| 7 Recommended Products | Recommendations | Weight | Contrast | Display Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Sony VPL-HW45ES· · · | 8 | 0 | 19.8 lbs(9.0 kg) | 120,000:1 | 0.6" 3 SXRD |
| #2 BenQ HT2050· · · | 13 | 0 | 7.3 lbs(3.3 kg) | 15,000:1 | 1 DLP |
| #3 Epson Home Cinema 2040· · · | 10 | 0 | 6.4 lbs(2.9 kg) | 35,000:1 | 3 LCD |
| #4 Sony VPL-VW350ES· · · | 8 | 0 | 31 lbs(14.1 kg) | - | 0.7" 3 SXRD |
| #5 AAXA P300· · · | 7 | 0 | 1.3 lbs(0.6 kg) | 2,000:1 | 1 DLP |
| #6 LG PH300· · · | 6 | 0 | 0.9 lbs(0.4 kg) | 100,000:1 | 1 DLP |
Pro Very low input lag for gaming
This Sony is great for gaming, since the input lag is measured at 22ms, which is pretty much as low as it gets.
Pro Amazing picture
This Sony has a contrast ratio of 120 000:1 which produces very deep blacks. The dark colors are unusually dark even in ambient light. This also helps with the colors, which are very realistic and deep, creating a bit of a three-dimensional picture feeling. It has 1800 lumens of white brightness a...
Pro Very quiet fans
The fans are very quiet, making 22 dB of noise. This is one of the quietest projectors overall.
Con No built-in speakers
It does not have built-in speakers. Though, it’s a home cinema, so external speakers will create a better movie experience anyways.
Pro Easy to set up
The 1.3x zoom lens allows some flexibility in the throw distance. The vertical lens shift on this projector lets you move the image up and down by about 10% of the image size. This is helpful if you happen to install the projector with a small offset.
Pro Bright and detailed picture
The BenQ HT2050 is a bright projector with amazing contrast. Its native resolution of 1920x1080 produces a detailed Full HD picture. The 2,200 Lumens of brightness on this BenQ is high enough to deal with some ambient light. You can watch movies in daytime with curtains rolled down. A 15,000:1...
Pro No blur from fast motion
Motion handling is great on the HT2050, as for all the DLP (digital light processing) projectors. In movie scenes with fast motion, the picture won’t get blurry.
Con Rainbow effects
Rainbow effects are an issue for this projector, as is the case for most DLP projectors. They create rainbows on bright objects on dark backgrounds, for example streetlights. Some people don’t notice them, some find them extremely annoying. Luckily, the BenQ proves to show less rainbow artifacts t...
Con Expensive replacement lamps
The replacement lamps cost $250. Of all the inexpensive projectors, HT2050 has one of the most expensive replacement lamps.
Pro Very good picture
Epson 2040 has a native resolution of 1920x1080 and is capable of playing full HD 1080p content. The Detail Clarity Processor (also used in expensive Epsons) adds more detail and makes the picture look even higher in resolution than it is. The 2040 also has a dynamic iris installed for slightly im...
Pro Great 3D experience
Many inexpensive projectors struggle with 3D performance due to low brightness. With brightness of 2200 lumens, Epson 2040 is the brightest under $1000 pick for watching 3D content. The 3D image is also high contrast (for detailed dark scenes) and rich in color.
Pro Low fan-noise
This Epson has rather low fan noise of 29 dB in Eco-Mode. Since the projector produces great brightness in Eco-Mode, the performance mode does not have to be used too often.
Con Complicated setup
This projector has a slight negative throw offset. The bottom edge of the image is around 5% of the total image height below the center of the lens. If you mount it to the ceiling, you will probably need an extension tube for the projector.
Con Not a movie room projector
Black levels and contrast are not the strongest side for this Epson. If you have created a special movie room with ambient light blocked out, then you should probably purchase a more expensive projector as well. This projector is meant for watching movies in a room with ambient light (a family roo...
Con Noisy fans in performance mode
In performance mode the fan noise goes up to 37 dB, being the loudest among its closest competitors.
Pro Great picture overall
The Sony VPL-VW350ES has amazing contrast and black levels, but it performs even better when it comes to color and shadow detail. All this adds up to a detailed and life-like picture.
Pro Low input lag for gaming
This Sony has an input lag of 32 ms, so it is possible to play competitive games without lagging.
Pro Convenient set-up
The Sony VPL-VW350ES is extremely easy to set up. It has a very flexible lens shift, four adjustable legs, and a power zoom.
Con Not very bright
It lacks in brightness compared to more expensive 4K projectors. Though, its 1500 lumens is enough for a 130 inch screen in a dark room or a 100-120 inch screen in some ambient light.
Con Short lamp-life and expensive replacement
The lamp lasts up to 3000 hours. Since the projector is more expensive, maintaining it will also require more funds. In a few years time you will have to replace the lamp for approximately $500.
Pro Comes with a battery
The projector is usable even when there is no power supply provided. Though its worth mentioning that you only get 160 lumens of brightness (half of the maximum) when running the projector on battery. The battery lasts for about an hour, which should be enough in case you need to give a short pres...
Pro Very portable
AAXA P300 is extremely light, weighing only 0.97 lb, making it easy to carry around. It is also very small in size, only 1.5 x 5.9 x 3.8 inches, making sure it will fit in a suitcase.
Pro Everlasting lamp
The LED light source lasts much longer than regular projectors, estimated at around 15000 hours. Technically, the lamp will not need changing for the next 10 years, if you use the projector for 4-5 hours a day.
Con Poor colors
This is not the best pick for playing video content due to its poor colors. P300 is meant for presenting slides.
Con Noisy fans
The fan on AAXA P300 is rather loud, it's comparable to an overheating laptop.
Pro Great picture for video content
LG PH300 has a native 1280x720 high-definition resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio. This is great for playing video content. For a pico-projector, the PH300 also has very decent black levels (the contrast ratio is 100 000:1).
Pro Everlasting lamp
The lamp lasts for up to 30 000 hours, so you probably will never have to replace it. Replacement lamps for PH300 are hard to find anyways.
Pro Very small and light
This LG is only 2.5 x 3.5 x 4.5 inches in size. It weighs just one pound.
Con Rainbow artifacts
It is a single-chip DLP projector, so you might experience a rainbow effect on the screen every once in a while.
Con Poor sound quality
It’s not recommended to use the built-in audio system. These one-watt stereo speakers have disappointing sound quality.
Pro Very good picture quality
BenQ TH670 has a resolution of 1920x1080, producing a detailed Full HD picture. It has a white brightness of 3000 lumens so it's bright enough to deal with ambient light in a family room. Compared to other inexpensive HD projectors, the TH670 has the best contrast. A contrast ratio of 10 000:1
Pro Quiet fans
The fans produce 29 dB of sound in Eco-Mode. In normal mode the noise-level is 31 dB. From a few feet away, you can not even hear it.
Pro A fairly long-lasting lamp
It has a lamp life of 4000 hours in Performance Mode. If you use it in Eco-Mode only, it will last up to 10 000 hours. In case the lamp dies or you want it to be as bright as new again, a replacement lamp costs $199.
Con Complicated setup
There is no lens-shift for easier setup, so you have to be careful when first installing it in the room. Though it does have zoom-lens of 1.20:1.
Con Not great for 3D
If you want a great 3D experience, an inexpensive HD projector is not the best option. You will need a large picture size for a good 3D effect. TH670 will have a dim picture if you make the screen large and view it in 3D.
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