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Buying a projector is a great way to build a home theater without shelling out for a giant TV, and there are tons of options at different price points.
Based on research and testing, the BenQ HT2050A is the best projector you can buy with its reasonable price tag and sharp Full HD picture quality.
While TVs are getting better and better, a growing group of people have turned to projectors for their home viewing needs instead — and for good reason. If you have a projector, you can often have a much bigger screen for much less money. You can even move the projector wherever you want, and you don’t have to dedicate a certain amount of space for a big-screen TV.
Of course, like anything else, there are a ton of different projectors on the market, and not all of them are worth looking into. From build quality issues to simply low resolutions, there are plenty of reasons you could go wrong when buying a new projector. Here are some key terms and things you should look for when you buy a projector:
- Brightness is key with projectors. The brighter the light, the better the image will look and the bigger the screen can be. Brighter projectors also allow you to watch movies in rooms that may not be totally pitch dark, and some even work in full daylight. Brightness is measured in lumens, and higher numbers are better.
- Contrast ratio ensures that image quality is top notch. A projector with a great contrast ratio will produce deep blacks and bright whites. Poor contrast ratios result in washed out images and gray tones.
- Color reproduction is also key, because you want your projector to offer true color. Good color temperature and accuracy make for a better viewing experience.
- DLP, LCD, and LCoS are the three main technologies used in projectors. Most of you won't need to know the ins and outs of this tech to choose a good projector, but you can read more on CNET if you are curious.
We’ve included a range of different projectors here, including the projector that's the best bang for your buck, the best affordable one, a top-of-the-line option, one without wires, and more. In other words, there should be something here for everyone.
Here are the best projectors you can buy:
Updated on 10/09/2018 by Lulu Chang and Malarie Gokey: Added a pick for less than $100 from our cheap projectors guide, a new 4K projector, and a mini projector. Removed out of stock items and updated older picks to new models. Updated prices and formatting.
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
The best projector overall
Why you'll love it: The BenQ HT2050A is the best home projector you can buy for less than $800 with its 1080p resolution and brightness of 2,200 lumens.
Top-of-the-line projectors can run into the thousands of dollars, but most people don't have that kind of cash lying around. Luckily, you can get a great projector for less than $900 with great image quality and brightness. The BenQ HT2050A is the best projector for most people with its 1080p resolution, 2,200 lumens of brightness, and reasonable $749 price tag.
You can project a screen size ranging from 60 to 180 inches, and it offers 1.3x zoom. The lamp lasts up to 7,000 hours, which is decent for a projector of this caliber, and replacements aren't terribly expensive.
In terms of ports, you get two HDMI inputs, two AV inputs, one analog RGB input for PC, and two USB-A ports. BenQ includes a remote control with a backlight so you can see it in the dark. The company also makes an optional wireless kit, which you can buy for $299.00, but you don't need it.
It has an average 4.6-star rating on Amazon, and buyers love it. Expert reviewers are positive, too. CNET and The Wirecutter consider it one of the very best projectors you can buy for less than $1,000.
In our tests, the BenQ HT2050A performed exceedingly well. The picture quality was impressively crisp, blacks were deep, the sound quality was decent, and it was so bright we could watch a movie during the daytime with interference from the sun. You could even see it with the ceiling light turned on, though you'd never actually watch a movie that way.
Overall, we were very impressed with the BenQ HT2050A and our experiences matched those of other expert reviewers and buyers on Amazon — It's the best one you can buy at this price point, and it's the best option for most people who want to set up a mini movie theater at home.
Pros: 1080p resolution, 2,200 lumens of brightness, lamp lasts up to 7,000 hours, decent price at less than $900
Cons: It's pricey
The best projector for less than $500
Why you’ll love it: The Optoma HD143X outdoes many of its far more expensive competitors while delivering 3D video and a ton of brightness.
If you’re looking for a high-quality projector, you might expect to pay a lot more than $550, but you probably won’t find anything with much better image quality than the Optoma HD143X. This projector will outdo other projectors that are far more expensive than it, and it should deliver great-looking movies straight to your living room for years to come.
The projector itself offers a 1,080p resolution, along with a brightness of 3,000 lumens, which is pretty excellent. In fact, that should be plenty of brightness even for watching the movie of your choice in relatively well-lit environments. The Optoma HD143X even offers a 1.1x manual zoom and is compatible with 3D videos.
Each lamp should last you 5,000 hours, and replacement lamps cost just $170. Last but not least, it offers two HDMI inputs. It's important to note that there are no analog video inputs, so if that’s something you need, you may have to keep looking.
Specs aside, you may not believe how good the Optoma HD143X is without seeing it in action. Reviews for an older generation of the device has scored excellently on CNET and Sound And Vision. It's also popular with buyers with an average of 4.5 stars in user reviews on Amazon.
The Optoma HD143X comes with a backlit remote, too, so while you could watch in a well-lit room thanks to the high brightness level, if it's dark, you’ll still be able to see the buttons you need to press.
Pros: Very bright, two HDMI inputs, much cheaper than competitors, compatible with 3D video
Cons: No analog inputs, a little bulky
The best projector for $300
Why you’ll love it: The ViewSonic PA503S offers a ton of great features, lots of inputs, a long lamp life, and more for less than $300.
Projectors can get a little pricey, but thankfully you don’t to spend thousands of dollars for a good quality picture. The ViewSonic PA503S is a very affordable projector with a strong feature set and decent image quality.
For $299.99, you’ll get a resolution of up to 800 x 600, as well as an HDMI input, 3.5mm audio inputs and outputs, two VGA ports, and even miniUSB inputs. Additionally, the projector offers a massive 207-inch screen size if you have 50 feet to project from, and it boasts 3,600 lumens of brightness.
The projector should last a while, too. While you may notice other projectors on this list that offer 5,000 or 6,000-hour lamp lives, the lamp life on the ViewSonic PA503S sits in at a hefty 10,000 hours, so you won't have to replace the lamp as often.
It’s not a bad looking projector, either. The device offers a sleek black finish and should look reasonably good in any home setting. Reviews are pretty good, and The ViewSonic has a 4.6-star rating average on Amazon out of hundreds of reviews.
Pros: Long lamp life, lots of inputs and outputs, large potential screen size, good price
Cons: Resolution could be a little better, somewhat bulky
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