Best Home Theater Projector for 2023: Epson, BenQ, Optoma, Anker and More – CNET
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It’s possible, easy in fact, to get a movie theater experience at home. With an inexpensive projector you can watch movies and TV shows on a 100-inch-plus screen. Paired with a soundbar or a receiver and speakers, you can get picture and sound at least as good as your local cinema. Even better, no crowds, no noise, and you can pause the show at any time to use the restroom.
Modern home theater projectors have impressive picture quality, good brightness in ambient light, vivid colors and a quality contrast ratio — and you can pick one up starting at around $200. That means you can get a massive screen for a fraction of the cost of a big TV. And many models are portable, making them perfect for a backyard movie night under the stars.
To give you a sneak peek at some of our picks for the best projector 2023 has to offer, we like the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB as the best overall home theater projector. The best projector for the money is still the BenQ HT2050A, but it’s being discontinued soon. Its replacement, the HT2060, is excellent and one of our overall best projector picks.
Whether you’re looking to buy a 4K projector, want something that’ll make HD sources look great or need something you can use on the go, this list gives you the best home theater projectors.
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It’s smaller than a six-pack of Coke and equipped with Wi-Fi streaming, a surprisingly loud Bluetooth speaker and even a handle. It offers auto vertical and manual horizontal keystone correction. This portable mini projector powerhouse also has one thing many compact projectors like the Vimgo P10 lack: a built-in battery. This budget projector is an all-in-one entertainment machine that’s darn cute, too.
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The EF-12 is a small, highly portable projector that looks a lot like the Anker Nebula Pro and the BenQ GS50, but it fits a slightly different niche. It’s easy to tote and doubles as a Bluetooth speaker, but unlike those two it can’t run off of a battery — it requires AC power. The EF-12’s light is created by Epson’s “MicroLaser Array Projection Technology.” Yep, laser beams, which deliver a brighter picture than LED-based models like the Nebula and GS50.
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The Xgimi Halo Plus is a relatively small 1080p projector with a 2.5-hour battery and surprisingly powerful speakers. It has Android TV built-in, so streaming is far easier than with many other portables. It performs well for a portable projector, but costs about the same as the BenQ HT2050A, which performs far better. But for regular movie nights far from an outlet, it works great. Also note that you can save $100 at Amazon right now by activating the instant coupon on the product page. Read our Xgimi Halo Plus review.
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BenQ GS50: The GS50 is a lunchbox-size 1080p projector with a built-in battery. You can even use it as a Bluetooth speaker. However, it’s dimmer than the Xgimi Halo Plus for similar money, so we recommend that one instead.
Samsung Freestyle: The small, cylindrical Freestyle is an interesting idea, but it comes up short. About the size of a Bluetooth speaker, and in fact can double as one, the Freestyle can pivot on its stand to project an image at any height on walls and even the ceiling. Its built-in streaming is far better implemented than most portable projectors. However, it lacks a battery and its performance is average, at best. Worse, its price is a good 50% higher than it should be based on how it looks and performs. Read our Samsung Freestyle review.
Xiaomi Mi Smart Projector 2: Another relatively expensive projector we didn’t love, the Xiaomi at least has a gorgeous, Apple-like design going for it. We appreciated the compact size, 1080p resolution and built-in Android TV streaming, but the cons outweigh the pros. It’s relatively dim, especially for the price, and it lacks both a built-in battery and compatibility with a USB power source, so it’s not truly portable. Read our Xiaomi Mi Smart Projector 2 review.
Epson Home Cinema 880: The 880 is one of Epson’s less expensive home projectors, but it still puts out a remarkable amount of light. That, and the price, make it tempting. The contrast ratio is terrible, however, so the overall image quality is weak. Read our Epson Home Cinema 880 review.
LG HU810PW: The HU810PW is a higher-end, laser-powered projector with 4K resolution that’s able to create some lovely, colorful images. It’s also quiet and sports an attractive, boxy case. The contrast ratio is quite poor, so it doesn’t look nearly as good overall as other projectors in its overall price range. Read our LG HU810PW review.
