Best Projectors According to r/projectors

"there are no great projectors at that price. thats the minimum decent projector. If you look you can find a benq th575 for your price on sale and its a solid projector. great projectors are north of $2k."

"Projectors are not designed to be used in broad daylight. You may have projectors with high brightness but ambient light will affect your blacks and it will ruin the contrast. I have tested the [BenQ TH575](https://www.laurentwillen.be/en/test-reviews/projectors-tests-reviews/benq-th575-projector-test-review-price/), it's a good projector in this price range but it doesn't have enough contrast to fight the ambiant light. The Samsung Freestyle is not a good option, it's too weak in brightness. So if you can accept poorer contrast, the BenQ is a good option."

"I did what you have. I bought a BenQ TH575, sits about 14 feet from a bare wall. The wall is a basic light grey. It's perfect. No screen required, because of the projector's built in settings. Then I have a tv service provider's streaming box connected to it, and also a google stick. We love it."

"If budget is not the primary concern, I highly recommend the JVC NZ series. Image is razor sharp, blacks are deepest you ca get in a projector. I have the NZ500 and very happy with it, and I do my fair share do gaming. Might also want to consider nz700 and nz800."

"I completely agree. The reason I was a little bit concerned was because when I ran it through projector Central, I wasn’t sure that it would be bright enough for the throw so originally I was looking at the NZ 500 and with 2200 lm I just was worried wouldn’t be bright enough. And the calculator supported that. I was gonna go up to the 700 but again kind of the same lumen ratio and so I decided to just bite the bullet and spend the money, especially for the quality that I wanted that I’m investing into this. I really only wanted to do the project one time. I did consider some other projectors for instance, the Epson QL 3000. But ultimately decided I wanted true 4K not 4K shift. I did have to spend twice as much money to get the lumens. But yeah, I couldn’t agree more you spend 30 K and you just expected to be right"

"Watch this video... [https://youtu.be/B4\_MhHsZvkU?feature=shared](https://youtu.be/B4_MhHsZvkU?feature=shared) In this price range, it would be a shame not to go for the JVC NZ500 if you could swing it."

"Went with JVC DLA NZ800. Zero regrets. Was focused on chipset and color processing."

"Can't tell you whether you should wait, but this looks like a W1070? If it's in working condition it's a nice 1080p projector for sure. I've been running mine for \~10 years at this point, a couple bulb changes."

"Lucky. The w1070 is running a 70mm fan with 45cfm, It's a little beast. But noisy."

"Just keep your eyes out for a used older one. I paid 150€ for a BenQ w1070 with 1000h on the clock and it's super good"

"Get a better screen, and you'll be surprised again in the quality change. Real talk. And yea, loved my 2050a when I had it too."

"Thank you! I'm also leaning towards a 1080p since this is a starter set up, those 4k ones are rather expensive even if we go with used. We also don't have a lot in 4k that we can watch. We do plan to go with either an Epson or BenQ. Thanks for the recommendation! With your BenQ HT2050A, it looks like the brightness is 2200 lumens, which I fear would be a bit low for our living room without any curtain on... Great idea about planning the mounting! I think we will eventually add a game console, so I'm looking into wall mounting a shelving unit (something like [this](https://us.seenebula.com/cdn/shop/articles/bookshelf-hidden-mount_600x.jpg?v=1698918659), or individual shelves/cubes scattered all above the old fireplace). Glad to hear that your soundbar is working well with the Amazon Fire TV stick! We might end up getting a soundbar too!"

"The Picture Quality between a 500 Bucks BenQ HT2050a and these Toy-"Projectors" are not even comparable!"

"Nexigo Aurora Pro 2, which is upcoming. The Aurora Pro is still most likely the best choice for a darkened room. AWOL 3500 is crap. Well, ok, not crap per se, but its black level is atrocious and it covers that with tons of brightness. Samsung's new lineup is good, if pricey. [Best Ultra Short Throw Projectors 2024 (UST) || Hisense PX3-Pro, Epson LS650, BENQ V5010i| The Hook Up, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-vQKcsd03A) PX3-Pro is probably the current leader, as stated here before."

