Projectors aren’t only meant to be used for business or office purposes. The scent of the popcorn, the hushed atmosphere of the theater, the lights dimming, and the film beginning; there’s nothing quite like going to the movies. Making one’s private movie theater is much easy than you would imagine. The key to the experience, of course, is selecting one of the greatest projectors money can buy, and that’s exactly what we’ve got for you right here, along with much more on Home Cinema Week. The best projectors are the only way to achieve that huge screen experience, with image sizes typically reaching 300in. All you need is a quality AV amp and surround speaker set to have a proper home movie night, whether in 4K HDR, HD, or portable mode.
We’ve compiled a list of the best projectors, including Full HD and native 4K versions that also support HDR, as well as several short-throw projectors for people with limited space. There are even a few portables that would be great to bring along to a garden party for an outside cinema experience.
What kind of projector should you get?
For movie buffs, a home theater projector is the ultimate kind of entertainment. It’s also simple to choose the ideal projector for viewing movies, playing games, or having family fun. First, determine the projection distance based on the size of the room. When selecting a projector, it is critical to consider the projector’s position and the maximum distance from the screen. Second, choose a projector depending on its installation location. In addition to room size, it is vital to examine how the space is used for the most comfortable and pleasurable movie experience. Depending on the layout of your furniture and how your family travels around the room, it may be more practical to put the projector on the left or right side of the screen to avoid obstacles in the projection line and enable your family to walk around freely. Finally, choose a projector that can be viewed with or without lighting. Today’s projectors can create amazing home cinema experiences in a range of lighting settings to suit your family’s preferences. The brightness output of the projector is crucial. Choose a model with 2,000–2,400 lumens of brightness to simulate a theater-like moviegoing experience with all lights turned out or a modest amount of ambient light.
Nebula Capsule
Capsule, a sleek, small, and portable device, opens up a world of entertainment options outside the limits of your house. Enjoy a movie night in your backyard, in a campground, or even on the beach. Simply put it into your bag for really limitless enjoyment. Remarkable Clarity and Contrast: DLP’s sophisticated IntelliBright algorithms provide a picture that is 100 ANSI-lumens bright. 360° Speaker: This small projector is outfitted with a strong omnidirectional speaker that emits sound all around.
- Pros: Compact, 100 ANSI lumen bulb, 360° Speaker
- Cons: slight operating problems, dull light distribution
Nebula Mars II Pro
Your world has just gotten a whole lot brighter thanks to Mars II Pro. With DLP IntelliBright technology, a brilliant 500-ANSI-lumen image is projected at razor-sharp 720p for stunning video quality. Dual 10W audio drivers offer spectacular sound and deep, resonant bass for an immersive outdoor projector movie experience with Cinematic Sound. Laptops, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and other HDMI and USB 2.0 devices may be plugged in and played.
- Pros: HD Picture, Horizontal, and Vertical Keystoning, Dual 10W Speakers
- Cons: Slight software issues
Nebula Cosmos
With Nebula Cosmos, every moment counts. Cosmos’s dazzling 1080p, 900-ANSI-lumen image includes HDR10, so you can enjoy your favorite movies, sports events, games, and more as if you were there in person. Cosmos’ Hybrid Log-Gamma technology infuses fresh life into your old DVDs, movies, and even live TV broadcasts (HLG). It identifies non-HDR material and upscales it in real-time so that whatever you watch appears fantastic. Dolby Digital Plus enables the Cosmos speakers to offer 360° of real audio. As if you were in the theater, you should be able to hear every detail. Android TV 9.0 is your portal to a world of amazing entertainment through Prime Video, YouTube, and dozens more other applications.
