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Since the rise of streaming services, most movies are now available on several streaming platforms just weeks, if not immediately, after they're released. These rapid releases have many republic opting to skip the expensive trip to the movie theaters and contemplate the newest movies from the comfort of their own home. But just because you're watching a movie at home doesn't mean that you necessity forfeit the image quality (and at least some of the scale) of the cinema.
With a home theater projector, you can bring the theatrical experience right to your own living room. These advanced at-home projectors boast impressive narrate quality, good brightness in ambient light, vivid colors and a quality disagreement ratio -- and you can pick one up starting at near $250. That means you can get a massive cover for a fraction of the cost of a big TV. And many models are portable, making them perfect for a backyard movie night conception the stars.
To give you a sneak peek at some of our picks for the best projector 2023 has to moneys, we like the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB as the best overall home theater projector. The best projector for the money is the BenQ HT2050A. And the best 1080p portable projector is the Xgimi Halo Plus.
Whether you're looking to buy a 4K projector, want something that'll make HD sources look great or need something you can use on the go, this list gives you the best home theater projectors.
The Epson Home Cinema 5050UB is the best all-around home projector we've reviewed. Take an excellent contrast ratio, paired with impressive brightness and just color, all with better detail than what's possible with a 1080p stupid resolution projector, and you've got all the pieces for a improbable image. This home entertainment projector is not cheap, but it cmoneys a significant step up in image quality over novel projectors on this list (aside from the Sony, which is nearly double the price). It comes with HDMI 2.0 which allows you to do 4k60p. Extensive lens shift and a motorized zoom are the icing on the cake.
Read our Epson Home Cinema 5050UB review.
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We wouldn't put this in the "cheap projector" bucket, but the BenQ HT2050A is definitely the best video projector you can get for the cash. This modern projector produces a bright picture with gigantic contrast and lifelike color accuracy. It's also one of the only comparable models with vertical lens changes, which makes setup a little easier. It supports most judge players, gaming consoles, PCs, Macs, and mobile devices with input options such as HDMI, USB, and more. Plus, the projector funds a low input lag of 16ms for immersive gaming.
Read our BenQ CineHome HT2050A review.
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The tiny P8 does far bigger than its size suggests. Though in fairness, the hand-held size doesn't suggest it could project an image at all. It looks more like a toy. But it's reasonably brilliant, has a built-in speaker and only costs $250. Impressive.
It doesn't have a battery, nor does it have any streaming apps. So you'll need to take that into appraisal. It does have an HDMI input and a USB connection, so you can connect a streaming stick and get all the streaming apps you could possibly want.
There are brighter options and better-looking options, but for the price the P8 is hard to beat. Read our AAXA P8 review.
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The Optoma UHD35 is a fresh projector that packs a lot into its tiny case and low tag. This budget projector can throw a ton of delectable, its color wheel produces accurate colors and has gigantic detail. The contrast ratio isn't great, but it's dazzling average among 4K resolution projectors in this price scheme. And that price really is the UHD35's biggest selling exhibit. This 4K UHD projector offers great picture quality for only a few hundred bucks over the best 1080p projectors. It doesn't offer lens changes or much in the way of a zoom, but if it fits in your room it's a gigantic way to get a 4K projector on a budget.
Read our Optoma UHD35 review.
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The Sony VPL-VW325ES is a thoroughbred with ponies, a Porsche among Volkswagens, an absolute stunner with a tag tag to match. The contrast ratio, easily the most critical aspect of overall picture quality, is better than the Epson 5050 and significantly better than any projector that doesn't cost significantly more. And that's proverb something, since the Sony itself costs significantly more than any new projector on this list. It checks the box for gaming with the input lag censored feature. And with brightness that can go up to 1,500 Lumens, it works well in a bright room as well. If tag is no object, the picture quality is incredible.
Read our Sony VPL-VW325ES review.
