Best projector in 2025 - Bring home these projectors

When it comes to projectors, most people think of watching TV, which is also supported by the fact that streaming providers are spreading very quickly. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Max, Hulu, Disney and I could list the options for going to the movies, and for this, a projector or a projector is the ideal companion. We have tested several dozen of these products in recent years, we had traditional projectors including LED, laser and countless other technological achievements. Moreover, the newer devices are already smart, that is, they run some kind of operating system, with which you can not only project, but also install countless applications, play games, share images from your other smart devices, listen to music and do countless other things.

contents

• These are the best projectors (2025)
• Everything you need to know about projectors
• How should you choose a projector?
• Tips and tricks for choosing a projector
• Advantages and disadvantages of using a projector
• Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a projector good? Which is the best? On what basis should you choose the perfect projector for yourself? These are all very important questions, and according to our experience, you can suck a lot with a wrong choice. It was not a projector that we wished to hell, which is why we are trying to share our experiences with you, and at the end we will also show you some tips and tricks.

These are the best projectors (2025)

The projectors on our list were selected based on the following criteria:

• more than 10 years, based on our own experience as testers
• based on the service experience and long-term tests of our previous partners
• based on individual research, which is based on domestic and international customer opinions
• based on opinions read in various forums and special groups

READ THE DETAILED TEST OF THE WANBO MOZART 1 PRO PROJECTOR!

READ THE DETAILED TEST OF THE JMGO N1 ULTRA PROJECTOR!

READ THE DETAILED TEST OF THE ULTIMEA APOLLO P40 PROJECTOR!

READ THE DETAILED TEST OF THE BLITZWOLF BW-V4 PROJECTOR!

YOU CAN FIND ALL THE PROJECTORS TESTED BY US ON THIS LINK!

Everything you need to know about projectors

Home use of projectors started about 10 years ago when Chinese dumped products brutally depressed prices. Before, you could mostly meet such devices in educational institutions and conference rooms, which represent a completely different category, both in terms of knowledge and price. The truly revolutionary solutions were brought about 6-8 years ago by laser projectors. These consume little, their image is very nice and by pushing the UST laser projectors close to the wall, you can also use them by projecting the image at 90 degrees instead of directly, i.e. essentially perpendicularly, which is actually very similar to watching TV. They take up little space and should be seen primarily as an alternative to televisions, but the number on the price tag is still very high, so the big breakthrough is yet to come.

Smart projectors running Android appeared a few years ago, and they not only project the image as a display, but also have smart functions. They are able to connect to the Internet, play music and display other content, so their use has actually merged with smart TVs and TV boxes. They have very similar hardware and essentially do the same thing as the two aforementioned devices.

What is the difference between the names? Where does the term projector come from?

The word projector comes from the English word "projector", which literally means projector. In other words, it is a device that uses a light source to display an image through a lens on a suitable canvas or other surface, such as a wall. Therefore, the projector, projector, projecting machine, projection machine, display actually cover the same concept, with the proviso that anything can be a display - for example, a TV or a monitor, but also the display of your phone - which is suitable for transmitting some kind of image. The word projector has different variations, depending on what exactly it was coined for. For example, video projectors are designed to display video content, sound projectors are actually speakers that broadcast music or other sound-based content, while smart projectors run their own operating system that can perform similar functions as other smart devices.

Video projectors began to appear in Hungary in the 1990s, but the projecting of the image itself was already attempted in the Middle Ages. If you still remember slide projectors - those born in the 1980s could still see such devices in their childhood - then it was a very similar device, here the device used a lamp and a magnifying lens to project frames onto a projection screen or wall. This was still a completely analog solution, which was replaced with the spread of computer technology by video projectors.

Video projectors do nothing but receive an image sent by another device at their input, and then project it as an output through a lens using a light source. Of course, modern solutions no longer need other devices, most of them have a part suitable for some kind of network connection. They are either WiFi solutions, or they can be connected to the network using an ethernet port. They run some kind of general, and in some cases special, operating system on the hardware inside them. These mini computers are very similar to Android phones, with the difference that their functionality is at best limited or tailored to the given projector to make it as easy as possible to use. That's why the so-called smart projector solutions that run stock Android are not good, because they are not really ergonomic. If you are definitely looking for a smart projector, then look for ones that run Android TV, we will discuss this in more detail later.

If you want to narrow down the products according to technical parameters or construction characteristics, then according to the following, the projector is a device that:

• able to display some image
• contains a light source and a lens
• able to focus the light so that the projected image is sharp
• if it is smart, it runs some kind of system and includes smart functions
• it can usually be mounted on a bracket or stand
• often has some sound source

It should also not be forgotten that projector technology basically seeped into households from movie theaters, and today's projectors and mini-projectors are the reduced versions of the projectors that accept digital data. Although in our minds the movie theater projector lives in the form of a tape-based, analog device, in reality movie theaters nowadays use digital data sources just like in households.

How does the projector work?

All projectors have some sort of video input that receives a video signal from a source device. This usually comes to the projector via an HDMI connector or via the network, for example, using an ethernet connector or a WiFi modem. The incoming data is projected by the projector using a halogen lamp - in the case of more modern ones, LED or laser diodes. Projectors are also distinguished according to projection technology, they can be LCD, DLP, LED LCoS, laser and mixed.

Az LCD technology in the case of projectors using light generated by a light source polarizing filters is broken down into green, red and blue light, then these are transferred to an LCD panel and either mixed or projected so quickly one after the other that the eyes cannot perceive the separate colors. The digital image mixed in this way is projected through a magnifying lens onto the projection screen, where the enlarged image appears.

