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Expert Information on Projectors and Detailed Projector Reviews

SCROLL down for more reviews of projectors or CLICK HERE

Our 15 Favorite Popular Home Theater Projectors: (1080p)

Acer H9500DB lower cost 2D, 3D, impressive
BenQ W1070 home projector, DLP, 2D, 3D - pure value
Epson Home Cinema 3020 2D, 3D affordable, bright family room PJEpson Home Cinema 5020 UB Projector
Epson Home Cinema 5020 and 5020e, 6020 2D/3D, bright, value
JVC DLA-X35 - Great features, blacks
JVC DLA-X95R 2D, 3D, killer blacks
Mitsubishi HC8000D Mitsubishi HC8000D projectorgreat small screen home theater projector, DLP
Optoma HD33 - 3D, DLP, under $2000
Panasonic PT-AE8000 3LCD, under $2700, feature laden
Panasonic PT-AR100U Brightest 2D family room
Sharp XV-Z30000 Projector - 2D/3D, low cost DLP with lens memory Sony VPL-VW1000ES 4K Projector
Sony VPL-HW50ES, 2D/3D under $4K
Sony VPL-VW95ES 2D, 3D projector
Sony VPL-VW1000ES true 4K, 3D wow!
Vivitek H1080FD sub-$1000 1080p Projector


 





Projector Advice and Information

Projectors: General Advice and Information
Read on to see our annual projector reports, general projector advice, FAQs, information about our awards, projector accessories and screens, tradeshows and more!

Home Theater Projector Technology
A guide to projector technologies to assist buyers in choosing the best home theater projector.


Meet Our:
5 Projector Blogs

Projector Blog

The Art of Home Theater Projectors
For comments, tips, and advice on the latest projector reviews, visit Art's blog! - by Art

The Art of of Gaming: Video Game, and Game Projector Reviews -by Pete, (under the moniker): Bitbound - A Gamers Blog

Home Theater and Projectors: The Technical Side - by RonJ - topics from 3D to image processing

Projector Press Releases - Every few days, we post the latest press releases announcing new projectors (and some related products) unlike others, we add some of our own comments for perspective. (Lori)

Projectors and the World of PC Gaming. Our 2nd gaming blogger with takes on gaming and projectors. launched 7/13/11. Scott reviews projectors for gaming, visits Comic-con, and tells you where the hardware and software deals are for gamers.



Popular Projector Reports:

2012Classroom Projector Report: Best School Projectors for K12 Classroom Projectorsfor the 2012-2013 school year: Considers 16 recently reviewed projectors and 60 others recommended for school. 2013 Report in Process

A Guide To Pico Projectors
Tiny projectors are cool. They are fun. Are they practical? We look at performance, features and alternatives. July starts reviews of 8 - 10 pico and micro portable projectors

The 2013 Best In Class Winners! Our 7th ANNUAL 2013 Home Theater Projector Comparison Report

A comparison report of the best 1080p home projectors currently shipping as of April 2013, from under $200, to over $20K - Featuring our Best In Class awards!

DLP vs. 3LCD vs. LCoS Technology
A practical look at some of the key differences between the various types of home theater projectors. (an older article, relevant, but a bit dated).

Programmable Remotes
Some of everything you ever wanted to know about the technology and features found in today's universal remote controls. Written by Mike, our remote control guru.

1080p vs 720p Home Theater Projectors
Find out which resolution of high-definition projectors makes the most sense for your needs. (due for updating)

Business Projectors A quick intro to what's available, pricing, and a sample selection .

Projector Reviews FAQ

Click above for our section with frequently asked questions about projectors, as well as about our equipment, how we select projectors to review, and what goes into each projector reviewing process. We are adding more topics.

 

 


Projector Reviews and Projector News

View All Projector Reviews
Click here for a comprehensive list of all the business and home theater projector reviews, by manufacturer, then by date.

Updates:  Next, the 2013-14 Classroom and Education Projector report publishes the week of May 13th

Next  Projector Reviews to Publish:

Casio XJ-H2650, Acer H6510BD, BenQ W1080ST, and 2 HBOpto Pico projectors (All are in house), coming:  Optoma HD25-LV

The 2013 Home Theater Projector Comparison Report!

