What's better for projector headlights LED or HID?
The same advantages of using HID technology in projectors, become the disadvantages when using LED technology in projectors. Projectors were not designed for LED technology. Projectors, being a confined space by nature trap heat. The life expectancy of LED headlight diodes is lowered in this environment.
Both LEDs and HIDs are great technologies and big upgrades over halogens with regard to brightness and durability but their individual performance will depend on your headlight type. LED headlight bulbs are better and brighter in reflector headlamps, while HIDs are better and brighter in projector lenses.
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LED projector headlights are among the most common type of projector headlights for modern vehicles. They're more energy-efficient than other types of bulbs and they last longer than both halogen and HID headlights. LED lights last so long that they can even outlive the operational lifespan of a standard vehicle.
LEDs have an extremely long lifespan relative to every other lighting technology (including HID). New LEDs can last 100,000 hours or more. The typical lifespan for an HID bulb, by comparison, is 10-25% as long at best (10,000 - 25,000 hours).
One of the most effective ways to boost the brightness of your projector headlights is to upgrade to HID or LED bulbs. These bulbs provide far more light than ordinary halogen bulbs, making your headlights seem much brighter. Another way to make your projector headlights seem brighter is to adjust the focus.
If your car is equipped with projector-type headlights, it's best to upgrade your lights to HIDs. Although LEDs will fit and work, from our experience, they will not perform as expected. In most cases, your stock halogen bulbs will be brighter than LEDs in projector-type headlights.
Projector brightness is measured in lumens. For home theater projectors where ambient light is kept to a minimum, you'll need a minimum of 1500 lumens. For classrooms, conference rooms or rooms with windows, a projector with a minimum of 2500 lumens is best.
In order to project, projectors need a light source. Some use LEDs, some use lasers, and others use lamps. Lamp projectors are the oldest, yet cheapest, variant, with bulbs containing mercury and a relatively short lifespan.
If you'd like to watch movies using a projector on a 100”~120” screen without ambient lighting, around 2,000 lumens of projection brightness is ideal. If you need to turn on ambient lighting or if there are bright light sources in the room, a projector with 3,000 lumens or more will display clear images.
Can you put LED bulbs in factory headlights?
All vehicles fitted with halogen headlight bulbs from the factory are suitable for LED conversion. The main advantage is a massive increase in road illumination and therefore improved safety when driving at night.
Yes. Some of the projector lamps can be replaced with LED bulbs. However, this will not be a straightforward task. Replacing your projector lamp with LED bulbs may require redesigning your heat sink, internal motherboard, LED holder, transformer, or many more to achieve optimum results.

You will get about a 50% brightness increase by going from a 35-watt ballast to a 55-watt ballast. So the 8,000K HID bulb will go from 1,000 maximum lux to 1,500 maximum lux at 25 feet, but the color will shift to a 6,000K color.
The Cons of LED Headlights
The glare associated with LED headlights is one of the biggest disadvantages of this technology. The glare can get so bad that it could affect other people on the road. Experts also worry that it can cause long-term retina damage. Also, LED headlights are more expensive than halogen lights.
The Best Brightest Headlight Bulb
Here's a straightforward answer: 5,000K HIDs emit perfectly white light and the brightest color temperature. Although 4,300K and 6,000K may be just as bright as 5,000K, these will simultaneously have a slight tint of yellow and blue.
Your projector headlights may seem dim or flicker if the wiring inside of them is rusted or broken. Check the wiring in your headlights with a qualified technician to make sure it is in good shape.
- Adjust the image focus.
- Clean the projector lens. ...
- Position the projector close enough to the screen.
- Position the projector so the keystone adjustment angle is not so wide that it distorts the image.
Clean the lens
Projectors are often not airtight and as such will accumulate particles, grime, and dust. This accumulation over time can affect the brightness of your projector especially if you don't take out time to clean your projector periodically.
Even though HID lights are the oldest form of electrical light, they may not be the most efficient in all situations. They waste 30% of their energy output, emit a significant amount of UV radiation, and require time to warm up. An alternative to HID light is LED.
