Best Projector For Home Theater To Buy In 2022

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Are you interested in having a great experience from watching your favorite TV series or movies at home? Do you want to skip going to the movie theater tonight, stay home and achieve the same? Do you want to have bigger comfort and increase the size of your image but still save some money before you hop in for the movie night?

We are here to help you by listing some of the best projectors for home theater.

Many people swear over the projectors rather than using regular TV’s. That’s because you can achieve the same feeling of being in a movie theater by staying home. Some people stay too much on screen and mind the damage from it.

Projectors have reflected light which is blue and doesn’t directly hit your eyes, rather than direct LCD/LED light. If you think having a projector is a better alternative for you and want to buy one, stay with us and we will guide you through.

Top 4 Picks For Best Projector For Home Theater

Many popular brands are racing with technology and innovations and often want to lead the industry with their products. Keeping in mind there are different projectors for different purposes, only home theater models are included. We decided to widen our range of the budget and include the projectors from the different budget options.

We considered the factors given to analyze all the options for buying. The following 4 projectors for home theater caught our eye and we think that they are the best ones on the market.

  1. ProjectScreen.com: Overall Best Projector for Home Theater, Top Pick
  2. XGIMI Elfin: Best Projector For The Money
  3. BenQ MW826ST: Top Energy Efficient Home Theater Projector
  4. JVC DLA NZ9: Best Value Home Projector 

#1. ProjectScreen.com: Overall Best Projector for Home Theater, Top Pick

About The Brand

ProjectScreen.com offers the world’s first projector that supports 8k resolution with 60p and 4k resolution with 120p. This is a milestone achieved in the projector screens business and will surely increase the viewing experience via projectors on any occasion. With the help of a multi-pixel control image processor, the output produced feels surreal and very close to the original.

With multiple settings like low latency mode enabled, the output displayed is in real-time with minimal or no delay.

Features

  • 8k enabled

Projectscreen.com is the world’s first projector that supports 8k resolution in 60p. The company took a huge leap and now the industry is about to change completely.

  • Low Latency Mode

With the growing demand of gamers wanting to enhance their gaming experience, gamers can now enjoy their favorite games with laptop-like precision and latency.  When the feature is enabled, the games are projected on the screen with almost no delay which increases the gaming experience overall.

  • High-Quality Lens

A high-Quality lens is used to increase the intensity and quality of projection on the screen. The 100mm lens provides a wide angle which is suitable for every aspect ratio.

  • Picture Optimizing

Picture optimizing with Frame Adapt HDR can be activated to enjoy the benefits of the theater optimizer available on the projector.

Pros

  • 8k resolution supported with 60p
  • High quality long lasting lens
  • Theater Optimizer
  • Optical brightness of 3000 lumens

Cons

  • Price quoted are expensive
  • Delicate outer body

Customer Experience

The overall customer experience has been positive and satisfactory. With the support of 8k resolution, the users enjoy their favorite movies and play their favorite games in high-quality and low latency mode. However, users have complained about the high pricing but the company is committed to delivering quality irrespective of the price. They want to tap premium users.

=> Click here to visit the official website of ProjectScreen.com

#2. XGIMI Elfin: Best Projector For The Money

About the brand

XGIMI is a developer and manufacturer of multi-functional projectors. Their projectors operate on an Android, and all come with a three-dimensional viewing function. This company has existed since 2012 and developed on the market quite fast. XGIMI tends to recreate all their products so they make the most technologically advanced and user-first experience for consumers.

Features

The Elfin can be found on their website or on Amazon for 650$. You get free shipping and your package will be delivered in 7-9 days.

  • Compact

The design of the Elfin is uniquely shaped, so you get the most out of the size. It is small enough to be carried around and that makes it versatile. With its 2 pounds of weight and 2 inches of thickness, you can put your Elfin projector in your backpack and carry it everywhere.

  • Intelligent screen adaptation

This projector doesn’t require much time to set up. Thanks to the intelligent features it contains the image will be adapted automatically. Using Intelligent Screen Alignment, Auto Keystone Correction, Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance, and Autofocus, this projector makes it one of the fastest and easiest to use.