Newest Home Projector Reviews

JVC DLA-X35
JVC DLA-X95R
Mitsubishi HC8000D
BenQ W1070
JVC DLA-X55R 
Optoma HD23
Mitsubishi HC7900DW 
Annual Epson vs. Panasonic:  HC5020 UB takes on PT-AE8000
 
Epson HC3020

Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB
 
Panasonic PT-AE8000  
Viewsonic Pro 9000

Sony VPL-HW50ES 
Sharp XV-Z30000 Projector

Acer H6500
Sony VPL-VW1000ES   

Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD all-in-one with iPad interface


For a list of all our projector reviews with paragraph descriptions - most recent first, please scroll down.

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Newest Business and Education Projectors:

Quick List of the most recent Business and Education Projector Reviews
Or scroll down for the full list of reviews by date with paragraph descriptions:

BenQ MS517
Canon REALiS WX6000
Optoma TW610Sti+
Epson W16SK
Mitsubishi WD390U-EST
NEC NP-M311X
Epson BrightLink 436Wi
ViewSonic PJD5533w
NEC VE281X
InFocus IN114
Mitsubishi WL7200U
ViewSonic PJD6383S  
Panasonic PT-DZ770UL
Acer H5360
Sony VPL-FH30  
Viewsonic PRO8300

Canon WUX4000
BenQ LW61ST
Epson PowerLite 435W
Epson Powerlite Pro Z8450WUNL
Optoma ZX210ST
Epson BrightLink 485Wi
Optoma TW-610STi
NEC U310W
Casio XJ-M145

Vivtek QUMI
Epson Powerlite Pro G5450WUNL
Sharp PG-D45X3D
Sony VPL-EX175
Epson Powerlite 96W

More Reviews - Projection Screens, Accessories, All-in-ones, Comparisons:

Carada Masquerade CIH Masking system for projector screens
Epson ES1000 Portable Tabletop Screen 02/05/2012
Screen Innovations Black Diamond 1.4 screen

DVDO Edge Video ProcessorDVDO Edge Video Processor

Calibration Software review
: Digital Video Essentials HD (DVE HD) on Blu-ray


Pico and Pocket Projectors: Recent Reviews

AAXA P4-X  
Optoma PK320
Optoma ML500
Viewsonic PLED-W500 3D, WXGA
Acer K330 3D, WXGA!
Vivitek QUMI
- 3D and 720p


Recent Blogs on New Projectors and Accessories

Art of Home Theater Blog: JVC DLA-X95R Projector - About as good as 2K Projectors Get
Press Release Blog: Optoma Adds ZX212ST and ZW212ST Projectors to Line
Pete's Art of Gaming Blog: Review - BenQ W1070
Ron's Technical Blog: Update on 4K Related Standards and 1080p Projector News
Scott's PC Gaming Blog: Wonder-Con/E3 Update


Recent Projector Reviews TV videos

Epson Pro Cinema 6020UB
Sony VPL-VW1000ES video
Choosing the Right Projector Screen: Pt 1
Home Theaters: Choosing the Right Projector for your Family or Media Room (Pt 1)
Color Brightness: An Important New Metric for Projectors
Epson MegaPlex MG-50
Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD
   For the full list of our PR TV videos, click here  

Projector Screens

Buying the right projector screen is critical to getting the most enjoyment out of your home theater system. We show you how to choose the best screen, how to measure a screen's 16:9 dimensions to provide an optimal viewing experience.

   

Latest Projector Reviews

Click for additional projector reviews

Casio XJ-H2650 5/16/2013 This Casio education projector is a fine choice for school and district administrators shopping for a projector with low maintenance costs. With an LED/laser light source lamp, it can last up to 20,000 hours. It also boasts a great 3 year warranty. Special Interest Award!

Guide to Buying the Best Home Theater Projector for You 05/8/2013 Introducing our first ever guide to home theater projector shopping! Compared to our annual home theater comparison report, this guide is more viewer-centric than product-centric... Let us help you understand exactly what you want and need in your next home theater projector.

Optoma TW610STi+ 4/25/2013 This projector is formidable competition in the short throw interactive business and K-12 category. Equipped with a full spread of inputs and an interactive pen, the TW610STi+ is capable of connecting and interacting with just about anything during your presentations.

Canon REALiS WX6000 4/24/2013 The WX6000 is an excellent performer that produces a sharp, bright image with superior color fidelity. If you’re in the market for a large venue projector that can handle a fair amount of ambient light while still providing a clear presentation, the Canon WX6000 certainly deserves your consideration.