Headlights that register 3,000K or 3,000LM are the brightest headlights you can legally install in your car. Anything beyond that level is typically against the law and you run the risk of blinding another driver and causing an accident.
Which brand of HID headlights is the best?
First up on our list of the best HID headlights is the Philips Xenon Standard. Phillips is one of the most well-known brands in technology, from their classic light bulbs to electric toothbrushes. Another area where they excel is in the HID headlight market. They are one of the best and most popular choices.
Laser projectors are ideal for large venues or permanent outdoor installations due to their significantly higher brightness than LED projectors. Also, they have access to a more excellent palette, which ultimately results in more true-to-life hues when used to create art.
LED headlight bulbs are going to be 3 to 6 times brighter than your halogen bulb and can be 2 to 4 times brighter than some HID systems. LEDs have the longest lifespan of 50,000 hours of useable time. Compare that to 5,000 hours with HIDs and you will understand why LEDs are such a popular upgrade.
It's an extensive topic that we've covered in this article, but a few important points to note are that lamp projectors typically run at least 2000 lumens, while laser projectors can easily provide higher than 3500 lumens – often higher with optional equipment.
System Foot-Lamberts aren't the only thing that impacts how bright of a projector you need. Another factor you'll need to consider is the ambient light in your room. Ambient light affects the image on your screen because it can overpower the light from your projector, causing your picture to look washed out.
The standardised temperature reference for optimum white that film and video content creators, as well as TV/video projector makers use, is 6500 degrees Kelvin (most often referred to as D65).
There are currently three different types of video projectors on the market: lamp-based, laser-based and, most recently, LED-based.
Still, the darker the room, the better the picture quality. When it comes to contrast, a projector needs darkness to make an image that looks bold, not washed out. This will also help make any required color calibration easier.
Benefits of LED projectors
LED projectors offer many benefits over the traditional lamp-based ones, both in terms of viewing experience and operating ease. The LEDs don't need to warm up after turning on or to cool down when switched off.
Projector headlights are significantly brighter than reflector headlights. They're less likely to blind other drivers. Because projector headlights are directed downwards towards the road, they don't shine in other drivers' eyes. Projector headlights give off a more even light.
Is 2000 lumens bright for a projector?
If you'd like to watch movies using a projector on a 100”~120” screen without ambient lighting, around 1500~2000 lumens of projection brightness is ideal. If you need to turn on ambient lighting or if there are bright light sources in the room, a projector with 3,000 lumens or more will display clear images.
In a room with some ambient light, but no direct lighting on the space you plan to project the image - 1500 to 1800 lumens should be sufficient. In a room with the lights on, but no light directly over the area where you will project the image - 2000 lumens should be sufficient.
It is worth noting – we do not recommend putting HIDs in a halogen reflector. HIDs should only be installed into a bi-xenon, or HID, projector. Because HIDs are brighter and more intense, installing them into the wrong headlight housing can cause massive amounts of glare for oncoming drivers.
While LED headlights are typically more compact than HID headlights, you'll need to purchase a conversion kit before installing either option if you're switching from halogen bulbs.
The stronger light quality, long lifespan and lower energy use of LED lights make them a great choice in general, and replacement costs should come down as market adoption rates increase. Halogen lights still have their place in budget cars, as well as in the used car market.
You're just getting more light. So when you ask me, "Do I need a dual beam bulb inside of my projector?" you simply do not. You just need a single filament light source, whether it's an LED bulb, a HID bulb, or a halogen bulb, and then from there, the projector will take over.
Projector headlights are high-performance headlights that were originally only available in luxury vehicles. They are capable of using extremely bright high-intensity discharge (HID) and light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs that would be unsafe to use with traditional reflector headlights.
Xenon, HID, or high-intensity-discharge headlights have bulbs but no filaments and tend to last longer than halogens but fall a little short compared to LEDs. They use less energy than halogens but more than LEDs. They also tend to become hotter much quicker and become dimmer over time.
The brightest HID bulb color can be found in the lower-middle end of the spectrum sporting a primarily white color (4300K – 6000K). From our testing and experience, we find that 6000K produces the best light output and visibility.