Here’s one you can accomplish for less than $200. You haven’t lived until you’ve watched the Star Wars trilogy (the original one, obvs) on the side of your house. Outside, on a huge screen projected by a box no bigger than the one you poured your cereal out of this morning.
Invite the neighborhood. Y’all are crossing this one off the list!
Jul 1, 2018 - Currently, the best portable projector is the Anker Nebula Capsule. Wiki researchers have been writing reviews of the latest mini projectors.
Less than $200 for a projector used to be insane, impossible, never-gonna-happen. Now we see projectors well under that price that deliver excellent pictures and are easy to set up and connect.
Talk about bang for your buck. A projector can create screens upward of 200 inches, not to mention they’re highly portable and customizable. Granted, what we gain in size we sacrifice a little in brightness and resolution. Most projectors should be used with minimal ambient lighting. The lower resolution isn’t usually noticeable because nobody sits 2 feet away from a projector screen (right?).
All in all, we think projectors can be an excellent choice in gaming, movies, and other entertainment. Take a peek at some of our favorite projectors, all under $200. 1. DBPOWER T20 Best for Beginners on a Budget This projector is perfect for a large screen without a large payout (up to 176 inches!).
The projected image is plenty bright at 1500 lumens, and the newly upgraded fan is surprisingly quiet. For less than $100 we don’t expect HD picture or cinema-level sound, but this projector certainly delivers a nice, colorful screen in dark rooms and has a built-in speaker. What’s more, it includes USB, HDMI, and VGA ports (and cables), as well as a USB charging port and an SD card slot. And a remote control! For a “basic” projector, this little guy sure packs a punch. 2. Crenova XPE496 Best Backup Projector The Crenova XPE496 has no business being such a good projector at this kind of low cost.
Speaking of which, we suggest locking it in before the price tag goes up. This mini projector barely tips the scales at 3 pounds and is about the size of a Kindle. The LED bulb saves energy and lasts up to 50,000 hours—that’s over 5,000 LotR marathons if you were wondering.
An easily programmable remote and a variety of ports—HDMI, VGA, USB, SD card—make for easy setup. At 2200 lumens, the screen is bright enough for dark spaces like basements and campouts. We think the size and price make this the perfect projector to tag along with you on adventures, without the stress or burden of a larger, more expensive model.
3. Ogima BL20 Best for Families with Kiddos The Ogima BL20 boasts 2600 lumens of brightness and a 5” LCD panel that projects a clear, stable image. While we’re not sure it really reaches a full 2600 lumens, this top-rated projector does give a great picture and is much easier on the eyes than traditional television screens, especially in darker spaces. And while the highest res image sits between 70 and 100 inches, move the projector back a bit and enjoy up to 200 inches of screen size with only a negligible dip in image quality. This projector is impressive in the vivid colors and balanced images it projects, and it really shines with animated movies and shows. It’s super easy to set up and includes connection ports for USB, HDMI, VGA, and SD cards—plus a handy remote. Like other projectors in this price range, it does include a built-in speaker but we suggest adding an external sound source.
4. Magnasonic PP60 Pocket Pico Projector Best for Traveling Here’s something we bet you didn’t know you needed. A projector that you can literally throw in your pocket, pop out, and project a 60-inch image anywhere you are. Excuse us while we whip out our credit cards. But seriously.
Camping, sleepovers, library study sessions, business presentations, Netflix and chill nights, movies in the backyard—feel free to use your imagination with this super compact projector. It includes a rechargeable two-hour battery, Digital Light Processing, HDMI and micro USB ports, an onboard speaker and a headphone jack, and even a convenient tripod stand and carrying case. Fair warning: at only 4 ½ oz., it’s so lightweight you might forget it’s even there.
Elephas YG400 Home Theater Projector Best for Penny Pinchers Justice! Finally, the at-home big-screen experience is available to princes and paupers alike! Cheaper than that pair of Nikes you’ve had your eye on, this projector displays clear, rich images and boats a LED lamp life of 30,000 hours. While the picture quality might not change your life, it’s accurate and bright and perfect for personal use and home theaters. It has a headphone and speaker port to hook up your external speakers. Your bank account says thank you!