Epson W16SK 4/23/2013 This W16SK consists of two projectors stacked together to allow for exceptionally bright 3D (and 2D).  Low cost passive 3D glasses create a better solution in the classroom and training room thanks to inexpensive glasses.

Mitsubishi WD390U-EST 4/17/2013  Mitsubishi's "Cloud" projector is a single chip DLP projector with an ultra-short throw lens, 3000 lumens. It presents from local computers, from distant computers on a network (or "cloud"), plus PC free presentations.  iPads and other mobile devices can control the presentations, giving this projector interactive abilities. Extremely impressive.

NEC NP-M311X 04/16/2013 NEC delivers a business and education projector with good color, sharpness and brightness considering its small package. From wireless compatibility with iPads to an excellent lamp warranty, the NEC is equipped with features to make your presenting life easier.   Value!

Epson BrightLink 436Wi 04/11/2013 Epson's strong new interactive projector was designed with educators in mind. The 436Wi learns quickly and offers some unique features, such as annotation with or without a laptop.  Epson's interactive projectors have always been among the best.

VIDEO: JVC Projectors: A Look at "4K" E-shift2 Detail Enhancement Technology 04/10/2013 All of JVC's home theater projectors offer a dynamic detail enhancement and sharpness system called "4K e-shift2." This video looks closely at the impact on the image when shifting between these modes.

The 2013 Best In Class Winners! Best Home Theater Projectors Report 2013 03/27/2013 Introducing our annual home theater projector comparison report! So far, it includes a rundown of all the projectors considered, a list of this year's winners, and a look at some performance aspects. The rest of the report will be published in the next few days.

ViewSonic PJD5533w 3/24/13 Designed for the budget-conscious, this ViewSonic is appealing for school districts and small businesses. While it lacks any serious networking capabilities, the PJD5533w gets you an excellent performance for its price.

VIDEO: Panasonic PT-AE8000U 03/18/2013 Panasonic's PT-AE8000U projector received our Hot Product Award. Certainly each year, the latest PT-AE series projector is one of the very best sellers in the price range of under $3000 home theater projectors. We created this 8-minute video as a fun and informational summary of the original review.

NEC NP-VE281X 3/16/13 The NEC VE281X is a solid performer and real road warrior. Designed to be fairly compact and simple to operate, it is a bright and 3D ready XGA projector with nice image quality.

VIDEO: Pico and Pocket Projectors: The Big Picture, Part 2 02/10/2013 The second video in this informational video series which further discusses brightness, features, warranties and tradeoffs of pico and pocket projectors

JVC DLA-X35 3/3/13 Available in black or white, (white typically for family rooms), this impressive $3500 projector is best in a home theater setup.  Afterall it is only slightly brighter than JVC's more expensive projectors, and barely average overall. . This X35 sports much improved 3D performance, good overall color, lens memory and great blacks.

VIDEO: Black Level Performance in Home Theater Projectors: Why It Matters 2/23/13 For years we have referred to a quest for outstanding black levels as the Holy Grail for home theater projector performance. This video will explain the importance of this performance aspect, as well as demonstrate it so you know what to look for.

JVC DLA-X95 R 2/16/13 Deep natural black levels, great color, power everything, Lens Memory, built from the best of components, the X95 delivers a beautiful picture. A projector that should appeal to the purist. Try not to let the $11,999 price tag distract you.

VIDEO: Pico and Pocket Projectors: The Big Picture, Part 1 02/10/2013 The first video in this informational video series gives you a basic rundown of what to expect from these two classes of ultra portable projectors, pico projectors and pocket projectors.

InFocus IN114 2/7/13 Sharp, 3D ready, bright and with long lamp life, this InFocus ultra portable projector is a strong performer. Great for road warriers, and educators who need a projector that can grow with technology.

Mitsubishi HC8000D 2/4/13 This Mitsubishi projector wins a Special Interest Award. Overall, and excellent DLP home theater projector for under $3000. A really good choice for smaller rooms, and screens not too large.

ViewSonic PJD6383S 2/4/13 Receiving our Special Interest Award, the PJD6383S pretty much ticks all the boxes when making a list of the desired features in a short throw, multimedia projector. Bright, accurate color, quiet operation and a great warranty!

