The 8 Best Video Projectors
Updated by · How we research
Brightness, input lag and lamp life decide this comparison of eight home theater, 4K, short-throw and budget projectors. The Epson Home Cinema 2350 ranks first. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Most affordable 4K projectors build the image by shifting pixels, and cheap ones often just accept a 4K signal, so a 4K claim on the box tells you little. A video projector throws a picture of 100 inches or more onto a wall or screen. Families use them at home for movie nights, sports and gaming.
Editor's Notes
October 18, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
The Epson Home Cinema 2350 takes over from the discontinued Home Cinema 2250 and now ranks first, with the same three-chip LCD design plus Android TV. Every projector on the old list has left the market or slipped behind. The Optoma UHD50X, Optoma UHD30, Optoma GT1090HDR and Epson Home Cinema 2250 are discontinued, the Epson EpiqVision LS500 is unavailable, and the Optoma HD146X drew too many complaints from owners. The Anker Nebula Solar, Optoma HD28HDR and Vankyo V600 are older designs with better options now.
The ViewSonic PX701-4K is the value pick for gamers, and the BenQ W4100i is the one for a dark, dedicated room. We also added a short-throw model, a laser cube and an inexpensive Roku projector for kids' rooms and backyards.
A word on 4K: most affordable 4K projectors build the image by shifting pixels, and cheap ones often just accept a 4K signal. Each entry says which it is. For more, see our 4K projectors and portable projectors pages.
January 27, 2021:
There are more high-quality projectors to choose from than ever, but a couple brands definitely stand out above the rest right now. The Optoma UHD50X is one of the top options for the money, but the Optoma UHD30 is so much less expensive that it's just about neck and neck in terms of price to performance ratio. The Epson EpiqVision LS500 is widely viewed as one of the best on the market, but it's not very economical for most people. Meanwhile, the Epson Home Cinema 2250 is relatively well priced, although it's limited to a 1080p output. The Anker Nebula Solar is our favorite portable model at the moment, and the Vankyo V600 comes in as one of the best options for those who really don't want to spend much.
December 23, 2019:
In a fast-moving category like this one, it's no surprise to see that 100 percent of the models included on our last list have either been upgraded by new versions from their companies, or have had other products come out that beat them out in specifications. We're seeing a few more 4K models available this time around, for example, and by that we mean true 4K, not just models with 4K inputs. A lot of cheap projectors out there will put "4K" in their titles knowing full well that it only means they can process a 4K input fast enough to project it in whatever resolution (usually 1080p) the projector actually offers.
The BenQ HT3550 Home Theater is a great example of a model that's been upgraded to include true 4K performance. Ultimately, though, it was hard to deny the supremacy of the Optoma CinemaX P1 4K, which probably has the best built-in speaker system of any projector I've ever reviewed, along with some of the deepest blacks and most naturalistic images I've encountered.
A little farther down the list you'll find some very capable options for a bit less money, one of the coolest of which is the ViewSonic M1+, which boasts a battery that can outlast the average seen in most portable projectors to the tune of several hours. That can make a big difference on a camping trip that encounters any kind of delays that could leave the kids feeling restless.
Special Honors
Sony Home Theater Projectors Sony builds native 4K home theater projectors on its own SXRD panels, with laser light in its current models, and they cost several times more than anything on this list. They suit a dedicated theater room, usually with a dealer handling installation and calibration. sony.com
XGIMI XGIMI makes compact laser and LED projectors for living rooms, from the small Elfin models to the Horizon 20 series with optical zoom and lens shift, and RTINGS has reviewed several of them. Check the maker's site for current models. us.xgimi.com
Brightness, Room Light And Screen Size
An ambient-light-rejecting screen helps in a bright one, though higher-gain screens narrow the viewing angle.
Brightness decides more than any other spec. Compare only ISO or ANSI lumens, the standardized measures, since many low-cost projectors quote much larger "lumens" figures that no lab would confirm. The ProjectorCentral buying guide cites the SMPTE target of 16 foot-lamberts on screen for a dark theater, with 20 to 25 preferred, and about 40 for a room with some light. In practice, 1,500 to 2,000 lumens covers a 100- to 120-inch screen in a dark room, while a family room with lamps or daylight calls for 2,500 to 3,000 or more.
