Best Projectors 2022

The projector is the backbone of the home theater. And, with all the respect of the mass user to modern LCD and OLED TVs, they cannot become a full-fledged replacement for the projection picture. What’s more, the best projectors in 2022 may even be better per inch of money than their on-screen brethren. Seductive, isn’t it? But there are many nuances Petr Krivilov, iCinema store expert.

– Before running to the store for a new or even the first projector, you need to decide: for what purpose you are purchasing it, how often it will be used and what signal source you will connect it to. And only after you give yourself the answers to these questions, it makes sense to decide on the brand, model and budget for the purchase.

Top 10 rating according to KP

1. XGIMI H2 (average price 53 thousand rubles)

A very advanced model of LED-projector that can surprise the viewer with its picture quality. The projector is capable of delivering a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, the device is capable of creating an image on surfaces with a diagonal of up to 8,8 m. An LED matrix is ​​used as a light source, which has many advantages compared to conventional solutions. There is no need to worry about the life of the lamps, and due to the reduced focal length, the projector can simply be placed in front of you and used as a replacement for a monitor. In addition, H2 produces a very bright and contrasting picture. There are built-in speakers, and Android, and even an autofocus system. There was no fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey. So, the projector did not receive an optical zoom of the picture and has small flaws in the firmware.

Advantages and disadvantages

2. LG CineBeam HU80KSW (average price 178 thousand rubles)

One of the most advanced projector models from the Korean manufacturer, which is designed to bring the experience of using this class of devices closer to modern flagship smart TVs. The actual resolution given by CineBeam HU80KSW is 4K standard. The so-called hybrid Laser-LED acts as a light source in the projector. This allows the device to balance between a good image and a reasonable price. LG HU80KSW also has an original appearance: an elongated parallelepiped made of white matte plastic with a metal carrying handle, thanks to which the projector can be placed horizontally or vertically, mounted to a wall or ceiling. In addition to all this, there is also one of the most user-friendly smart modes for the projector, based on LG’s proprietary webOS system.

Advantages and disadvantages

3. Unic GM60 (average price 4,9 thousand rubles)

An ultra-affordable projector that is positioned as a portable solution. Despite the use of an LED light source here, the resolution is modest by today’s standards – 800 x 400 pixels. The projector has a simple multimedia player that handles most video formats. The evaluation of such a device must be approached, looking back at its price. In principle, except for a noisy fan, there are no minuses.

Advantages and disadvantages

4. Epson EH-TW5650 (average price 59,6 thousand rubles)

Epson as a representative of the usual projector manufacturers will be of interest to many. Epson’s proprietary UHE technology is used here as a light source. It is a projection lamp with increased brightness and efficiency in a small size and low power consumption. The downside is that its claimed resource ranges from 4500 to 7000 hours, which is several times less than that of lampless competitors. The picture quality here is very high, although the projector loves the dark. This device has proven itself well among gamers, who liked it with a good picture response. The disadvantages include the fact that the fan is quite noisy in the standard operating mode.

Advantages and disadvantages

5. CINEMOOD Kinokubik ivi (average price 35 thousand rubles)

development, assembled by hardworking Chinese in Shenzhen. Not the cheapest device on the market has a very modest resolution – 640 x 480 pixels. LED is used as a light source with a declared resource of 20 thousand hours. The maximum projection diagonal is 3,8 m. But this is not the main thing in this device. Firstly, it is very light – only 300 g. Secondly, deep integration with the ivi online service is announced. Thirdly, there is a battery that provides Kinokubik 5 hours of battery life. There is even 32 GB of internal memory where the user can upload their data. But the buyer needs to be prepared for not the most debugged software and a mediocre picture.

Advantages and disadvantages

6. Viewsonic PA503W (average price 26,9 thousand rubles)

Another projector from a manufacturer well known to s for monitors and other office equipment. The projector uses a lamp as a light source, the life of which ranges from 5000 to 15000 hours. With an actual resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, the PA503W is capable of producing a picture diagonally from 0.76 to 7.62 m. By the way, the projector is capable of producing a bright image even in the presence of light in the room. This model even has an outdated VGA-connector, which will appeal to those who do not have the latest computer equipment. However, there is one “but”. Some users have encountered lamp defects in this model, which causes the image to flicker. Such defects are recognized by Viewsonic as warranted and will be repaired free of charge.

Advantages and disadvantages

7. Acer H6517ABD (average price 34,9 thousand rubles)

Projectors from Taiwanese Acer are well known to the buyer, because they are very common in our country, especially in business and education. H6517ABD is well suited for domestic use as the basis of a home theater. The actual resolution of the projector is 1920 x 1080 pixels, while the device can create an image with a diagonal of 1.06 to 7.62 m. There is also a special feature here – support for 3D content (using special glasses). Although the fashion for it has already subsided, but an additional opportunity will not be superfluous. By the way, the projector uses a P-VIP lamp as a light source, which provides increased brightness and a smooth, flicker-free glow throughout its entire service life. But after 5000-10000 hours of operation, it will require replacement. The disadvantages of the Acer H6517ABD are that the model lacks horizontal trapezoid correction, which hints at the low cost of this solution.