"I have multiple OLED at home (65/77/83 in, Samsung and LG), and a $3,000 projector (NexiGo Aurora Pro), and I think projector is far behind OLED, in terms of picture quality. I have a blackout movie room, with all walls and ceiling paint dark color, and a UST screen. I only use the projector when I need to watch movies in big screen, and often if I watch YouTube videos, or others, I prefer my OLED for much better picture quality."

"Nexigo Aurora Pro 2, which is upcoming. The Aurora Pro is still most likely the best choice for a darkened room. AWOL 3500 is crap. Well, ok, not crap per se, but its black level is atrocious and it covers that with tons of brightness. Samsung's new lineup is good, if pricey. [Best Ultra Short Throw Projectors 2024 (UST) || Hisense PX3-Pro, Epson LS650, BENQ V5010i| The Hook Up, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-vQKcsd03A) PX3-Pro is probably the current leader, as stated here before."

"My Mars 3 Air is apparently only 400 lumens and it’s plenty bright enough in the evening / night https://preview.redd.it/2cbcnus1r2bg1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f53968b72e5342dd7aa7ae6f455762c8034cf408"

"Be VERY careful with the outdoor Mars 3. Some of us have had them fail software updates, brick, and they cannot be restored. I'm out 800$ because this happened shortly after warranty expired."

"I like my Anker Nebula projectors. I have the Capsule 3 Laser and the Mars 3.. different use cases of "mobile" but they get good battery life and the image quality is fantastic"

"Epson Home Cinema 880 or 1080.  They're great 1080p projector that are BRIGHT and cheap.   I got my 880 for $220 and my 1080 for $200."

"That’s the issue - no light control so brightness feels important. only concern with the Epson Home Cinema 1080 is reviews make it sound like the contrast is so bad, even a casual like myself would notice."

"epson 1060 or 1080 can be found used and refurbished and will project a extremely satisfying 1080P image."

"Probably my only concern is that you are looking for a razor sharp image on this model. While LCD can be very good at this, DLP tends to be a sharper technology. It concerns me that you found the N1 Ultra to not be super sharp, and makes me wonder if you are doing something on your end which may be making the image soft. Like maybe using Windows to zoom in on a 4K image instead of just sending 1080p to the projector directly. Using keystone or any digital correction is also an issue for image sharpness. I don't think the LS11000 is a bad choice, but there are DLP options like the X3100i from BenQ which are about half the price. Maybe even the X500i if it fits your space. If you aren't chasing contrast, then at 100" diagonal, I would think the X500i may satisfy that need better than most and may very well outperform the LS11000 in terms of sharpness. But, the motorized lens and zoom aren't bad features to have on a projector when you want to get focus accurate. Be aware, this projector is MUCH larger than the N1. Don't let that shock you."

"You may find this interesting: [Epson Settles Projector Brightness Lawsuit: JmGo to Correct White Brightness Specification on JmGo N1 Ultra From 4,000 Lumens Down to 1,900 Lumens | Epson US](https://news.epson.com/news/jmgo-projector-brightness-lawsuit)"

"I would get a projector which can be mounted to a tripod, then just use a decent (not super cheap) tripod to hold it. Putting a projector onto a fabric surface is just a horrendous idea. Mostly because it will be a fire hazard if you block the airflow vents. Not worth the risk. But, putting a projector on a tripod is much easier to accomplish and will deliver a acceptable image. Right now the JMGO N1 is $500 and is a very solid 1080p projector. It's what I'd likely buy today. It reviewed well on The Hook Up, when it cost about $650, but at $500 it's a great buy. Watch this video for some reference... [https://youtu.be/jmmGQOSAReI?si=fdS9frt2KmdKTGED](https://youtu.be/jmmGQOSAReI?si=fdS9frt2KmdKTGED) It doesn't look like it has a very good built in operating system for streaming, so you will either need to hook up a laptop, or you will need to add a streaming device, like a Amazon Fire TV Stick. Because it has a gimbal base, you may be able to use it safely without a tripod, but I would still set it on a stable surface when using it."

"Why the 3100i hate? It is reviewed very highly by every reputable rating site. I mean if you're comparing it to a $20,000 projector, of course it's going to fall short. Totally different market segments."

"Hey, thanks for taking the time to reply. I did not mean to say that information is wrong, just showing another source for comparison ... apologies if I sounded rude, that was not my intention. I wonder whether the lower contrast in the x3100i is because of the brighter black floor. Also, looking at the curve on rtings, the contrast ratio is significantly lower on very dark scenes, and almost identical in more balanced scenes, so In practice I wonder how much of a difference that makes when watching movies. Do you think the choice should be based on amount light control and screen size? Another question, because I’m also kind of torn between these models: do you think the 4led source in the x models has big benefits compared to the single laser of the tk models (less artifacts / wider color gamut) or do you think the contrast would be the more decisive factor?"

"Just chiming in to say I bought a x3100i and it's amazing. The added adjustment dial is really easy to dial in image positioning."

"Valerion Visionmaster Pro 2 or Max, and Xgimi Horizon 20 Max are the hot items right now."

"I ordered xgimi horizon 20 max during Black Friday sale. It’s comically bad - eye searingly bright highlights, terrible tone shifting in DBLE, and a rainbow effect that gives me motion sickness whenever i look at subtitles or menus. And the firmware being hot garbage - it keeps resetting to 10 luminance every time you change a setting. The only positive thing i have to say about the projector is that it’s very bright. My room has a decent amount of ambient light, and there was never a reason to crank it above a 3. Both me and my partner stopped using the projector after a couple of days because our eyes hurt from how bright it was. I replaced it with the valerion pro 2, and it’s so so much better. The colors look accurate, the firmware feels polished, and I still don’t have much of a need to crank it above a 7-8 luminance. Even the unboxing felt more premium. I’m convinced half of the Reddit posts on the xgimi are bots promoting a product."

"I've looked it up, but I'm a bit confused by that models pricing, seems expensive for what you get, maybe I'm missing something, but it just looks like a worse version of the upcoming Xgimi Horizon 20 max"

"If you can get an NP5 for $3k, there is nothing remotely close to the quality for that price. It’s way better than the LS11000 for $4k. In my opinion it would be criminal to not jump on that deal."

"Both are great and there are fans of both for different reasons. With a 150" screen though I would be leaning more towards the Epson because it's brighter and the NP5 is gonna struggle after you get several hundred hours on the lamp. The Epson starts about 20% brighter and stays that bright, while the JVC may be just enough for 150" when the lamp is new, after several hundred hours it will probably not be quite enough for your liking."

"The comparable contrast value for the LS11000 to JVC's 40,000:1 is ~2,000:1. JVC is quoting it's native contrast value (with it's iris all the way stopped down though) and Epson is quoting a dynamic contrast value with the laser nearly shutting off to get it's 1.2M:1 Best case native for the LS11000 is about 2000:1 and best case native for the NP5 is about 40,000:1. Realistically in normal moves and setting you will get about 1500:1 on the Epson native and 25,000:1 native on the NP5 (with the iris wide open for the most lumens)."

"I currently have the BenQ V7050i and it’s the best 3D experience I’ve had at home. I have 360 3D blu-rays and haven’t had any issues with 3D playback on the projector. Just note, 3D movies are getting harder to come by and there is no guarantee they’ll release the latest Avatar in 3D format at home that the projector will be able to use. New 3D movies are pretty much only available on the Apple Vision Pro. It’s disappointing because I find movies to be a shared experience, not being locked inside a headset. Yes it looks good, but that’s only part of it."

