Not every space is conducive to a TV or an extra monitor, but most spaces have walls, which is all a good projector really needs. Even the ceiling will suffice if you want to watch something while laying in bed. There aren’t a lot of ceiling-mounted TVs out there, but a projector can put an image anywhere you can aim it. Flexibility for the win! Unfortunately, slow is a bit of a theme for this projector, since our tester also noted slow boot-up and shut-down times. Maybe that won’t bother you if you have a few extra seconds on each end, but we also noted a bit of lag when it comes to gaming. Single-player games run just fine, but when you get into a multi-player setting, and especially a competitive setting, the 50ms of input lag can affect your overall performance. If you’re not into online gaming or battle royales, that probably won’t make much of a difference to you. Given its price, we consider that to be an acceptable compromise, but if you’re a competitive gamer, you’ll want something with much lower latency. The projector also has a ton of inputs and outputs with 2HMDI, 1 RCA (composite), 2 RCA (1 audio, and 1 L/R stereo), VGA, and USB Type-A. You can input from basically anything. The projector delivers all this at just a whisper quiet 37db. For reference, 30db is a quiet rural countryside. This is a short-throw projector, which means it can fill up to a 100-inch screen from just under 5 feet away. That’s a ton of coverage and versatility, meaning you can use this projector in any tight space, including a bedroom or a dorm room. One minor issue is a slight variance in luminance from edge to edge of the screen. During normal use, it’s hard to see, but in our testing, it became pretty clear. All the same, our reviewer considers it a minor issue, but still one worth mentioning. There is a USB port in the device, but it’s limited to just USB drives. It’s not powered to run a dongle off of it, nor does it support data transfer cables from your phone. The controls on the back of the projector also are white on white, so they can be hard to see in the dark environment that a projector usually needs. If you have a little more to spend, you can find better options. One other perk of this projector is that it supports 3D imaging, as well, so your immersive movies can go even further. Plus, with 1.6x zoom, you can place this projector far away from your screen and still get a clear picture. The front-facing fan is great, because if you place your projector into a recessed space, or near a wall, it will still have good airflow from the front. The projector only goes up to 1,800 lumens, so you’ll want a darker environment for sure. Plus, its price tag is up there, compared to other projectors of similar quality. Of course, all that wow comes at a price. It’s a very high price and, in fact, is the highest on this list, which already has several four-figure prices. But, for a device with such a low profile that it almost melts into the furniture, you’ll get a ton of quality and one of the best projection experiences you can buy, short of a full movie theatre. There’s an array of inputs on the back of the projector, including 2 HDMI, USB Type-A, VGA and a 3.5mm output for speaker connection. That’s not as many inputs as you can find in other projectors, but it’s sufficient for most applications. The projector is also backed by a three-year warranty. One of the best parts about this projector is the installed Android operating system. It’s Android 7.1, which is outdated, but brings along app functionality like a smart TV. Those apps allow you to stream content to your projector without connecting to anything. But with as low resolution and brightness as this projector offers, it costs too much to justify. If your budget doesn’t quite fit that projector, the BenQ is a very good brand and the BenQ HT3550 might fit the bill instead. Our reviewer says that this projector will change the way you consume 4K content, and that’s quite the statement. Either one of these projectors will give you an experience that is downright amazing.
What to Look for in a Projector
Resolution - Just like a TV, your projector’s resolution determines how sharp and clear your picture will be. Resolution determines pixel density. The lower resolution, the more boxy your picture will be. Contrast Ratio - Contrast ratio is determined by the difference in color from the brightest bright that a projector can achieve and the darkest black. The reason this is important is because it allows your projector to display a full range of color without getting too grainy or washed out. In terms of contrast ratio, it will be in a the form of a number:1 like 1,000:1, or 1,000,000:1. You want the first number to be as high as possible. Lumens - Lumens determines how bright the projector’s light is. The higher the lumens, the brighter the picture. This mainly comes into play when you have well-lit rooms. Dim projectors can project just fine in the dark, but it takes high lumens to cast a good, crisp picture in a bright room. If you plan on adorning a home theater that’s dark, you can get away with a lower number. If this will be in your living room, higher is better.
