If you are looking for an entry-level home theater projector under $1,000, several solid options are available to fit your budget. You won’t get nearly all the bells and whistles of a more expensive projector, of course. However, you can still get a decent picture that can be used in a variety of ways, such as for an outdoor movie night, or a highly portable projector you can take just about anywhere, etc.
If you need a condensed list of the best home theater projectors, explore our article on the best home theater projectors for 2024.
The AAXA M8 projector has many useful features for entertainment enthusiasts and business professionals who want a reliable, portable solution. From hosting a movie night to delivering a presentation, the M8 is a great tool for any environment. It is available at an MSRP of $419 at AAXA’s corporate store and authorized retailers like Amazon.
The BenQ HT2060 is the most recent addition to the company's growing family of LED-powered projectors. BenQ has dominated the sub $1,000 entry-level projector class for years – going back to models like the W1070A, HT2050A, and HT3050. BenQ has consistently introduced entry-level projectors at a $999 price point with features and performance often found in more expensive models. Due to tariffs, the current selling price for the HT2060 is slightly above its original $ 1,000 MSRP, but considering its performance, it remains an excellent value.
The new HT2060 projector looks to continue this trend and even step it up a notch. If a Full HD (1920 x 1080p) projector is enough resolution for you, then the BenQ HT2060 could be the projector for you and is certainly worth a closer look.
This projector is perfect for customers looking to create their first cinema-quality big-screen home theater and is ideal for a small to medium-sized home theater or living room. And, if past performance is any indication, the HT2060 will work well in rooms with moderate amounts of uncontrolled ambient light thanks to the company's 4LED light engine.
This portable projector is incredibly easy to set up and has various AUTO modes, including keystone, focus, bump correction, and obstacle avoidance. The Xming Page One is rated to project an image anywhere from 40 to 120 Inches on a 16:9 screen. Formovie has partnered with Bosten Acoustics to develop the projector’s Dolby Audio sound system for sound that matches the projector's image.
The Formovie Xming Page One LCD projector is available online from Formovie, Amazon, and other authorized dealers for an MSRP of $499 and can often be found selling for under 400 bucks.
While it can showcase detailed visuals for professional presentations, it also provides quality viewing for movies and TV shows. The EpiqVision Flex CO-W01 can project images up to 300 inches, and its keystone correction, zoom, and focus features make it versatile for various settings.
Notably, the CO-W01 stands out for its color performance, with equal numbers of color lumens and white lumens, allowing colors to pop even in ambient light. In terms of brightness measurements, Epson uses ISO Lumens over ANSI Lumens, emphasizing the importance of color brightness in evaluating a projector's quality.
There are portable 4K projectors on the market that cost less than the Optoma ML1080 but most can't deliver the color reproduction, onscreen contrast, and brightness of the ML1080. So, while the ML1080 displays less resolution, its picture quality makes it stand out against the competition.
The unit's premium RGB triple laser light source can deliver up to 1200 lumens of brightness (550 ANSI Lumens) while reproducing colors that many more expensive projectors and flat panel displays cannot. The ML1080 can reproduce up to 105% of the BT.2020 color gamut. The projector's ability to display a wide color gamut is especially beneficial when displaying HDR (High Dynamic Range) material. The ML1080 supports both HDR10 and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG).
Due to the projector's energy-efficient RGB triple laser light source, the ML1080 can deliver up to 30,000 hours of maintenance-free operation while maintaining its brightness and color saturation. The RGB laser light source also reduces the unit's power consumption by up to 58% compared to Optoma lamp-based projectors at the same brightness levels.
While Dangbei is new to the U.S. market, it has made a name for itself in Asia as a manufacturer of affordable projectors that combine technological innovation with user-centric design. Known in Asia for its innovative software matrices, operating systems, and smart projectors, Dangbei has garnered a user base of over 200 million, dominating the large-screen software market in China.
Dangbei brought its focus on innovation and quality to the American market by integrating smart technology with user-friendly designs. Overall, the Dangbei Atom is a compelling option for those seeking a bright, portable smart projector with good picture quality and cutting-edge smart features. This is the first Dangbei projector I have reviewed, and I was impressed by its performance, so I am giving the Dangbei Atom a Highly Recommended Award.