- Pros: HDR10, Dolby Digital Plus Speaker, Android TV 9.0
- Cons: Software and App issues
Nebula Cosmos Max
A sleek and beautiful design that allows you to experience the True Cinema Experience. With Cosmos Max’s 1500 ANSI Lumen (4500 Light Source Lumens) 4K UHD picture, you can watch your favorite movies, sports events, games, and more in stunning resolution. Cosmos speakers have been tuned to produce 360° of genuine 3D audio using Dolby Digital Plus and Sound Dimension. Cosmos Max’s Hybrid Log-Gamma technology infuses fresh life into old DVDs, movies, and even live TV broadcasts (HLG). It recognizes when you’re watching non-HDR material and upscales it in real-time so that everything you watch appears fantastic. Countless hours of entertainment from over 5000 apps
- Pros: 4K UHD image, Endless Entertainment, Dolby Digital Plus, and Sound Dimension
- Cons: Pixilation In Zoom picture
Nebula Solar
Visuals That Take Your Breath Away through the views of the theatre from the comfort of your sofa with FHD 1080p quality, a 120-inch picture, 400 ANSI lumens, and HDR10 all packaged into a single compact device. Forget about tinkering with sliders and menus—as soon as you turn on Solar, the autofocus kicks in, eliminating any blur or distortion for a crystal-clear image. DR10 brings a new level of realism to your favorite movies, games, and other media. Colors have been increased for true-to-life clarity, while blacks have been deepened and darkened for greater contrast. Connect your HDMI and USB devices to Solar to display your favorite media on the large screen—you can even connect items wirelessly like Airplay, Miracast, or Bluetooth.
- Pros: HDMI and USB Access, FHD 1080p resolution, Android TV 9
- Cons: Slight software and connectivity issue
LG CineBeam 4K UHD Laser Projector
Compact but powerful; The LG CineBeam® GRU510N projector’s large display offers flawless accuracy and projection up to 300″. Enjoy 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) quality and up to 5,000 ANSI Lumens of brightness. This ceiling-mountable projector is a powerhouse in a small box, with an astounding 8.3 million pixels and XPR technology. Even if it wasn’t shot in 4K, you can view it at that resolution. Most lower resolution video is faithfully upscaled by our sophisticated processor, converting the original to 4K’s 8.3+ million pixels. Because the technology is so advanced, you could mistake non-4K for 4K.
- Pros: Smart Wireless Connection, 4K Picture Quality, Versatile
- Cons: No 3D playback, Limited low-level contrast
LG HU80KA 4K UHD Laser Smart Home Theater
With the HU80KA 4K UHD projector, you can enjoy a quality cinema experience in every room of your house. This must-have laser projector provides brilliant, vivid 4K picture quality and a dramatic display of up to 150″ in size. Enjoy movies and more in any room, day or night, larger and bolder. The HU80KA is LG’s brightest projector, with a brightness rating of 2500 ANSI Lumens, and is ideal for usage in situations with a wide range of ambient lighting conditions. This projector’s energy-efficient light source is a strong laser lamp that produces a large, detailed image and will give years of reliable operation without the need for bulb replacement.
- Pros: 4K Ultra HD, Versatile SetUp, HDR10
- Cons: No 3D compatibility, complicated Menu navigation
LG AU810PB 4K UHD Smart Dual Laser
All-around home cinema projector to consider your surroundings and the type of movie. LG CineBeam provides unrivaled precision and detail on screens up to 300 inches in size. With a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1, It may express the deep black at the black level. You may adjust the iris mode depending on the lighting conditions of your viewing surroundings. Adaptive Contrast adds depth to your image by adapting the Laser output to the image adaptively to get a high contrast ratio. Bright scenes seem brighter, while dark situations maintain their detail with deep blacks and shadow detail.
- Pros: Dark Room Mode, 4K UHD, Adaptive Contrast
- Cons: Netflix and some other key services not supported, Middling input lag for gaming
LG HU85LA 4K UHD Laser Smart Home Theater
With the all-new LG Ultra Short Throw Laser 4K CineBeam HU85LA, you can enjoy spectacular home cinema. Create your home theater in any room in the house. Transform your home entertainment atmosphere with a clear, vibrant, and brilliant 4K UHD projection screen up to 120 inches in size. With the addition of a red laser light source to a standard blue laser, three-channel laser technology provides more color coverage while guaranteeing outstanding color reproduction qualities up to 12-bit.
