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It might seem hard to believe, but you really can get a good digital projector for less than a hundred bucks.
In fact, you can get some pretty great affordable projectors, such as the Vankyo Leisure 3 LED Projector, which is our top pick thanks to its compact size and amazing ease of use.
The projector is hardly a cutting-edge piece of hardware. In fact, human beings have been using some variety of projecting technology for hundreds if not thousands of years.
By the middle years of the Renaissance, the properties of the camera obscura (AKA the pinhole projector) were well understood by many scientists and artists. When bright light passes through a small hole and enters a darkened space, if the light's angles are properly aligned, it will created a projected — though inverted — image of the well-lit scene outside on a flat surface across from the hole.
It's entirely possible that such pinhole projection was known long before the Renaissance years, though. Perhaps an animal hide covering the entrance to a Paleolithic dwelling created just such a projection long before our early modern forebears mastered the use of the camera obscura?
The first effective movie projector was created by a British gentleman named Eadweard Muybridge in the year 1879, though more reliable and versatile projectors were not in use for more than a decade yet. Muybridge's first projector relied on a series of glass discs rapidly passed through the device, whereas later film projectors could handle long reels of movie film.
Flash forward a few generations, and we find digital movie projectors steadily replacing the last theater film projectors. And these days, digital projectors are also more and more common in homes, classrooms, and in offices, too. While digital projection technology is now so well refined as to make these devices seem absolutely ordinary to the modern shopper, many people still think of price as a barrier to buying a digital projector.
The fact is, getting a great digital projector need not cost you more than a hundred dollars. And as long as you have some free wall space that means you can effectively get an HD TV that can be as large as 170 inches for less than a hundred bucks. Eadweard Muybridge would be happy for you.
Here are the best cheap projectors you can buy:
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
The best cheap projector overall
Why you'll love it: The easy to use plug-and-play Vankyo Leisure 3 LED Projector can create an image as small as 32-inches or as large as 170-inches.
I own and use a Vankyo Leisure 3 LED Projector, and I love it. Why? Because while I use all sorts of gadgets and tech and gear and such in the course of my days, I'm not a preternaturally gifted tech guy, and this projector seems to have been made for people of my ilk. Which is a longwinded way of saying it's very easy to use.
You connect a device to the Leisure 3 via USB, HDMI, VGA, or AV cable, select that input using the menu displayed on the projection screen and ... that's it.
The easy setup and use of the Vankyo Leisure 3 is this $90 projector's main selling point for me, but for other people it might be the fact that it can create a high definition projection as small as 32-inches or as large as 170-inches, provided you have the space to set the projector 16 feet back and have rather low light conditions for that largest screen setup.
Focusing the image is simple thanks to a large focus ring, while a manual keystone adjustment dial helps project an evenly rectangular image even when the projector is aiming slightly up or down relative to the surface receiving the light.
With more than 460 reviews posted on Amazon at the time of this writing, the Vankyo Leisure 3 LED Projector has a fine 4.4-star average rating. A reviewer named Lily says she "couldn't have been more pleased with the picture quality," while a gentleman who bought the projector speaks for many when he calls it a "great little projector for the money."
A writer from MakeTechEasier concurred with the Amazon consensus, calling this projector "very easy to use" and more than capable of creating a "clear image on the screen" even at large screen sizes.
Pros: Easy to use, large screen size range, carrying case and accessories included
Cons: Fan gets noisy
The best cheap mini projector
Why you'll love it: The Miroir Micro Projector M45 is about the same size as a standard bi-fold wallet, yet unlike most wallets, it can project a bright, clear 50-inch video or still images.
OK, let's just deal with the few little drawbacks there are with this little projector at the start. Its speakers? They're not very powerful. And the largest clear images it can predict approximate a 50-inch flatscreen TV, whereas some of the projectors on our list can create projection areas more than triple that size. But guess what those other projectors can't do? They can't fit in your back pocket. And they can't run for up to two hours off their own built-in rechargeable battery.
And seriously, folks, can you expect much more than a 50-inch projection from a projector that weighs half a pound? Given its diminutive size, the Miroir Micro Projector M45 is really quite impressive. Its projector uses a digital light processing (often abbreviated to DLP) technology developed by Texas Instruments, and the pint-sized projector can be easily connected to all sorts of devices, from a camera to a computer to a game console, creating big, bright still or moving images just about anywhere.
If you're trying to save space in a cramped dorm room or small apartment, if you're looking to enjoy movies while camping, or of you want to be able to give impromptu business demonstrations while traveling, the Miroir Micro Projector M45 is a great little gizmo to have on hand.
An Amazon reviewer named Ronnie calls this projector "light weight and portable" while a Miroir Micro Projector M45 named Daniel says "this product is amazing," though he does go on to echo a common sentiment that it "needs more batter life."
Of course, when you're not on the go, you can solve that little problem easily by plugging the projector into a wall socket.
Pros: Amazingly small size, can run off battery, plug-and-play use
Cons: Weak speakers
The best cheap projector for $60
Why you'll love it: Sure, the 120-inch screen size of the DBPOWER GP15 Projector is worth noting, as is its broad device compatibility, but let's be honest, it's that $60 price that caught your attention.
The DBPOWER GP15 Projector is not the most capable piece of hardware on our list. It has a native resolution of 800 by 400 pixels, which is a step down from what most people consider high definition. Its image isn't that great unless viewed in an environment that's at least semi dark. But for a projector that not only costs less than a hundred dollars, but in fact costs less than sixty bucks, it's more than a good deal, it's almost a must have.
The DBPOWER GP15 Projector can project a screen size as small as 32-inches or as large as 120-inches, so it can be used to create an intimate TV watching experience or for true home cinema. And thanks to the noise reduction design of the cooling fan, it won't disturb the viewing experience even when you're using the projector in a smaller, quieter room.
The DBPOWER GP15 Projector easily connects to many devices, such as laptops, DVD players, gaming consoles, and flash drives, and with a separate Wi-Fi dongle, it can connect to phones, tablets, and other hardware as well.
If you want the very best image clarity around, look elsewhere. If you want just about the best deal around, consider this projector, people.
Of the dozens of people who have considered, purchases, and commented on the DBPOWER GP15 Projector on Amazon, most love the low priced unit. It has a 4.3-star average rating, with an owner named Gerald speaking for the masses when he calls it a "good value for the money" and says that if you use it "in a darkened room you'll be satisfied."
In their write up, the product testers from Blogkens called the DBPOWER GP15 Projector "the best cheap projector" around, but they did note that it works well "in the dark only."
Pros: Great low price, easy to use, quiet operation
Cons: Only creates decent image in darkness
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