Buying a refurbished projector can be a great way to save money on a projector purchase. There are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for a refurbished projector which will make the experience more productive and enjoyable. Whether the projector is being purchased for installation in a home theater or for the purpose of conducting overhead presentations in a classroom, it is important to select the best product for the application.
The first thing to consider is the type of projector needed. Projectors can work in a number of different ways; SVGA projectors are cheaper, but only suitable for small to medium projection, while XVGA projectors have a crisper image quality, and they can be used for big projections. The brightness of the projector is also an issue to think about; the more lumens a projector has, the more costly it becomes, and it may be possible to use a low lumen projector in many environments. It is also important to think about how the projector will receive data to project: from film, a laptop, a portable hard drive, or another device, for example.
For people who are not very experienced at projector shopping, it may help to ask an expert for recommendations of specific models, and for more general specifications recommendations. These can be used to select a range of models which would be suitable, to generate a shopping list which can be used when looking for a refurbished projector.
It's a good idea to scope out prices on new, used, and refurbished projectors to get an idea of the range to expect. If a refurbished projector is not much less expensive than a new projector, it might be better to just buy new. Likewise, if a company offers a refurbished projector at an unusually high price, knowledge of average projector pricing can help a consumer avoid a bad deal.
Some refurbished or reconditioned projectors are reconditioned at the factory, using factory-specific parts. These projectors tend to be the best buy, because they are usually backed by a good warranty, and the quality standards at the factory are high. Refurbished projectors from outlets and private sellers may have been refurbished with non-factory parts, and they may lack warranties and other protections.
Something else to think about is the ease of maintenance. If a model has been discontinued, it may be hard to get replacement lamps and other parts as needed, which can turn a refurbished projector into a costly doorstop the first time it needs routine maintenance.
The ideal refurbished projector will be factory reconditioned, with a supportive warranty and parts which are readily available. The price should fall into line with the prices obtained during the pricing research stage of the shopping project, and if the projector is being shipped, it should include a free return policy in case it is damaged or it does not perform as expected.