Tangcison 3300 LUX LED Project Best Quality While we’re still looking at budget projectors, the Tangcision 3300 LUX LED Projector is the most expensive on our list and, naturally, you get what you pay for. We’re looking at a higher native resolution of 1280 x 768 (supports 1080p), a brighter display of 3300 lumens, 1.67 million displayable colors, a convenient lens cap, and an upgraded dual stereo speaker. It can also be front- or rear-projected, or even ceiling mounted.
Our fav thing about this projector is that it functions great with ambient lighting. Of course, like any projector, the best picture is achieved in total darkness, but this at least gives you the option of watching the game without shutting all the blinds like a hermit.
REVIEWS FROM OUR LAB The Best Projectors for 2019 Last updated October 5, 2018 1:00PM EST Need to project an important business presentation, outfit a classroom, or take your show on the road? Check out the details on portable projectors as well as full-size models in our deep-dive reviews. PCMag has tested and reviewed projectors and computer-based display systems for decades. Our top picks are based on factors such as suitability of fit for various types of output (data, images, movies, games), brightness, audio quality, connectivity options, and value. Basically a slightly brighter version of the model it's in the process of replacing in Epson's line, the Epson BrightLink 536Wi Interactive WXGA 3LCD Projector ($1,490) offers all the same leading-edge interactive features, from being able to work with two pens at once to the ability to interact with other image sources besides computers. That puts it just as far ahead of the competition as the previous-generation model.
It's also more than enough for it to become our Editors' Choice WXGA (1,280-by-800) short-throw, interactive. Pros: Interactive features work at full brightness and can be used with any input. Bright image. Cons: Short throw, rather than ultra-short throw. Have to touch screen to interact.
No 3D support. Bottom Line: The Epson BrightLink 536Wi Interactive WXGA 3LCD Projector brings a little higher brightness to Epson's already-impressive, previous-generation design. Given that it's an under-$500 model, the Epson EX3260 SVGA 3LCD Projector ($449.99) has much to recommend it: accurate color rendition, a solid assortment of ports, easy portability, and—above all—good quality for both data images and video. The EX3260's relatively low resolution limits its effective use to relatively small screens, and to presentations without very fine detail or small type. Within those constraints, the EX3260 stands out, and is an easy pick to replace the now-discontinued as our Editors' Choice SVGA data. Pros: Good data-image quality.
Great video for a data projector. Reasonably loud audio. USB Type-A port. Compact and easily portable. Cons: No 3D capabilities.
Lacks optical zoom. Bottom Line: The highly portable Epson EX3260 delivers solid data-image quality and very good video quality in a projector that's a fine fit for offices and schools. The Epson PowerLite 1781W Wireless WXGA 3LCD Projector is a powerhouse as a portable data, providing solid brightness and resolution in a thin and light frame. In our testing, it showed very good data image quality, and great video image quality for a data projector. It delivers higher brightness and a longer lamp life than the while retaining its stellar image quality, so it's our new Editors' choice ultra-light WXGA data projector. Pros: Slim and ultra-light. Long lamp life for an LCD projector.
Very good data and video image quality. Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity. Cons: Can't project 3D content.
Soft sound system. Bottom Line: The Epson PowerLite 1781W Wireless WXGA 3LCD Projector provides a winning combination of good brightness and resolution, above-par data and video image quality, and a good set of wired and wireless connection choices in a slim and light frame. LCD-based data, with good color brightness and the absence of rainbow artifacts, tend to deliver better video quality than their DLP counterparts, and the NEC Display Solutions NP-ME401W ($949) is no exception. What's more, its data image quality is also superb. Add to that a robust sound system and a wide range of connection choices at a reasonable price, and it's our top projector pick for midsize rooms. Pros: Solid data image quality, with bright colors and sharp text. Very good video quality for a data projector.
