Compare the Best ProjectorsMay 2021

Projectors vs Large Screen TVs

Projectors a great option if you want to watch movies and TV shows on a large screen, very similar to a cinema. Projector technology is moving forward at a steady pace with 3D projectors and high resolution 4K projectors now available at affordable prices.

But is a projector a better choice than a large screen TV?

This depends on a number of factors, including where and how often you want to watch TV or movies. If you are after a huge picture at an decent price and have a room that can be blacked out almost completely, then a home cinema projector is a great choice. Multimedia projectors are very portable and can easily be taken to meetings and events.

If, however, screen size and mobility are not as important and you want to watch your favourite shows without having to dim the lights, then an large screen TV will be the more convenient option and deliver an better picture.

Projector Types

Throw Ratio

Working out the throw ratio:

• Measure the distance between the projector and the screen. As an example, let’s assume a throw distance of 12 feet.
• Now, measure the width of your screen. Let’s assume your screen is 8 feet wide.
• Your throw ratio is therefore 12 feet / 8 feet = 1.5.

A projector with a throw ratio of 1.5:1, which is common for most multimedia projectors would meet your requirements perfectly.

If you have the flexibility the move the projector further back to 16 feet, you could also choose a home cinema projector with a throw ratio of 2:1. If you are unable to position the projector further back and your projector has a throw ration of 1.5:1, then the resulting image would be narrower and only be 6 feet wide.

Installation

Most home cinema and multimedia projectors can be ceiling-mounted or placed on a table or shelf. Ceiling mounting is the best option for a fixed installation. It will keep the projector out of the way and also give you the best picture quality.

Some home cinema projectors are quite bulky and cannot be installed inverted. Check the installation options and accessories that are available for your chosen projector as they differ between models.

Brightness

Making sure you pick a projector with sufficient brightness is essential to ensure the image is clear with deep and vibrant colours. Ambient light plays an important factor here. The more ambient light you have in the room, the brighter the projector needs to be. You can always turn down the brightness if you are using a projector capable of producing 5,000 lumens in a completely blacked out room but there is no easy solution if you discover the conference room you are about to present in does not even have blinds and your projector only outputs 2,000 lumen. The image will simply look flat and washed out.

Brightness is measured in ANSI lumens. The ideal projector brightness you need depends on the amount of ambient light in the room, the throw distance as well as the screen size. The easiest way to work it out is to use a projection calculator.

For completely dark rooms, a projector brightness of 1,300-2,000 lumens will be sufficient. Most home cinema projectors have a brightness of up to 2,500 lumens. For partially darkened rooms, such as classrooms, a brightness of around 3,000 lumens is required as the projector has to deal with a fair amount of ambient light.

Larger screens around 10 feet wide such as used in meetings or at weddings would require a brightness of around 5,000 lumens.

Connectivity

You can also connect using Display Port or USB. A USB port also allows you to plug a digital camera or USB stick directly into the projector to show photos and videos to friends instantly.

Screen

Replacement Bulbs

Noise

Powerful projector lamps generate a lot of heat. A built-in fan is constantly running while the projector is switched on in order to maintain a safe temperature. It is also important the make sure the projector is set up correctly to allow plenty of air flowing around the projector.

Projector fans can be noisy, particularly on cheaper models, so it is important the check a projector’s noise level and compare it to other models before buying.

The adverse effect of projector noise will be particularly important in a home cinema setting. A slightly higher noise level might be acceptable in meetings where there will be more ambient sound in general.

The Rainbow Effect

Resolution

Similar to TVs, projectors tend to use the HDTV standard, with 720p HD-ready or 1080p Full HD resolutions being most common. Older and business projector models tend to refer to pixel resolutions similar to computer monitors, for example VGA and WXGA. Simply put, higher resolution projectors will produce a more detailed picture but they are also more expensive.

4K projectors have become increasingly popular and more widely available. Ultra high definition projectors the highest resolution available and can produce a stunningly detailed picture.

Keystone Correction & Lens Shift

Keystoning occurs when the central axis of the projector is not positioned directly perpendicular to the wall. In vertical keystoning, the top and bottom edges of the pictures need to be aligned, while in horizontal keystoning the left and right edges appear distorted. Most projectors can detect keystoning and correct it automatically.