  • Optimized for gaming and movies

The projector takes only 6 seconds to boot, which makes it super-fast to work with. No matter if you play games or watch movies, the viewing quality is improved in different ways. With the MEMC technology, the projector achieves an impressive 60hz motion compensation and the latency is only 26.5ms. So, don’t expect the constant image blur or poor picture quality to be present.

  • Connection methods

The home entertainment system in Elfin helps you to use your apps on Google Play without having to connect them to your computer. Android TV 10.0 is integrated into the system and it is ready to go. Otherwise, there are a few other methods that you can choose to connect with this projector.

HDMI cable and USB cable allows you to connect with your Nintendo Switch and different devices. The 3.5mm output for external audio devices is available if you are not satisfied with the sound from the integrated speakers.

  • Light source and audio

The brightness of this projector is 800 ANSI Lumens, which is significantly high for a LED source of that size. The benefits of having a LED lamp is durability and low maintenance. The lamp lasts up to 25,000 hours, which is more than 5 times longer than an LCD lamp.

The sound system contains two 3W Harman Kardon speakers, which makes the vibrance and clarity of the sound very premium.

Pros

  • Versatile
  • Advanced screen adaptation
  • Easy to use
  • Long-lasting lamp

Cons

  • Not the brightest
  • Little expensive

Customer experience

The ratings on Amazon are 4.4 out of 5. You know that Amazon’s reviews are trustworthy and it’s proving that this product is indeed a great one. Many people say that the price is quite high, but you have to keep in mind that the size of the projector is so small. Compared to other compact projectors, this one stood out the most.

=> Click here to visit the official website of XGIMI Elfin

#3. BenQ MW826ST: Top Energy Efficient Home Theater Projector

About the brand

Benq is a Taiwanese consumer electronics company that manufactures a big range of products including projectors. The company made a name for itself with the best classroom projectors, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy using your favorite projector in your bedroom to accomplish the best home theater.

Shipping

You can’t buy BenQ projectors directly from their website, so you have to find an alternative. There are a lot of websites that sell this product, and Amazon is one of them. It is an authorized seller of BenQ products. The price is 749.99$ and they offer a 3 years warranty which is an industry-leading warranty.

Features

  • Brightness

The BenQ MW826ST offers a short throw projector with 3400 ANSI Lumens of enhanced projection performance and crystal clear images, even in ambient light or brighter areas. This high brightness feature doesn’t concern us since we’re talking about home theater projectors, and you have small brightness in your room. But this projector is also very efficient in darker rooms since the details pop up and the contrast is very significant.

  • Resolution

The resolution is 1280×800 which makes the aspect ratio 16:10. But don’t worry, there are 5 modes that you can choose from to synchronize the input from the video source.

  • Energy saving

The BenQ SmartEco technology allows the light output to enhance the energy saving the cause of increasing lamp life without compromising the brightness or picture quality. The SmartEco lamp lasts up to 15,000 hours and by using the Eco Blank mode it increases the energy-saving capability and lowers the total power consumption by 70%. This gives the users an opportunity to turn on this mode when they are not using the projector momentarily.

  • Easy installation and reliability

The installation is made simple and flexible for the user. There are sensors that help with adjusting the image to be correct. You will be installing your projector in no time.

The short throw projector has a 0.49 throw ratio which allows the users to place their projector closer to the wall to eliminate any distracting shadows and freedom for the user to watch behind it.

There is one thing important to note for every DLP technology-based projector. Some of them tend to cause flickering or maybe abnormal colors appearing in the image. This BenQ projector has eliminated those potential problems. They are caused by dust buildup in the sensors and the infrared signal will be defective.

Incorporating the color wheel sensors with their anti-dust accumulation feature, this projector is collecting some points for us.

  • Audio and video

It consists of VGA, S-video, composite video, and two HDMI inputs, which offer a variety of options to connect with the projector. One VGA output also is available so you can chain with another projector or display together, so you can watch the same thing in multiple areas.

For the audio, BenQ offers a single 10-watt speaker that is relatively strong even for a bigger room, and the noise level is suppressed up to -33dB.

Pros

  • Long lamp life
  • 3D ready
  • Strong audio

Cons

  • The rainbow effect might appear
  • Low resolution

Customer Experience

BenQ is creating leading technologies and is a great brand that is making innovations and improvements in its products every year. The amount of great reviews that you can find about this brand is endless. It doesn’t matter where you go, you will always hear words of satisfaction for this company.

