Will A Surge Protector Improve My Projector’s Picture Quality?

While suppliers and the salesmen at your local electronics store may have you believe that a high-quality surge protector will lead to a higher quality picture, we can safely say, it will not.

But to understand why, we must first define what exactly a surge protector does and why this is not the case.

In this article, we will explore the functions of a surge protector, with a quick comparison to a UPS, and finally what it can and cannot do for you and your projector.

How A Surge Protector Works

First, we must begin with the definition of what a surge protector is and what purpose it serves.

A surge protector is basically a power bar on steroids, as it serves more of a purpose than simply multiplying the number of available outlets.

When there is a sudden interruption, followed by a quick restart of electricity it can cause a power surge. This can be spurred on by something as simple as poor wiring or a tripped circuit breaker, all the way up to something as unexpected as a strike of lightning.

A power surge is extremely detrimental to our beloved household devices, causing an electrical overload and frying vital components.

Have no fear, as a surge protector is the answer. This handy little device takes any of that extra electricity and diverts it back into the outlet’s ground wiring.

The advantage of a surge protector is that it safeguards your most valuable assets while making your old power bar obsolete by also providing more outlets.

The majority of home theater owners take their equipment and its safety very seriously and this often leads to debate, the most predominant being:

Surge Protector or UPS?

To answer this question, a breakdown of the functions for both is necessary to figure out which best serves your devices.

With the understanding that a surge protector shields our electronics by diverting harmful electrical surges away from them, we now examine what an Uninterruptible Power Supply is and what it does to keep our devices safe.

An Uninterruptible Power Supply or UPS for short, is an external apparatus that supplies a continual source of power to whichever electronic it is connected to.

This means that if you happen to lose power to your residence, you will not lose power to any devices, even for a second. It will provide you with enough time to save any vulnerable work and power down safely.

While the UPS also serves as a surge protector, there are several important differences with the two most obvious being:

• The size difference between the two devices, and
• The price (which becomes undeniably apparent in the higher end products)

The UPS falls short if protection from surges is your main goal, as they tend to be larger and more expensive.

There is no question that a UPS is the superior device, but that comes with the necessity for its back up battery capabilities.

If you are limited financially, only looking for protection from electrical surges, and working with a restricted amount of space a UPS might not be the answer.

Either way, a selling feature for either item never includes a higher quality image.

With the alternative examined, we turn to our main question “Does a surge protector improve the quality of my projectors picture?” With its undeniable response being:

Why would it?

When scouring the internet for ways to improve the picture quality of a projector there are multiple areas where one is directed to start, a few examples being:

• Mind your heat management
• Adjust your Gamma setting
• Turn off your energy saving settings
• Choose the right picture setting
• Reduce the image size
• Adjust the focus
• Clean your lens
• Adjust the positioning of your projector
• Make sure that your contrasts and enhancement settings are appropriate

The list only grows from here but neither a surge projector nor a UPS is ever mentioned as having the ability to provide a crisper, better quality image.

A surge protector serves one purpose and that is to protect electronics from a sudden surge of electricity. It is a glorified power bar and its ability to affect the inner workings and quality of your projector’s picture is zero.

All projector and home theater owners should take the security of their equipment seriously.

The thought of thousands of dollars’ worth of electronics being rendered useless by something as unpredictable as a lightning strike is difficult to swallow, luckily the solution is as simple as a modestly priced surge protector.

There is no question that a surge protector or a UPS is a necessary part of any home theater or personal computer. When using either of these be sure to maintain them, as both devices have a life span. Specifically, the surge protector should be replaced every 2 – 3 years.

The reason why there is a life span on a protector is because the device has a certain number of joules that it has the ability to absorb. Once this number has been reached you are left with a fancy looking power bar that offers zero protection.

To summarize

There are multiple benefits to using a surge protector to safeguard your precious electronics, but when a salesman claims that it is going to improve your picture quality you can be sure he works via commission.

There are numerous tips, sources, suggestions, and articles on ways to improve your projector’s picture, these all have to do with the projector itself.

A surge protector or a UPS deals only with the electricity flowing into the unit and has no effect on your picture quality.

Either way, get your hands on a surge protector as it is well worth the investment. Just don’t expect the quality of your picture to change whatsoever, this is simply a myth conjured by companies to create a greater necessity for their product.