ANSI Lumens vs ISO Lumens: What Are the Differences？

By XGIMI Tech - 2024-2

Why You Need to Know ANSI Lumens and ISO Lumens

ANSI lumens and ISO lumens are the crucial measurements of projector brightness. These metrics help determine the brightness of a projector, which is a critical factor in achieving optimal image quality in various environments.

If you are looking for a projector, read this blog for valuable information about its brightness.

1. What Are ANSI Lumens?

2. What Are ISO Lumens?

3. How are ANSI Lumens and ISO Lumens Measured?

4. Final Takeaway

What Are ANSI Lumens?

ANSI stands for American National Standards Institute. It has established a standardized method of measuring the light output of lamps and light sources in different devices.

It also represents the average brightness output across nine specific points on a projected image with 2.4 meters between the projector and the 60-inch screen.

This measurement ensures consistency and accuracy in comparing brightness levels among different projectors.

Higher ANSI lumens values generally indicate brighter projectors suitable for larger rooms or environments with more ambient light.

How to test the ANSI lumens in projectors

What Are ISO Lumens?

ISO is short for the International Organization for Standardization. It's another standard for measuring projector brightness. ISO lumens are used by XGIMI projectors to label their products.

Rather than using a full white test image, the ISO test uses a methodology that is more approach to an actual condition when we use the projector. It uses a checkerboard pattern of the black and white squares to test the result.

This measurement provides a more comprehensive assessment of overall brightness, considering the entire image rather than specific points.

Like ANSI lumens, higher ISO lumens values signify brighter projectors that may be better suited for challenging lighting conditions.

How are ANSI Lumens and ISO Lumens Measured?

1. Measurement Method:

● ANSI Lumens:

ANSI lumens are measured by averaging the average brightness levels at nine specific points on a white projected image. This standardized method ensures consistency and accuracy in comparing brightness across different projectors.

● ISO Lumens:

Rather than using a full white test image, the ISO test uses a checkerboard pattern of black and white squares. This better simulates the type of varied images projected in real-world applications.

Although ISO lumens only considers four corner measurements with the following image, brightness is regarded by considering a broader area of the projected image rather than specific points. It provides a more comprehensive assessment of overall brightness.

The measurement of ISO lumens in projectors

2. Intended Use:

● ANSI Lumens:

ANSI lumens are particularly useful for comparing projectors in terms of brightness, making them suitable for environments where consistency in brightness is critical, such as conference rooms or classrooms.

● ISO Lumens:

ISO lumens take a more holistic approach, considering the entire image. This measurement may be more reflective of real-world viewing with projector conditions and is relevant for various applications, including home theater setups.

3. Mutual Conversion:

The conversion ratio between ANSI lumen and ISO lumen (ISO21118) is 1:0. 8. That is to say, 1 ANSI lumen = 0.8 ISO lumens.

Final Takeaway

To summarize, both methods are used to measure the light output of a projector. They can be converted back and forth by the formula.

When you buy the projector, don't worry about its measurement. Just look at the corresponding units and numbers！

Brightness is one of the most essential standards for buying a projector. But you should know more than brightness, for example, color accuracy and the influence of ambient light.