The screen matters too. A matte white screen suits a dark room. An ambient-light-rejecting screen helps in a bright one, though higher-gain screens narrow the viewing angle. A small LED projector rated at a few hundred ANSI lumens, such as the Aurzen EAZZE D1R at 280, is a dark-room or after-sunset device at any screen size.
What 4K Means On A Projector
Native 4K chips are expensive, so most 4K projectors below the luxury tier draw their image by shifting pixels. Epson's 4K PRO-UHD models, like the Home Cinema 2350, use 1080p LCD panels and shift each pixel to add detail. Most 4K DLP models use a 0.47-inch Texas Instruments chip that flashes about 8.3 million pixels on screen per frame through fast shifting. Both look sharper than plain 1080p from a normal seat. Budget projectors that say "4K supported" usually just accept a 4K signal and show it at 1080p or lower.
Resolution isn't the whole story. Contrast and black level separate a good home theater picture from a washed-out one, and no projector matches a TV's HDR brightness, so HDR relies on tone mapping and a dark room. Single-chip DLP projectors can show brief rainbow flashes to sensitive viewers; three-chip LCD projectors don't. Gamers should check input lag, which ProjectorCentral measures on many models.
Lamp, LED Or Laser, And Where It Sits
Lamp projectors cost less up front, but the lamp dims over time and needs replacing every 4,000 to 6,000 hours in normal mode. LED and laser light sources are rated for 20,000 hours or more, which the ProjectorCentral buying guide puts at about 10 years of 8 hours a day, five days a week, with instant on and off and steadier color.
Placement comes down to throw ratio: the distance from lens to screen divided by the image width. A 100-inch 16:9 screen is about 87 inches wide, so a 1.34 throw ratio puts the projector about 9.7 feet back, and a 0.69 short-throw ratio about 5 feet. A zoom range gives you a window rather than one spot. Lens shift moves the image up, down or sideways without tilting the projector, which keeps the picture rectangular and sharp; digital keystone correction does the same job but softens detail. Ceiling mounts must be rated for the projector's weight, and vents need open air around them.
How we researched this
We compared 18 projectors, including the nine on the previous version of this list, read the makers' specifications and ProjectorCentral's spec sheets, reviews and input-lag figures for the eight finalists, analyzed owner feedback, and checked every brand for recalls with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The 3D models are built from published dimensions and listing photos.
Sources (11)
- ProjectorCentral: projector buying guide
- ProjectorCentral: Epson Home Cinema 2350
- ProjectorCentral: ViewSonic PX701-4K
- ProjectorCentral: BenQ W4100i
- ProjectorCentral: Epson Home Cinema 980
- ProjectorCentral: Hisense M2 Pro
- ProjectorCentral: Optoma UHZ36
- ProjectorCentral: BenQ TK710STi
- Aurzen: EAZZE D1R Roku TV projector
- RTINGS: best home theater projectors
- CPSC: BenQ GV31 portable projector recall
Frequently asked questions
How many lumens does a home projector need?
For a 100- to 120-inch screen in a dark room, about 1,500 to 2,000 ISO or ANSI lumens is enough. With lamps on or daylight around the curtains, aim for 2,500 to 3,000 or more. Ignore lumens figures that aren't ISO or ANSI rated.
Is a 4K projector really 4K?
Usually not natively. Most affordable 4K projectors shift pixels on a 1080p-class chip to put a 4K-class image on screen, which still looks sharper than plain 1080p. Cheap models that say "4K supported" often just accept a 4K signal.
Lamp or laser: how long do they last?
Lamps are typically rated for 4,000 to 6,000 hours in normal mode, more in Eco mode, and then need replacing. LED and laser light sources are rated for 20,000 hours or more and don't need replacing in normal home use.
Do I need a projector screen?
A smooth, matte white wall works, but a proper screen improves contrast and uniformity. In rooms with light, an ambient-light-rejecting screen helps the picture hold up.
Can a projector replace a TV?
For movies and sports in a room you can darken, yes, and the picture is far bigger for the money. In a bright room or for HDR punch, a TV still does better.
What is a short-throw projector?
A short-throw projector has a throw ratio under about 0.8, so it can fill a 100-inch screen from roughly 4 to 5 feet away. It suits small rooms and keeps people from walking through the beam.