Epson Pro Cinema 6020 1/31/13 The Pro Cinema 6020 is nearly identical to the Home Cinema 5020UB, which we reviewed in October. We had both projectors here, but to write two fully separate reviews on both made no real sense. After all, image quality and performance should be identical, except that the 6020 supports an anamorphic lens. As such, this 6020 review uses much of the text taken directly from the 5020UB review.

VIDEO: Epson BrightLink 485Wi Review Summary 01/15/2013 Our first Interactive Projector video summary, we love this projector. So much, in fact, that it earned 2012's Best in Classroom: Interactive Projector Award. Listen to Art as he raves about this unique, feature laden projector.

VIDEO: Epson PowerLite 96W Review Summary 01/13/2013 We're excited to announce our first Projector Reviews TV video summary of a business and education projector--not to mention one of our favorites--the Epson PowerLite 96W. We gave this one a Best in Classroom Award!

VIDEO: Epson Home Cinema 3020 Review Summary 01/11/2013 Competitively priced at $1599, the Home Cinema 3020 boasts bright 3D, a dynamic iris, great warranty and support, and all kinds of cool features. See why we love this improvement on last year's favorite, the 3010.

VIDEO: Sony VPL-VW1000ES Review Summary 01/08/2013 Winner of our Outstanding Projector of the Year award, this is hands down the best projector we've ever reviewed. See why Art is raving about this $25K beauty.

VIDEO: Sony VPL-HW50ES Review Summary 01/08/2013 A beautiful  projector from Sony--rather bright, 3D, excellent color, $3999 with a spare lamp, 2 pair of 3D glasses. Affordable and a great value.

BenQ W1070 1/6/13 At approximately $1000, this small DLP home entertaiment projector is tough to beat, exceptional color, exceptionally bright, full CMS, and even some lens shift. An easy Hot Product Award decision

VIDEO: Choosing the Right Projector Screen: Part 2 12/29/12 Remember part 1, in which we showed you a few things that are crucial to consider when picking a projector screen? Well the second segment is here! Tune in for the rest of what you need to know.

VIDEO: Choosing the Right Home Theater Projector for your Family Room Part 5: 3D 12/28/12 Part 5 of our video series to help you choose the right projector for your family room or media room, we cover 3D.

JVC DLA-X55R 12/21/12 This new JVC shares features from both JVC's lower cost X35 and the X75R. Similar to the X35, but it has JVC's 4K "e-Shift" image enhancement system.  We take a very close look at e-Shift in this review. Overall: Excellent Projector

VIDEO: Choosing the Right Home Theater Projector for your Family Room Part 4: Projector Placement 12/21/12 In the fourth segment on picking the right projector for your family room or media room, Art talks projector placement. Lens shift? Ceiling mount? Table top placement? Art explains it all.

VIDEO: Choosing the Right Home Theater Projector for your Family Room Part 3: Key Projector Features 12/21/12 The third video in our series, this one covers what cool features you might want to look out for when choosing a projector. Art touches on Creative Frame Interpolation, dynamic iris and lens shift.

VIDEO: Choosing the Right Home Theater Projector for your Family Room Part 2: Budget 12/21/12 The second video in our 5-part series on how to choose the right projector for your non-dedicated theater environment. In this segment, Art covers what you can get for your budget!

Epson Home Cinema 5020UB Video Summary 12/14/12 We loved this projector when we reviewed it (Hot Product Award!), and we love it now. Tune in to learn more about this bright, ultra black and 3D capable 5020UB.

Epson Pro Cinema 6020 Video Summary 12/11/12 The latest addition to the "Projector Reviews TV" channel is a summary of Epson's Pro Cinema 6020UB 3D home theater projector. Watch to find out why this Epson is one of our favorites.

Optoma HD23 12/7/12 This compact, $999 DLP projector offers really good color, respectable brightness, No 3D, but a solid projector that offers good value as a family room type projector!  Special Interest Award

Mitsubishi HC7900DW 11/27/12 Mitsubishi's $2499 DLP projector is 3D capable, although only average brightness, it offers really excellent color.  Glasses and 3D emitter are optional expenses. Hot Product Award!

Projector Comparison:  PT-AE8000 vs. HC5020 UB 11/19/12 Each year we take a look at how each company's flagship projectors stack up against each other.

Epson Home Cinema 3020  11/11/12 The HC3020 is Epson's "entry level" 3D projector with $1599 street price including two pair of lightweight, comfortable, RF, rechargeable glasses.  Produces an extremely bright image, with real good color, a number of improvements from last year.

