The Pros and Cons of Mounting a Projector on a Ceiling or a Shelf: Which is Best?

Projector in an office

Last updated on April 17th, 2023 at 12:59 am

Read Time:2 Minute, 44 Second

There are many offices and business premises nowadays that would like a premier conference or meeting room setup, preferably with all the bells and whistles and the latest in technology. But before you can even equip your meeting or conference room with all the extras, you must first set it up with the basics. A standard setup for any meeting or conference room, big or small, would include a camera, speakers, microphones, video displays, and a projector. When it comes to projectors, you also have several options of where you want to mount it – and how. The most popular ones are to mount it from the ceiling or to place it on the shelf. Each placement has its merits, of course, but you need to choose which fits your conference or meeting room best. Following are the pros and cons of mounting a projector on a ceiling or placing it on a shelf: which works best for your needs? Let’s find out.

Ceiling-mounted projectors

  • The pros

First, if you choose to mount your projector on the ceiling, you can install your projector much closer to the screen than you would if you just place it on a shelf (often located at the back of the space or room). With this, you can get the best brightness from the projector itself. Also, plenty of businesses and individual customers opt for a ceiling mount for their Epson projector – for the simple reason that it saves more space and gets the unit out of the way. In addition, this means that if the projector is in use, people can walk behind it without fear of blocking any light.

  • The cons

As for the cons, you need to install cabling alongside (or inside) the ceiling to connect your projector to your computer or entertainment system. It further adds to your setup costs for installation (on the other hand, some projectors can be set up wirelessly, which is great because it can stream the images directly). Another con might be that drilling holes may not be allowed on the property, so you may have to ask permission from the landlord. And the holes may have to be drilled by a professional, which further adds to installation costs.

Projectors mounted on the shelf

  • The pros

If you choose to mount your projector on the shelf, this is more economical and saves you more time. In addition, shelves are relatively easy to set up, and the outlets or sockets will be much closer. It may also be better for maintenance or servicing because you can easily get to the projector and clean it; replacing the lamp will be easier, too.

  • The cons

When it comes to the cons, you should know that ventilation is a potential problem when you mount the projector on a shelf – you want a minimum of 20cm between the wall and the vent of the projector so that it can cool down, which isn’t always the case with shelves. Also, when a projector is mounted on the shelf, it may be too high – and the image it projects may be too high as well. Finally, you might need a  vertical lens shift, which is available on most projectors, so check if your projector has one.

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