One of the problems with older LCD solutions was lower brightness, which was solved by installing more powerful lamps in the projector. However, heat is not a friend of electronics, so either its lifespan was reduced, or the projector received high-performance, loud cooling in return. A vicious circle from which it is difficult to break out, we had to look for a new light source. Halogen lamps have begun to be replaced by LED solutions, where the light is provided by LED diodes with much lower consumption. They heat up less, so less heat needs to be dissipated, which means these devices are quieter. The LCD technology also has its shortcomings, for example the low contrast ratio - you can't make beautiful black with it - the fact that each pixel needs a separate transistor, which covers the image, creating the so-called "chick net" effect, but there is also a problem that the low image update - not good for gaming - and I could go on and on. One modification of the LCD is LCOS technology - some manufacturers refer to it with other names - where the light goes through an extra step and is also reflected from an LCoS mirror, which improves color reproduction, especially in the case of black and gray shades. Its price is very high, so you will rarely come across it

In 1987, Texas Instrument invented a completely different technology in addition to the LCD, the DLP, which is a digital micromirror system - actually using a mirror ball - is used DMDalso called The essence of the solution is that each pixel has a small mirror that can be in two states. In the first, the light is reflected towards the viewer, and in the second, it is reflected onto a light-absorbing material, where it is absorbed. By adjusting the mirrors, you can control how dark or bright the screen should be, which is solved by timing the movement of the mirrors. Summarizing the previous lines, you get a projector with a better contrast ratio, a higher image refresh rate, a better image, more expensive, and the brightness is in principle lower than the LCD. This is a good choice for gamers.

A LED projector it works in much the same way as an LCD, with the difference that the element forming the light beam is an LED diode. Its lifespan is very long, up to five times as long as a traditional halogen solution, and since it consumes little, it needs to be cooled less, so such solutions are quieter. The disadvantage of LED technology is that, in the case of cheaper solutions, the brightness is low, and therefore the room must be darkened more. In return, you get a nice, bright picture, the pictures feel of better quality than the real thing, the reason for this is an optical illusion, the Helmholtz-Kohlrausch effect.

The latest technology is the laser projectors are used. The big advantage of laser projectors is that they have a much longer lifespan than traditional solutions, they do not lose their brightness over time, they consume less energy and are therefore quieter. There are no mirrors and lenses that cause light loss - scattering - and the lenses do not get dusty, so they require less maintenance. Moreover, they can be switched on and off very quickly, this may be interesting for those who still remember how long they had to wait for warm-up in the case of old projectors. If laser projectors are so good, why isn't everyone using them? You may have already guessed the answer: because such projectors are expensive. There are also mixed solutions, where in addition to the LED light source there is also a laser light source, such technologies have a higher brightness than traditional video projectors.

UST projectors

UST stands for Ultra Short-Throw Projector, which is a relatively new and expensive technology and is actually a special laser projector. The main problem with average projectors is that they can display a roughly 100-inch image - approx. 2,5 meters - projected from a distance of 10 feet - about 3 meters - from the center of the room. This also means that no object can fall into the projected image, so it actually occupies the space. In addition, proper projection requires high brightness and it is worth fixing the projector on a console, and you also need to somehow cable it there. In other words, it's a mere macera and doesn't really change the TV, as the manufacturers advertise it.

A good solution to the above is the UST, which is nothing more than a super-short distance projection device, it can be placed a few centimeters from the wall - it can project 100 inches within one foot - and the projection angle is very steep. In addition, since these are laser projectors, they are very bright and project a very clear image, practically suitable for replacing a TV. This means that they are better than traditional LED solutions. The above is solved with a very complex and at the same time expensive lens system, while a laser is used as a light source, along with all its advantages. Most projectors are capable of 4K resolution, but there are 600p models in the entry-level category, which costs around $1080.

However, it is worth knowing that the lens system causes some light loss during projection, so if you compare UST solutions with a traditional laser projector, you will get a slightly worse image and lower brightness.

However, the biggest problem is the price, the more serious UST projectors start in the $2-$3000 range, so they are unlikely to spread quickly until the price comes down.

2D and 3D projectors

Conventional projectors project a 2D image, but there are also special 3D projectors. In addition to the 3D projectors, you also need to buy 3D glasses, which actually transform the projected content into a spatial image. It didn't really spread, even though 10-15 years ago it was predicted to have a great future, it's more of a movie theater technology.

Accessories for projectors

The operation of the projectors includes some typical accessories, which you can read in the following list:

• Cables: Most projectors come with cables, one of which is a 230 V power supply. They usually include an HDMI cable if you only want to use it as a display, and there are also models with an ethernet connection, for which you will need a LAN cable. In the case of older projectors, a cable with a D-SUB connector was also added to the projectors.
• Tripod: This is a three-legged stand with a standard screw thread on which smaller projectors can be placed, thereby changing the angle of projection of the image.
• Support bracket: Projector mount similar to the previous one, but more serious, which must be attached to the wall or ceiling. Many times, the projector is placed upside down on it and the image is inverted by software.
• Projection screen: Although projectors can project onto any homogeneous surface, the most beautiful image can be achieved with the projection screen. These can be fixed or removable, and the more serious ones can roll down automatically.
• Sound projector: Although most projectors have a built-in speaker, it is worth buying some more serious noise-producing equipment. Many people solve this question with a soundbar - which is a strip-like speaker - but of course some projectors can also be connected to a home theater system with the appropriate sound output (e.g. SPDIF).
• Carry bag or case: more serious projectors usually come with some kind of accessory that makes the device portable. The more expensive ones usually come with a hard case, but some also come with a carrying bag.