In projectors with lens shift, the lens can physically move inside the projector to correct distortions and ensure a consistent focus of the image. Lens shift has the advantage that the image does not need to be altered and highest possible image quality is retained. This allows for more flexibility in the installation of the projector and guarantees a perfectly straight-edged image.

Zoom

An optical zoom allows you to enlarge the image without having to move the projector closer of further away from the screen. An optical zoom maintains the quality of the image and avoids unwanted distortion.

A digital zoom enlarges a portion of the image without changing the overall image displayed.

Lamp Technologies

Projector Prices

In total we found 508 data projectors ranging from $142 to $24,167. A new projector costs on average $1,484 and 80% of data projectors are priced between $320 and $2,998. The cheapest projector that we found is the DELL 1210S at only $142, and the most expensive is the Sony VPLVW1100ES at $24,167.

Projector Brands - Price Range

Christie projectors start at $5,481 and their most expensive projector costs $9,999. The average price of Christie projectors is $7,740 which is the highest average price of all projector brands.

The average price of Panasonic projectors is $3,537 which is the second highest average price of all data projector brands. Panasonic projectors start at $1,040 and their most expensive data projector costs $13,699.

The third highest average multimedia projector price out of all brands is Sony data projectors with an average price of $3,026. Sony data projectors range in price from $360 to $24,167.

Projector Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 3,868 expert reviews and 21,649 user reviews for projectors and used this data to calculate the average rating for each brand of multimedia projector. The top three projector brands are Epson, Optoma and Benq. Epson has an average rating of 89%, Optoma has an average rating of 84% and Benq has an average rating of 80%.

Biggest Projector Retailers

We found 383 current offers for projectors from eBay making it the biggest data projector retailer. That is more than twice as big as the second biggest retailer, Adorama for whom we found 178 current offers for projectors. The third biggest retailer is Overstock with 100 current data projector offers.

When Are Most New Projectors Released?

Most new multimedia projectors tend to be released between May and June. That means that most of the latest multimedia projector technology was released in within the last 3 months, and now is good time to buy. In May 2020, 21 new projectors were released making it the biggest month that year for new data projector releases. In 2019 most new multimedia projectors were released in June, with 16 new multimedia projectors released that month. 46 new projectors were released in September 2018 making it the biggest month that year for new multimedia projector releases.

How Fast Do Multimedia Projector Prices Drop After Release?

On average, in the first 6 months after release, projectors drop in price by 3%.

That means a saving of $49 on a typical $1,487 new multimedia projector if you wait 6 months before buying.

Projector Native Resolutions

The projector native resolution is the resolution of image that the projector is able to produce. The resolution is expressed as the number of horizontal pixels by the number of vertical pixels.

1280 x 800 (WXGA) is the most frequently found projector native resolution amongst new projectors. We found 702 projectors that are projectors that have a resolution of 1280 x 800 (WXGA). We found 632 projectors that are data projectors that have a resolution of 1024 x 768 (XGA), making this the second most popular projector native resolution amongst new projectors.

Noise Levels

The noise level of the projector is the amount of noise that the projector makes (caused by the cooling fan inside the projector) when it is running.

Comparing all data projectors, the noise levels range from 20dB to 54dB. The noise levels of most data projectors range from 36dB to 38dB. The Panasonic PTEX16KU, which is available at $5,795.00, has the loudest noise level and is a 51dB projector. The Epson EHTW8300W, which currently retails for $9,300.55, has the quietest noise level and is a 20dB projector.

Contrast Ratios

The contrast ratio is the ratio between the brightness of the brightest white and the brightness of darkest black that the projector can produce.

We found 914 projectors that are multimedia projectors that have a high contrast ratio, which makes high the most frequently found contrast ratio amongst new projectors. We found 677 projectors that are multimedia projectors that have a medium contrast ratio, making this the second most common contrast ratio amongst new projectors.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Data Projectors?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying data projectors. For each retailer it shows the total number of data projectors where they currently have a market leading price. The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying projectors. For each retailer we took all of their prices and looked at what proportion of those prices where the cheapest on the market. The cheapest retailer that we found was eBay. 353 of their data projector prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of Data Projectors for Which Each Retailer is Cheapest?

Assessing how cheap each retailer is for multimedia projectors by counting the number of cheapest prices for that retailer, makes the retailers that offer the greatest number of projector prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's projector prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 92.2% of their projector prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.