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Whether you are pitching investors for your new venture or want to spend an enjoyable movie night with your family, big screen projectors are always a unanimous choice. As TV come with fixed image projection, projectors come with flexible image projection suiting your requirements. Thus investing in a reliable projector with good features like high brightness, sharp contrast ratio, considerable portability etc. makes sense.
The top rated features that you expect varies with your budget. A projector under $500 will be slightly lower in features when compared with best projector under $600. Just stretching you budget with $100 dollars, the projector quality upscale significantly.
You may not require a diligent research while buying a Television. However, buying a projector need lots of evaluation in terms of available space, mounting location, brightness, projection quality, ability to withstand with lighting environments etc, to find a suitable one.
In this article, we brought you the best projectors under $1000 with upgraded technologies that are devices to meet your specific needs. Say, if you are looking for best projector for bright rooms, a budget of $1000 will fetch you some with excellent lumens to make them a good deal. Hence, these projectors are well-suited under different circumstances to make them as reliable projectors under $1000.
Table of Contents
Editor’s Pick
If you have strict budgets, this projector is the best deal on our list
With lowest input lag, buying this projector under $1000 is perfect for excellent gaming sessions
With its ability to fetch minute details, this projector delivers an exemplary sports watching experience.
A light-weight projector you can take along wherever you go
10 Best Projectors under $1000: Buying Guide & Review (H2)
So, let’s begin our detailed review of projectors under $1000 in details:
1.Optoma HD142X 1080p 3000 Lumens 3D DLP Home Theater Projector – Budgeted DLP Projector
Specification
- Hardware Interface: VGA, USB, HDMI
- Brightness: 3000 Lumen
- Display resolution: 1080p (1920×1080)
- Item Weight: 5.5 Pounds
Review
With its full 3D capabilities, Optoma HD142X is a good choice for watching Blue-ray movies. With a contrast ratio of 23000:1, you can expect vibrant colours and crisp contrast even under ambient light. The impressive 8000 hours of lamp life ensure minimal maintenance cost by expecting to last over 10 years. To obtain a perfect visual display, it comes with impressive keystone correction. If you are looking for an affordable 3D projector, Optoma HD142X is an excellent choice.
Solid 10 W in-built speakers are powerful enough to produce crystal clear sound. It is an affordable DLP projector on the list with the maximum light output when compared with others in the league. Use Dynamic mode to derive the highest contrast ratio. This projector under $600 is a worthy deal!
2.BenQ HT2050A 1080P Home Theater Projector– Excellent gaming Projector
Specification
- Hardware Interface: VGA, USB, HDMI
- Brightness: 3000 Lumen
- Display resolution: 1080p (1920×1080)
- Item Weight: 5.5 Pounds
- Image Contrast Ratio: 23000:1
Review
With high Rec.709 colour range coverage and low input lag, it is one of the commendable home theatre and gaming projector. It comes with a plethora of ports like Mini USB-B port, 12V trigger, RS-232 port, USB Type-A port, audio in and out jacks, 2x HDMI ports and component inputs to ensure excellent connectivity. Solid 10 W in-built speakers produce crisp sound.
It comes with 2200 ANSI lumens brightness and native 1920 x 1080p resolution. It allows you to set your projection in a perfect rectangle with its vertical and horizontal keystone correction. Low input lag makes it an excellent choice for fast-paced gamers. Backlit remote offers the control for keystone settings, colour brightness, 3D display and picture-in-picture. We observed an excellent performance in colour quality, shadow details and skin tones.
3.Epson Home Cinema 2250 3LCD Home Theater Projector
Specification
- Hardware Interface: HDMI
- Brightness: 2700 Lumen
- Controller Type: Remote Control, Voice Control
- Item Weight: 10.98 pounds
- Throw Distance: 4.7′ – 29.0′
- Screen size: 30″ – 300″
- Internal Speakers: 10.0 Watts Mono
- Resolution: 1920×1080
- Contrast Ratio: 70,000:1
Review
This is an excellent streaming projector by Epson which comes with integrated Wi-Fi, Android TV and a remote with access to streaming functions. With its 1920 X1080 LCD chips. It efficiently escapes any rainbow artefacts and excellent colour brightness with its decent contrast ratio. Weighing at just 8.4 lbs, this compact projector is portable.
10 W mono speaker is supported with a 3.5mm audio output to produce desirable sound. This projector is a breeze to set up and a real retreat for the movie buffs who love crisp on-screen images. Voice search with Google assistant eases you in searching for your favourite movies and streaming channels. We have listed this as one of the best sports projectors on our list.