- Pros: 4K UHD Resolution, HDR10, Google Assistant | Alexa
- Cons: No HLG HDR compatibility, Challenging set-up
LG HU810PW 4K UHD Laser Smart Home Theater CineBeam
Designed to be used in both bright and dark environments. Brightness has been optimized for use in low-light environments. White brightness recommended + lowest (optimal) black level with iris’s minimum aperture. Brightness has been optimized for use in low-light environments. White brightness recommended + lowest (optimal) black level with iris’s minimum aperture. AirPlay (for iOS devices), Screen Share (for wireless Miracast® compatible devices), and Bluetooth connectivity make it easy to share the screen and sound with this LG HU810PW 4K UHD Laser Smart Home Theater CineBeam.
- Pros: 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) Resolution, HDR10 & HLG, Dual Laser with Lens Shift
- Cons: Middling input lag for gaming, Limited low-level contrast
LG HU70LA 4K UHD LED Smart Home Theater
The LG CineBeam HU70LA projects a stunning 140-inch screen with a 4K UHD quality that is clear, vibrant, and bright. It provides exquisite precision and detail at four times the quality of Full HD, thanks to an astounding 8.3 million pixels (3840 x 2160) and utilizing XPR*. LG 4Channel LED employs RGB distinct color as well as Dynamic green. LG LED CineBeam produces a more colorful image than a typical projector because Dynamic green adjusts brightness and color tone. The HU70LA’s TruMotion technology, a kind of video processing in which animation frames are created between existing frames, improves the appearance and feel of the animation.
- Pros: 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) Resolution, IP Control, HDR10 & TruMotion
- Cons: No 3D support, Mediocre contrast
CineBeam LED Projector with Built-In Battery, Bluetooth Sound Out, and Screen Share
To match large sound with a huge viewing experience, wirelessly stream sound from the PH510P projector to a Bluetooth-compatible sound system such as home audio speakers, headphones, or portable speakers. The PH510P includes a wireless mirroring capability that allows it to link to a smartphone or tablet to retrieve material for projection1. It can also display movies, photos, music, and even office documents from USB devices. The LG PH510P is an LED projector with TV capabilities. Receiving over-the-air TV signals allows you to watch live sports games and TV programs.
- Pros: HD Resolution, Wireless Connection, Built-In Battery, 3D Optimizer
- Cons: 720p Resolution, Need External Speaker
Epson Home Cinema 5050UBe 4K PRO-UHD 3LCD Projector
With this Epson PowerLite home cinema projector, you may enjoy current presentations and entertainment. For picture quality, the Epson 3LCD chip offers 4K content transmission and 2500 lumens of color brightness, while a lightweight remote control allows for simple wireless operation. For easy setup, this Epson PowerLite home theater projector comes with a wireless HD transmitter and an AC adaptor. HDR technology increases the contrast and color range of your projector’s pixels, resulting in a better, brighter, and more colorful image. The image quality is substantially better. Provides high-definition pictures that are sharp and detailed.
- Pros: HDR technology, Lens shift, Dual HDMI inputs
- Cons: 4K/30 Hz wireless HDMI limit restricts UHD streaming from Netflix, Amazon
Epson Home Cinema 1080P 3LCD Projector
With this Epson video projector, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy movies. It has a color and white brightness of 3,400 lumens to provide rich, realistic colors, and a 1080p HD resolution for excellent image quality. This Epson video projector has an HDMI connector that allows you to connect a Blu-ray player or game console for seamless media streaming. Increase display visibility and create crisp, bright on-screen pictures. Using a USB connection, it instantly projects audio and video from a PC or Mac.
- Pros: 1080p resolution, HDMI input, USB Plug ‘n Play
- Cons: Manual zoom, No built-in speaker
Epson EF-100 Mini Laser Streaming Wireless 3LCD Projector
With this black Epson mini-laser streaming projector, you can keep up with your favorite shows. The 3LCD projection technology generates brilliant pictures as large as 150 inches in resolutions up to Full HD. This Epson mini-laser streaming projector with Android TV and Wi-Fi connectivity gives you quick access to Netflix, HBO Now, and other popular streaming services. A clean and contemporary style that will look great in any setting. Furthermore, this ultraportable gadget is excellent for on-the-go streaming.