"I don’t see a picture attached, but most likely a failing DMD chip. Only fix is replacing the chip. I actually had to open a support case on my 2.5 y/o BenQ v7050i for the same thing last night."

"Am starting my second year with the BenQ V7050i. I love it. After weeks of reading reviews I chose this one because of the picture quality."

"People get mad at me and accuse me of being elitist when I tell them that the floor these days is an Epson 5050UB. $3000 new or $2400 for refurb: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/epson-home-cinema-5050ub/6344895.p?skuId=6344895 https://www.amazon.com/Epson-Projector-Advanced-Balanced-Brightness/dp/B0857B1DGC The issue is that I'm not being elitist. I just can't in good conscience tell them that what they want to do is possible for the price they want to do it. You've already experienced first hand want $1000 gets you in projection. Do you really think that was worth spending $1000 on? There's plenty if better options that cost more than the Epson 5050UB. And if that's your price range, we can discuss those. But I have an extremely difficult time recommending the options that cost less than that. All the good projector makers have pretty much decided they no longer want to make competitive budget projectors, including Epson. That's why this model hasn't been refreshed since 2019. So we are left with a bunch of cheap DLP projectors that recycle the same two Texas Instruments chips and cannot match a 5 year old Epson in color accuracy or contrast. If you desperately need to spend less than the Epson 5050UB and are willing to give up some contrast, the Epson 3800 is not terrible for the price. It's certainly better than the alternatives in its price range: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/epson-home-cinema-3800/6366530.p?skuId=6366530 But on the whole, if you can reach a bit further and afford the open box 5050UB instead, that's the much better route to go."

"If only the 5050 would stop going up in price. I almost pulled the trigger on one for 2500 at one point but figured it would continue to go down in price. Boy was I wrong it’s up to 3700 now and I just can’t understand how a 6 year old electronic device has just continued to cost more."

"I have had a 5050ub since they were first released and I still love it. Epson is still selling this projector and still uses the same lens and chassis and much of the same image technology in its more expensive laser projectors; just with a different light source. The newer Epsons don't really have much better image quality, they just have better HDMI specs for gaming and you don't have to replace bulbs. I would want to test the projector to be sure it works and to double check the bulb hours. And use your best sense to be sure its not stolen. Why would someone spend $3k on a projector only to never use it and sell it for less than half? The fact that its brand new makes me nervous."

"You should bought the C3 Ultra, for 200.00 dollars more really worth it https://preview.redd.it/f3p3v2asrcnf1.jpeg?width=3968&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b46e15ada230a6db38c912b351922e718dd44d18"

"Hi frame packing essentially means you get the full hd 3d in full screen while the side by side 3d which i suppose this pj supports is half resolution formats so not fully immersive and lacks depth and color in 3d. It is disappointing to see such poor 3d playback on this pj. Vidda c3 also supports same 3d format i guess so yeah no improvement here."

"Vidda C3 Ultra. I just got it and man, this thing is real. Previously used Xiaomi almost 4 years. And the difference is extraordinary https://preview.redd.it/r742rpb8kj3g1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d862a592a0c0cd2efcd8742c47914fe7d5c0ad8b"

"Fb marketplace is great, but if want new under 150$, the [Timy Mini Projector](https://www.reddit.com/r/ProductsDiscussion/comments/1mgjkcz/best_projectors_under_500_for_travel_movies_home/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) is worth checking. It has ton of reviews and people's expirences, native 1080p and looks clear in dark rooms. Built in speaker is brilliant, and external audio is much better."

"I bought the same projector, and when I plug in the HDMI cable, it just starts making a glitching and clicking noise, and I'm pretty sure it isn't supposed to do that. And I only bought the TMY projector because the Panseba projector I bought before it did the same thing. Why is it that they both work fine until you plug in HDMI cable in, and then they sound like shit? "

"honestly it wasn't bad at all but the epson i bought was def much brighter m. The TMY def had to be used in a dim room but pic quality really wasn't bad at all for the price"

"I guess it all comes down to preference at the end of the day or if you’re luckily enough to enjoy both like I am then have both! Yes you can’t beat the picture quality of a 65” Sony Bravia 8 II OLED but I also love watching a big action movie on a 120” screen through my BenQ W4100i. It’s what makes you happy!"