WXGA resolution. Cons: Cannot project 3D content. Bottom Line: The NEC Display Solutions NP-ME401W is a highly capable LCD-based data projector, with high brightness, very good data and video image quality, and a solid set of connection choices. Although similar in most ways to the, the AAXA M6 Micro Projector ($599) comes in at a slightly higher brightness, as well as a higher 1080p full HD resolution. This compact and portable mini-projector is a good choice for businesspeople who need to give presentations while traveling. It is easy to set up and use, has multiple connection choices, and satisfactory data-image quality.
Its Achilles' heel is its video, which is only watchable for short clips due to oversaturated colors and frequent rainbow artifacts. Pros: Compact. Full 1080p HD resolution.
Good range of connection ports. Padded protective case. Built-in rechargeable battery. Good data image quality. Cons: Poor video quality, with oversaturated colors and frequent rainbow artifacts. Bottom Line: The AAXA M6 Micro Projector is a good portable projector for businesspeople who give detailed presentations while traveling.
The AAXA P2-A Smart Pico Projector ($209) packs a lot into its very small frame and sells for a modest price. It has a built-in touchpad, the first I have seen on a. The P2-A runs Android, has a wide selection of ports, and supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Its image quality, however, leaves a bit to be desired, with glaringly bright colors in video and some trouble displaying text. It still offers a good value, though, for easy portable projection. Pros: Compact.
Modestly priced. Built-in touchpad.
Good range of connection ports. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Built-in rechargeable battery. Runs Android 5.1. Cons: Oversaturated colors in video limits its use to shorter clips.
Somewhat fuzzy text. Minuscule focus wheel. Bottom Line: The AAXA P2-A Smart Pico Projector, despite a few flaws, is a triumph of miniaturization and a good value, its tiny frame bristling with ports and with a touchpad on top.
For a low-brightness LED, the BenQ i500 ($799) has some surprising features, including an unusual form factor, a short throw distance, ample wired and wireless connectivity including its own apps, and magnetic lens and port covers that can be attached to the projector when removed. The i500 is a unique and appealing entertainment projector, although its audio is surprisingly weak considering the wattage of its speakers, and the Editors' Choice surpasses it on video quality. Pros: Short throw distance. Attractive design. Connects via multiple sources, including Wi-Fi. Cons: Significant rainbow effect in video.
Somewhat dull colors in data images. Low audio volume, especially considering its speakers' wattage. Larger than many of its peers. Bottom Line: The stylish BenQ i500 short throw projector lets you display a large image from near the screen, and offers an abundance of wired and wireless connection choices. The Casio XJ-UT311WN data ($1,500) is slightly dimmer and less expensive than the that we recently tested, and has just one HDMI port while the XJ-UT351WN has two. They both deliver very good data image quality, though not quite as good as the, and should be able to handle most any typical presentation. The XJ-UT311WN has slightly better video quality, with a less pronounced rainbow effect than the XJ-UT351WN.
If you do need a data projector that can also show longer video clips, the Epson PowerLite 585W—an LCD projector, which is free of rainbow artifacts—is a better choice, but for most classroom uses the XJ-UT311WN is a fine choice. Pros: Good data image quality. Ultra-short throw.
Long-lasting, mercury-free light source. Includes Wi-Fi adapter.
Cons: Does not include wall mount. Some rainbow artifacts in video. Bottom Line: The Casio XJ-UT311WN is a hybrid laser/LED data projector with an ultra-short throw distance, good data image quality, and very long lamp life. An ultra-light data for business travelers, the InFocus IN1118HD ($1,149 direct) packs 1080p resolution and excels in showing fine detail and small text. It includes road-warrior-friendly features like 4GB of internal memory and two ports for USB thumb drives for running presentations without lugging a computer with you. There are better choices than the IN1118HD if your presentations include video and audio, but we've seen no others that combine 1080p resolution and sharp text in such a featherweight frame. Pros: Lightweight and compact.
1080p resolution. Projects sharp text. Good port selection. 4GB of internal memory. Cons: Notably feeble audio.
Rainbow effect in video. Bottom Line: The InFocus IN1118HD is a very portable, versatile 1080p data projector that delivers sharp text and can be used for short video clips.