Projectors vs. Flat screens

“A DJ is only as good as it tools”, if that isn’t a quote it should be. Equipment is crucial for any final product. A high performance car needs low profile tires and premium parts, a superior pizza will be made with superior sauce, cheese and dough. A good DJ should look at their equipment choices as a way of improving their business. The quality of the final is all the truly matters and premium equipment is a crucial price.

A working VJ has a caveat to their performance that standard DJ’s don’t, video.  Like other DJ’s they have to purchase the best equipment to make their mixes and perform shows, but VJ’s have to take into consideration the video aspect when setting up. There are two types of equipment used to accomplish this projector and flat screen monitors/Tv. Naturally there are low end and high end versions of both of these, the more important question is which one is better.

The advantages with high definition flat screens are obvious, we deal with them as consumer when buying one for the house. They can be slim and light weight offering superior color quality and picture clarity.  Smart TV will connect to the internet and sync to a laptop if necessary, in many instances most of these venue will already have these installed. Traveling with these flat screens can be troublesome, setting them up at each venue and the frailty of the screens themselves can make it difficult. Using TV’s provided technology and far superior picture quality make a flat screen TV a great fit.

At first glance projectors do not seem to measure up to the flat screens. They offer no technological advantages and have inferior picture quality. Most venues will not provide projectors, so owning them is basically mandatory.  With all that said they are the equipment of choice for most VJ’s. Projectors are light weight and great for traveling. They expand larger than most flat screens and can be placed in strategic sight lines. DJ’s at the core are artist, and each time they spin it is a performance. VJ’s incorporate a visual experience into the performance to take it to that next level. Projectors do not offer the same quality of picture and that is an advantage for a working VJ. These performances are predominantly done inside clubs and bars. The grainy video projected  un-centered and out of frame on a wall can give that experience a different feel. Although the mixing of videos is impressive and worth watching, the DJ’s job is to make people dance and they can’t do that if they are mesmerized by what is on a TV screen.

First and foremost the art of mixing needs to be mastered, then the equipment is chosen.  Once that is accomplished the equipment needs to be purchased.  The quality of the equipment needs to be taken into consideration but the fact that this is a form of art with the intention of people dancing needs to always be the main focus.