“There’s an electrical thing about a movie,” said filmmaker Oliver Stone. This powerful experience of film is no longer confined to a theater with the growing popularity of home projectors.
Here is a list of the top 10 best home projectors in 2018 you should consider when shopping for an enhanced in-home movie experience.
Table of Contents
- 10. ERISAN ER46W WiFi Wireless Projector
- 9. S1 LED LCD (WVGA) Mini Video Projector
- 8. ERISAN ER46B Updated Full Color Max 130″ Pro Portable LCD LED Mini Projector
- 7. ELEGIANT 1200LM LED Multimedia Projector
- 6. HD 3200 lumens Home Theater Projector
- 5. Epson EX5240
- 4. Epson VS240 SVGA 3LCD Projector
- 3. Optoma HD142X 1080p 3D DLP Home Theater Projector
- 2. ViewSonic PJD5155 LightStream SVGA Home Entertainment Projector
- 1. iRulu BL20 1080P HD 3D Projector
- What Projector Should You Buy?
10. ERISAN ER46W WiFi Wireless Projector
This is a good basic projector at a great price. It has many good features such as average LED lamp life of 20,000 hours and easy connections through HDMI and VGA ports. Weighing 2.2 pounds, it is an ideal on-the-go outdoor projector.
The little white console projector has many pros to offer, beginning with its great price at less than $100. It has good lamp life with no bulb to replace, WiFi capability, and lightweight portability. It offers interfaces such as SD, USB, AV, and audio out.
Pros
- It has a great price at less than $100.
- It has a good lamp life rated at 30,000 hours.
- It is compact and lightweight making it portable.
Cons
- It is dim in bright light.
- There is no ceiling mounting system included.
9. S1 LED LCD (WVGA) Mini Video Projector
This is an inexpensive,lightweight, portable projector. Truly it could be called “the little black box” as its black console weighs only 2 pounds and measures less than 8 inches long. It features multi-interface inputs (HD/SD/USB/HDMI) and can be used for DVDs, gaming consoles, PCs, and other devices.
It works well with media sticks, such as Roku or FireTV stick. It is the perfect projector of a child’s room, an outside movie night or a camping trip. It has internal speakers along with audio output for headphones or an external speaker. It is rated at 30000 hours lamp life with its LED light source of 1000 lumens.
Pros
- It is portable, weighing only 2 pounds.
- It has a 30000 hour lamp life.
- It is inexpensive, well under $100.
Cons
- It can only be used in dark environments.
- The fan noise is loud in the earlier models.
- It is not HD.
8. ERISAN ER46B Updated Full Color Max 130″ Pro Portable LCD LED Mini Projector
This projector is the “sister” to #10 projector, differing in its black color. It retails at well under $100, and offers many good basic features. Weighing in at 2.2 pounds and measuring a little over 8″ in length, it is small enough to go on the family camping trip or to the backyard barbecue.
It has HD capability and a 1200 lumen rating. It has a industry-leading 1 year limited warranty. It has enhanced LED technology that improves brightness by 20% and its lamp life is rated at 30,000 hours. It also has multi-interfaces for use with DVDs, PCs, gaming consoles and other devices.
Pros
- It is inexpensive with many good features.
- It is portable.
- It has a good lamp life.
Cons
- It must be used in dark environments, so it is not good for PowerPoint displays in bright settings.
- It requires external speakers for adequate volume.
7. ELEGIANT 1200LM LED Multimedia Projector
With a stylish black console cover, this compact projector offers many viewing options with multi-input interfaces, from HDMI, VGA, USB, HD, SD, and AV ports. It has convenient wireless function which supports Miracast protocol and DLNA. It also boasts a high quality optical lens that gives improved color and resists high heat.
At 2.8 pounds, it is easily transported. It offers relatively a high 1200 lumens and good resolution up to 1080p. It has built in speakers, but external speakers are recommended for better volume. With its price right at $100, this is a good projector for on-the-go applications.
Pros
- It is relatively inexpensive at $100.
- It has good wireless function that is easy and efficient.
- It offers upgraded optical lens.
Cons
- The protective cap for the lens is not attached to the unit itself so may be easily lost.
- It is only for dark environments.
6. HD 3200 lumens Home Theater Projector
Though more expensive than other models, this black-cased projector offers several quality features. With its LED light source rated at 3200 lumens, it can project an image up to 200 inches in size.
