The cost of buying new audiovisual projection equipment can be daunting, even for churches with very large congregations. If your facility needs more than one projector, the overall cost may seem impossible to afford. To stay within your budget, you may want to consider purchasing a “Demo” or “Open Box” unit.

What Is a Demo Unit?
A projector is considered a demo or open box unit when it has been removed from its original packaging and used for any period of time.

The reasons why a projector might end up in this category vary. One reason might be when an online dealer decides to carry a newly released product--it is common that one of the new projectors is opened to test its performance or is used for demonstration, hence the term “demo unit.”  This projector may have also been used to train sales specialists on the projector’s feature set, functionality and aesthetics. 

Another cause might be when a customer has received a new projector, opened the box, set it up in their home or business, only to find out for a variety of reasons (excluding defective merchandise), the projector isn’t right for their application. Once the box has been opened, and the projector has been turned on, it is no longer saleable as a new item, hence the term “open box unit.”

These terms are industry standard, and interchangeable. In other words, some dealers use both terms, and some use one or the other, applying it to all scenarios of used projectors.  In any case, buying a demo projector is much like buying a used car--someone else has already paid for the depreciation, and your church can be the beneficiary of the cost savings.

What Kind of Savings Are We Talking About?
Purchasing a demo unit can save your congregation hundreds of dollars and, for the most part, bring the equipment into an affordable range for churches with a smaller budget. Of course, the amount of savings is going to vary based on a multitude of criteria, such as the original cost of the projector, the hours on the demo unit’s lamp, the condition of the projector, etc. 

An additional benefit to buying a demo unit would be its warranty. In most cases, when you purchase a demo unit, it carries the same manufacturer’s warranty as a brand-new unit, which is usually three years. Therefore, you are getting the same projector, with the same warranty coverage, at a fraction of the cost of buying a new unit. 

What About Lamp Life?
Projector lamps are expensive, typically costing between $300 and $400. So, when buying a demo unit, which will obviously have a used lamp, the time used on the lamp is an important consideration. 

Fortunately, projectors come with lamp calculators that track the number of hours the lamp has been used. When buying a demo unit from an online authorized dealer, the dealer will be able to tell you how many hours the lamp has been used and how many hours a projector’s lamp is generally good for. Therefore, you will have a pretty good idea of how many hours you can still expect from the demo unit’s lamp. 

The application in which you will be using your projector will determine how much remaining lamp life will be acceptable. For example, if your projector will be used for worship services, as opposed to occasional classroom usage, then you will want more lamp life. 

What About Refurbished Projectors?
Similar to a demo unit, refurbished projectors are products that have been returned to the manufacturer by a customer for a non-defect reason, or for a defect such as a broken foot peg or a non-working feature out of the box. 

Refurbished projectors can be a very good value as well and should also be considered when budgets are tight. The manufacturer replaces virtually whatever is needed to bring the projector back to like-new condition and then sells it to a dealer to be marketed as a refurbished product. The lamp is not usually replaced on a refurbished projector; however, more often than not, the lamp life will be very low on a refurbished unit.  Refurbished units come with the same manufacturer’s warranty as a brand-new product, but for a shorter period of time.

Where Can I Buy A Demo Projector?
Purchasing your equipment from a reputable authorized dealer that specializes in church audiovisual solutions will not only save you a great deal of money, but will also assist you in purchasing the right solution for your application. These dealers focus specifically on religious facilities and will know the right questions to ask and will be able to provide necessary information. These dealers can usually offer affordable leasing programs designed for religious organizations as well. 

When searching online, be as specific as possible while entering search words, for example, you will be connected more quickly to a company that specializes in church A/V solutions if you type “church projector” than you would if you simply type “projector.” 

The bottom line is that whether you are on a tight budget, or you are in need of a number of projectors, or you simply want a better deal, purchasing demo projectors instead of new ones, can save on your bottom line. 

Lisa Haas is marketing communications manager at AVChurch.com, an Alliant Solutions, Inc. company providing consulting and AV sales.