HomeCorners - Don't Buy 4K Home Theater Projector Before You Read This.
We pick the best 5 and sort them from the cheapest to the highest end.
Want to set up your own 4K home theater system?
In this article we've picked down the top five best home theater projectors on the market this year based on price versus performance.
Regardless of whether you're looking for a budget projector or you want the best for game projector on the market, we'll have an option for you.
We're breaking this article down into best non 4k projectors with our first three picks, then the best high in 4k projectors as our last two.
Starting off our list we've got the:
Epson Home Cinema 640, our best budget projector.
The Epson home cinema 640 3 LCD projector is a solid choice as a home entertainment projector if you're on a tight budget, don't need 3d support and don't mind having lower resolution than typical models.
The key reason for the Epson 640's low price is its low 800 by 600 resolution.
Quite simply the 640's 800 by 600 resolution can't show the same level of detail that you'd see with 720p, much less 1080p.
But it still offers substantially higher resolution than standard definition television.
At 3.1x11.69 inches and 5.5 pounds, the Epson 640 is small and lightweight enough to move from room to room easily.
If you don't have a place to set out permanently, store it away when you're not using it.
One important issue to keep in mind is that these numbers are the measurements for the 640's full 4:3 native aspect ratio.
When you're watching a widescreen 16:9 movie or TV show, the image will cover only a portion of the screen.
The level of image detail with 1080p input is appropriately crisp for the 640's native resolution.
Putting it a step up from standard definition 480p, but a big step down from 720p HD.
If you're on a tight budget and interested in purchasing a projector that will just get the job done, this could be your choice. Compare the price on Amazon.
Next up we've got the :
Optoma HD142X the best value for the money.
The Optoma HD142X is one of the least expensive true high-definition projectors available but the picture looks better than you might expect for the price.
Beyond a 1080p resolution the Optoma HD142X is as bare bones as you'd expect for the price.
A manual zoom to make position and easier although its range is relatively narrow. Like most budget projectors there's no lens shift.
If you want to use 3d with the Optima, you'll need to buy 3d glasses.
The projector uses DLP link which should be compatible with numerous third-party glasses.
Optoma claims you can get up to 8,000 hours by using different lamp modes, and five thousand hours for the brightest or normal mode.
The Optoma HD142X has similar lamp lights competitors and middling price for replacement lamp.
The picture really benefited from having all of its 1080p pixels on the screen.
Details where sharp, edges were smooth and there is no visible pixel structure or screen door effect.
This projector can get some solid image quality at a very reasonable price. Compare the price on Amazon.
Our best mid-range pick is the BenQ HT2050.
Key design choice for the HT2050 is that it's built around a single DLP chip, which has two disadvantages compared to the three chip LCD models like the Epson 2040.
Single chip DLP projectors can show rainbow artifacts: red, green, blue flashes and they typically have a different white brightness and color brightness which can affect color quality and the brightness of color images.
The good news for the HT2050 is that it shows far fewer rainbow artifacts than most DLP models.
With most DLP home-theater projectors as opposed to data projectors the difference between the two brightness levels isn't enough to hurt color quality.
At 4.8 x 15 x 10.9 inches, the HT2050 is small enough to find room easily, despite being a little larger than most home entertainment models.
The HT2050 image quality is near excellent.
It has good excellent color quality, skin tones, and shadow detail, the details based on shading and dark areas and more.
The HT2050's 10 watt speaker delivers far better audio quality than most of the competition, and in a volume to fill a large family room.
That's particularly useful if you want to move the projector to different rooms, since you won't have to carry a separate sound system as well.
If you insist on a projector that's rainbow free, your obvious choice in this category is the BenQ HT2050, which you should consider in any case for a highly attractive balance of image quality, brightness, portability and capability. Compare the price on Amazon.
Next up we have the JVC DLA-X700R 4K.
Our high-end runner-up 4K projector.
The JVC X700R is a home cinema projector using the contrast-rich DLA optical system and JVC's potentially controversial e-shift3 4k technology.
This delivers a sort of 4k resolution effect without actually being a a true 4k projector.
It's absolutely identical to JVC projectors of seasons past with its low salon wide angular shape adorned in a glossy black livery with two venting wings on each side, and a large centrally placed lens on the front edge.
Connections on the X700R's rear comprised of two HDMI's and LAN port, a socket for plugging in a provided 3d transmitter at 12v trigger port and an RS-232C jack for system integration.
The X700R is on a much more solid ground with the rest of its specification.
It claims contrast ratio for instance is nothing short of mind-boggling at 120 million to one.
The intelligence lens aperture Tec isn't the only innovation focused on making JVC's already legendary projector contrast abilities.
Even more stellar jvc additionally claims to have reduced the spacing between each pixel of its latest DLA chips by starting 40% to reduce light waste.
There are also new efficiencies in the past, the X700R's light takes thirds optical system looking for other unusual or promising features.
On the X700R there's an environmental setting that automatically adjusts images to best match the room environment.
Now this is an expensive projector so be sure to check the updated pricing on this product and everything else mentioned.
Despite the price, in our opinion it's a good value per dollar 4k projector. Compare the price on Amazon.
Last for the best we got the Sony VPL-VW350ES.
The best high-end 4K projector.
The Sony VPL-VW350ES is pleasingly symmetrical, no-nonsense exterior.
It is mostly rectangular in shape, before distinctive rounded edges along the top and a slight bow to the front and rear.
The predominant finishes a textured matte charcoal grey tinge to blend into a dark home theater ceiling, complemented by glossy black around the lens.
Sony's clicker is roomy and easy to use.
It offers dedicated keys for each of the nine picture modes and will assure cuts to many of the most important adjustments.
The menus are relatively clear and simple for projector, with a logical nesting layout.
Much like JVC's DLA, Sony's SXRD technology is a brand name for LCOS, Liquid Crystal on Silicon, three-chip projection tech's.
Nearly every 4k TV has a native pixel resolution of 3840 x 2160, but Sony 4K SXRD projectors native resolution is 4096 x 2160. That difference points to the sony projectors heritage in the cinema.
In practicality, the slightly wider aspect ratio 17 to 9 and higher pixel count make little difference.
Thanks to the four independently adjustable legs and power zoom in focus and land shift, setup is easy.
The generous lens shift should accommodate new installations in particular tricky ceilings without having to resort to complex extended mounts.
Focus was extremely sharp everywhere on the screen a testament to sony's excellent lens. The 350ES delivers an amazing picture.
If you're looking for the best 4k projector on the market and the best overall projector, then look no further than the Sony VPL-VW350ES. Compare the price on Amazon.