4.BenQ TK800M 4K UHD Home Theater Projector – Best Sports Projector on List
Specification
- Hardware Interface: HDMI
- Mounting Type: Ceiling Mount
- Brightness: 3000 Lumen
- Image Contrast Ratio: 10000:1
- Item Dimensions: 10.7 x 13.9 x 5.3 inches
- Item Weight: 9.20 lbs
- Resolution: 4K UHD 2160p
Review
This incredible projector from BenQ offers 8.3 million pixels to deliver 4K resolution, separate modes for indoor and outdoor as well as excellent brightness to cope up with well-lit environments. The low input lag and bright colour display make it a good choice for avid gamers too. It comes with an extendable foot to adjust the image height.
It comes with 1.2x optical zoom to make it suitable to place anywhere. With different modes as Football, Vivid TV, Cinema, Bright and Sports, cinema mode goes perfect with the darkroom environments. 120 Hz refresh rate for this projector removes any image blur. Overall, it is a true 4K UHD projector with an immersive sports experience. You can also read the detailed review of BenQ TK800M here.
5.Optoma GT1080HDR Short Throw Gaming Projector
Specification
- Hardware Interface: VGA, HDMI, 3.5mm Audio
- Mounting Type: Ceiling mount, tabletop
- Wattage: 10 watts
- Image Brightness: 3800
- Image Contrast Ratio: 50000:1
- Item Weight: 7.70 lbs
- Item Dimensions: 12.4 x 9.5 x 4.5 inches
Review
Keeping in mind the enthusiastic gamers, this short-throw projector by Optoma comes with HDR10 technology to deliver commendable picture quality which is sharp and detailed. It comes with a native resolution of 1080p which is at par with any standard HD TV. You can achieve a large projection of 120″ with as low a distance as 4 feet.
It facilitates connectivity options with two HDMI ports to hook up with modern gaming systems and streaming sticks. To adjoin external speakers, it comes with RCA and VGA inputs. The intuitive menus facilitate the user with ease of navigation. The enhanced gaming mode delivers 8.4 ms of input lag which is incredible. If you love to indulge in fast-paced and graphics-intensive games, this projector is for you.
6.VewSonic PX727HD 1080p Projector
Specification
- Hardware Interface: USB
- Brightness: 2000 Lumen
- Controller Type: Remote Control
- Image Brightness: 2000 lumen
- Image Contrast Ratio: 16:9
- Item Dimensions: 12.3 x 8.7 x 4.3 inches
Review
As an entry-level 4K projector, it offers excellent picture quality with brilliant sharpness. It comes with a 10-watt speaker making it a perfect home entertainment for movie nights outside. We noticed some lags in superior black levels but the 4K capabilities it offers just within your budget is impressive. With 6 colour wheel, it has a high brightness to present large images perfectly under ambient light,
Weighing at just 5.7 lbs, this portable projector comes with a low input lag of 16.4 ms to make it an ideal deal for gamers. The average 10-watt speaker is sufficient to fill a medium-sized room. Digital image shift and 1.1 X zoom are some notable features of this projector to facilitate convenient set-up. Overall, it is bright enough to present a 150-inch image in moderate lighting conditions.
7.Simi Halo True 1080p Portable Mini Projector – Highly Portable
Specification
- Hardware Interface Bluetooth, USB, HDMI
- Controller Type Android TV
- Display resolution 1920 x 1080
- Item Weight ‎3.52 pounds
- Throw ratio: 1.20:1
- Brightness: 800 ANSI lumens
Review
This impressively sleek projector is often mistaken as a Bluetooth speaker for its out-of-box design. Paired with a Harman Kardon 5W speaker, it comes with full-size HDMI input, 3.5mm headphone out jack and a USB header. Native 1080p resolution and 800 ANSI brightness make it stand out from other portable projectors. Equipped with DLP technology, it offers brilliant image
It is packed with a 5400 mAh battery to last up to 4 hours. Auto-vertical and auto-horizontal keystone make its set-up quick and easy. It is a convenient throwing backyard movie projector with a reasonable contrast ratio. It is a good option for effective Android streaming with Bluetooth and integrated Wi-Fi capabilities.
8.Epson VS355 WXGA Projector – Best office & Classroom
Specification
- Hardware Interface: HDMI
- Brightness: 3300 Lumen
- Display resolution: 1280 x 800
- Item Weight: 5.5 Pounds
- Display Technology: 3LCD
- Image Contrast Ratio: 15000:1
- Connectivity Technology: VGA, USB, HDMI
Review
Another lightweight and portable projector on our list meant perfectly for widescreen laptops. The high 3300-lumen brightness makes it a suitable deal for well-lit rooms. The dynamic contrast ratio at 15000:1 present vibrant images. To send video signals via Mac and Window PC, it comes with a USB port. With an aspect ratio of 16:10, it belongs to the class of large-format projectors.
