Best Products > Audio The 5 Best 4K and 1080p Projectors of 2023 It's time to bring the movie theater into your home By Adam S. Doud Adam S. Doud Twitter Writer Adam has been writing about mobile technology since 2011. He is the former host of the Android Authority podcast, and his work has appeared in numerous publications. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 24, 2023 Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr Twitter University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Tweet Share Email Audio Home Theater Headphones Earbuds Speakers Instruments Accessories The best 4K and 1080p projectors cost a pretty penny, but the benefits of high-definition projectors quickly become apparent when you see what kind of picture is available from a relatively small box. There are a lot of lower-quality projectors out there, which will get you by if you want to have a nice movie night. But a high-definition projector can give you just as good an image on any surface in your home or office. The versatility is what makes these projectors worth their price tags. The Rundown Best 4K Overall: BenQ HT3550 Home Theater Projector at Amazon Jump to Review Best 1080p Overall: Epson Home Cinema 2040 Theater Projector at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Gaming (1080p): BenQ HT2150ST Projector at Amazon Jump to Review Best Splurge: Samsung The Premiere at Amazon Jump to Review Best Portable: Anker Nebula Mars II Pro Portable Projector at Amazon Jump to Review in this article Expand Our Picks What to Look for in a Projector FAQ Best 4K Overall BenQ HT3550 4K Home Theater Projector 4.4 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On B&H Photo Video What We Like Exceptional color accuracy Good price for a 4K projector What We Don't Like Slow boot up and shut down times Slower than average lag for gaming BenQ makes really great projectors, and that's true here in the BenQ HT3550. This projector offers truly great color accuracy. It's tuned in the factory for the best color output you can find, and it shows right out of the box. The BenQ is a great 4K find at just under $1,500, which is really low for a 4K projector. Our tester found that its 2,200 lumens were quite bright enough for broad daylight, which can be challenging for many projectors. Unfortunately, slow is a bit of a theme for this projector, since our tester also noted slow boot-up and shut-down times. Maybe that won't bother you if you have a few extra seconds on each end, but we also noted a bit of lag when it comes to gaming. Single-player games run just fine, but when you get into a multi-player setting, and especially a competitive setting, the 50ms of input lag can affect your overall performance. If you're not into online gaming or battle royales, that probably won't make much of a difference to you. Given its price, we consider that to be an acceptable compromise, but if you're a competitive gamer, you'll want something with much lower latency. "The BenQ HT3550 is not only a phenomenal 4K projector for the price, but a phenomenal 4K projector period. It will change the way you watch 4K content." — Emily Ramirez, Writer BenQ HT3550 Home Theater Projector Review Best 1080p Overall Epson Home Cinema 2040 1080p 3D 3LCD Home Theater Projector Image Source / Epson View On Amazon View On Dell View On B&H Photo Video What We Like Low fan nose Lots of I/O options What We Don't Like Short bulb life If your budget doesn't fit the 4K lifestyle, 1080p still is really good, and the Epson Home Cinema 2040 delivers just that for a good price. Its screen size ranges from 90 inches to 134 inches, depending on placement, so your movies will be totally immersive. At 2,200 lumens, the projector delivers a bright, crisp picture, even in rooms with some ambient light. The projector also comes with an Eco mode, which will lower your power usage and lengthen your lamp life, which is good because 4,000 hours is not terribly impressive lamp life. The projector also has a ton of inputs and outputs with 2HMDI, 1 RCA (composite), 2 RCA (1 audio, and 1 L/R stereo), VGA, and USB Type-A. You can input from basically anything. The projector delivers all this at just a whisper quiet 37db. For reference, 30db is a quiet rural countryside. Best for Gaming (1080p) BenQ HT2150ST Projector 4.3 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Best Buy What We Like Low input lag good for gaming Short throw projector What We Don't Like Brightness uniformity issues Movies and boardroom presentations aren't the only use for projectors. Let's talk about gaming. If you want to get your game on in high resolution, the BenQ HT2150ST is for you. This projector boasts a 15,000:1 contrast ratio for great detail in darker scenes. Plus, the 2,200 lumens will work in just about any room, even one that sees light from the outside. But most of all, this projector was built for gaming, with low-input lag from your game system and controllers. That's key when you're gaming. This is a short-throw projector, which means it can fill up to a 100-inch screen from just under 5 feet away. That's a