Mitsubishi WL7200U  11/10/12 This Mitsubishi small install is a very capable performer. Excellently bright, reasonably quiet, sharp and well-saturated--a terrific value with a street price under $3000!

Epson Home Cinema 5020 UB 10/31/12 On paper the improvements over last year are minor. In reality though, 3D is greatly improved, color is better, and it's brighter calibrated, slightly brighter at brightest.  Superb value for well under $3000!

Panasonic PT-AE8000 10/21/12 A feature laden projector with great placement flexibility. Ultra high contrast blacks, and it's about the brightest home theater projector around. 3D, Lens Memory, Hot Product Award

Viewsonic Pro9000 10/15/12 We take a look at an early pre-production version of this DLP projector that sports a 20,000 hour hybrid LED / Laser light source, something rare in home theater projectors.

Panasonic PT-DZ770UL 10/15/12 Truly impressive. Though it comes with a hefty price tag of $17,099, this projector is exceptionally sharp and boasts 7000 lumens. Guaranteed to produce an incredible picture.

Acer H5360 10/5/12 A lot of projector at a good price! Not only is this Acer a great choice in the conference room, but it is also suited for part time home entertainment use.

Video:  Choosing the Right Projector Screen: Part 1 10/12/12 This is the first of two videos that will show you what you need to look out for when projector screen shopping. We will cover screen surfaces, screen size vs. lumens, your environment, acoustic materials, motorized vs. fixed screens and command and control of your screen.

Home Theaters: Choosing the Right Projector for your Family or Media Room (Part 1) Video 10/8/12 This is the first video in an upcoming 5-part video series on how to select the right projector for your family room, bonus room or media room. These informational videos will cover brightness, projector budget, key projector features, projector placement, 3D and screen selection.

Sony VPL-HW50ES 9/26/12 A beautiful new projector from Sony, rather bright, 3D, excellent color, $3999 with a spare lamp, 2 pair of 3D glasses. Offers serious performance! Hot Product Award

Color Brightness Video Explanation 9/22/12 This video will introduce a new color light output standard, which we are calling "color lumens." This new projector specification will give you more information about overall projector brightness, allowing you to make a more informed decision when projector shopping.

AAXA P4-X  9/18/12  This is one of the more full featured pico projectors available.  Claiming 80 lumens on AC and 45 on battery the P4-X is also one of the brightest in its class.  Media Player, HDMI, USB, mini-tripod included. Earns a Special Interest award.

Sony VPL-FH30 9/4/12 Winner of our Hot Product Award, this commercial Sony projector offers high brightness, excellent color balance, an excellent warranty, and optional lenses that allow for installation a wide range of distances from the screen. Versatile and well endowed, we like this one.

Sharp XV-Z30000 Projector 8/22/12  This Sharp projector is a "classic" DLP home theater projector.  3D Capable, Deep rich colors, very fast color wheel, lens memory, and very good blacks.  Street price is elusive but well under $4000. Best in a dedicated home theater! Receives ou Hot Product award! Impressive.

Viewsonic PRO8300 08/21/12 Aimed directly at business, this full 1080P HD projector offers good brightness, a sharp image and great color accuracy. For a very competitive price you also get two HDMI and nice portability relative to other projectors full HD projectors.

Optoma PK320 Video Summary 08/14/12 A fun little video for a fun little projector! We love the PK320 pico projector--in fact, it's Art's favorite of all the pico's he has seen in action! Watch to find out why.

Panasonic PT-AR100U Video Summary 07/11/12 The first product of our new "Projector Reviews TV" channel! Panasonic's PT-AR100U projector received a Projector Reviews Best in Class (2D only) Award for under $2000 home theater projectors, thanks to it being one of the most impressive projectors of the year. We created this 3-minute video as a fun and informational summary of the original review.

Optoma PK320 07/10/12 The coolest little pico projector around! Very capable and with a street price of around $400, this Optoma is not only a great bargain but also a great investment!

Acer H6500 Projector 6/29/12 This under $900 entry level projector is sold at Best Buy, and some other places.  It happens to be a very bright low cost projector suitable for family rooms, bonus rooms, etc, where there's some ambient light.  Picture in Picture. A good first projector for the general consumer, it has less appeal to the real projector enthusiast

Canon REALiS WUX4000 06/14/12 This LCoS projector is 1920x1200 WUXGA resolution, providing a super crisp image. It's bright at 4000 lumens, has great color, is easy to use, and has great connectivity.

