Want a bigger picture than it’s practical to get from a flat-screen TV? Or perhaps you want your home theater experience to be more portable? Even with the presence of truly enormous TVs, home theater projectors remain a great choice for making the small screen a lot larger. The best home theater projectors let you show TV shows, movies and games in vivid color and larger-than-life detail—anywhere you can beam content onto a screen or blank wall.
Beam games, TV shows or movies onto a wall or screen using a projector.
Optoma
Home theater projectors use a lamp to project your source video. Typically, projectors have a maximum image size they can produce—and a maximum lamp brightness—which is important becuase most projectors require you to black out your windows or not watch in daylight.
Our current top pick—the Hisense PX1 Pro—is also a short throw projector—which means you can position the projector close to a projection surface and still achieve a large image (usually, image size is correlated with how far the projector sits from the projection surface). Here are more of the best home theater projectors—and some are even great for gaming.
Best for: Transforming just about any room into a home theater.
Using a triple-laser light engine, the Hisense PX1-PRO produces sharp pictures in 4K resolution. This short throw projector has a throw ratio of 0.25, which means you can get as close as 0.9 feet; and it generates images between 90 and 130 inches, making it a great choice for movie night with family and friends. The PX10-PRO caught our attention not just for its placement versatility, but also for its image quality. It achieves 2,200 lumens brightness with a triple-laser light engine which produces 107% of the BT.2020 color space. Together with its HDR robust support, the PX10-PRO outputs images are rich and color accurate. Its built-in 30W stereo speakers use Dolby Atmos, while the projector’s HDMI eARC port handles lossless audio playback. This projector is a full-fledged entertainment system with its integrated Android TV 10 and TV tuner, thought its variant of Android TV lacks Netflix (you can connect one of the best streaming devices to stream Netflix or other video services) and it has no support for 3D content. For gamers, auto low-latency mode can be a boon, as well.
Best for: Building out a high-end home theater in your living space.
Samsung’s high-end home theater project uses a triple-laser light engine to produce bright, 2,800 lumen images. It is a short-throw projector which can images up to 130-inches from about three feet from the projection surface; it has a 0.189 throw ratio. The Premier supports HDR and HDR10+ for displaying realistic, clear and vibrant colors. The built-in dual-40 watt speakers output Dolby Audio and uses Samsung’s Acoustic Beam audio technology to produce 4.2-channel sound. The unit itself has a compact design which doesn’t make it look like just another projector; instead, its stylish contours fit in well with a living environment.
Thanks to its built-in smart video streaming capabilities (using Samsung’s Tizen OS), the projector can directly access Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and other popular services without needing additional equipment. If you do choose to add a dedicated streamer or other connection, the back of the projector has three HDMI ports, an ethernet port and a USB port. Gamers should note the Game Enhancer mode can automatically reduce input lag, for smoother and more responsive gameplay against opponents. This is the 4K projector you want at home for the ultimate movie night experience—just don’t forget the popcorn.
Pros:
Bright images produced via triple laser
Projects up to 130 inches
Built-in smart TV capabilities via Tizen OS for directly streaming video
In addition to 4K resolution and 3,600 lumens brightness, the Optoma UHD35 stands out for gaming thanks to its fast 240Hz refresh rate and 4.2 millisecond response time via its enhanced gaming mode. This translates to low input lag and smooth, responsive gameplay. It also supports HDR10 and HLG .
Position the projector between four and 32 feet from a wall or screen to output a picture between 33 and 300 inches—a maximum that makes this a good choice for use in big rooms and small alike. Its integrated audio is meager, though, with just one 10 watt speaker integrated into the projector. Your favorite games, however, will appear more immersive and larger than life. This model is old school, though, with no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Best for: Watching your favorite movies indoors or outdoors.
The Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K projector makes it easy to connect your computer or mobile device so you can stream and project just about any video content at up to 4K resolution. At 2400 lumens, this projector is bright, making it good for use outdoors or in ambient light; and images look rich thanks to HDR support.
It has a built-in handle to help carry it around, useful since it weighs a hefty 10.5 pounds. If you’re setting it up outside, though, you need a power source since this model lacks a battery. The Nebula projects 4K images between 60 and 150 inches, and has a throw ratio of 1.27—which means you can’t get too close to the projection surface. Meanwhile, the projector supports Dolby audio and 3D Soundscape on its two 10-watt speakers for impressive sound. It runs using Android TV 10, which means you can stream a variety of popular services without needing a separate streaming device.
Best for: A small space you want to convert into an impressive home theater.
Put the stylish LG CineBeam HU715QW less than 5 inches from a projection surface, and get an vibrant 80-inch image thanks to its 0.22:1 throw ratio. The projection image size maxes out at 120 inches, making it appropriate for a wide range of spaces. This model uses a single laser to project a bright, 2,500 lumen image with a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, but it doesn’t achieve as wide of a color gamut as three laser models.
It has two 20W speakers to produce good stereo sound, and a range of inputs—including HDMI with eARC and HDMI 2.1 for use with the latest game consoles like the Sony PlayStation 5. The CineBeam integrates HDR10 and HLG HDR protocols, as well as an HDR gaming mode which supports the guidelines set out by the HDR Gaming Interest Group. LG uses its ThinQ operating system to provide ample streaming apps and works with Apple AirPlay wireless.
The 1.8-pound Samsung Freestyle projector is noteworthy for its cylindrical design. Pivot the cylinder up to 180-degrees and aim it at a wall, ceiling or screen to view streamed content from your device via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Based on where you position the projector, the Freestyle automatically adjusts the screen size (between 30 and 100 inches) to produce a crisp and vivid picture. It projects images at 1080p resolution and 550 lumens brightness (a lower brightness than most competitors).
The Freestyle’s 360-degree speaker supports Dolby Digital Plus audio, to provide impressive omnidirectional audio. It runs on Samsung’s Tizen OS for streaming apps, and it supports Microsoft 365 and both Samsung Bixby and Amazon Alexa voice assistants. This ultra-portable unit can run on a USB-C power bank, or you can use an optional battery base ($190) so you use this projector almost anywhere, be it your bedroom or your backyard.
If you need a mini projector that looks good, gives a high-quality picture, and is extremely portable, the Epson EpiqVision EF12 is one of the best projectors around. It has a modest 1,000 lumen brightness, but works well enough in ambient light. This projector runs on Android TV for integrated streaming apps and access to Google Play Store. It can handle 4K input, but its native output resolution is 1080p.
The sound is deceptively good for such a small unit, with its dual-onboard Yamaha speaker system delivering punchy audio you’d expect out of a decent Bluetooth speaker. Plus, it supports 3.5mm audio output, and HDMI ARC. Shaped in a near-cube design, this 4.7 pound projector is small enough to carry around as needed.
Pros:
Compact design
Good audio for small form
Integrated Android TV
Cons:
Low brightness
Honorable Mention: Set Up This Projector Almost Anywhere
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