Advantages and disadvantages

8. BenQ W1720 (average price 84,3 thousand rubles)

One of the most affordable 4K projectors on the market. There is also support for 3D and HDR10. A high-quality and bright picture is provided by the lamp, and it can be scaled up to a diagonal of 200 inches. The good sound of the built-in speakers can also be recorded as an advantage. But what I really don’t like is the lack of even a simple internal multimedia player (the USB port is used here for downloading new firmware) and a noticeable frame of gray pixels along the edge of the image.

Advantages and disadvantages

9. Sony VPL-HW45ES (average price 134 thousand rubles)

A Japanese projector made using proprietary SXRD imaging technology. At a considerable price, this device is not suitable for everyone. SXRD is a type of liquid crystal on silicon, which means it has a deeper black color and is more suitable for professional use. The resolution of the Sony VPL-HW45ES is only 1920 x 1080 pixels, but interesting image smoothing algorithms are used here. Note that the projector has one of the quietest cooling systems in the class. But for some reason there is no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth in such an expensive device.

Advantages and disadvantages

10. Vivitek Qumi Q3 Plus (average price 43,5 thousand rubles)

A portable projector weighing 460 g can surprise you with its capabilities. LED-baby is capable of producing a picture on a diagonal of 2.54 m with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. The device has many wired and wireless interfaces, and is also capable of playing multimedia files on its own. There is also built-in memory – as much as 8 GB. Moreover, Vivitek Qumi Q3 Plus gives good picture quality. The disadvantages of the projector include an inconvenient remote control and the inability to control the device without it.

Advantages and disadvantages

How to choose a projector

Projectors as a class of devices for content consumption, although they do not break sales records, but arouse stable interest among buyers. After all, they have a number of advantages over modern TVs. But before a beginner in this topic, the question always arises – how to choose the best projector and not miscalculate? A few tips to help you not get lost in the world of this technique.

Dimensions and mobility

There are many standard sizes of projectors on the market, but they can be conditionally divided into two large groups. The first are truly mobile models weighing up to 2 kg. They are able to work in any room, they focus on wireless interfaces, and some have built-in memory and batteries. You have to pay for compactness with a picture. But heavier and larger projectors with various types of mounting are designed for stationary use.

Imaging technology and light source

Now there are two main approaches to creating a projector: three-matrix and one-matrix. The three-matrix uses three colors from the white spectrum, the one-matrix uses only one at a time, and the rest is cut off. This means insufficient brightness. In household projectors today, single-matrix DLP projectors and three-matrix LCD (3LCD) are common. In expensive models, there are three-matrix LCoS (Sony calls them SXRD) and three-matrix DLP. Single-matrix DLP features deep blacks, but in contrasting scenes, an unpleasant “rainbow effect” can occur. 3LCDs have high color brightness, but there is pixel misalignment. Three-matrix DLP projectors are completely devoid of most of the shortcomings of single-matrix counterparts. LCoS combines the benefits of 3LCD and DLP, but is very expensive.

Separate conversation – a source of light. Now on the market there are lamps, LEDs, lasers and hybrid sources. Traditional mercury and xenon lamps combine relatively low cost and ease of replacement with high brightness, with an approximate maximum output life of 3000 to 5000 hours on average. Semiconductor (LED and laser) give pure colors, have a huge resource up to 20000 hours and low power consumption. At the same time, lasers are more powerful and are used in premium models. Hybrid sources have appeared relatively recently, they simultaneously use a laser and an LED.

Resolution

As with all digital technology, one of the main characteristics is the actual resolution. And it would seem that the higher it is, the better the detail of the picture that the projector produces. But don’t jump to conclusions. The reasons for such a seemingly paradoxical statement can be divided into those that relate to any digital technology, and those that apply only to projectors. So, to get real 4K on a device that supports this resolution, you need a video file with a resolution of 3840 (4096) x 2160 pixels. In addition, the projector itself or the signal source that spins the video must be able to cope with such a resolution. Speaking about the specifics of the projector resolution, it is worth noting such characteristics as the resolution of the optical path, the interpixel distance and the quality of the surface on which the image will be projected.

Brightness and contrast

Brightness and contrast – these two properties are not least responsible for the final perception of the projector. The first parameter also depends on the diagonal of the screen – the larger it is, the less light is required per unit area. Keep in mind that the stronger the illumination of the room, the higher the brightness should be. In a small and dark room, 700 lumens will also look good, but for a large hall with many windows, at least 2000 lumens will be required.

The contrast ratio of a projector, to put it simply, is the ratio of its maximum white brightness to its minimum black brightness. Its ability to block the light of the lamp in the black areas of the image is implied. And the stronger this blocking, the black color becomes “deeper”. Low contrast turns black into dark gray.