Best Projector Under $1000

Staying home means watching a home movie on a TV. Now you might have a decent 55-inch TV, but it’s not the same as the big-screen surround sound experience of the movie theater.

Well, you can combine both a big-screen experience and you can stay home, with an excellent solution – a projector.

Projectors aren’t just great for watching movies or the latest TV shows, either. Suppose you happen to be an avid gamer; a high-definition big screen isn’t going to make your gaming boring.

Some excellent projectors for under $1000 offer brilliant features; however, spending upwards of $1000 takes some thinking, and you don’t need to waste that kind of money. This leads us to tell you what this buying guide for the best projectors under $1000 is all about.

We’ve researched the best projectors under $1000 and have listed the ones we recommend below. So if you don’t want to waste your time and money, check out the buying guide below.

Our Top 3 Best Projectors Under $1000

1. BenQ HT2050A 1080P Home Theater Projector

When we talk about a big-screen experience in your home, that’s what we’re talking about with the BenQ HT2050A 1080P home theater projector. If you want to impress friends, family, and your gaming buddies, a 100-inch screen from just eight feet away from the projector will probably do it; the screen will max out at 300 inches.

For a price significantly below $1000, you get some excellent features with the HT2050A, including 3D movies and games (you’ll need 3D glasses), kids of all ages really love this, and a few grown-up kids find it pretty good as well. To use the 3D element of the projector, you’ll need a 3D Blu-Ray player for your movies or shows and, as mentioned, a pair of glasses; please ensure they are DLP Active Link glasses.

If you are a gamer, you’ll be pleased to hear the BenQ has a low input lag at only 16ms; you will be able to play top-rated video games using this projector without video delays.

The projector will operate efficiently in an average-sized living room because you can throw a 100-inch screen from only eight feet away.

With 2,200 lumens of brightness, the projector is more suited for use in darkened rooms; however, the projector can be calibrated for conditions when there is too much ambient light, which does help somewhat. In our opinion, if you’re buying a projector for daylight use or outside on a well-lit patio or deck, you would do better buying a projector with higher lumen output.

However, BenQ delivers Rec.709 HDTV color coverage for superior consistency.

Why We Like It: The HT2050A will deliver large images from only eight feet and has rich colors and high contrast producing exceptionally clear images.

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2. BenQ HT2150ST 1080P Short Throw Projector

The BenQ HT2150ST 1080P short throw projector is perfect for small room projection and produces a 100-inch screen from only 4.9ft.

The HT2150ST takes many of the HT2050A’s design features and simply makes the whole package better; the HT2150 does cost more, so you are paying more money for the upgrade.

There are some proven features from HT2050 that the HT2150 keeps, such as 3D DLP technology, the same 2,200 lumens (this could have been done with increasing, though), a contrast ratio of 15,000:1, and the identical RGB color wheel. For the gamers, the projector still retains the 16ms lag time, which is a great idea.

So, where are the improvements, and why does it cost more? Well, I gave you a hint right at the start of the review. Yes, the short-throw design.

As mentioned, the HT2150 will produce a 100-inch screen from only 4.9ft, meaning you can turn your living room or a dedicated TV room into your very own movie theater. The projector offers two built-in 10-watt speakers; however, I would expect most people to hook up their own surround sound system because sound quality has a considerable impact on the overall experience – 10-watt speakers aren’t going to help create that experience.

The projector’s 15,000:1 contrast ratio helps deliver vibrant colors where the details are sharp and defined, perfect for watching movies or gaming. If you enjoy gaming, you can immerse yourself even further by reducing the throw to 3ft. while still projecting a 100-inch screen and be almost in the action.

Positioning the projector for the ideal viewing location is straightforward and quick using the vertical keystone correction and a 1.2x zoom.

Why We Like It: The HT2150ST offers an excellent 100-inch screen from a 4.9ft distance for movies and even shorter at 3ft for gamers.

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3. Optoma HD28HDR 1080p Home Theater Projector for Gaming and Movies

The Optoma HD28HDR 1080p home theater projector is our top 4K input projector for under $1000. If you’re looking for a versatile home projector, the Optoma could be the one you want.

For home theater and gaming enthusiasts, you won’t find much better at this price range. The projector offers exceptionally high picture quality, a very respectable 3,600 lumens bright light, and low lag for the gamers; a great combination of features for this Full HD projector.

The installation will need to be from 10 to 12 feet if you want your screen size to be 100 inches, and you’ll definitely want to mount the projector because you’ll spend too much time setting up otherwise. Positioning will need to be precise to obtain perfect focusing; however, you have vertical keystone correction and 1.1x zoom, which help.

The in-built speaker is only 3-watt which is nowhere near enough for home movie viewing, so an external sound system is necessary; however, connecting an external surround sound system is straightforward. There are two HDMI ports, plus a USB and 3.5mm audio out.

The HD28HDR will play 4K content; however, it will only play it at Full HD. But all content is at Full HD including, movies and games. With HDR10 technology and Dynamic Iris, you get a sharp, vibrant, and highly detailed picture with a contrast ratio of 50,000:1, excellent black levels, and contrast.

Color production and accuracy are excellent due to the 6-segment color wheel covering the full sRGB and REC. 709 color profile. You’re not going to have an issue watching movies, gaming, or giving a presentation in a room with ambient lighting thanks to the 3,600-lumen lamp; colors remain sharp and bright.

Gamers will appreciate the swift response times of 16ms and refresh rate of 120Hz. The projector has an enhanced gaming mode that drops the input lag down to a very low 8.4ms. More expensive projectors will struggle to get a lower lag than 8.4ms; that should ease any frustrations gamers experience playing via a projector.

Why We Like It: The HD28HDR is an excellent projector for movies, providing you hook up an external sound system. But it’s the perfect choice for gamers at this price range.

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Final Thoughts

Investing up to $1000 for a home projector takes some careful consideration, and you should feel you’re getting value for money and a high-quality projector.

This guide to the best projector under $1000 provides ideal information so you can make the best choice for your needs.