The Home Entertainment Projector For 2024

Harlan Ellison By, Harlan Ellison
Updated
NEBULA Anker Capsule Smart Projector
Image credit: Amazon.com

The Rundown

1. Best Overall: NEBULA Anker Capsule Smart Projector

This is an ultra-portable projector that fits in the palm of your hand and delivers the perfect entertainment experience up to 100 inches. Read Review

2. Best For The Price: AKASO Mini Projector

This portable projector is lightweight and compact so you can carry it with you wherever you go. It's ideal for outdoor activities such as small gatherings, gaming, or meetings. Read Review

3. Best For Gaming: Optoma HD146X High Performance Projector

This is a high-performance projector that offers Full HD resolution supported by up to 3,600 lumens of brightness for rich and vibrant colours. Read Review

4. Best Performance: BenQ TK850i Smart Projector

The projector is equipped with a powerful LED lamp, delivering high visual brightness and vivid colors. Read Review

Home theater projectors are fast becoming standard in any well-appointed home. They are easy to set up, require little maintenance, and can be used almost anywhere in the house.

Whether you’re building a new home from scratch or updating your old one, buying a projector is a good investment that will pay off for years to come. These devices give you an immersive experience with an expansive view of your favorite movies, shows, or video games that’s far better than what you would get from an ordinary television screen.

If you're looking for a compact screen projector instead of a large, bulky TV with a big screen, you have come to the right place. Our collection of the best home entertainment projectors has everything you need.

For both outdoor and indoor use, the NEBULA Anker Capsule Smart Projector is the most wonderful solution. The clarity and contrast of this device are almost unbeatable, and the built-in speaker is top-quality as well. If you prefer a portable pocket-sized model, especially for traveling, then our AKASO Mini Projector is the one for you.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 NEBULA Anker Capsule Smart Projector
Our Score:
9.8
NEBULA
  • 360° Speaker: Equipped with a powerful omnidirectional speaker, this mini projector pumps out sound all around.
  • Android 7.1: Run streaming and media apps flawlessly. Seamlessly display content from Netflix, Youtube, and more on your mini projector for endless entertainment.
  • NOTE: Copyrighted content from Hulu, Netflix, and similar services CAN NOT be mirrored or screencast. Download and use the apps directly through Capsule portable projector to view copyrighted content from these providers. Chromecast is not supported. For peak performance, please update to the latest firmware.
TOP Choice #2 AKASO Mini Projector
Our Score:
9.7
AKASO
  • 🎁Multiple External Connectivity Multi-Screen Sharing: This movie projector can be compatible with various devices with USB, HDMI, AV, and Micro SD port is available, perfect for playing videos, TV series, photos sharing, football matches etc. It can be easily connected with your smartphone, PS3, PS4, X-Box ONE to enjoy BIG games.
  • 🎁Note: *Copyrighted content from Hulu, Netflix, and similar services CAN NOT be mirrored or screencast via wireless transmission or HDMI cable. We suggest to use this movie projector in a dark environment to get a great image performance.
TOP Choice #3 Optoma HD146X High Performance Projector
Our Score:
9.5
Optoma
  • LIGHTS-ON VIEWING: Enjoy an incredible 3, 600 of brightness in any room in your home; leave the lights on or keep it dim for a cinematic experience
  • HDMI plus USB POWER: Support for HDMI extender and USB power supply; connect to Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox, Switch, PS4 or set top box for a big-screen entertainment experience
4 BenQ TK850i Smart Projector
Our Score:
9.3
BenQ
  • USER-FRIENDLY: Cast with airplay and Chromecast. No app needed. Remote controls both Android TV and projector
  • NOTE: Please cast Netflix content via your laptop Google Chrome Browser or connect to an HDMI cable. Netflix is NOT natively available on this device
  • PROJECTOR-OPTIMIZED HDR-PRO(HDR10/HLG): HDR-PRO supercharged by Dynamic Iris with exclusive enhanced contrast and HDR brightness for realistic, detailed images
5 XGIMI Halo Portable Projector
Our Score:
9.1
XGIMI
  • 1080p Image 800 ANSI Lumens: Native 1080p FHD resolution paired with bright 800 ANSI lumens, 225% clearer than mainstream 720p projectors.
  • Android Tv: Access 5000+ apps via Google Play, including YouTube, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney +, HBO Max, and more! Please note that our product does not stream the native Netflix app.
6 JIMTAB M18 PRO Projector
Our Score:
8.9
JIMTAB
  • 【RELIABLE WARRANTY & SUPPORT】Our M18 Pro projector provides a 3-year warranty, reliable service and professional technical support. Please rest assured to buy. We will follow up every order in time. Our JIMTAB team will accompany you to solve every after-sales problem.
  • 【STILL INSIST NATIVE RESOLUTION OF FULL HD 1920X1080】M18 Pro projector With native resolution of 1920*1080 and contrast ratio of 5000:1. Resolution support: 576i, 576p, 720i, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, 2k, 4k. M18 Pro Wifi 5g Native 1080P Video Projector will restore the real scene of the real source.
7 Epson Home Cinema 880 3LCD Projector
Our Score:
8.7
Epson
  • All-digital HDMI connectivity — easily connect your cable/satellite box, Blu-ray Disc player, gaming console or streaming device
  • Convenient color mode adjustments — four easy selectable color modes to optimize projection content: Dynamic, Bright Cinema, Cinema and Natural
  • Built-in picture skew sensor — automatically analyzes the picture and instantly corrects the keystone for a square image
  • up to 1500 ansi lumens
  • lg thinq ai and google assistant built-in
  • EXPERIENCE IMMENSE DISPLAY: It provides a viewing size ranging from 36" to 150" with a projection distance ranging between 4.5ft to 16.5. The recommended viewing distance to get the best result is 6.5ft.
  • CONNECTIVITY: With built-in A/V connections such as 2 X HDMI, 1 X AV IN, 1 X AUX AUDIO OUT, 1 X VGA, and 2 X USB, our projector is the ideal choice for a wide range of input sources.
  • MULTIMEDIA COMPATIBILITY: Excellent for watching Streaming services, Videos, Football Matches, Photo Sharing, etc. Easy connectivity with your PS3, PS4, Xbox One, or Wii to play games with excellent quality.
  • ELEGANT COMPACT DESIGN – Designed with simplicity in mind, the Epson EF-100 has a clean, compact, and modern design available in white and silver, or black and copper to beautifully fit within any décor.
  • AWARD-WINNING SERVICE AND SUPPORT – Standard 2-year usually next-business-day, full-unit replacement limited , along with free technical phone support for the life of the product.
Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