Outstanding Product of the Year 06/08/12 The best projector we've ever reviewed is this Sony VPL-VW1000ES. It is truly phenomenal. With true 4K resolution, great 3D and overall performance that surpasses any movie theater projector, we're speechless. Read here to find out why choosing this projector for our highest award was a slam dunk!

Sony VPL-VW1000ES 6/5/12 True 4K resolution, 3D, extremely bright when calibrated, stunning picture, excellent blacks, and a big bucks price tag, Sony's flagship projector is superb.  $25K is too much for most of us, but from a pure price performance basis, it's so good you can justify every cent. Earns our Hot Product Award !

BenQ LW61ST 05/31/12 This BenQ is a very strong business and education projector. Earning our Best in Classroom Projector Award in this year's Classroom Projector Report, it boasts a 20,000 hour laser light source, great color in all modes and extensive interfacing. You can hook it up to virtually any source and go.

Panasonic PT-VX400NT 05/15/12 Compact and bright with great color and sharpness, we like the Panasonic. Capable of wireless presentation from an iPhone, iPad or iPod, it's versatile too! Special Interest Award.

Epson PowerLite 435W 4/30/12 This projector has proven to be a real performer in the ever growing, short throw class, of projectors. With its measured brightness of 2639 lumens, the 435w has more than enough power to handle just about any environment!

Epson Powerlite Pro Z8450WUNL 4/25/12 7000 lumens, and WUXGA (1920x1200) with six lens options. A commercial projector for about $15,000 (NL is "No Lens included"). Exceptional feature set, including Edge Blending, Dynamic Iris, Multi-projector use, advanced networking, off axis operation, split screen, DICOM. A rental and staging projector, or command and control, auditorium, scientific and medical applications...  Hot Product Award

Optoma ZX210ST 4/24/12 A feature-laden small XGA multimedia projectos we've reviewed here at Projector Reviews! Great sharpness, very good brightness and color, but the highlight is that it's a reasonably bright (about 1500 lumens) LED projector! Plus 3D, PC-Free, USB, SD presenting

Epson BrightLink 485Wi 4/22/12 Overall, Epson has produced a ultra short throw interactive projector that is easy to use, easy to set up, and is priced right. Previous versions won our Best In Classroom award two years in a row.

Mitsubishi WD380U-EST 4/14/12 This Ultra Short Throw WXGA DLP projector is a very capable performer with every type of input you could want. Features include 3D capability, PC-Free presenting from USB, 2800 lumens, networking with notifications, Mic input.

Optoma ML-500 4/6/12 DLP pocket projector - that's a large pico projector - led light source, claiming a massive (for such projectors) 500 lumens.  LED light source rated at 20,000 hours.  A really small projector with LED light source that's actually bright enough for a decent sized room!

Panasonic PT-AR100U 03/10/12 The first high brightness (a real light canon) LCD, 1080p home entertainment projector, measured about 2400 lumens. Versatile (2:1 zoom lens, and lens shift), a great family room projector for about $999 (MAP), that can double in a dedicated home theater or cave.

Epson MegaPlex MG-50 03/06/12 What a great multipurpose projector, and what a bargain! For just $699, get good brightness and contrast... Plus it boasts a base station for your iPod, iPhone or iPad. Surely a fun purchase.

BenQ W7000 Projector - Revisited: We have updated portions of the W7000 review after working with a full production version with "final" firmware. Significant improvements, especially black level performance. The "provisional" Hot Product Award, is now permanent. Bright, with glorious picture.

Viewsonic PLED-W500 2/1/2012 This roughly two and a half pound DLP projector has a 20,000 hour LED light source, and puts over 400 lumens on the screen. Built in media player with 1GB memory, makes computer free a big advantage for this small projector. Great warranty too.

Acer K330 1/23/12 A pocket projector (too big to be a pico), small, and under 3 pounds with a 20,000 hour LED light source for low cost of operation. Measured 424 lumens, impressive for this class of projector. Very good color, and very sharp. Check it out!

BenQ W7000 Projector 1/4/12 We have been working with an engineering sample - still a few rough edges, but this is an exceptionally bright, under $3000, 3D capable home theater projector with rich colors, and a good feature set. A "provisional" Hot Product award, pending final firmware, and related fixes. Extremely impressive.