Technical parameters of the projectors

An important selection point is what technical parameters should be considered in the case of a projector. These provide answers to countless things, including whether the given projector fits your needs:

• Brightness: The brightness of projectors is usually specified according to several standards. ANSI lumens are generally accepted. The higher this value, the greater the brightness and the more suitable it is for watching movies even in daytime conditions.
• Native (real) resolution: It is given in pixels, nowadays the cheapest projectors are 480p, but even 720p is considered entry level. The middle category has a resolution of 1080p – 1920×1080 pixels – while more serious projectors can boast a resolution of 4K.
• Aspect ratio: the row*column ratio of the resolution of the projectors is the aspect ratio, the most typical projection ratios are 4:3, 16:9 and 21:9. Unfortunately, films can be made not only in one aspect ratio, but in almost anything. Most are probably 16:9, but if the projector's aspect ratio is not right, the video will still be played, you will only see a black strip at the bottom and top. For office applications, 4:3, 5:4 and 16:10 resolutions are the most typical.
• Supported resolution: Usually a higher value than the native resolution. The supported resolution for projectors only means that e.g. a Full HD projector can also display 4K content, by definition at its native resolution.
• Technology used: It tells you quite a bit about the projector. Buy a DLP projector for games because of the higher image refresh rate, and a UST laser projector to replace a TV.
• Noise color: relatively clear data, which is given in decibels. The lower, the quieter the projector. Laser and LED projectors are quieter.
• Life: It usually refers to the light source, older models that were still equipped with halogen/UHP lamps had a lower lifespan, in comparison LED or laser solutions have a lifespan of fifteen thousand hours.
• Projection size: The image diagonal in which the projector can still project a relatively acceptable image. It is usually given in inches or inches.
• Projection distance: The distance between the projection lens of the projector and the projected surface. The further the projector is from the wall, the larger the projected image, in return the brightness will be lower and lower.
• Operating System: In the case of smart projectors, the hardware runs an operating system, usually Android or Android TV, the latter of which is tailored to the needs of the projectors.
• Automatic functions: Video projectors can set a lot of things automatically. This includes focus, keystone correction and countless other things. These are primarily convenience services that the projector performs for you.
• Connectors: In general, all projectors have USB-A inputs for connecting data carriers and for image transmission, HDMI, and in the case of older devices DVI or VGA - also known as D-SUB - connectors. The former is a digital solution, the latter an analog solution. In addition, images and sound can be transferred to the projector via wireless transmission - WiFi for data, Bluetooth for devices.

Some of the above points should be explained a little, as it is often not clear what the manufacturer is referring to even when reading the technical description. There is also, in our opinion, deliberately ambiguous information, which should be explained a little for a better understanding.

The resolution of the projectors

In 2024, projectors will typically hit the market with 720p, 1080p or 4K resolution. However, there are other resolutions that you should know about for the sake of completeness:

• SVGA – 800×600 pixels: resolution of older projectors, it is not worth choosing this
• WVGA – 854×480 pixels: SVGA resolution, with a 16:9 aspect ratio, this is usually called 480p, suitable for watching movies
• XGA – 1024×768 pixels: standard resolution, not much used today
• SXGA – 1280×1024 pixels: maximum resolution suitable for office presentations
• HD - 1280×720 pixels: this is called 720p, for very cheap projectors, with an aspect ratio of 16:9, for watching movies
• Full HD - 1920×1080 pixels: 1080p resolution, also 16:9 aspect ratio for watching movies
• 4K – 3840×2160 pixels: the typical 4K resolution, also with a 16:9 aspect ratio for watching movies
• 8K – 7680×4320 pixels: the typical 8K resolution, also with a 16:9 aspect ratio for watching movies

The brightness of the projectors

In connection with the brightness of the projectors, you can run into countless anomalies. The manufacturers do not always clearly state which standard - if any - they measured the brightness based on. Basically, the brightness of video projectors can be set based on several different methods.

What is lumen?

The lumen (lm/W) emitted by the lighting fixtures luminous flux enter. It is a quantity of light that determines the luminous flux depending on the power. If you look at the light sources you can find at home, they will also have a lumen value, which will show how much light can be produced from 1 watt of energy, and this is also the case with projectors. How much of this reaches you - or, in the case of projectors, onto the projected surface - is also determined by the distance.

Many manufacturers just give the brightness in lumens, such as the BlitzWolf brand. These values ​​are always much higher than those measured by ANSI lumens, since the manufacturer measures as and where he wants, so these can only be used as approximate values ​​at most. This anomaly stems from the fact that the central brightness of the projectors can be up to 70% higher than in the corners. The manufacturers obviously give the center value, since this is a poster data, so you have to look at the ANSI lumen.

ANSI lumens

The American National Standard Institute - American National Standard Institute - has developed a method that gives much more realistic light values, this is the ANSI lumen. This was achieved by measuring the luminous flux of the projectors in a completely dark room, on a perfectly homogeneous white surface, which is divided into a square 3x3 matrix. The luminous flux is measured in the middle of each square, and then an average is formed from the measured data, which will be the ANSI lumen.

The bottom line is that almost all manufacturers exaggerate in terms of luminous flux, so they should be treated with minimum reservations.

What is luxury?

Lux differs from lumen in that it determines the amount of light projected onto a surface, i.e. 1 lux = 1 lumen per square meter. In the case of projectors, a lumen value is almost always given.

Projector keystone correction

The image of the projectors is basically rectangular, at least if the light source and the surface on which it is projected are at right angles to each other vertically and horizontally. However, this is a relatively impractical situation, if only because most projectors have a lifting leg. The height adjuster is nothing more than a fold-out plastic support or a threaded screw that you can use to raise the height of the projector vertically. This creates a 90-degree angle and distorts the projected image. What can be done in this case? The projected image must be corrected.

This is done in such a way that, in software, the projector either pulls the corners of the image closer to the ideal rectangular shape or gives the users the option to do the same. It's a must-have function, without it it's not worth buying a projector, but fortunately everyone knows this in some form or another. By definition, the automatic is better, but all of them have the option of manual adjustment as well. Conversely, this is no longer true, the automatic adjustment is extra.

Adjusting the focus of the projector

Light passing through the lens of projectors has a focal length where the light is focused by the lenses. This is pretty much what it looks like when you use sunlight and a magnifying glass to set a sheet of paper on fire. The projector is able to focus the light in the right way at a given distance, which means that the image will be sharp here. For this reason, if you move the projector forward or backward in space compared to the ideal distance, it becomes blurry, the projector compensates for this with a lens, the adjustment of this is called focus adjustment.

There are two types, the manual, where you have to turn a rotary switch above the lens glass to adjust the focus, and the automatic, which projects a pattern similar to a QR code onto the surface, and uses this to set the focus for itself. However, according to our experience, this will never be 100%, so it is worth adjusting it manually - that is, with the remote control.

All projectors have focus adjustment, in the more expensive ones it is electronic and automatic. What we wrote about the keystone correction of projectors is also true here: you can always fine-tune manually with the automatic, but there is no automatic option with the manual only.

The projector's operating system

Smart projectors are smart because they run an operating system. It's almost exclusively Android. There are usually three main sets of Android-based systems:

• fully stock Android version (basically designed for phones)
• factory Android version slightly modified, according to the needs of the projector
• Android TV, which is a special software variant designed for projectors, TV boxes (in Hungarian: smart TV) and TVs

Stock android projectors

Basically, we used to say that it is better not to run an operating system on the projector, since this requires underlying hardware, which on the one hand is reflected in the price, and on the other hand, at the same price, it is almost ALWAYS included in the set at the expense of something else. This means that cheap displays always run mobile Android, and usually with pretty ridiculous major version numbers. They can easily release devices running Android 9 even this year, so that we are already at Android 15.

The main problem with these completely factory systems is that they are not designed for projectors. For example, from the Play store you can download software designed for a stationary screen, games that you won't be able to play, some elements stick out of the picture or ask you to tilt the projector to the right or left, you can even run into extreme examples.

What is the solution to this? A dumb projector capable of screen mirroring, such as Miracast or AirPlay. The above problems are eliminated by the mobile, and the image is projected onto the display, which is exactly what it is for.

Modified android projectors

Compared to stock Android, the situation is a bit better, but in fact such devices should also be avoided. In the case of customized interfaces, manufacturers do nothing but remove functions so that they do not cause problems - Why voice search if there is no microphone in the projector? - or narrow down the list of software available in the Google Play store.

However, the above are only half-solutions, despite the fact that manufacturers advertise that these are great user interfaces, this is not true in 95% of cases. Of course, we've already seen counterexamples to it, but don't trust them.

So what is the solution? There are more, either buy a piece running Android TV or a dumb projector and put a device using Android TV on its USB port, or maybe just use the device as a display and from an external data source - mirroring with a mobile phone or an HDMI cable from a notebook using - transfer the data. Secret tip: Linux-based systems appear once every light-year, and they are usually quite good.

Projectors running Android TV

Android TV is a special version of Google's operating system for devices that cannot perform traditional phone operations. First of all, all unnecessary functions were removed from it, which is why it is very fast, and on the other hand, its menu was replaced with tiles that can be easily pressed with a flying mouse. It has a lot of functions that preload content on a ribbon menu - e.g. YouTube, interfaces of streaming providers, radio stations and other music providers - and thus makes the choice easier.

The Google Play interface is limited, and there are also apps that are not worth downloading for projectors. In return, you get stuff like Plex or the Kodi player. Android TV systems are very easy to use, if you see something like this on a product, it's worth buying. It is usually visible from the remote control that it supports Android TV, and there are dedicated buttons for accessing streaming providers, for example.

The projector's remote control

Most projectors come with a remote control, often just a pointer, but in the case of more serious types, the "controller" is essential for use. Either because there are no control buttons on the projector - for example on Wanbo products - or because some options can only be used properly from the remote control.

A good controller has several very important functions:

• you can switch between the traditional cursor and the flying mouse
• it has a microphone, so you can use the voice assistant
• there are dedicated hotkey buttons - e.g. Netflix - with which you can call frequently used apps

On the one hand, the remote control gives you a quick option to scroll through the menu, and on the other hand, by switching it to a flying mouse, you can easily move the mouse cursor to any point on the screen.

The Widevine certificate

It is also a concept that can be (also) connected to smart projectors, but also frequently appears in the case of mobile phones and TV boxes. The Widevine certificate is none other than Google's own digital certificate management - DRM, which stands for digital rights management - which is basically a content protection system, more you can read about it here. Widevine has three security levels, labeled L3, L2, L1, where LOWER IS BETTER. This means that if your device has the Widevine Level 3 certificate, it can only run streaming content in 480p, while the same can be up to 1K in the case of Level 4. Of course, this requires that you subscribe to a package that also supports this resolution at the given streaming service provider.

The Widevine certificate is not implemented by all hardware manufacturers, which means that certain devices will not be able to play, for example, Netflix in 1080p/4K resolution. The type of certificate a device has is determined by, among other things, the with the DRM Info app you can get it on Android.

Obstacle avoidance

Object avoidance has nothing to do with what you might be used to with drones or robotic vacuum cleaners. Object avoidance on projectors actually does nothing but shrink the image when it detects an object on the wall, such as a light switch or a hanging pillow. According to our experience, so far the technology does not work properly, in many cases it does not work at all.

Projector screen

A projector screen is not required for the projection of the projectors, but it is recommended. Obviously, not everyone will drill one on the wall at home, but if you have an affinity for it, it's worth thinking about it. There are basically two types of these, fixed-frame/manually retractable and motorized.

The problem with traditional projector screens is that they are not rigid enough, which is why their surface is wavy and this is visible in the picture. Therefore, it is worth using them so that they hang as straight as possible from their support bracket. In the case of the projector screen, the most important parameter is the size, that is, you have to decide where and in what size you want to project. In general, you should sit at a distance of two or three times the diagonal of the picture from the picture. This means that in the case of a 55-inch screen - which corresponds to a 140-centimeter TV - you have to look at the screen from roughly 280 centimeters. For those who do not like the simplified method, they can use the calculator in English, which is American, so it does not count in metric, but in Anglo-Saxon units.

Gain, i.e. the ability to reflect light, is also an important value. In the case of high gain, the image will be sharper but brighter, the viewing angle will improve, but the contrast will deteriorate. A low gain value causes the exact opposite, the contrast improves, the image becomes darker and the viewing angle narrows. The former is recommended for business, the latter for home theater systems.

The material of the projector screen

When choosing a projection screen, we must take into account the light reflectivity of the surface and the material. Canvases that have a high light-reflecting capacity also have a better viewing angle, but in return, the contrast ratio will deteriorate, the projected image will be veiled and hazy. In other words, we either completely darken the room so that the light coming in is almost zero, or we somehow absorb the ambient light. Basically, gray surfaces or canvases with a low gain value are not used for this.

A so-called ALR screen is usually bought with UST projectors, but of course it cannot be used only with such projectors. The essence of ALR is that it dims/absorbs ambient light, thus maintaining the contrast ratio and improving the experience of going to the cinema, and this is ultimately the essence of home cinema projectors.

Although I suspect that 99% of the readers of the article are looking for a projector for home use, even they may have noticed that white, shiny projection screens are used almost everywhere in educational institutions. The reason for this is that during business and educational use, higher brightness lamps and darkenable rooms are used, so high-gain canvases are actually good. Since the podium where the lecturer speaks is often narrower than the lecture hall, the material of the lecture must be visible from the side, so a good viewing angle is important. White canvases preserve the clarity and sharpness of the image better.

On what basis should you choose a projector?

It's a rather sensitive topic, and there's no one-size-fits-all answer. There are key points - price, quality, projected image size - that you should consider:

• Brightness: At low brightness, the room must be darkened. It's clear that no one goes to the movies in bright sunlight, but it doesn't matter whether you have to sit in complete darkness or leave the blinds "half-mast". How much is enough? Roughly 500 ANSI lumens for a smaller room, but you can practically go any higher.
• Noise emission: Rarely annoying when the picture is good, but the fan roars while you're watching a movie. The quieter the better logic is worth following. Fans are mainly used in projectors for heat dissipation, so it is also a good argument if you move towards light sources with lower consumption, although the price also increases: halogen, LED, laser projectors, the last one consumes the least.
• Smart, not smart: If you lose a smart projector, you can still put a TV box on it later, but the smart projector system cannot be repaired. Of course, it also works here if you plug in a TV box and don't use the factory system.
• Operating System: No one ever takes it into account until they smoke with it. It is worth buying one that runs Android TV with a Widevine L1 certificate.
• What's the hardware like?: If you buy a smart projector, it's worth looking at the underlying hardware. It does not matter whether the operating system must work with 1 or 4 GB of RAM memory.
• Resolution: Many people overestimate this aspect. Most content is available in 1080p, 4K is often unnecessary, unless you have such a subscription somewhere or if you download 4K content. Of course, YouTube now has 4K videos and is basically the future, but that really raises the price. If you don't want to spend a lot, stick with 1080p, or in the case of a small travel projector, you can even consider 720p.
• Automatic functions: These are basically comfort extras, but according to our experience, the implementation of more expensive solutions is also more demanding. For example, the manual keystone correction of the BlitzWolf brand is incredibly crappy live, often you can't even set the image to a normal rectangle. You get the same automatically for a little more.
• Life: Many people worry about the lifespan, but they shouldn't. 10 movies are 000 hours of cinema, calculated with an average of 5000 hours. Have you watched this much in your life? Maybe, but this can also be measured in ten years. During this time, the moral obsolescence of the device justifies you to buy another one. There is one exception to this: if you want to replace a TV with it and it goes on all day, you can run out of service life. It is very fortunate that, in principle, very long-lasting UST laser projectors are used to replace a television.

Tips and tricks for choosing video projectors in 2025

This section is where we usually describe our experiences with the devices we've tested, so it's always a very subjective part of our content. We are sure that you can get involved in what is described here, but it is worth thinking about them first. Interestingly, we don't really hate those devices whose picture is not perfect for some reason - and 99% of them are not - but those which are annoying to use. On a balanced device, which brings a slightly lower standard in certain parameters, we are much less stressed than on those with a perfect image, but noisy or slow system with lice. Based on these, the following can be excluded:

• He screams to cool himself: Our first thing would be to see if it is possible to replace the fan in it, because it is practically impossible to watch movies with such equipment, except if you also make the sound roar. There are water-cooled projectors that are, in principle, very quiet, but these are usually among the more expensive pieces.
• It is not possible to adjust the image normally: It typically happens with cheaper devices that everything has to be set manually, but the backlash of the knobs or rotating rings is so great that you won't be able to do this precisely enough.
• The travel projector is a category that may not be useful: A lot of companies try to sell their products with this gimmick, but I'll translate what it means: usually there's a leather strap on the top, it's small and there's no height adjustment support on the bottom, just a standard screw thread. The more normal manufacturers add a tripod, which partially handles this situation. You have to ask yourself if there is a life situation where a normal-sized projector cannot fit in your car and a small one does, so that you have to sacrifice a lot of things in return. It can also be a real situation if you only use the projector very rarely, so you have to take it out and pack it away. In this case, moving around the apartment is easier for a smaller device.

We would like to expand the smart-not-smart topic a little more. Many people do not believe - until they try it - that cheap smart projectors are not good. On the one hand, they run stock Android, which is also an ancient version, and on the other hand, they also put very weak hardware in them. While there are already mobile phones with 12-16 GB of RAM on the market that also run Android, how can the same be good in a projector with 1 GB of RAM? We help: no way. This is also why optimized systems like Android TV are good, as they require much less resources than general solutions. Many people think that a smart projector can be good because they have a smart TV at home, but such a display is obviously different from a projector. As is the price, if one 55 inch - this means an image diagonal of 138 cm - if you take the image diagonal as a basis, then a projector projecting an image of this size is much cheaper than a TV of this size, and this is no accident, their quality is not nearly the same.

Another myth is that you can replace a TV with a projector. This is hindered not only by the fact that the image quality of halogen and LED projectors does not reach the level of a television, but also by the fact that they have to be placed in the middle of the room or drilled on the wall. This is a great idea on paper, but in reality these are louder devices that also need to be wired. What is the good solution then? A wall-mounted UST projector. The problem is that the 4K resolution of these start between 2-3000 USD, but that's fine, you invest once and it will serve you for years. And on the projector screen, there's a good chance it's an ALR, which is a thousand. We are talking about a budget of USD 3-4000 in dollars, which is not a solution for the average person's wallet. Hopefully they will be cheaper over time.

Home cinema projector, educational projector or gamer projector

You should choose a completely different projector if you are looking for a projector for movies, games or office work. The three categories require quite different projectors. The essence of the home theater projector is that it provides a very nice image with high brightness and contrast ratio. UST laser projectors are excellent for this purpose, but the best image is produced with an ALR screen.

High-brightness projectors for education with special functions such as PIP and a white screen. Gamer projectors are good for devices with a high image refresh rate - LCD is not good, DLP is - and low latency.

Dumb projector and TV box/Google Chromecast

Although it's all the rage to load up modern projectors with all kinds of smart features, there are actually some excellent dumb projectors out there, such as the one from Fengmi. These are UST laser projectors, which do not have many smart functions. Why aren't there? Because it is not worth running traditional Android on a projector that is not suitable for it, and extra hardware must also be built into the projector. Practically, a mini computer is hidden under the cover.

That is why, although I have already described this many times in this article, it is worth buying a solution running Android TV. But what if you have a dumb projector by default, but you want a smart one? A device capable of running a normal Android system must be connected to one of the projector's image inputs - for example, the HDMI port.

It can be any TV box or a Google Chromecast, which is actually Alphabet's own smart TV. In fact, these are all mini PCs, only they run Android instead of Windows, and provide a bunch of features like screen sharing and the like. In addition to these, they are also suitable for running Kodi, Plex and other media players.

Advantages and disadvantages of using projectors

Projectors are primarily suitable for projecting movies, but some DLP-based ones are also good for games, while smart solutions in principle work similarly to a TV. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of these devices?

Advantages of projectors:

• the entry-level category is cheap, you can get devices that already display 1080p resolution relatively cheaply
• smart projectors with Android TV are quite good, they can show the functionality of a smart TV, and a lot of them are already pointed out for streaming
• there are already expensive UST solutions that almost replace TVs and can be pushed close to the wall (admittedly, still at a high price)
• they are relatively portable devices compared to a TV, they also manufacture projectors designed for direct portability
• nowadays, in the case of more serious devices, the service life is not a problem (10+ hours)
• most modern projectors are capable of WiFi-based image transfer
• the image of the laser projectors is very nice
• plenty of inputs, they also manage pen drives and other data carriers, but you can also use them only as a display via HDMI

Disadvantages of projectors:

• halogen and LED projectors cannot replace a TV, USTs can
• cheap smart solutions can be quite disappointing from an ergonomic point of view
• cheap projectors with manual keystone correction and focus are usually of poor quality
• the height-adjusting legs are quite bad, a tripod helps the situation a lot
• UST projectors give a nice picture, they project from a short distance, but they are expensive
• due to the long distance, the cabling of the projectors snaking on the floor can be confusing, and it is not worth walking into the image (UST projectors are not affected due to their position close to the wall)
• some models are loud (but usually the fan can be replaced)

All in all, we can say that the projector industry is now roughly dancing on the dividing line, where the really good devices are still very expensive, and the very cheap ones are not good enough, so it makes sense to choose from the middle category. Unless you have a lot of money, there are quite a few UST projectors out there.

Frequently Asked Questions

What projector should I buy?

This question always comes up and the short answer is what fits your wallet and best meets your needs. Definitely not very cheap, because their controls are horrible, it is difficult to set a good focus and the edges of the image are often blurry. If you want to add to the trouble, then buy a cheap smart device...for your enemies. They run stock Android, which is usually slow and even difficult to handle.

What should I buy instead? A mid-range projector or UST laser projector running Android TV. If the latter does not fit into the budget, then it is worth choosing from the Xiaomi - Chinese brand - they appear as Mi or Xiaomi - or models related in some other way, and some of Wanbo's non-portable models are also not bad. You should also take a look at the Ultimea Apollo series, because they produce no-frills stuff at not too expensive prices. Then, of course, there are the Western brands, such as Epson - Japanese -, Acer, Optoma, BenQ - all Taiwanese -, Auna - German -, they usually have quite good domestic support, but of course you choose your brand.

Which is the best projector?

We would probably choose one of the UST projectors from among the Chinese brands, but it is important to know that the projection quality is greatly influenced by a good ALR - ambient light rejection screen - canvas. In any case, we would definitely look for the UST projector with the best price/value ratio, and that's exactly what the RendeljKínait page is about.

What is the best projector brand?

Analyzing the above question further, we can give a roughly similar answer to the previous one. Be sure to check out several products from several brands, but we basically swear by Chinese brands because they offer the most for a unit of money, such as Xiaomi, XGIMI and JMGO.

What is a mini projector?