"I would highly recommend the W4100i. The HT 4550i DID have some issues which is why BenQ replaced it. The W4100i is not only here to fix the prior issues but represents a surprisingly significant improvement in PQ despite being largely the same light engine as the outgoing model. I reviewed it here: https://www.avsforum.com/threads/benq-w4100i-4k-3200lm-100-dci-p3-home-cinema-projector-review-owners-thread.3329984/ There is also another review on the site from our mod Erik. My verdict: On balance, I believe the W4100i may just be the best projector BenQ has yet produced. From the quality of the picture it produces to the versatility of its light output and the breadth of it feature set, the W4100i represents a class of projector we really don't see much of anymore. Whether you are looking for an affordable solution for a dedicated home cinema or something bright enough and compact enough to work in a more casual living space the W4100i has you covered. For small to medium sized rooms the W4100i produces ample light output. It packs a worry-free LED light engine that is both vibrant and easy-on-the-eyes. It features excellent color and some of the best projector HDR I've seen. It's image is sharp and detailed with a high degree of motion clarity. It's a top tier gaming display-- ditto for 3D. And it's generously equipped with 4-way lens shift and zoom at a price point where such features are vanishingly rare. In short, the W4100i represents excellent value and earns my enthusiastic recommendation! Erik’s verdict: Wrapping things up, the BenQ W4100i builds on what made the W4000i / HT4550 such a great projector. It keeps everything that worked well, like good out-of-the-box calibration and strong HDR performance, while improving motion handling, adding better dynamic tone mapping, and introducing a few helpful AI picture modes that actually do a decent job. It’s also nice to see that the price hasn’t crept up. At $2,999, the same as its predecessor (which is something you don’t see too often anymore), you’re getting a lot of projector for the money. On paper, some of the specs might not seem like a huge leap forward, but what you see on screen tells a different story. For all these reasons, I’m happy to give it an AVSForum Top Choice for 2025"

"I just bought BenQ W4100i for this exact reason. Image is bright also in ambient lighting. An ALR screen would be recommended also."

"From what I can find, the ForMovie Theater is better than the Nova (triple laser vs single laser and color wheel)."

"Some projectors like the Formovie didn't purchase a Netflix license. It won't load. I had to get a streamer to use my account"

"I am pretty sure the Formovie is better overall than the Nova. I think the main difference is the laser."

"Neither. The Hisense PX3-Pro has better specs than both of them and is generally considered the best UST projector on the market right now."

"I´m in the same boat, fan-noise annoying as fu\*\*\*\*. Don´t know why they do anything about it with a firmware update. XGIMI Aurora 2 is soooo silent, so why not the PX3 pro."

"The Px3 pro deal in insane....I wish i could find it that low i would be all over it in a heartbeat."

"I checked the Mogo 4 out, and it definitely has more brightness. My existing projector is only 150 lumens, so I’m sure even the 300 from the Nebula will be a good improvement, but 550 from the Mogo 4 Laser sounds amazing… I read reviews where a guy purchased both the LED and laser Mogo 4 and couldn’t tell the difference in brightness, but remarked color and clarity were better on the laser version. Sounds like the Mogo 4 LED may be the way to go for me, but I do have questions about mounting it upside down… the existing mount looks like it’s designed to sit flat, I’m not sure if it’s got a tripod 1/4” screw hole like the Nebula…"

"I have an Xgimi Mogo 4 which is infinitely more powerful and it’s pretty bad in daylight."

