, and education
Recommended for very large projections yes no

The number of pixels and the resolution

4K projector resolution

4K: 3840x2160 pixels

The 4K resolution consists of 3840x2160 pixels, which adds up to more than 8 million pixels. This way, the images of a 4K projector are 4 times sharper than those of a Full HD projector. The aspect ratio of 4K is 16:9, which is the same as the common widescreen. If you want to watch 4K images, the projector and playback source have to support the resolution. Think of a 4K Blu-Ray player or a 4K Chromecast.

Full HD projector

Full HD: 1920x1080 pixels

The Full HD resolution consists of 1920x1080 pixels, which adds up to about 2 million pixels. That 4 times fewer than a 4K projector. This way, the details like pebbles or windows of a building in the skyline are less clearly visible. In other words, the image looks more 'grainy'. The aspect ratio of Full HD is 16:9, just like 4K. This is the same as most laptops and almost all movies are made with this aspect ratio.

Resolution with different usage situations

Home cinema 4K projector

4K: sharp details with movies and presentations

We recommend a 4K projector if you find sharp images for a movie, game, or presentation important. For example, you can still see many details at the back of the classroom or meeting room with 4K images. In addition, the sharp images contribute to a more immersive experience of a movie or game. There are now many movies and games in 4K resolution as image sources, unlike a few years ago. Keep in mind that some projector functions like keystone correction and zoom reduce the sharpness a bit. We also recommend a projection screen if you want to get the most out of the image quality.

Projector Full HD resolution

Full HD: visible details with movies and presentations

We recommend a Full HD projector if you want details to be visible, but you don't expect razor-sharp images. If you want to enjoy a movie, a Full HD projector displays enough details. There are more and more 4K games and movies, but there's still a lot available in Full HD quality. In addition, the images of a Full HD projector are clear enough for a presentation at work or at school. Is the room large, like a lecture hall or conference room? Consider a 4K projector, because the large projection loses some sharpness.

Conclusion

The biggest difference between a 4K and Full HD projector is the number of pixels that provide the sharpness. A 4K projector projects images that are 4 times as sharp as the projections of a Full HD projector. We recommend a 4K projector if you want really sharp images in your presentation, lectures, movies, or games.

Laurence
Article by:
Laurence Projector Expert.
Personal chat Digitalk.
You're now chatting with Coolblue customer service
This chat is closed
foo
Oeps File size is larger than 5MB. Upload a smaller file.