A Simple Way To Choose The home entertainment projector For You

Would you like to know how to select the home entertainment projector to purchase in 2024? We have a straightforward solution for you. First, consider your own requirements. For instance, should you need something that could be used during workouts, look for products that are made of high-quality materials and are resistant to water.

Consider the price range next. Some people prefer low prices, while others prefer to invest additional money on better quality items, so weigh both choices once making a decision.

Eventually, reading reviews is a simple way to select the home entertainment projector to buy. Please read our research below before purchasing anything and follow that guide to select your home entertainment projector.

Contrast Ratio

The ratio of brightness from the brightest white to the darkness of black a projector produces is called the contrast ratio. However, the rating of the projector will not usually be affected by it. A higher contrast ratio, which is the difference between how bright a projector can produce and how dark it can display, produces vivid, striking colors, and more detail in shadows. This is most important in video, film, and two-dimensional photos that are photorealistic.
Contrast ratings can only be used to measure in dark rooms. They don't give any information about ambient lighting. Unusually dark blacks in the projector will result in lower contrast. A brighter projector will perform well in home theaters, but not in living rooms or offices.

Resolution

Although projectors have the ability to scale images either up or down it is best not to do so as this can cause distortions. Any projector resolution above and beyond WUXGA (1.920 by 1.200 pixels) should be matched to the source that you intend to attach it most frequently, which is a computer or other electronic equipment.
The calculation for projectors that have 4K ultra high definition (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) is slightly different.

Light Source

Projectors are moving away from lamps being used as light sources and using lasers and LEDs. At the moment there is a benefit to each option.
For longer periods of time, LEDs and lasers retain a greater percentage of their original brightness. While all light sources eventually lose their brightness, lamps lose the most in 500 hours. Then, they slowly decline over time. The brightness of LEDs and lasers will decrease more slowly over the course of their lifetimes.

Brightness

Projector brightness is not uniform. Brighter isn’t always better.
The ambient lighting level, size and material of your projector screen will all affect the brightness. You should buy a professional seller if you are installing a projector in a permanent location, such as at your home, to ensure that you get the best image brightness and the correct screen material.

Projection Tech

Projectors can be either LCD-based, or they use a Texas Instruments DLP chip (Digital Light Processing), along with a laser or LED or LCOS light source.
DLP projectors with single-chip DLP chips could be subject to the so-called "rainbow effect." Sometimes, tiny, bright flashes with rainbow-like colors may appear, especially in dark scenes. Some DLP projectors have a minimal effect, while others can produce a distracting result, especially when there are bright areas against shady backgrounds. The rainbow effect is not a problem with LCD projectors, which are safer if someone in your household has sensitive eyes. There are many DLP projectors that produce excellent images.