Taking in mind the 3-year warranty, BenQ proves the durability and reliability of this product. We picked this product after a lot of analysis, and we think that this is one of the best projectors for home theater.

=> Click here to visit the official website of BenQ MW826ST

#4. JVC DLA NZ9: Best Value Home Projector 

About the brand

JVC is the first brand that made the world’s first projector to support high-resolution 8K signal input. That tells a lot about them. They produce one of the best consumer and professional products on the market undoubtedly. JVC’s reputation has been around for a long time and is well known for its home theater projectors.

Features

The DLA NZ9 is the world’s first (as of September 2021) home theater model to feature 8K input. It costs 25,000$ which is enormous, but you will be shocked at how treasure-like this projector can be.

  • Resolution and Image Size

As mentioned, this projector’s resolution is 8K 60fps or can be used for gaming up to 120 FPS in 4K. According to the resolution, the capability of the image size is increased as well. Cheaper models can go as far as 200 inches, but the DLA NZ9 can create a great image up to 300 inches in size. That is huge!

There are not many 8K source materials available to use right now, but technology is rising all the time and we’re sure that one day you will be able to use this projector with its full potential. Despite that, the unique features that JVC offers are incomparable to any other projector.

  • Quality

The 8K is achieved by the company’s e-shift pixel shifting technology to create a stunning 7680 x 4320 on-screen display when desired. That means from a 4K resolution native to the projector, the image moves up in four directions–down, left, and right, with the cause of making an 8K resolution successfully.

Even though there is no recognized VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), JVC includes its own Low Latency mode, which minimizes signal latency. This is a feature that can be used for gaming because latency is a big factor in that field.

The longevity of the BLU-Escent laser light source is much more significant than a regular DLP or LCD lamp. It lasts up to 20,000 hours.

  • Installation

If you’re interested in buying this projector, you probably plan on how to set up your room. The placement should be somewhere where it is not on your way. Despite that, it needs to be securely installed because it will stay there probably permanently.

JVC recommends getting your projector installed by certified professionals. Otherwise, this 55.7 pounds beast should be carefully mounted. You need a large bracket that will be strongly supportive to make sure that your projector is safe. With its size of about 9 x 20 x 32 inches, considerable planning of the installation should be made. You should make a decent clearance to optimize airflow, even though the chances of this projector getting hot are very rare.

This projector uses two 48 GBPS HDMI 2.1 sockets that provide a connection from your device.

In order to use the e-shift mode, you have to activate it physically on your projector. The glow-in-the-dark button that can be spotted easily is for that option.

We have to mention that the capability of image size is 300 inches which are 25 feet. So you require a bigger space in your bedroom to make this happen.

  • Unique smart features

Using their laser projectors makes you experience your movies in a different way. The Frame Adapt HDR picture preset and the built-in dynamic HDR technology are very smart features. No matter how dark, bright, or unevenly balanced the image is, the image always shows as optimized. Exclusive JVC software and optical sensor are required for a successful calibration.

The biggest reason why the picture looks so natural is because of the wonderful control of light, bringing the crispiest texture and three-dimensional depth.

Its unique BLU-Escent Laser can’t be compared to any DLP or LCD projector with its quality. It can be compared with an OLED TV which handles the intensity of black greatly.

SF C3 (Certified Calibration Controls) mode offers excellent picture quality optimized for specific environments.

Not to mention, there are options for 3D wireless transmission viewing with radio frequency.

Pros

  • Best image quality
  • Unique features
  • 8K resolution
  • Low latency

Cons

  • Price
  • Harder installation

Customer experience

All the products should be bought from an authorized online dealer. JVC warns the buyers to avoid any unauthorized reseller because of reasons like–the product not including all accessories, may not include a valid warranty, could be counterfeit, etc. The shipping is free and they offer a 15-day return policy.

=> Click here to visit the official website of JVC DLA NZ9

Buying guide On Best Projectors For Home Theater

You should consider the features that one projector can offer before buying. We included all of them, and you should read them all before deciding which projector is for you.

