Best Projector Brands

Best projectors Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi?'s round-up of the best projectors – 4K, Full HD, and ultra short throw – that you can buy in 2023.

If you want to put the "theatre" in a home theatre, then you're going to want a quality projector. It's the best way to replicate the feeling of going to the movies without leaving your house. While they might not be simple to set up, we can assure you it's completely worth it.

The authentic theatre experience is best replicated with a 4K projector, of which you'll find four of our favourite offerings on this list. Each is positioned with a different function or price point in mind, with an Epson that's perfect for those taking their first steps into the world of projectors, and two five-star Sony options for those who want the ultimate picture quality. There's even an ultra-short throw model that might be the perfect alternative to your TV. 

Our reviews team has thoroughly tested each entry on this page, and you can find full write-ups on each below too. We'd be remiss not to remind you to also invest in a good screen, as well as a decent audio setup in the form of an AVR and a surround sound speaker package to achieve the full home theatre experience, of which you can find similar What Hi-Fi? approved lists just like this one. 

The quick list

The best projector overall

Sony changes the game with the cheapest truly native 4K laser projector ever made.

(Image credit: Sony)

The VPL-XW5000ES is a watershed moment for not just Sony’s projection business but the home cinema world in general. Why? Because it’s the cheapest truly native 4K laser projector the home cinema world has ever seen.

Prior to the XW5000ES, Sony’s entry-level SXRD 4K projectors – such as last year’s VW290ES (VW325ES in the US) – have relied on lamp rather than laser technology. Moving to laser, though, means no longer having to put up with the inconvenience and ongoing costs associated with having to replace lamps every few thousand hours of use, or the relatively rapid degradation in brightness that lamps suffer. 

While you inevitably have to accept a compromise or two in return for Sony delivering a full 4K laser projector at this price, those compromises are ultimately crushed by the joyous impact the XW5000ES’s combination of laser lighting and exceptional X1 Ultimate processing has on both your immediate and long-term movie night thrills.

Read the full Sony VPL-XW5000ES review

The best entry-level projector

An affordable 4K projector that impresses

(Image credit: Future)

It's a shade pricey for an entry-level device but, make no mistake, the Epson Home Cinema 3800 (known as the EH-TW7100 in the UK) is the king of affordable 4K projectors. It’s easy to set up and install, and produces a picture that’s reminiscent of what you'll get at the cinema.

You'll get a great image right out of the box without needing to be any kind of expert at tinkering with the settings. All the preset modes are very well judged and it gives an excellent level of black depth and dark detail for a projector at this price. Colors are balanced and motion is naturally smooth.

That said, it's as much the convenience of this machine that makes it so good. Bluetooth allows for direct connection with a wireless speaker or soundbar, and the high luminance means that it's usable in moderately lit rooms. In other words, an AVR, speaker package and home cinema room are not entirely necessary. How's that for a superb family projector?

Read the full review: Epson Home Cinema 3800 (EH-TW7100)

The best high-end projector

(Image credit: Future)

3. Sony VPL-XW7000ES

A dazzlingly bright and brilliant projector.

Our expert review:

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from bitaso.

Specifications

Bulb technology:

Laser diode

Projection technology:

SXRD (LCoS)

Fan noise:

26dB

HDMI:

2 x HDMI 2.0

Brightness:

3200 lumens

Today's Best Deals

$27,998

$27,998

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

Sony is taking no prisoners with its native 4K laser projectors, with the VPL-XW7000ES being the higher-end of the two models. 

The Sony VPL-XW7000ES takes everything up a notch, pushing brightness up to 11 and featuring a more comprehensive set of motorized lens controls. Its native 4K resolution and notably, high lumen count should catch the eyes of those looking for a flashy projector that will have people talking about the device as much as the content that's being watched on it. 

The Sony VPL-XW7000ES consistently received involuntary verbal reactions of “wow” and “can you believe how good this looks?” throughout our testing. The brightness surpasses the gimmicky branding that many would expect, and the details are razor sharp.