Anker Nebula Solar Portable: The Solar Portable is a portable projector with a built-in battery that lasts 3 hours. It sports 1080p resolution, but it’s not very bright and the contrast isn’t great. While the Anker Mars II Pro has its own issues, overall it’s the better option for the same money. Read our Anker Nebula Solar Portable review.
Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K: Since it has a handle and a compact size, the Cosmos Laser 4K is technically portable, but it’s hardly mini at more than 10 pounds. There’s also no battery so you’ll need to plug it in. It’s nice and bright, but the other downsides — lack of zoom, average overall image quality and a steep price for what you get — keep it off this list. Read our Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K Projector review.
How we test home theater projectors
Every projector we review goes through elaborate objective and subjective testing. CNET editors pick the products and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission.
For more info, check out how CNET tests projectors.
Projector performance comparison
| Brand | Model | Price | Resolution | Lumens** | Contrast ratio** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anker | Mars II Pro | $400 | 720p | 337 | 354:1 |
| Anker | Nebula Solar | $560 | 1080p | 196 | 407:1 |
| BenQ | HT2060 | $999 | 1080p | 985 | 1,380:1 |
| BenQ | HT2050A | $699 | 1080p | 1,591 | 2,094:1 |
| BenQ | TH685 | $1,244 | 1080p | 1,641 | 853:1 |
| Epson | EF-12 | $900 | 1080p | 650 | 394:1 |
| Epson | HC 880 | $600 | 1080p | 2,085 | 221:1 |
| Epson | HC 2250 | $750 | 1080p | 1,729 | 1,026:1 |
| Epson | HC 5050 | $3,000 | 1080p x2* | 1,732 | 5,203:1 |
| Epson | LS11000 | $4,000 | 4K | 1,378 | 1,808:1 |
| LG | HU810PW | $2,550 | 4K | 1,498 | 490:1 |
| Optoma | UHD35 | $1,581 | 4K | 1,567 | 649:1 |
| Optoma | UHZ50 | $2,799 | 4K | 1,486 | 1,007:1 |
| Sony | VPL-VE325ES | $4,499 | 4K | 1,732 | 5,203:1 |
| Xgimi | Halo Plus | $850 | 1080p | 284 | 368:1 |
*See review for more details
**as measured. See how CNET tests projectors for details.
Frequently asked questions about home theater projectors
What is the best mini projector?
Mini projectors are projectors small enough to hold easily in one hand. They’re incredibly portable, but they’re not as bright nor do they look as good as their larger counterparts. Overall, we like the AAXA P8 for its low size and high performance for its category.
For more options, check out our list of the best portable mini projectors.
What is the best projector for outdoor movies?
If you want to move movie night outdoors, you have a few options. We generally recommend, when possible, to use a regular home projector and run an extension cord. Home projectors will offer far better, brighter images, for the same or less money than portable projectors.
If you want to go fully cordless, we like the Xgimi Halo Plus. It’s fairly expensive, but offers decent battery life and image quality.
For more options, check out our list of the best outdoor projectors.
What kind of projector should you get?
LCD and Digital Light Processing projectors are the most common technologies. Higher-end projectors often use LCOS, or liquid crystal on silicon, designs. These are marketed as SXRD and DILA. LCOS is superior to LCD and DLP in almost every way, but is significantly more expensive.
LCD (used almost exclusively by Epson) and DLP both have their strengths and weaknesses. DLP is typically sharper, LCD often brighter. However, both technologies offer bright, sharp images. It’s more down to the specific model of projector than specific technologies.
Do you need a screen for a better projector experience?
You can use any flat surface to project your image. However, don’t expect it to be the best surface for a projector. Any and all tiny bumps in a wall, for example, will be visible as extra “noise” in the image. This can be distracting. If you want the best image quality from your projector, even an inexpensive screen is a far better option. This is because projector screens tend to brighten the image noticeably and create a smooth surface that just shows your TV, movie or game.
Portable or home projector?
Portable models are expensive for their performance, but can work where there’s no outlet. If you don’t plan on ever using the projector away from your house, a traditional projector will be far brighter and can be used outside. Just remember to bring it in when you’re done.
