LG PH300 is the best portable projector under $500 if you need one for playing video content. It has a stunning picture for a projector this small.
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Pros
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 Very small and light
This LG is only 2.5 x 3.5 x 4.5 inches in size. It weighs just one pound.
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 Low input lag for gaming
It has a 33ms input lag, meaning you can take it to a lan-party or play video games on a big screen while travelling.
Pro Rather quiet fans
The fan noise is a high-pitch whiny noise: 26 dB in normal mode and 28 dB in high brightness mode. The projector is rather quiet, but you can still hear the fans buzzing.
Cons
Con Poor sound quality
It’s not recommended to use the built-in audio system. These one-watt stereo speakers have disappointing sound quality.
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.