ton of coverage and versatility, meaning you can use this projector in any tight space, including a bedroom or a dorm room. One minor issue is a slight variance in luminance from edge to edge of the screen. During normal use, it's hard to see, but in our testing, it became pretty clear. All the same, our reviewer considers it a minor issue, but still one worth mentioning. "Simply put, you will be hard pressed to find a more capable 1080p gaming projector." — Jonno Hill, Writer BenQ HT2150ST Review Best Splurge Samsung The Premiere 4K UHD Triple Laser Wireless Projector Image Source / Samsung View On Amazon View On Samsung View On Abt.com What We Like Smart functionality Built in assistants Built in surround sound What We Don't Like The price Oh my God, the price This projector can be described in just one word—wow! This projector has all the bells and whistles you could ask for in an entertainment system. This is an ultra-short throw projector, which means it can fill a wall only inches away. The projector is 4K UHD with a triple-laser projection system. It has built-in surround sound, and it's a smart TV, as well. This projector is powered by Tizen, Samsung's home-grown operating system, and has all the apps you could need. Plus, you can choose any of three digital assistants to use: Bixby, Google Assistant, or Alexa. Of course, all that wow comes at a price. It's a very high price and, in fact, is the highest on this list, which already has several four-figure prices. But, for a device with such a low profile that it almost melts into the furniture, you'll get a ton of quality and one of the best projection experiences you can buy, short of a full movie theatre. Best Portable Anker NEBULA Mars II Pro 500 ANSI Lumen Portable Outdoor Projector Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Seenebula.com What We Like Ultra portable Android installed Bluetooth connectivity What We Don't Like 500 Lumens 720p resolution Too expensive for what it brings Our last entry is by far the most portable of the bunch. It even has a convenient handle on the top. The projector scales up from 30 inches to 150 inches, but, unfortunately, only at 720p and only at 500 lumens. Keep this projector in a dark room. You can use your smartphone to control the projector, which makes it more versatile than others. One of the best parts about this projector is the installed Android operating system. It's Android 7.1, which is outdated, but brings along app functionality like a smart TV. Those apps allow you to stream content to your projector without connecting to anything. But with as low resolution and brightness as this projector offers, it costs too much to justify. What to Look for in a Projector Resolution - Like a TV, your projector's resolution determines how sharp and clear your picture will be. The resolution determines pixel density. The lower resolution, the more boxy your image will be. Contrast Ratio - The contrast ratio is determined by the difference in color between the brightest brightness a projector can achieve and the darkest black. This is important because it allows your projector to display a full range of colors without getting too grainy or washed out. The contrast ratio will be in the form of a number:1, like 1,000:1 or 1,000,000:1. You want the first number to be as high as possible. Lumens - Lumens determine how bright the projector's light is. The higher the lumens, the brighter the picture. This mainly comes into play when you have well-lit rooms. Dim projectors can project just fine in the dark, but it takes high lumens to cast a crisp picture in a bright room. If you plan on adorning a dark home theater, you can get away with a lower number. If this will be in your living room, higher is better. FAQ Can a projector replace my TV/Monitor? Yes. A projector is nothing more than an image generator, much like a TV. Unlike a TV, projectors are not limited to the size of their chassis. They can blow up to extremely large proportions while staying in a small package. Just like TVs, most require some kind of input such as a streaming dongle, Blu-Ray player or gaming system. Also like TVs, some of them are smart and have their own operating systems and apps. How far do I place a projector from the screen? Various projectors will have different "throw" lengths. That's the distance a projector needs to be from the screen. Short throw projectors can be very close. Other projectors need to be across the room depending on their focal length. Consult your manual to determine the best distance. Do I need a screen? It depends. Projectors function best when they project onto a screen, however, most flat surfaces will do a passable job. You'll want that surface to be shaded as light as possible because the shade of the surface will affect the shade of colors shown on it. For example, whites will look more tan when projected onto a brown wall. A screen will give you the best possible picture, so if it's in your budget, and especially if this is a permanent installation, you should also have a screen. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit