In this section, you will find home theater projectors available in the $1000 – $2000 price range (in addition to the section within the report at the same price point but for Smart home theater projectors). The projectors in this section are still very affordable and offer you several options. You can definitely get a respectable home theater projector for under $2,000.
The BenQ TK700 is a 4Kgaming projector that retails for $1,499. BenQ has even been known to drop the price to $1,399 on occasion. The DMD Texas Instruments DLP chipset imager does an excellent job reproducing 4K content in HDR and SDR.
In addition, the lamp light source is rated to deliver 3,200 ANSI lumens for up to 4,000 hours in Normal mode, 8,000 hours in Smart Eco mode, 10,000 hours in Eco mode, and 15,000 hours in LampSave mode.
The TK700 uses that brightness to project clear 60-inch to 200-inch images. If you do not mind the image being somewhat out of adjustment, the TK700 can project an image as small as 30-inches and as big as 300 inches.
PROJECTOR SPECS
Specification
Description
Price
$1399
Technology
DLP w/ XPR
Native Resolution
1920x1080x4 (3840x2160)
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)
3200
Contrast
10,000:1
Zoom Lens Ratio
1.3:1
Lens Shift
No
Lamp Life
4,000 hours (Eco)
Weight
6.8 lbs
Warranty
1 Year
BenQ is undoubtedly targeting the gaming crowd with 4K@60Hz: 16.67ms and 1080p 240Hz: 4.16ms for games where response times matter while gaming. Yet, for the end user also looking for a great home theater experience, BenQ states, “BenQ’s six-segment Color Wheel with DLP BrilliantColor™ Technology makes the projector blends not just the three primary colors, but six – to produce over one billion colors, including hard-to-match natural mid-tones such as sky blue and skin tones, as well as millions of difficult colors throughout the vast range of the color gamut.”
The BenQ TK700 Short-Throw Console Gaming Projector is a win, win! You get a competition-level console gaming projector for your fast-paced gaming needs and a projector with HDR10 and good colors for watching your favorite movies.
The BenQ TH690ST is a 4LED 1080p HDR Short Throw Projector for Console Gaming Projector that retails for $1,099. The DMD Texas Instruments DLP chipset imager does an excellent job. In addition, the 4LED light source is rated to deliver 2,300 ANSI lumens for up to 20,000 hours in Normal mode, 20,000 hours in Smart Eco mode, and 30,000 hours in Eco mode.
The BenQ TH690ST should work great for gamers looking to gain a more immersive gaming experience over hooking up a gaming console to a standard-size TV or monitor.
The BenQ TH690ST, BenQ may be a perfect fit for a consumer who wants to get into gaming with a projector for the immersive gaming experience only gaming on a projector can provide. Remember that the TH690ST provides a 100-inch image at only 4.9 feet from the projector screen which means you can enjoy an immersive experience even in a smaller room.
PROJECTOR SPECS
Specification
Description
Price
$1099 MSRP
Technology
DLP w/ LED Light Source
Native Resolution
1080p (1920x1080)
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)
2300
Contrast
500,000:1 (Full On / Full Off Standard)
Zoom Lens Ratio
1.2X
Lens Shift
No
Lamp Life
20,000 hours (Normal)/ 30,000 hours (Eco)
Weight
7.9 lbs
Warranty
3 Year Limited Warranty
The TH690ST is an excellent option for a potential buyer who doesn’t want to pay the price tag for a 4K capable gaming projector and doesn’t want a lamp-based projector. With the BenQ TH690ST, you get a console gaming projector for your immersive open-world games and fast-paced gaming needs. The TH690ST’s rated input lag of 1080p@120Hz: 8.3ms, 1080p@60Hz: 16.7ms, and 4K@60Hz (downscaling to 1080p).
You get a short-throw projector that is HDR10 compatible that can deliver accurate colors for watching your favorite movies and TV shows. The dual integrated treVolo 5-watt chamber speakers also sound good for their small size.
The Epson Home Cinema 3200 is a 4K HDR compatible 3LCD home theater projector rated at 2,900 lumens which is more than enough to produce a good HDR picture on screens up to 120” and an excellent SDR image on much larger screens.
Epson has been a leader in projector technology for some time, and they offer a wide variety of projectors to fit nearly any application. The Home Cinema 3200 is part of their Home Cinema Series line-up designed to deliver great home theater performance at an affordable price point.
As with all Epson 3LCD projectors, The Home Cinema 3200 produces as many color lumens as it does white lumens, which ensures bright, vibrant color which is critical for good HDR picture quality.
Epson claims that when the Auto Iris is enabled, the HC3200 has a dynamic contrast ratio of 40,000:1.
The Home Cinema 3200’s native resolution is 1080P (1920 x 1080). It is equipped with two 18 Gbps HDMI 2.0 (HDCP 2.2) to accept 4K HDR content up to 60 frames per second. To provide a crisp and clear picture, the projector is equipped with Epson’s PRO-UHD chip, which pixel shifts the image for 4K enhancement. Epson’s proven E-Shift technology delivers a clearer, crisper image than a traditional 1080P projector, and the Home Cinema 3200 is also compatible with both HDR10 and HLG content.
In addition to the Home Cinema 3200 (MSRP $1499.99), Epson has also introduced the Home Cinema 3800 (MSRP $1699.99). For an additional $200, the Home Cinema 3800 has a slightly higher claimed brightness of 3000 lumens and more than double the dynamic contrast. It also includes additional aspect ratio mode adjustments for compatibility with 3rd party anamorphic lenses along with dual rear-firing 10-watt speakers.
The Home Cinema 3200 walks a fine line between convenience, performance, and value. While it doesn’t have some of the features normally found on high-end home theater projectors like Power Zoom and Lens Shift, it still includes several desirable features, including Active 3D, Bluetooth, and wireless networking.
While Epson offers higher-end solutions for dedicated home theaters, the Home Cinema 3200 is a great option for someone who wants to enjoy movies in SDR and HDR in a family room or multi-purpose space.
Epson’s Home Cinema 4010 and Pro Cinema 4050 are bright, 4K Capable – 2,500 lumen – and fully featured projectors. Their native resolution is 1080P (1920 x 1080).
To provide a crisp and clear picture, the projectors can accept 4K60p content and is equipped with Epson’s PRO-UHD chip, which pixel shifts the image for 4K enhancement. They offer a wide color gamut and excellent black levels. It is loaded with features including motorized zoom with lens memory.
The PC4050 (SRP $2399) delivers identical performance as the HC4010 (SRP $1999) but has a black case instead of a white one. It is part of their Pro Cinema lineup focused on the commercial integrator market and includes a mount, extra lamp, and a more generous warranty.
The Epson Home Cinema 4010 is a 4K HDR-compatible home theater 3LCD projector with a rated brightness of 2,400 Lumens. Epson claims that when the Auto Iris is enabled, the HC3200 has a dynamic contrast ratio of 200,000:1.
Epson has been a leader in projector technology for some time, and they offer a wide variety of projectors to fit nearly any application. The Home Cinema 4010 is part of their Home Cinema Series line-up designed to deliver great home theater performance at an affordable price point.
The Home Cinema 4010 is a native HD projector, but it is equipped with two 18 Gbps HDMI 2.0 (HDCP 2.2) to accept 4K HDR content up to 60 frames per second. The Home Cinema 4010 is also compatible with both HDR10 and HLG content.
Epson also offers the Pro Cinema 4050 (SRP $2399) which delivers identical performance but has a black case instead of a white one. It is part of their Pro Cinema lineup focused on the commercial integrator market and includes a mount, extra lamp, and a more generous 3-year warranty.
The real strengths of these projectors include the exceptional placement flexibility (including lens memory for those that wish to go widescreen), great out of the box picture quality especially color. Unlike the competition, it not only handles 4K HDR but gets extremely close to handling full P3 color.