Read the full Sony VPL-XW7000ES review

The best ultra short throw projector

An ultra short throw that blends style and substance

(Image credit: LG)

Ultra short throw projectors, or USTs for short, are becoming an increasingly popular option for those who want the big screen theatrics of a projector with the convenience of a TV. Space saving is the game here, without the need for mounts or dedicated home cinema rooms to house bulky traditional projectors, the UST’s main advantage is that it can be placed against a wall but it can still produce a huge image.

The LG Cinebeam HU715Q is about as close as a projector can get to being a TV, with a sleek design, sharp picture and built-in webOS operating system. But while it may be close, could it really replace your TV?

The LG HU715Q is the most convincing case yet for swapping out your TV for an ultra-short throw projector. Naturally, it doesn't offer the inky blacks, striking contrast or next-gen gaming specs of a 77-inch LG C2 OLED, but it does offer a vastly bigger and more cinematic picture – and for a lower price.

You should also consider a traditional home cinema projector, of course, but for those who don't have the space and/or patience, a UST will make all sorts of sense. And if that's the case for you, this is the UST projector that we most heartily recommend.

Read the full LG CineBeam HU715Q review

How to choose the best projector for you

There are a multitude of factors to consider when choosing the right projector to suit your needs. Whether its budget, resolution, screen size or even the type of lamp, all of these factors can drastically alter the performance of a projector. 

It's important to recognise the differences between projector lamp technologies, as different options give you different performance. Laser-based projectors are quick to reach optimal performance after booting up, they produce more accurate colours and have longer lifespans due to not requiring a bulb to power the picture. However, they tend to be more expensive than DLP (Digital Light Processing) LED and LCD projectors, which in turn have their own benefits and caveats. 

Ultimately, the goal with a projector is to encapsulate the cinematic feeling of a movie theater at home, so this is where screen size and resolution are important. Ideally, this is where a 4K projector would be best for crisp and clear visuals. As you'll notice, all of our top picks are either native 4K projectors, or achieve a 4K-like image through clever trickery for a higher picture quality. 

While resolution is a pivotal aspect of the picture quality, its almost equally important counterpart is colour. Projectors can often struggle when it comes to colour, especially when it comes to darker shades. Contrast is key here to ensure that black depth is the best it can be, although no projector will be able to live up to an OLED TV in this regard. 

Within the mix are also some ultra short throw projectors. These can project a big, clear image onto a wall from a very short distance away, making them ideal for space-saving set ups or for those wanting to avoid wall- or ceiling-mounting their projector.

Then there are portable projectors, which are ideal of taking on the go or using outside to create a grab-and-go cinema experience. They might not match up with the performance of dedicated home cinema projectors – the fact that none have made our list should tell you that – but you're paying for the experience and versatility here. You can't beat an open-air cinema experience under the starry night sky after all.

We do often recommend that you budget for a speaker when shopping for a projector, as although many options here include on-board speakers, they are invariably pretty poor. Similarly, while some projectors do now feature built-in streaming platforms, they're often a bit patchy in terms of performance and app selection, so it's often worth keeping some cash aside for a dedicated streamer.

How we test projectors

Testing projectors involves taking the time to explore their capabilities fully through lots of options-tweaking and content-watching. This includes checking every item in the settings menu, and individually tweaking picture features to ensure the projector is giving us the best visual performance it can. 

We conduct these tests in our state of the art testing room in Bath, which is outfitted with a 100-inch screen and a plethora of external sources to hook the projectors up to, including 4K Blu-ray players, video streamers and games consoles. This is also where each of these projectors meets its rivals, as every product is tested side-by-side with the competition to ensure it meets expectations and so that its place in the market is considered as a whole – no product exists in a vacuum after all.

We test using a wide range of content from 4K Blu-rays, to streaming services, video games and standard definition DVDs to make sure all kinds of content are put through these projectors. This helps us find the strengths and weaknesses of each projector.

At the end of this process, a verdict is reached by a team of reviewers who work closely together in order to ensure that each projector is tested fairly, and to avoid the possibility of any personal preferences creeping in. This is also to make sure our reviews are consistent and thorough, and so that no feature or flaw is missed within our testing process.

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