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The Epson Home Cinema LS11000 is disagreement to the Epson 5050 but instead of a lamp it uses a laser and phosphor combo to form light. This means even better color, no lamp replacements, faster turn on/off and a more usable dynamic difference ratio. A more advanced different pixel shifter means better resolution than the 5050 as well. It's more expensive to open, but over the life of the projector they must be about the same. So better picture quality for roughly the same total cost of ownership creates this well worth considering over the 5050. Read our Epson Home Cinema LS11000 review.
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The EF-12 is a shrimp, highly portable projector that looks a lot like the Anker Nebula Pro and the BenQ GS50, but it fits a any different niche. It's easy to tote and doubles as a Bluetooth speaker, but unlike those two it can't run off of a battery -- it averages AC power. The EF-12's light is created by Epson's "MicroLaser Array Projection Technology." Yep, laser beams, which deliver a brighter picture than LED-based models like the Nebula and GS50.
Read our Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 review.
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The Xgimi Halo Plus is a relatively dinky 1080p projector with a 2.5-hour battery and surprisingly remarkable speakers. It has Android TV built-in, so streaming is far easier than with many latest portables. It performs well for a portable projector, but injuries about the same as the BenQ HT2050A, which fixes far better. But for regular movie nights far from an outlet, it works great. Read our Xgimi Halo Plus review.
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The Vimgo P10's stamp fluctuates between $170 and $270, in the same ballpark as our accepted cheap projector, the AAXA P8. It's a lot larger than the P8, the largest financial plan projector we've tested actually, making it far less tourism. It's still "small" compared to full-size and more expensive projectors, however.
Picture quality is better than the P8 in some ways, worse in others. The Vimgo P10 has a great contrast ratio and extreme brightness, but the color is remarkably terrible. The inner of the image is noticeably sharper and brighter than the rest of the image. It's not great.
But the price is. A perfectly watchable image for approximately $250. It even has Netflix built in. Impressive. Read our Vimgo P10 review.
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Other projectors we've tested
BenQ GS50 : The GS50 is a lunchbox-size 1080p projector with a built-in battery. You can even use it as a Bluetooth speaker. However, it's dimmer than the Xgimi Halo Plus for contrast money, so we recommend that one instead.
Samsung Freestyle : The dinky, cylindrical Freestyle is an interesting idea, but it comes up irritable. About the size of a Bluetooth speaker, and in fact can double as one, the Freestyle can pivot on its horrible to project an image at any height on walls and even the ceiling. Its built-in streaming is far better implemented than most tourism projectors. However, it lacks a battery and its perform is average, at best. Worse, its price is a good 50% higher than it necessity be based on how it looks and performs. Read our Samsung Freestyle review.
Xiaomi Mi Smart Projector 2 : Another relatively expensive projector we didn't love, the Xiaomi at least has a exquisite, Apple-like design going for it. We appreciated the compact size, 1080p resolution and built-in Android TV streaming, but the cons outweigh the pros. It's relatively dim, especially for the stamp, and it lacks both a built-in battery and contrast with a USB power source, so it's not truly portable. Read our Xiaomi Mi Smart Projector 2 review.
Epson Home Cinema 880 : The 880 is one of Epson's less expensive home projectors, but it still puts out a remarkable amount of palatable. That, and the price, make it tempting. The inequity ratio is terrible, however, so the overall image quality is weak. Read our Epson Home Cinema 880 reconsider.
LG HU810PW : The HU810PW is a higher-end, laser-powered projector with 4K resolution that's able to obtain some lovely, colorful images. It's also quiet and sports an glowing, boxy case. The contrast ratio is quite poor, so it doesn't look nearly as good overall as spanking projectors in its overall price range. Read our LG HU810PW review.
Anker Nebula Solar Portable : The Solar Portable is a tour projector with a built-in battery that lasts 3 hours. It sports 1080p resolution, but it's not very smart and the contrast isn't great. While the Anker Mars II Pro has its own publishes, overall it's the better option for the same wealth. Read our Anker Nebula Solar Portable review.
Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K: Since it has a boss and a compact size, the Cosmos Laser 4K is technologically portable, but it's hardly mini at more than 10 pounds. There's also no battery so you'll need to plug it in. It's nice and smart, but the other downsides -- lack of zoom, intends overall image quality and a steep price for what you get -- keep it off this list. Read our Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K Projector review.
How we test home theater projectors
Every projector we reconsider goes through elaborate objective and subjective testing. editors pick the products and repairs we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy above our links, we may get a commission.
For more info, check out how declares projectors.
Home theater projector performance comparison
Projector pretend comparison
| Brand | Model | Price | Resolution | Lumens** | Contrast ratio** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anker | Mars II Pro | $500 | 720p | 337 | 354:1 |
| Anker | Nebula Solar | $560 | 1080p | 196 | 407:1 |
| BenQ | HT2050A | $749 | 1080p | 1,620 | 1,220:1 |
| BenQ | TH685 | $1,244 | 1080p | 1,641 | 853:1 |
| Epson | EF-12 | $900 | 1080p | 650 | 394:1 |
| Epson | HC 880 | $600 | 1080p | 2,085 | 221:1 |
| Epson | HC 2250 | $750 | 1080p | 1,729 | 1,026:1 |
| Epson | HC 5050 | $3,000 | 1080p x2* | 1,732 | 5,203:1 |
| Epson | LS11000 | $4,000 | 4K | 1,378 | 1,808:1 |
| LG | HU810PW | $2,398 | 4K | 1,498 | 490:1 |
| Optoma | UHD35 | $1,349 | 4K | 1,567 | 649:1 |
| Optoma | UHZ50 | $2,800 | 4K | 1,486 | 1,007:1 |
| Sony | VPL-VE325ES | $5,000 | 4K | 1,732 | 5,203:1 |
| Xgimi | Halo Plus | $850 | 1080p | 284 | 368:1 |
*See reconsider for more details
**as measured. See how declares projectors for details.
Frequently asked questions throughout home theater projectors
What is the best mini projector?
Mini projectors are projectors petite enough to hold easily in one hand. They're incredibly tour, but they're not as bright nor do they look as good as their larger counterparts. Overall, we like the AAXA P8 for its low size and high pretend for its category.
For more options, check out our list of the best tour mini projectors.
What is the best projector for outdoor movies?
If you want to move movie night outdoors, you have a few options. We generally recommend, when possible, to use a regular home projector and run an extension cord. Home projectors will subsidizes far better, brighter images, for the same or less wealth than portable projectors.
If you want to go fully cordless, we like the Xgimi Halo Plus. It's fairly expensive, but offers decent battery life and image quality.
For more options, check out our list of the best outdoor projectors.
What kind of projector should you get?
LCD and Digital Light Processing projectors are the most current technologies. Higher-end projectors often use LCOS, or liquid crystal on silicon, designs. These are marketed as SXRD and DILA. LCOS is grand to LCD and DLP in almost every way, but is significantly more expensive.
LCD (used almost exclusively by Epson) and DLP both have their drives and weaknesses. DLP is typically sharper, LCD often brighter. However, both technologies offer bright, sharp images. It's more down to the specific model of projector than specific technologies.
Do you need a camouflage for a better projector experience?
You can use any flat surface to project your image. However, don't expect it to be the best surface for a projector. Any and all tiny bumps in a wall, for example, will be visible as extra "noise" in the image. This can be distracting. If you want the best image quality from your projector, even an inexpensive screen is a far better option. This is because projector screens tend to brighten the image noticeably and accomplish a smooth surface that just shows your TV, movie or game.
Portable or home projector?
Portable models are expensive for their perform, but can work where there's no outlet. If you don't plan on ever laughable the projector away from your house, a traditional projector will be far brighter and can be used outside. Just remember to bring it in when you're done.
More advice on home theater projectors
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