We have read the term mini projector in several places, but it actually refers to the portable category. This means nothing more than a smaller, low-weight device that is easier to take to a presentation. These solutions are often battery-powered, and since an infinite high-capacity battery cannot be included, they almost always work with an LED light source. Why? Because the LED consumes little, the operating time will be at least a few hours, in exchange for the lower brightness.

Since such devices are small, they usually have few connectors - see Wanbo products - so they typically also have a WiFi module to transfer data.

Mini projector for phone?

There are very small mini projectors for phones that can be placed on a tripod - a tiny, three-legged stand. These are always battery-powered solutions, and their most important feature is that they support screen mirroring, such as Miracast or AirPlay solutions. Since today almost everyone has a smartphone, which is suitable not only for media consumption, but also for data storage, so why not share your materials in this way?

Do projectors need maintenance?

In general, there are two types of system projectors, one has a completely closed lens system, so the lens does not get dusty, these are maintenance-free solutions. The other solution is that the projector system is partially open, so the air drawn through the projector housing must be cleaned. There is usually a HEPA filter at the inlet, which must be replaced at certain intervals, but the details of this are always provided in the device description.

How noisy is a projector, is there a silent version?

The noise level is a critical parameter in the case of projectors, as it strongly interferes with cinema viewing and impairs the cinema experience. 40 decibels can be particularly disturbing, so you have to raise the volume of the film. The device can be considered quiet below 35 dB. Since one of the causes of heat dissipation is the loud fan, newer, less-consuming solutions – such as laser projectors – also produce less heat. There are also liquid-cooled products that circulate some kind of liquid material in a closed system, these have better heat dissipation than traditional air-cooled variants, so they are in principle quieter.

What does autofocus do?

In front of the projector's light source, there is a lens or a lens system, which is responsible for sharpness, among other things. This is necessary because all light sources are sharpest at their focal length, and the light is concentrated at this point. If this could not be changed, the projectors could only be placed at a fixed distance from the projection surface. Since the manufacturer does not know where the device will be placed within a location, the projectors are always equipped with a variable focus distance.

For this reason, the image must be focused, which can be done in two ways: either manually, in which case a ring must be turned, which adjusts the distance between the lenses, or automatically. In this case, the projector projects a pattern similar to a QR code on the wall and adjusts the sharpness itself using this. However, it will never be completely perfect, the human eye will always find something wrong, so the solution is about 95%. Therefore, these devices can also be adjusted using software, which you can usually fine-tune with the remote control provided next to them.

What is keystone correction?

Keystone correction is nothing more than a software function that can be used to compensate for image distortion occurring during projection that is not perpendicular to the plane of the projector. For the viewers, the image creates a natural effect if it is rectangular, however, by rotating or tilting the projector, the image stretches along the individual corners, this can be retracted using the correction.

What is Lens Shift and Zoom?

Projectors equipped with Lens Shift are capable of scrolling the image vertically – that is, from top to bottom and vice versa – on the screen or wall. It's like raising the projector without distorting the image, which is why Lens Shift is closely related to keystone correction. Here is a video, where you can see how the function works.

Zoom does much the same as it does on mobiles, zooming in or out of the projected image without physically moving the projector forwards or backwards.

What are the native and supported resolutions of the projectors?

The native - i.e. real - resolution of projectors is the image that the hardware can actually display. The supported resolution means that if a video stream with a resolution higher than the native resolution arrives on the device, it can handle it and display it at its native resolution. For example, if a projector is capable of 1080p/4K resolution, it will display all content that is Full HD resolution or less at its original resolution, and any content that is greater than that will be downscaled to its maximum native resolution, i.e. 1080p.

It is also possible that it cannot handle certain resolutions. The 1080p/4K device in the example above can no longer play an 8K video stream, so it will not display the image either.

Why are LED and laser light sources good?

Although we have already mentioned them in many places in our article, compared to halogen technologies, LED and laser light sources are basically more modern. Their heat production is lower, which is why they produce less heat with the same output, and their output is higher with the same output. Both have a lifespan of several tens of thousands of hours - according to the manufacturers, but in reality 15-20 - and their brightness is also greater than that of "traditional" solutions.

Their disadvantage is that they are more expensive, especially laser solutions, but there are projectors - such as UST - which are almost always based on laser technology.

What is ANSI lumen and how is it different from traditional lumen?

The ANSI lumen is a set of light values ​​derived from the average of given points by an American standards office. It is relatively accurate and gives a pretty good idea of ​​the real brightness of the device. The "smooth" lumen value is measured by the manufacturer where he likes, usually the measured values ​​are higher in the middle of the light beam than at the edge of the beam. Since manufacturers are always looking for poster data, they will write the highest number in the technical parameters, but it is worth considering the ANSI lumen value instead, if it is also available.

What is the contrast ratio and how much do you need?

The contrast ratio shows the difference between the lightest and darkest pixels. In the case of projectors with a higher contrast ratio, the blacks are darker and the colors are more separated from each other. As a reference, it is worth considering an AMOLED display, its contrast ratio is infinite. The higher the contrast, the richer the colors and the darker the blacks, so higher is better here.

Is the projector more expensive than the TV? Can it be replaced?

It depends on how you compare the two devices. If we compare them based on the diagonal of the projected image, halogen and LED projectors are cheaper, but their brightness is significantly lower, their color fidelity is worse and they produce a lower image quality than a TV. We don't think a traditional projector can replace a television, but UST laser projectors can, but they are hellishly expensive.

What makes a projector better and what makes it worse than a TV?

Since they are fundamentally different devices, it is quite difficult to compare them. If you are thinking of traditional, i.e. non-UST projectors, then the disadvantage is that you cannot mount them on the wall in the same way as a TV. In any case, there will be a relatively large projection distance, where you can move through the image, and you also have to wire the display, which is confusing if it is in the middle of the room. Drilled into the wall, it performs similarly to a TV, but the hanging console offers a less aesthetic view, all with lower brightness, less vivid colors and louder operation.

