Even when picking an entry-level projector, there are a few basic considerations to keep in mind. The most important is the projector’s brightness capabilities. Simply put, the higher the number of lumens, the brighter the image. The more ambient light you have in the room when you watch, the more brightness you’ll want to combat it. You’ll also want to consider the projector’s throw ratio, which explains how wide a projector’s image will be given the distance between the lens and the screen. Also, be sure the projector you pick offers enough keystone correction and zoom ability to match your installation.
Sound complicated? It’s not as hard as you might think.
Finally, you’ve got to think about sound: You can count on nearly any projector’s built-in speakers to be terrible. They are an afterthought in most cases, designed to get you by if you’re doing an office presentation, but not much more. Any of these projectors will benefit from even a modest outboard speaker system, though for big movie nights, we say go nuts with the sound system.
BenQ HT3550
The best projector overall
Why you should buy this: 4K resolution, HDR support, 2,200 lumens of brightness.
Who it’s for: You want a competitively priced projector with gorgeous color accuracy.
Why we picked the BenQ HT2550:
If you’re in the market for a projector, the BenQ HT3550 needs to be near the top of your list. With a beautiful 4K resolution, vivid 2,000-lumen brightness, and an HDR color palate, this model is a slam dunk solution for any home theater, especially at its attainable price point.
Great picture quality is at the heart of the HT3550. The projector analyzes every image to provide an optimal balance between color accuracy and contrast. It also boasts automatic vertical keystone correction to true up the image when the projector is placed at less-than-optimal heights, and a 1.2x optical zoom helps you fit the picture to a screen.
Though the HT3550 isn’t designed to be portable, it is lightweight enough to do the job, should you want to put together pop-up viewing events, and a quick and easy setup process makes it equally agile if you plan on toting it between locations every so often. In addition, a well-backlit remote helps keep the projector easy to adjust in darkened rooms, and hotkeys help you deal with commonly needed adjustments quickly.
With a lamp that should last a solid 10,000 hours out of the box (15,000 in LampSave mode), the BenQ HT3550 should last through years of playback, and with an image quality this good, you won’t be thinking about an upgrade for a very long time.
Optoma HD243X
The best budget projector
Why you should buy this: Great picture, even better price.
Who it’s for: Budget-conscious buyers who want a beautiful HD picture at the lowest possible price.
Why we picked the Optoma HD143X:
Those that don’t want to spend major dough for a big-screen addition to their viewing arsenal for the occasional big game or movie night should look no further than the Optoma HD243X. The affordable projector provides a full 1080p image, 3,300 lumens of brightness, and an 8,000-hour lamp life — enough to last for years of heavy use.
Lightweight and easy to move, the HD243X is easy to tote between viewing venues. Though it lacks the automatic setup features of higher-tiered projectors, you’ll quickly be able to adjust the image to fit your screen with the manual zoom lever.
Colors are vivid, especially in Cinema mode, which cuts the projector’s overall brightness in half to provide better shadow detail in dark rooms. As a simple projector solution, the HD243X is the perfect option for the vast majority of everyday viewers. Let’s face it: Most of us aren’t looking to fill out the perfect home theater, we’re just looking to watch a movie after a family barbecue, have a home cinema night, or watch the big game.
Sony VW295ES
The brightest 4K projector
Why you should buy this: Cinema-grade 4K picture quality on a budget.
Who it’s for: The home theater enthusiast who wants to build a lifelike cinema in their abode.
Why we picked the Sony VW295ES:
Sony’s ground-breaking VW295ES projector is the most affordable cinema-grade model the company has produced. A legitimate, native 4K HDR cinema-scale projector (dishing out 4096 x 2160 resolution as opposed to the more common 3840 x 2160), this model is designed for enthusiasts who want a genuine cinematic experience in their home.
Where other projectors claiming 4K quality typically use some manner of digital pixel shifting to achieve it, this model offers exact pixel-for-pixel reproduction, which is ideal for those who want the most immersive experience possible. The projector offers only 1,500 ANSI lumens of brightness, so the picture isn’t designed for daylight viewing, but it does offer excellent black levels and contrast in darker rooms, especially with the expanded HDR color gamut.
If you’re after full cinema quality, but don’t want to spend as much as it costs to buy a top of the line model, you’re going to want to take a serious look at this model, which combines great picture with a tolerable price point for the average home theater enthusiast.
AAXA P300
The best portable
Why you should buy this: Tiny size, easy connectivity, low price.
Who it’s for: The on-the-go presenter who doesn’t want to lug around a 36-inch monitor.