"I’m playing with the Xgimi mogo 4 right now and am pretty impressed. It’s not very bright at around 500 lumens, but I brought it away on a trip to a friends lake house this weekend and it’s keeping the kids entertained. It’s by no means a serious projector, but it’s portable, has adequate built in audio and streaming apps, battery powered and durable enough to survive kids knocking it down twice already. https://preview.redd.it/rvnxlxsij3bf1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e19fe5640212411189c3c8f2eff433d83ad0bd35"

"Thank you, beautiful setup, love that screen you have there. I’m running the 295es, which lacks in terms of contrast but still an amazing picture, I might have to upgrade my screen."

"The 295es is not a great HDR projector in general. Mine works great with a nvidia shield pro and looks even better with ub820 UHD disk player(sound is noticeably better too)not sure why but I never got HDR to work off PC myself. For reference I’m rocking a 13900k/4090 build connected to triple PG42UQ, silly HDR."

"My first 4K projector was an open box Sony vw295. If you can find one near your price range, it’s a great starting place. Amazingly clear optics and upscaling."

"I've got the LS12000 and a 180" screen at about 19ft away. People initially say 180" is to big but after the movie or gaming session nobody says anything other then amazing. Theres no such thing a to big. Once you have it you'll never be able go back."

"Uhm, the Valerion (and similar projectors) use triple lasers; one for each color, and as such I'm pretty sure there is no colorwheel in it. What it does have is laser specle, a weird artifact of rgb laser projectors. Looks kinda like a weird film grain that glitters - it is especially bad with an alr screen. Btw - the hookup, a popular review channel on YouTube, tested the epson ls12000 against the valerion pro2 which won by such a wide margin that angry commenters made him re-do the comparison. Same result. I wouldn't get the epson even if it was half price."

"Who requested it? I’m an AVS forum member and there’s a big group of LS12000 owners all sharing their settings, these settings vary A LOT, some are downright extreme. Again: The Epsons image (if well calibrated in dynamic mode) doesn’t have a green tint like this. https://preview.redd.it/sbynkwcro2ae1.jpeg?width=5968&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=036154e4d77886f5faf8ad670a3cac1ed0c2acfa That’s a photo taken with a high quality DSLR camera in a dark room of my screen with the LS12000B in dynamic mode. Does it look green to you (i have more)?"

"I tell everyone my x3000i was $800.00. They would laugh at me for what I spent, but it wouldn't stop them from coming over for games, movies and BBQ."

"NO! Can´t you properly GOOGLE and READ ?! There never was a X3100 without the "i" ! The X3000i is retired. And there was also never a X3000 without the "i"."

"I did make the switch! 120" projecting on the wall. I use a BenQ x3000i. It has a solid state light source, so I can use it all the time without burning bulbs. I have a small space, but I just like a big picture for various reasons."

"Have you actually tested Pixel Shifters vs. Native 4K in person? The Epson is noticeably sharper in this video. Granted the JVC has better blacks in darker scenes but the point is the Pixel Shifting seems to hold up quite well to Native. The reviewer claims both were using the best focus possible. [JVC NZ7 Vs. Epson LS12000](https://youtu.be/2wsF1ead-S8?si=cPDYyFvSXa_aM4Wh)"

"JVC NZ7 has PWM flickers (same for the more expensive NZ8) which you might be sensitive. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC4V\_vE2yBQ This guy also shows in AVS Forum a lot, which is an excellent place to check before purchasing.) Besides, you cannot enjoy the black level of a JVC if your room is not treated. (Black walls, ceilings, etc. Projector cannot project images darker than your environment.) For Sony, several years ago they had a bad panel degradation issue which affected most of their SXRD laser projectors except the flagship (GTZ-380). Plus there are complaints about their buggy management of image contrast (crashed black, etc.) Epson LS12000 is another choice. $5000 product, and use the $2000 for some environment improvement or a Dolby Vision playback device."

"FWIW, I game on an NZ7, and I don’t think the NZ500 is really any worse. It’s perfectly serviceable. Sure it’s a bit snappier on our LG OLED, but the 120” screen really makes up for it"