Connection Methods

Many home projectors have multiple connections options. Most new models have HDMI connectivity. This is a good thing because HDMI supports 1080p video. Standard, larger projectors come with full-size HDMI ports. However, smaller projectors like pico and palmtop have micro or mini HDMI ports. These ports require separate cables that are usually included with each projector.
Component video, composite video and S-Video all make up the most common connections on large projectors. We're also seeing more projectors that offer direct USB connection to computers via a USB cable. A growing variety of projectors now have USB Type-C ports. The majority of USB-C ports can be used to transfer data or video using the DisplayPort protocol. Most USB-C ports support USB Power Delivery (USB PD), which means that a plugged in projector can supply 100 watts of power to charge a device or to charge it using a USB-C cable (assuming the device is capable of charging over USB-C).

Portability

You should consider how easily the projector must be carried. There are many sizes and weights of portable projectors. Some can be small enough to slip into a pocket or large enough to mount on a wall. You can take a portable projector with you to work, as well as a gaming or entertainment projector, to your friend's home or backyard to set up for movie nights. Make sure the projector is both appropriate in size and weight. You should ensure that your projector has enough battery life if you are far from power outlets.

FAQs

How Important Is Ultra Short Throw?

Ultra short throw technology is a feature of many flagship 4K projectors. This greatly reduces the distance between projector and surface (walls, ceilings, etc.).
This laser projector tends to produce sharp images. However, it can be more expensive than a regular or long-throw model.
Ultra-short throw, or 'UST', is a space-saving technique that keeps your projector exactly where you would place a TV. It also means you won't have to mount a projector to your ceiling. People moving about a room will be less likely to block the images.
The decision is up to you.

Do You Need 3D Support?

3D imaging has gone beyond the boom it experienced a few decades ago. It is now possible to show images in 3D for business and educational purposes. It's possible to still find 3D projectors if your application requires 3D.
There are many 3D technology options available. Make sure that any 3D projector or camera you're considering will be compatible with your 3D source. The "3D-ready" label usually indicates that it can work with 3D created by a computer. Full HD 3D is the best designation to search for if you own a number of 3D Bluray discs. It is important to confirm the type of 3D glasses that it can work with. DLP-Link glasses tend to be the most popular, however, there are many types of 3D glasses, some with proprietary features.

How Long Do Projector Screens Last?

However, newer technologies for projectors either extend the projector's lifespan or eliminate the need to use a filter (or lamp) entirely. These new technologies can last for as long as 20,000 hours. These new technologies require less maintenance, and are cheaper!

What Kind Of Projector Should You Get?

The type of projector you choose will depend on where and how you intend to use it. A high-quality, 1080p LCD projector is best for home theatres. A laser 4K model is best if you are passionate about visuals and have an access to dark theatre rooms. However, the latter is more expensive.

Do I Need A 4K Projector?

You might be a little skeptical about any 4K projectors on this list. It may be worthwhile to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of other technologies.
Flatscreen TVs are generally simpler to use. They can be placed in your house, on the wall, or counter, and they will stay there. This TV has a fixed screen size and offers HDR or 4K resolution at a lower price than projectors.

How Much Brightness Do I Need In An At-home Projector?

It is important to consider the location and times of use when purchasing a projector. Higher lumens will be recommended if you intend to use it in bright sunlight. Lumens for rooms that have dim lighting aren't as restricted. Ideally, 1,000 to 2000 lumens is the ideal.

How Big Should My 4K Projector Picture Be?

An age-old question. This really boils down to the size of your projector: If you want to fit a 100-inch projected image in the same space as a 55 inch TV, then a maximum 100-inch might be too small. You should measure the walls in your home and check that the projected image is compatible with them.

Conclusion

We hope this blog has provided you with useful information about selecting the home entertainment projector to buy. If you're still unsure, consider why you're purchasing a product in the first place.

Here you can select the YABER Pro V7 Projector if you are unable to select one of the available items above. Consider whether any of our suggestions aided you in deciding which products to purchase. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time!


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About Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison is a writer and audio equipment enthusiast. He's particularly interested in home theater HiFi audio, and he has been the editor of The Audio Insights since its inception. Harlan is known for his sharp wit and scathing critiques, but he also has a great love of music and audio gear. When he's not writing or editing, Harlan can be found listening to music or watching movies with his wife.