Sony VPL-VW95ES 12-10-11 This is one fine $7,000 home theater projector. With that price it's not for everyone, but it's a significant improvement over last year's Sony for $3000 less! It offers a lot more brightness, better 3D... A top performer, it gets our Hot Product Award.

Epson Megaplex 850HD 11-23-11 An all-in-one 720p projector, with a twist - a spring loaded doc for your iPad or iPhone. Very cool.

Acer H9500BD Home projector 11-22-11 This Acer's got real trade offs. It starts with very impressive blacks for a 3D capable projecctor under $2000. Too rough around the edges for a Hot Product award, but impressed enough to earn a special interest.

CalMAN 4 Calibration Software 11-3-11 This software takes a huge step forward in calibration software! Appropriate for both amateurs and professional calibrators!

Optoma GT750 10-5-11 Great 3D capable gaming projector that's also a very good, affordable family projector. Extremely bright, portable, has 10 watt sound, and under $800!

Casio XJ-M145 10-2-11 This Casio deserves serious consideration for your school district or business! It boasts LED/laser light source that never needs replacing, a great warranty, wireless networking and 3D readiness... Extremely low cost of operation. Our Hot Product Award, for sure!

Optoma HD8300 9-24-11 This is Optoma's flagship 2D home projector with 3D capabilities. Very good color, solid performance, and a rough edge or two. 1080p resolution single chip DLP with good placement flexibility.

Vivitek QUMI 9-8-11 This incredibly compact mini projector, weighing in at just 1.4 lbs., does well against the competition! It boasts great color rendition, a long light life thanks to its LED light source, and 3D capability!

Optoma HD33 2D and 3D Projector 8-29-11 A Hot Product award for combining good entry level 2D performance with very respectable 3D performance. That includes having decent 3D brightness, a problem for most 3D projectors

Epson Powerlite Pro G5450WUNL 8-24-11 Boasting impressive brightness, sharpness, color reproduction and depth, this Epson should be among the top choices for board rooms and smaller sized auditoriums!

Carada Masquerade CIH Masking System 6-28-11 For several thousand dollars you can encase your fixed screen into a motorized Masquerade. No more visible letterbox, less ambient light. Big black border, looks great

Sharp PG-D45X3D projector 5-20-11 The brightest of the 3D capable projectors considered in our Classroom report, it offers excellent color, and ample brightness in 3D! Sharp combines premium 3D performance with affordable price. A Hot Product Award winner. Great for Biz and Science

Hitachi CP-AW250N 5-16-11 This Hitachi projector is a true Ultra-short throw projector, that sits only a few inches from the screen or wall, keeping the bright light out of the presenter's eyes.

Sony VPL-EX175 4/15/11 Sony's flagship education market projector combines a very good price with a rather impressive key feature set. It delivers key capabilities including networking, closed captioning, exceptional brightness, and very good image quality.

Epson Powerlite 96W 4/10/11 This Epson packs a lot of punch for its price. Winner of our 2011-12 Best In Classroom Award. Bright, sharp, feature laden, advanced networking, low cost of operation!

Viewsonic Pro8200 - 1/31/11 This sub-$1000 cross-over home entertainment projector is equally suitable as a low cost business projector. One of the brightest, affordable home projectors. A little "rough around the edges", but a solid value!.

Want to see more reviews? Click here for all projector and projector equipment reviews.

 

Home Theater Projectors

Today's true Home Theater Projectors are virtually all 16:9 aspect ratio, which is the HDTV standard.  With few exceptions, today's home theater projector for $2500 easily outperforms most five or six year old projectors that were three to five times the price.  For the full list of home theater and home entertainment projector reviews click here.

Portable Projectors

Until about 3 years ago, the typical ultra-light portables ran from 2.5 to 5 pounds and the value portable projectors most from five pounds and up, and typically seven or eight pounds. Brightness is mostly over 2500 lumens these days, on portables with the exception of Pico and Pocket projectors.

Those little guys start at less than a half pound.  Serious pico projectors produce 40 to 100 lumens, although low cost picos still start at about 15 lumens.  Pocket Projectors, typically 1.5+ pounds (with their power bricks), now typically offer 200, 300, even 500 lumens.  They are starting to be viable school and business portable projectors.

