Positioning And Guarantees
The best position for your projector is one in which the projector never moves. This allows you to set "permanent" adjustments and hide your cables, which is more aesthetic. The ideal installation for this is ceiling mounting. Other solutions are possible: behind the viewers on a high shelf, on the coffee table in front of the viewers, etc.
If possible, avoid having to set up your projector for each viewing. There's the danger of tripping over the cables, and you have to re-adjust the projector at each use, since it's difficult to place it exactly in the same spot each time.
Ideally, the projector must be positioned horizontally - that is, at a 90-degree angle to the screen. It must also be aligned on the center of the screen. If this is not possible, you'll have to check that the model you're interested in can compensate for alignment differences with effective adjustments before buying it.
Guarantees
All new projectors come with a manufacturer's guarantee of at least one year covering parts and labor. Certain manufacturers offer on-site guarantees of up to 3 years! Keep in mind, though, that the lamp is rarely guaranteed (6 months or 1,000 hours at best) and that a replacement will cost you around $500. Lamp life expectancy is variable (between 1,000 and 4,000 hours) and depends on the projector. That's the equivalent of approximately three years for normal home-cinema use. Also keep in mind that a few dead pixels in the LCD displays or non-functional mirrors in a DLP unit are not always enough to get you a replacement under the guarantee. That depends on the manufacturer. Be sure to check before buying!