Portability

For many projector users, the size and the portability are very important, for this topic is an exception. Usually installing your home theater projector lasts permanently, so you shouldn’t be too concerned about its size of it. Although we need to take into consideration that the available space in your room isn’t huge for the projector, so you might need a smaller one for it to fit nicely. We included a tiny projector for users that are traveling all the time.

DLP vs. LCD

The most common projectors are LCD-based (Liquid Crystal Display) or DLP (Digital Light Processing) along with a laser, LED, or LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) light source.

1-chip DLP projectors are potentially subject to the “rainbow effect”. This means that some rainbow-like flashes (3D RGB effect) may appear, usually when there are images with a huge contrast in the light intensity or big movements. In most DLP projectors this effect is minimal, but when it is severe people find it very distracting.

If you want to go for a safer bet you should consider using an LCD projector, but you don’t have to underestimate the DLP projectors because they offer excellent image quality.

Brightness

The unit of measurement for brightness in the projectors is lumens. This is a big factor that contributes to the choice of your projector. Depending on your lighting and image size, you should read out the number of lumens the projector has. They start from 100 lumens up to 2500 lumens.

You have to keep in mind that the perception of the brightness is measured logarithmically, so it takes a lot more than twice to brighten an image two times. For example, if the brightness is 100 lumens and if you want to go twice as brighter, you need to achieve about 400 lumens.

Considering the fact that we are focusing on the home theater projectors, the high brightness isn’t as much a requirement. That’s because the room you are watching a movie usually isn’t as bright as a regular living room’s bright environment.

Resolution

The projector’s native resolution is recommended to be matched with your device. The most common aspect ratio is 16:9 on any video. Although WXGA projectors use a 16:10 ratio which shouldn’t bother you, because leaving small black bars in the image isn’t really a problem.

As for the resolution, they usually come in 1920 by 1080 and 1280 by 720. However, if you are a more demanding user, you should consider buying a 4K projector that has 3840 by 2160 pixels, which is twice as much as 1080p.

Throw ratio

By knowing the distance from your projector to the surface, you should be taking into consideration the throw ratio. The ratio is higher for long throw projectors and lower for short throw projectors. Therefore, you should use a short throw projector when your projector is close and vice versa.

You can imagine yourself with a flashlight in a dark theater room. When you move closer with the flashlight to the wall, the circle gets smaller and the brightness increases. When you move back a little, the light covers a bigger surface but it loses the intensity. So, you have to choose the right ratio for your room setup.

How big should my throw ratio be?

Before buying a projector, you should consider your most acceptable throw distance. If you are wondering why that’s because after buying the projector you have to adapt its throwing distance and image size afterward.

To understand this throw ratio better, we should use the following equation: divide the distance from the projection surface and the width of the projection image. For example, you have a short-throw projector with a 1.5:1 ratio. If you want to achieve an image that is 20ft wide, you will need to place the projector 30ft away.

Get ready to do some math here. If your room has a perfect distance of 20ft for the projector and you want to produce an image of 13.3 feet (which is 160 inches), you need a projector with a 1.5 throw ratio. Using the equation Throw Ratio = Throw Distance / Image Width, you can calculate the right ratio for you.

There are 3 types of projectors regarding the throw ratios–Ultra Short Throw Projectors (from 0.4:1 or less), Short Throw Projector (0.4:1 – 1.4:1), and Regular Projector (1.5:1 or more). With an ultra-short throw projector, you get a 60” image with your projector placed just 1.4 feet (about 18 inches) from your screen. That is a very big image at a very small distance.

Connection methods

Usually, this subject doesn’t seem very important, but sometimes it can cause a problem. You should first consider your output from your source regardless of what it is, a laptop or a computer. Maybe sometimes a mobile phone.

There are projectors with a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection on the market. You have to choose the right method for you. If you have a laptop with only a VGA cable, you should consider buying a projector with an option for a VGA connection. Alternatively, you can buy an adaptor for HDMI to solve the problem afterward.

Some smaller projectors often use mini or micro HDMI ports, which require different cables. That shouldn’t concern you, because usually, they come with a projector. More often, projectors with USB Type-C connectors show up. They support the DisplayPort over the USB protocol, so the cable behaves just as a regular video cable.