Feature-wise, these projectors are loaded and even a include 2.1:1 motorized zoom lens with lens memory for supporting wide screens (and regular HDTV). The Home Cinema 4010 and Pro Cinema 4050 share our Hot Product Award. Both projectors offer approximately the same value proposition. The Pro does have the 3rd year warranty and 3rd year replacement program, plus the spare lamp, cable cover, and ceiling mount, for the extra $400.
The BenQ HT3560 is a 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160p) DLP (digital light processing) projector that has an MSRP of $1,599. The HT3560 offers a manufacturer-rated brightness of 2,200 ANSI lumens and displays colors that cover 95% of the DCI-P3 and 100% of the Rec.709 color gamuts.
The BenQ HT3560 is one the company's newest versions of their highly successful line of UHP lamp-based home theater projectors and a direct successor to models like the TK850i and the HT3550. The new HT3560 is almost identical to the company's previous model, the HT3550, which we have reviewed here at Projector Reviews. Using a Texas Instruments, pixel shifting 0.47" DMD DLP system that displays a 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160p) on screen.
The HT3560 is not the first UHP lamp-based 4K projector we have been fortunate enough to put through its paces here at projector reviews. We have done detailed testing of the BenQ models that share the HT3560 design aesthetics. Previous models like the HT3550 and TK850i were praised for their ability to create a remarkably good 4K image. This is largely due to the BenQ features like the company's Auto Tone Mapping and Color Mapping technologies combined with BenQ’s Dynamic Iris technology, which allow this projector to display high-quality, natural-looking images out of the box.
The HT3560 is an evolutionary rather than revolutionary update to the HT3550. The BenQ HT3560 shares a remarkably similar design, feature set, and performance to its highly regarded 2021 predecessor. BenQ has added support for HDR10+, an open-source alternative to Dolby Vision HDR that performs similarly. The HT3560 supports BenQ technologies like HDR-PRO and Dynamic Black to help create a cinema-grade experience in your home.
A lot has changed in the projection industry over the last two years, with newer, more affordable, and higher-quality laser and LED light sources now available that can outperform lamp-based projectors.
The ViewSonic X2-4K is a 4K (native 1440p) HDR-capable, LED DLP gaming projector that retails for $1,599.99 MSRP. The X2-4K's state-of-the-art RGB LED light source produces 2,000 ANSI lumens of manufacturer-rated brightness and comes with an integrated Harman Kardon sound system designed to elevate the projector's sound performance.
After a highly rigorous testing process, the X2-4K was designated by Microsoft as the world's first "Designed for Xbox" projector. This projector can easily display games on screen sizes up to 120" with a native 240 Hz refresh rate. The ViewSonic X2-4K is the largest Microsoft-certified Xbox gaming display available today.
I will start with a brief overview of the X2-4K, followed by some of the projector's notable features. I will then take you through the projector's hardware and discuss performance. From there, I will sum it all up for you on the last page. Hopefully, by the end of this review, I will have given you the information needed to decide if the ViewSonic X2-4K is the right projector for your console gaming, home theater, and streaming needs.
The ViewSonic X2-4K 4K capable gaming-focused DLP projector with an MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) of $1,599.99. When you consider the extensive list of features and the projector's rated performance, you can't help but marvel at what value this projector represents.
The X2-4K is one of two X series gaming projectors recently announced by ViewSonic. The models are nearly identical except for the lens assemblies. The X2-4K is equipped with a short throw lens, while the X1-4K is a long throw projector. While the brightness of the two projectors is about the same, ViewSonic lists the brightness differently. The X1-4K brightness is listed at 2,900 LED lumens while ViewSonic says the X2-4K delivers 2,000 ANSI lumens of brightness.
This incredibly full-featured gaming-centric entertainment projector features an LED light source capable of producing 2,000 ASNI lumens of brightness. ViewSonic's proprietary Cinema SuperColor+ technology allows the X2-4K to display 125% of the Rec.709 color gamut. ViewSonic claims that the LED light source should last up to 60,000 hours, three times the average estimated light source life in most LED and even laser projectors.