Keystone correction function and HDMI port are the other significant features offered by this projector. Using a single cable, you can easily project videos from laptops. Boasting 3X colour brightness, it is a good choice as a conference and classroom projector.
9.Optoma LH150 Portable 1080p Mini Projector
Specification
- Hardware Interface: Bluetooth, USB, HDMI
- Mounting Type: Ceiling Mount
- Wattage: 125 watts
- Image Contrast Ratio: 160000:1
- Image Brightness: 1300
- Item Weight: 4.70 lbs
- Display Technology: DLP
Review
This projector is a rare combination of DLP technology, excellent image quality and wireless streaming at affordable pricing. Without connecting to any power source, it can run up to 2.5 hours with its 12000 mAh battery. Stream the content from your mobile phone or connect with Bluetooth audio wirelessly to make the most out of it. For a commendable backyard drive-in experience, it runs efficiently for up to 2.5 hours without a power source.
This portable HD projector looks bold and bright to set up an image on any surface efficiently. As under 5 pounds, you can easily take it along wherever you go. Enjoy detailed images with RGB LED light source with REC.709 colour support and 1080o resolution. The unique screen-mirroring feature allows collaborating the big pictures right from your laptop/PC.
10.BenQ HT2150ST Projector – Best overall
Specification
- Hardware Interface: HDMI
- Mounting Type: Ceiling Mount
- Wattage: 353 watts
- Brightness: 2200 Lumen
- Image Contrast Ratio: 15000:1
- Item Weight: 7.93 lbs
- Resolution: 1080p
- Display Technology: DLP
Review
With its excellent capability of projecting bright scenes, it maintains the black levels of an image commendably to present other colours vibrantly. It is free from the issues of washing out by producing accurate skin tones with its pre-set colour modes. With a throw ratio of 0.69 to 0.83, it is a perfect choice for small rooms.
The backlit remote design is intuitive to promote ease of use. The quietest fan is barely noticeable at pushing the lamp heat to its extreme to make it a worthy projector on our list. You can calibrate the lamp power from Normal to Eco mode or SmartEco mode quickly. Fast mode is meant for the games to offer super-fastening gaming sessions.
Buying Guide: Things to Consider Before Buying a Projector Under $1000
With the plethora of features, every project varies in pricing owing to its specific features. Hence, it is wise to pen down your list of preferences for a projector to find yourself the ‘right one. Here is some considerable analysis one should make before finalizing the best projector under $1000:
Display
With a liberal budget of $1000, you can fetch a 1080p resolution projector easily. There are also projectors available with true 4K resolution to produce an impressive display. TO derive an immersive experience, the display feature for any projector plays a significant role.
Brightness
If you are going to use your projector under ample lighting conditions, buying a projector with less than 2500 lumens makes no sense. There are several bright projectors available under $1000 with good brightness levels to present vivid image quality.
Use
If you are buying a projector for conferences, you need to have clear graphics with concise text-based projections. For Gaming projectors, input lag needs to be considered low. Similarly for movie projection, the display and sound system quality plays a vital role.
Contrast Ratio
The higher the contrast ratio, the better it is. High contrast ratio presents excellent colour images without much pain. You can expect an impressive contrast ratio starting from 12000: 1 from the best projectors under $1000.
 Throw distance
If you are buying a projector for small places, the projector should essentially have a short distance. To project a large and widescreen, long-throw distance is significantly important.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best budgeted projector under $1000?
Optoma HD142X 1080p Projector is the best budgeted projector under $1000 that offers great value at par with its pricing. If you are looking for a Blue-ray movie projector, it is an excellent choice.
Why BenQ TK800M is the best projector for sports?
With its 4K resolution, low input lag and excellent color display, this projector on our list offer an immersive gaming experience to capture the minute details.
Which is the best portable projector under $1000?
Simi Halo True 1080p is the best portable projector under $1000 on our list with its weight of 3.52 pounds. This compact projector comes with in-built 5 W speaker and 5400 mAh battery to last up to 4 hours to make it an ideal choice for outdoors.
Conclusion
With the wide array of projectors available under $1000, each one posses some unique features over the other to make their way on our list. However, if you are looking for a perfect gaming projector, BenQ HT2050A 1080P Home Theater Projector is an undisputed choice for its low latency rate.
Considering the portability, the Xgimi Halo True 1080p Portable Mini projector is an excellent choice that allows you to take it along wherever you go. For people with tight budgets, Optoma HD142X 1080p is a good choice to consider
Have you finalized any projector for your home yet?
I am Charlie and founder of Projectorpick.com. I always find a huge gap on the internet between the audience and the relevant information for Home Theatre available on the internet. I saw many forums where people were bombarding several questions regarding Home Theater and ending up disappointed with no relevant answers. Keeping this in virtue, I decided to start this blog to address all such unattended questions.