LCD projectors, DLP projectors, LCoS Projectors for Education

A wide range of projectors, both LCD and DLP are available for the classroom, lab, and other education applications. Many projectors designed for classrooms now feature more and better speakers to handle the room without the need of external speakers, saving significant cost.

From a technology standpoint you will find the following types of front projectors

  • LCD projectors
  • DLP projectors
  • LCOS projectors - including JVC's D-iLA, Sony's SXRD, and Canon's Realis.  In the business/scientific/education space LCoS have a following, for several reasons, but they are premium priced.
  • Pico projectors (those cute little, and so far, fairly dim) 1 pound or smaller battery powered projectors), and a few larger projectors offering LED or Laser light sources or hybrids instead of a conventional lamp.  Pico and Pocket projectors are mostly DLP but some are LCoS projectors.

Projector Resolution

Here at Projector Reviews we review projectors with a wide range of native resolutions.

Business Projectors typically are available in native resolutions from as low as SVGA 800x600, and up to UXGA 1600x1200 in the 4:3 format.  Business projectors in widescreen formats tend to run from WXGA 1280x800 to 1080p or 2K format.

Education Projectors cover the same general resolutions as Business projectors because they are often the same projector.  Note that the highest resolutions such as UXGA and 1080p / 2K, however would rarely be found in K-12 Classrooms, their costs tend to restrict them to use in higher education, primarily

Home Projectors  Almost all home entertainment and home theater projectors are now widescreen, and they are all either 720p 1280x720, WXGA 1280x800, or 1080p.  There is one true 4K projector on the market at this time.

Pico and Pocket Projectors   Resolutions can start really low, even below VGA's 640x480.  Pico projectors - the smallest, tend to be lower resolution.  VGA, SVGA, XGA and even some WXGA are findable for the smaller pico projectors while the larger pocket projectors are more likely to be SVGA, WSVGA, XGA or WXGA resolution.

Business projectors

Business projectors now sell for as little as $299, but at that price you get lower resolution projectors that are mostly purchased by schools and small companies that have minimal budgets. For a hi resolution XGA projector, those with modest feature sets now start under $400, and widescreen projectors only slightly more.  Of course the brighter, and the more featured, the higher the price.  Installation type projectors can start well under $1000, but high power ones with interchangeable lenses tend to start upward of $3000, and sky's the limit.

Business and Home Theater Projector Screens

Everyone buying a video projector should have a screen. And while there are many well known projector screen manufacturers, including Da-Lite, Draper, Vutec, Elite… One projector screen manufacturer that is considered to sell premium quality projector screens is Stewart Filmscreen. Other well known brands including projector screens from Da-Lite, Elite, Draper, Carada, Screen Innovations, and Vutec. We have articles to help you choose the correct projector screen surface, explain tensioned screens, positioning the projector screen, what type of screens best reject ambient room light, and much more, in our Projector Screens section

The Projector Screens section contains articles written in house, and others from Stewart Filmscreen, to help you understand, and choose the best projector screen for your room and home theater projector. It also contains a list of the reviews we have done on motorized and fixed wall projector screens.

Our projector screen reviews will focus primarily on those projector screens that work best in home theaters, as well as specialty projector screens and lightweight portable projector screens.

We hope you find our projector reviews and projector advice to be most helpful.

Access the database of projectors from the left bar, some of the top brands are listed there, but a few dozen more can be found on the All Projector Brands link. Or, use our Projector Search feature

Many recent projector reviews are listed on the projectorreviews.com homepage, but you can access the entire list from the All Digital Projector Reviews tab on the top bar. For general information on projectors and how to choose them visit the Projector Advice and Information tab (also on the top). Our Contact Us/About Us area is on the top right. For home theater projector reviews only, click on the Home Theater Projector Reviews tab on the top of every page.

Note, most business should not be buying the low res projectors, as mentioned in our article “ Selecting the Right Business Projector…”

Projector Manufacturers

Today, there are more than 50 projector manufacturers, selling way more than a million projectors a year (in the US alone). Of those, perhaps a dozen or so specialize in the real high end for home, business or scientific use, brands like Runco, Christie, and Digital Projection. Perhaps 20 projector companies dominate almost all of the under $10,000 projectors, with many of the others offering specialty projectors or just smaller, companies.  Pico and Pocket projector brands are popping up everywhere, most coming from Taiwan or China.

Most of the new projector manufacturers are Taiwant or China based Pico and Pocket projector manufacturers.