UST projectors are very similar to a TV, in the sense that they are also located very close to the wall, they are smaller than traditional projectors, they are quiet, they have a nice projected image, but they are very expensive. UST projectors are usually supplemented with a special ALR screen, which increases color fidelity and contrast ratio, which is a significant cost in addition to the high price of the UST projector. Since the screen will be placed in the same place as the TV, this set-up does not actually take up any less space.

What is the lifespan of a projector?

This primarily depends on the technology used, modern solutions last much longer than the 5-6000 hours of older projectors - even five times as much. Laser and LED projectors can withstand this kind of stress better than those with a halogen light source.

Are there battery operated projectors?

Yes, these are usually low-power, portable projectors with low brightness and allow for a few hours of cinema viewing. They are also used to be advertised as mini projectors.

Do you need a screen next to the projectors? If so, what is it like?

Basically no. The white projector screen results in a significant improvement, if it is sufficiently stiff and, for example, the waviness of the material does not distort the image. There are also fixed-frame, manually extendable and motorized variants.

For business applications, brighter canvases with a higher gain value are used, where the contrast ratio decreases, but the sharpness and viewing angle improve. UST projectors use an ALR screen, they are a completely homogeneous solution, usually dark in color and help to highlight the contrast, but they are very expensive and reduce the viewing angle.

What is the ideal projection distance?

Manufacturers usually specify an interval, but there are also those who only specify a maximum value. Such is the case, for example Latest Apollo P40 – traditional – or a JMGO N1 – laser projector -, both can project an image in a maximum size of 150 inches - 381 cm. This is not really important, because it is very rare that there is such a large free wall area in an apartment. We usually test these at a medium value, in this case 2-2,5 meters, which is still huge, in the case of a TV, this would mean a 98-inch screen. Projectors capable of such a large projection diagonal give a very good picture at 55 inches – a typical TV size for a living room.

The rule of thumb is that you have to look at the picture from about twice the size of the picture diagonal, and the further away you look, the lower the resolution. Some examples of realistic distances and resolutions:

• 1280×720 pixels, 720p: approximately 3 meters distance, for a 1,5 meter image diagonal
• 1920×1080 pixels, 1080p: approximately 5 meters distance, for a 3 meter image diagonal

The viewing angle is also important if more than one person is viewing the image. By definition, you have to sit as close as possible to the center line of the picture, this is the ideal position, but this is impossible for several viewers, because of this the viewing angle will be different from their position. You can improve the situation with a good projector screen, traditional white screens improve the viewing angle - FOV -, the ALR type, darker ones narrow it.

Which projector should we buy for a small room?

It mainly depends on what we consider a small room and its shape. Assuming, say, a 3×3 or 4×4 meter room, which can also be darkened, a projector with a projection diagonal of 150 inches seems highly exaggerated, but fortunately it is never worth using from the maximum distance. If size matters, you could buy a portable solution, for example Wanbo's smaller products seem like a good choice.

What is a laser projector?

Laser projector actually means the technology, the light source is laser based. UST projectors are also often referred to by this name, since they almost always use a laser light source.

What is a UST projector?

UST stands for Ultra Short Throw, it is the name given to projectors that can project onto a wall or screen from a distance of 0,4-0,6 meters.

Do you need a protective cap for the lens?

Basically yes, because the lens is a relatively vulnerable part of the projector. There are two types of solutions, integrated into the housing, which can be pushed in front of the lens from the side, and there are also solutions that can be snapped on from the outside. Some are attached to the body by a plastic thread so you don't lose them.

Is there a smart projector? If so, what are the pros and cons?

A smart projector means nothing more than that an Android – in rarer cases a Linux – runs on the hardware. The advantage is that it works like a smart TV or TV box, the disadvantage is that cheap systems are not ergonomic. Get one that runs Android TV.

How to make a projector smarter?

You can put an Android TV box on one of the projector's inputs, for example the HDMI port.

What is PIP?

PIP is short for picture in picture, basically the projector displays several images at the same time, so even two presentations can be run.

Do projectors have speakers?

Usually there is, but it is not very powerful, typically with a power of 5-10 W, and they are usually doubled.

What connectors are there on a projector?

The projector, which is actually nothing more than a display, has to get the data somehow. You can do this wired or wirelessly. In the former case, the following connectors can be considered:

• HDMI - digital image transmission
• VGA or D-SUB – analog image transmission (officially R232)
• DisplayPort - digital image transmission
• DVI - older digital image transmission
• S-video – 4-pin, mini DIN, plug connector
• MHL - connecting a mobile device to a display
• composite - also known as RCA
• USB - for data transfer
• jack - there are several sizes, usually 3,5 mm is used for audio transmission
• S/PDIF - optical audio cable for sound systems
• TF card reader - data input of older projectors for SD and micro SD cards

Wireless connections:

• One of the WiFi standards
• Bluetooth, mainly for portable peripherals (mouse, keyboard, BT speaker)

What is screen mirroring? What is Miracast?

Countless projectors are capable of screen mirroring smart devices. This is nothing more than a wireless technology that helps you put the image of another device on the projector. In this case, the display transmits the exact same image that you see on the smartphone, but does not transfer the control. This is good because, for example, you can play games that require you to tilt the device – tablet, phone – left and right, such as car racing. Miracast software is used for this on Android, and AirPlay on iOS.

If you couldn't find one of your questions in the FAQ, or if we didn't have a clear answer, then contact us at one of our contact numbers listed on the page or on Facebook. To the best of our knowledge, we try to answer all questions about the projector!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ OUR EXTREMELY DETAILED ARTICLE WRITTEN ON THE OTHER SUBJECTS, THEN CLICK ON THE LINK!