- Pros: Wireless, 3LCD, three-chip technology
- Cons: Slight connectivity issue
Epson – EpiqVision Mini EF11 Laser Projector
Epic it up! With the Epson EpiqVision Mini EF11 Laser Projector, you can have an amazing viewing experience practically everywhere. This all-in-one projector, which includes a high-quality sound system, is ideal for watching all of your favorite streaming services. Simply connect your favorite streaming solution, such as an Apple TV, Roku, Amazon FireTV, or Android TV, to the built-in HDMI connection and you’re ready to stream your favorite video up to an amazing 150″ – no screen necessary. The Epson EpiqVision Mini EF11 Laser Projector simplifies enjoying your favorite entertainment from anywhere in your house.
- Pros: 4K HD, Ready for Streaming, Adaptive Color Correction
- Cons: Ports and Connectivity Issues
Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 Smart Streaming Laser Projector
The Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 Smart Streaming Laser Projector provides an amazing watching experience. Whether you’re binge-watching your favorite TV series or having an outdoor movie night, the portable Epson EpiqVision EF12 Streaming Laser Projector makes it simple to broadcast brilliant pictures from nearly any room in your house, including outside. With built-in Android TV and wifi connection, the Epson EpiqVision EF12 Streaming Laser Projector provides instant access to popular streaming services such as Hulu, HBO, and YouTube. Simply turn on the projector and begin streaming your favorite entertainment up to an impressive 150″ – no screen necessary.
- Pros: Built-In Android TV and Chromecast, Yamaha Audio,
- Cons: Dull video resolution
Epson Home Cinema 5050UB 4K PRO-UHD 3LCD Projector
With this Epson Home Cinema 4K PRO-UHD projector, you can create an immersive entertainment system. For immersive viewing, Full HDR color processing and 4K PRO-UHD projection technology provide accurate reproduction of premium, cinematic material. This 2600-lumen Epson Home Cinema 4K PRO-UHD projector’s pixel-shift engine improves the quality of lower-resolution videos. The HDR technology increases the contrast and color spectrum of your projector’s pixels, revealing a better, brighter, and more colorful image. The image quality is substantially better.
- Pros: HDR, 4K PRO-UHD, HDMI inputs
- Cons: Pixilated 4K outcome
Epson EpiqVision™ Ultra LS500 Short Throw Laser Projector
The Epson Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector, with an immersive 4K HDR3 viewing experience, offers a new generation of digital projection that redefines the ordinary television experience by providing a magnificent 130″ display. The Epson Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector, which is equipped with patented 4K PRO-UHD®2 3LCD technology, delivers brilliant colors and deep blacks for an incredibly bright, colorful, and crisp image in nearly every viewing situation. The Epson Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector will astound you whether you are watching a live sporting event, streaming your favorite series, gaming on the current generation of consoles, or viewing a blockbuster movie.
- Pros: 4K HDR3, Full-HD HDR
- Cons: short-throw projector, taking up too much space
Endnote
Our top pick is the LG HU80KA 4K UHD Laser Smart Home Theater. The HU80KA has gotten our attention because it is LG’s first 4K projector. It employs the 0.47″ 4K UHD DLP chipset, but unlike rival devices, which are all lamp-based, the HU80KA is powered by a laser phosphor light engine, which enhances overall black levels and contrast performance and claims 20,000 hours of life without the need for bulb changes. Furthermore, the HU80KA’s Smart TV platform allows for wireless streaming of TV, Netflix, YouTube, and other sources, but it also includes an HDMI 2.0 input with HDCP 2.2 to support wired Blu-ray and game consoles.
Kristine Decena is a professional editor with over 10 years of experience in the publishing industry. She specializes in editing food and drink, footwear, clothing, and other lifestyle content. She has worked for such notable companies as The New York Times Company, Food Network Magazine, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., Hearst Corporation and Condé Nast International. Kristine is a graduate of Ohio University where she obtained degrees in English Literature and Journalism before embarking on her career as an editor.
