If you want a large screen front projector at home but need
to spend less than the cost of a fridge, we think the BenQ HT2050A is the best
projector available for under $1,000. While its performance can't compete with
the best home theater projectors, the HT2050A offers good image contrast and
impressive color accuracy, making your favorite movies look richer and more
compelling than other budget projectors.
The BenQ HT2050A offers the best image distinction of any
sub-$1,000 projector we've tested, and produces richer, more vibrant colors
than many budget DLP projectors. This 1080p projector runs a variety of inputs
and is easy to set up with a flexible vertical zoom lens. The 1.3x zoom bounces
you some wiggle room as to how close to the screen you can position the device,
while the vertical lens shift avoids the trapezoid effect. Like most sub-$1,000
projectors, the HT2050A has a built-in speaker; Unsurprisingly, it delivers
fuller sound than most budget projection speakers. The biggest drawback of the
HT2050A is that its single DLP chip design can create a rainbow effect visible
to some viewers, but most people don't see it or don't mind.
If you frequently watch movies with the lights on in the
room, or are sensitive to DLP rainbows, the Epson Home Cinema 2250 LCD
Projector is a great alternative. This 1080p projector is perkier than the BenQ
HT2050A, so the image stands out a little more when the room lights are on and
delivers a crisp image without too much tweaking. In our tests, its contrast
ratio was close to that of the HT2050A, but black levels were noticeably
higher, so movies lacked depth and saturation in a dark room. The Home Cinema
2250's 1.6x zoom and vertical lens shift make it easy to position the image on
the screen, but the connection panel isn't as strong as the HT2050A's. Built-in
Android TV and a 10-watt speaker make this a versatile entertainment option
that looks more like a smart TV but adds to the price.
The BenQ HT2150ST uses a short throw lens, so you can
position it much closer to a screen or wall than usual and still get a great
image. This 1080p DLP projector is very bright and easy to set up. Its colors
aren't as vibrant as the non-short throw HT2050A, and the complex optics in its
short throw lens result in loss of sharpness at the edges of the image, but the
trade-off is well worth it if you want a big image in a smaller area, like in a
city apartment.
The budget home theater projector is for those who want to
watch movies on the big screen at home but don't need the superior performance
of 4K projectors in our guides to choosing the best home theater projector. and
the best home projector for the living room. Most home theater projectors under
$1,000 have Full HD (1920×1080) resolution, and some support high dynamic range
video playback, although they lack the contrast and brightness to do justice to
HDR.
We will focus here on projectors designed primarily for
watching movies and TV shows on a large projector screen. We have a separate
guide for small, portable, battery-powered projectors that can be a good
replacement for a mid-size TV, but lack the brightness to display images larger
than 100 inches. Commercial projectors are cheaper and sometimes brighter, but
that's because they emphasize the colors that appear brightest on the screen to
compete with sunlight coming through office windows, not the colors that appear
brightest on the screen to provide the best picture for movies. . As a result,
your images may appear unrealistic, with cartoonish greens, washed-out reds,
and bluish blues.
Inexpensive home theater projectors can be placed on a
permanent ceiling mount in a home theater but are small enough to fit on a
chair in a living room. They also have built-in speakers so you don't need to
add an external audio system (although we recommend doing so). Just add a
screen and you can get a huge, breathtaking image at any time.
If you are interested in spending more and want to create a
dedicated home theater setup, check out our g