If you are planning to go wireless even if your projector doesn’t already have a wireless option, you can use Airtame. It’s very easy to use–you just plug the Airtame adapter into the HDMI port. You need to download the app on your device and you can link with your projector that way.

Purpose

We should focus on this topic the least because we already know why we’re here–home theater. It is worth mentioning though because, while searching for projectors, you might look into different-purpose projectors. You have to keep an eye on that in order to use the best potential of your projector.

For example, gamers who enjoy playing games on projectors rather than monitors seek the most important number, and that is lag time. Some projectors are console friendly by having 2 HDMI ports which allow users to play games on their console as well.

How We Made the List For The Best Projectors For Home Theater

First, we checked the brand’s reputation, because a few of them are not that popular on the market, yet are worth the money.

We tried to compare different display types and considered the needs for a home theater. We excluded the LCD projectors because they don’t portray cinematic-like pictures as well as the DLP projectors.

Price

The biggest factor in the list was the price of the products. We tried to analyze different price ranges and what were the best projectors for home theater for its price field. The most affordable one is the PIQO Mini, and it’s definitely worth the price. Comparing the JVC projector, not everyone can afford this piece of luxury. However, if you are financially able to make this move, go for it.

Resolution

The resolution size is another debatable question that many people argue about. Some of them don’t mind the lower quality, maybe because the projection area isn’t that big. After all, the resolution doesn’t say anything about the quality of the product. The image size should be proportional with the resolution. Usually, it would help if you didn’t use resolutions like 720p on huge projector screen areas. The JVC projector’s image size can be increased up to 300 feet before losing quality.

Throw ratio

Like mentioned, the throw contrast ratio is a key factor to consider while buying a projector. Sometimes your circumstances aren’t compatible with some of the projectors on the market. You might need a specific projection distance for your home theater. That’s why we included products with different throw ratios.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which type of projector is best for home theater?

By analyzing the circumstances, home theater projectors don’t require any mobility or removal from your home. So, the size or the weight don’t play a big role here. That is not the only case. Some people don’t have enough room or a dedicated space to install their projector and leave it there all the time.

What is the best projector on the market?

The best projector on the market is JVC DLA NZ9 hands down. It has the most unique and innovative features that none of the other cheaper projectors could achieve. Despite that, it uses a BLU-Escent laser rather than a regular LCD or DLP lamp. With its 8K resolution capability, you can’t beat this product in any way.

Which brand is best for a projector?

After tons of research, we carefully picked the best brand for a projector–JVC.

They offer tons of different projectors depending on your needs. They have cheaper projectors starting from 2500$ and at 25,000$ you will get the best quality possible. The light source on the cheaper models is lamp, but the higher end products are made from BLU-Escent laser. Still, for the lamp version they are the leading projectors of all on the market.

Do I need a 4K projector?

If you consider buying a 4K projector, first you should ask yourself one thing. Are you going to use videos with 4K source? If not, then it is not worth spending extra money on a feature you won’t use.

Many users are satisfied with 1080p resolutions, or even 720p resolutions. But if you are a more demanding user and don’t mind spending a couple of extra bucks, you should go for a 4K projector.

What is a good best projector for home theater?

There are few display types of projector, and their nature usually defines the quality of the projector.

  • DLP projectors (Digital Light Processing)
  • LCD projectors (Liquid Crystal Display)
  • 3LCD projectors (3 times wider range of colors)

With that comes the other technologies that companies try to introduce to the projectors and improve their performance.

Are LED projectors good for home theater?

LED projectors are pretty good for home theater systems, because they’re not too expensive and still don’t require a lot of brightness. LED projectors can not achieve the same luminance as the LCD can do (up to for 3000-4000 lumens). They don’t require much maintenance, so you don’t have to worry about that as well.

Is it worth buying a 4K projector?

Definitely, yes. If you want to have great image quality in your home cinema and experience watching movies in a different way, it is worth it. They generally cost more, but if you are willing to spend some extra money it pays off, no doubts!

Conclusion: Best Projector For Home Theater

Making your own private movie house can be a lot easier than you think. You just have to make a choice on which product is most suitable for you. We broke down everything that should be considered while buying one best home theater projector.

You will never miss the cinema’s popcorn again!

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