Why we picked the AAXA P300:
If you often find yourself wishing that you had a big screen in your backpack, you’ll want to check out the AAXA P300 Pico projector. With an hour of battery life, 300 lumens of brightness, and 720p resolution, this tiny handheld projector is more than adequate for most pop-up projection needs.
Sure, you won’t be mounting this in your home theater, but if you find yourself occasionally in need of a screen — and don’t want to lug a massive LED or LCD panel around with you — the P300 is a perfect choice. It can project images up to 120 inches in low-light scenarios, but you’ll find you get the best quality with a picture of 36-inches or less, which is more than respectable for a projector that fits in the palm of your hand. With a battery life of up to one hour built-in, you won’t have to worry about finding the nearest outlet to show off that slick new PowerPoint.
The P300 will last you a while, too. The LED lamp inside the projector is good for 30,000 hours, which means you’d have to use it for hours a day for decades before you need to replace it. If you’re looking for a tiny little projector to take with you anywhere, this is the one we’d pick.
LG HU80KA
The best projector for beginners
Why you should buy this: Easy installation and setup, gorgeous 4K resolution, smart TV functionality.
Who it’s for: Those who want a massive screen size but want to avoid the hassle of mounting a more typical projector.
Why we picked the LG HU80KA:
One of the biggest struggles that would-be projector owners face is difficult setup. Whether trying to cleanly wire it up a to a ceiling mount, find a table that’s the perfect height and distance from the wall to get a clean image, or simply dialing in settings while standing precipitously on a chair or footstool, we won’t pretend that getting a projector installed is the easiest thing on the planet. Thankfully, LG’s spectacular HU80KA solves these problems for you.
The HU80KA comes in a compact, portable form factor that doesn’t require a table or stand, making it easy to wire, position, and setup. Plus, built-in smart TV functionality means it will also act identically to LG’s excellent TV lineup.
A laser-based light source, full 4k, HDR10 resolution and 2,500 lumens of brightness are more than enough for cinema-style viewing, with the ability to project a 150-inch screen. You can even stream audio via Bluetooth, should you not have a home theater receiver.
If you want a huge picture but don’t want to break out a stud finder and mounting brackets when it arrives, this is the best projector you can buy.
Optoma UHD50
The best value projector
Why you should buy this: 4K resolution, gorgeous color, excellent value.
Who it’s for: You want the best possible image quality for the money.
Why we picked the Optoma UHD50:
If you want to experience movie theater-like quality in your living room at an affordable price point, there is no better option than the Optoma UHD50. With 4K resolution and astonishing HDR color, the UHD50 takes your favorite films and TV shows and projects them in 100-plus-inch glory.
With 2,400 lumens of brightness and a contrast ratio of up to 500,000:1, plus support for HDR10, the UHD50 will take anything you throw at it and reproduce it with breathtaking clarity.
Two HDMI ports, VGA, and serial inputs mean that you’ll be able to easily connect everything from older computers to sleek modern streaming devices to the projector, with an included USB power port providing juice for players and cell phones alike.
The UHD50 comes with a vast array of color modes out of the box, from the hyper-accurate Cinema Mode, to Game and Bright modes depending on what or where you are viewing.
With a state lamp life of 6,500 hours, this projector will last through years of daily use before you’ll need to consider a replacement bulb — at which point you’ll probably be thinking about upgrading to the latest and greatest anyway.
If you’re after the best, biggest, image for your almighty dollars, there’s simply no better choice.
How we test
We begin testing by setting up each projector in a completely dark room and adjusting its picture settings, screen size, and overall appearance using tools and methods readily available to consumers — just like you might do at home. From there, we use a series of test patterns and familiar content, from streaming services to Ultra HD Blu-ray to over-the-air (OTA) TV, to judge each projector’s performance characteristics, including color production, motion resolution, brightness, HDR quality (if applicable), and detail resolution.
Once we’ve analyzed a projector’s picture quality, we move on to elements that affect the user experience, including user settings or smart platform interface, remote control, external device recognition and control, and other essential touchpoints.
When possible, we’ll view two competing projectors side by side to provide additional context for the pros and cons of each exhibit. Finally, we decide as to which type of user a certain projector might appeal to. For instance, some provide better bright-room performance, while others are better for dedicated home theater performance. Some are better for taking with you on the go, while others are better for static setup.
In short, we make a thorough evaluation to determine not only which projectors offer the best picture quality, but those that offer the best overall user experience. After all, you’ll be living with your new projector for years to come, and using it should be a joy, not a pain. Our job is to make sure you have the best possible idea of what you are getting into before you pull the trigger.