It has a good lamp life of 20,000 hours and it can be positioned anywhere from 1.2 meters to 6 meters from image surface. It also has a 12 month warranty. It offers multi-interface inputs for most home media needs. It does not have BlueRay capability and is not recommended for PowerPoint presentations.
Pros
- It can project up to a 200 inch image size.
- It features a maintenance free LED light source rated at 20,000 hours lamp life.
- Relatively inexpensive at less than $160 retail.
Cons
- It is not recommended for presentations in normal light.
- It cannot support BlueRay.
5. Epson EX5240
This sleek white consoled projector from Epson offers many advanced features. It has 3 LCD, 3-chip technology that produces much greater color brightness and a wider color range than other digital light processing projectors (DLP).
With 3000 lumens of both color brightness and white brightness, this projector can be used in well-lit environments. It also has XGA resolution which enables it to project crisp images of spreadsheets and charts. It has HDMI connectivity. It comes with a carrying case.
Pros
- It is able to project bright images in well-lit environments.
- It has relatively long lamp life rated at 10,000 hours.
- It is good for business presentations with XGA resolution.
Cons
- It is more expensive than low-end projectors retailing at just under $500.
- It requires an extra purchase dongle for WiFi capability.
4. Epson VS240 SVGA 3LCD Projector
This projector is a “little brother” to the Epson EX5240 profiled above, with many of the same quality features. It has good color and white brightness with 3000 lumens in each category, and it too has the 3-chip, 3LCD technology for improved color brightness and range.
Housed in a sleek white case, it has SVGA resolution, which allows it to project basic presentations and graphics. It has HDMI connectivity. It is much cheaper than the Epson EX5240, retailing at $299.99.
Pros
- It’s 3000 lumens enables it to project images in well-lit environments.
- It has HDMI interface input.
- It has easy set-up for immediate use.
Cons
- Its SGVA resolution does not allow for good projection of text-rich charts.
- It requires an extra purchased dongle for WiFi capability.
3. Optoma HD142X 1080p 3D DLP Home Theater Projector
This black architecturally detailed console houses a projector with many great features. It has full HD resolution at 1920 x 1080p, 23,000:1 contrast ratio which leads the industry and an 8000 hour rated lamp life. The built-in 10W speakers provide good sound and volume without external help.
It has the latest interface inputs with two HDMI ports. It has BlueRay capacity and an advanced optical lens and is rated at 3000 lumens. It can project an image size from 27.88 inches to 305.5 inches.
Pros
- It can be used in ambient lighting situations.
- It has industry-leading contrast ratio.
- It has many advanced features for its price of $588.75.
Cons
- Some users have reported experiencing a pronounced rainbow effect while viewing the projected image.
- Projected image size from 10 feet is only 80 inches, smaller than older projectors.
2. ViewSonic PJD5155 LightStream SVGA Home Entertainment Projector
This black-cased projector is a mid-priced model with many advanced features. It has exceptional brightness with 3300 lumens and an impressive 20,000:1 contrast ratio. It is capable of 3D, Blu-ray with HDMI support. It has the best warranty in the industry with 3 years limited parts and labor and 1 year on the lamp.
At 4.8 pounds it is lightweight and portable. It also has SVGA 800 x 600 resolution. This makes it a good projector for business or education purposes.
Priced at just under $300, this is a good projector for multiple uses.
Pros
- It has 3300 lumens of brightness.
- It can be used in well-lit environments.
- It has a long warranty at 3 years.
Cons
- It costs more than low end models.
- It does not show at 1080p.
1. iRulu BL20 1080P HD 3D Projector
At just under $170, this black console projector is a great value with many good features. It has two HDMI ports, a projection distance from 1.2 meters to 6 meters. It supports 1080p resolution and has a maximum projection screen size of 200 inches. It also offers three types of projection methods: front, rear, ceiling. It has a 1 year warranty as well.
Pros
- It has a 20,000 hour lamp life rating.
- It supports 1080p.
- It has a large 200 inch image size.
Cons
- It is not recommended for PowerPoint or well-lit environments.
- A battery is not included in the remote.
What Projector Should You Buy?
“Cinema is a matter of what’s in the frame and what’s out,” said director Martin Scorsese. With these projector reviews, you can purchase a quality in-home projector and the very best of film and media can be in the frame of the home screen for a great movie and media experience. Click here to see my favorite projector.