Top 5 compared
The best projectors
A picture as big as the wall allows, for movie nights and the big game at home.
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The top 5 at a glance
A projector throws a picture far bigger than most TVs onto a wall or a screen, from a shelf, a table or a ceiling mount. Smart projectors have streaming apps built in and behave like a smart TV once they’re on Wi-Fi; others take their picture from a streaming stick, a game console or a laptop over HDMI. The darker the room, the better any of them looks.
Brightness is the figure to read closely. ANSI and ISO lumens are measured at nine points across a white screen and averaged, so they can be compared, and every projector here is rated one way or the other; a box that just says “lumens” can’t be. Resolution too: “4K supported” means a 1080p projector accepts a 4K signal and scales it down.
What matters
- Auto focus and keystone, for a sharp, square picture wherever it sits.
- An HDMI ARC port, for a soundbar.
- The throw distance for the picture size you want.
- Fan noise in decibels, for the quiet scenes.
#1TOPTRO X9 Pro Smart Projector with VIDAA
Over $300
TOPTRO rates it at 920 lumens to the ISO standard, so the native 1080p picture holds up in a room that isn’t fully dark. Netflix, YouTube and Prime Video are on its VIDAA home screen, and two 20W speakers with Dolby Audio are built in.
What owners say: Daylight in the room doesn’t wash the picture out, owners report, and the Dolby speakers win them over. Setup is simple enough for a child to manage, they say, and their Bluetooth and HDMI gear hooks up with no trouble.
A closer look: Set 3.6 to 16.4 ft from the wall, it throws a 40 to 200 in picture, and the adjustable screw at the front raises the lens without propping up the whole unit. HDMI ARC hands the sound to a soundbar over one cable, and the M5 socket underneath takes a ceiling bracket.
- Two 20W Dolby Audio speakers
- AirPlay 2 and HomeKit
- HDMI ARC for a soundbar
- Front screw raises the lens
- Auto focus and screen fit
Best for: Streaming with strong built-in sound
- Resolution
- 1080p
- Brightness (maker)
- 920 ISO lumens
- Built-in apps
- VIDAA
- Bluetooth
- Two-way
- Largest picture
- 200in
#2Hisense M2 Pro 4K Triple Laser Projector
Over $300
It packs a triple laser and a 4K UHD picture with Dolby Vision into a body under 10 in on every side, at 8.6 lb, so the big screen can move from the living room to the backyard for a movie night. The 1.0 to 1.3 optical zoom resizes the picture without losing sharpness, and VIDAA brings Netflix, YouTube and Disney+.
What owners say: Some owners liken the picture to a giant OLED TV, and they rate the sound and brightness just as highly. Setup asks almost nothing of them, it travels easily between rooms, and the way it adjusts itself to the wall earns praise.
A closer look: Its 1,300 lumens are made for low light, so draw the curtains for an afternoon movie; after dark it fills anything from 65 to 200 in. Active 3D works with DLP-Link shutter glasses, which are sold separately, and the projector can sit on a table or hang from a ceiling mount.
- Triple laser light source
- Dolby Vision and IMAX Enhanced
- Zoom resizes without losing sharpness
- Weighs 8.6 lb
- Active 3D, glasses sold separately
Best for: 4K that moves between rooms
- Resolution
- 4K UHD
- Brightness (maker)
- 1,300 ANSI lumens
- Built-in apps
- VIDAA
- Bluetooth
- Yes
- Largest picture
- 200in
#3WiMiUS P62 Pro Smart Projector
$200–$300
Two HDMI ports, one with ARC for a soundbar, keep a game console and a streaming stick plugged in together, and auto focus, keystone and screen fit set the picture up wherever it lands. It shows native 1080p at 600 ANSI lumens, with Prime Video and YouTube on its own home screen.
What owners say: Bright and clear even with daylight around, owners find, and the auto focus keeps the whole frame sharp, edges included. Everything needed comes in the box, and a Fire TV Stick or Chromecast plugged into it runs smoothly.
A closer look: High mode lifts the picture for a room with a little light, and Standard saves power once it’s dark. Have two AAA batteries ready, as the remote ships without them and there’s no carrying case. Four M5 holes and a center M6 one underneath take a ceiling, wall or tripod mount.
- Two HDMI, one with ARC
- Auto focus and screen fit
- Dual 10W Dolby Audio speakers
- Ceiling, wall or tripod mount
- Remote batteries not included
Best for: Console gaming on a big wall
- Resolution
- 1080p
- Brightness (maker)
- 600 ANSI lumens
- Built-in apps
- Own app store
- Bluetooth
- Two-way
- Largest picture
- 300in
#4KOGATA Smart Projector with VIDAA and 60W Dolby Audio
Over $300
VIDAA puts Netflix, Disney+, Hulu and Peacock beside more than 1,000 live TV channels, so it behaves like a TV as soon as it’s on Wi-Fi. MEMC smooths fast sports and action, and at as little as 28 dB the fan stays under the quiet scenes.
What owners say: Picture and sound both impress owners, who find it clear even in daytime and its speakers far better than they expected. The apps it comes with cover their movie nights, and the AI autofocus gets a mention too.
A closer look: Aim it at the ceiling for a movie from bed or carry it out to the backyard; auto focus and keystone straighten and sharpen the picture again each time it moves. Voice search finds Sunday football or a kids’ show without typing, and HDMI ARC hands the sound to a soundbar.
- Over 1,000 live TV channels
- Smooths fast sports and action
- As quiet as 28 dB
- Voice search
- HDMI ARC for a soundbar
Best for: Live TV and streaming in one
- Resolution
- 1080p
- Brightness (maker)
- 550 ANSI lumens
- Built-in apps
- VIDAA
- Bluetooth
- Two-way
- Largest picture
- 300in
#5Epson Home Cinema 980 3LCD 1080p Projector
Over $300
Epson rates it at 4,000 lumens of white and color brightness, to the ISO and IDMS standards, which keeps a 1080p picture clear even in a brightly lit room. Three LCD chips show every color in each frame, so there’s no rainbow effect.
What owners say: Owners use it for home movie nights and praise its crisp, bright picture; the built-in speaker gets a mixed reception.
Heads up: It has no apps of its own: plug a streaming stick such as Fire TV or Roku into an HDMI port and power it from the USB port.
A closer look: Fast-moving sports stay smooth thanks to processing Epson tunes for them, and the second HDMI port leaves room for a game console or laptop beside the stick. It can go on a ceiling mount as well as a shelf, and Epson covers it with a two-year limited warranty.
- No rainbow effect
- USB powers a streaming stick
- Two HDMI ports
- Built-in speaker
- 2-year limited warranty
Best for: Watching with the lights on
- Resolution
- 1080p
- Brightness (maker)
- 4,000 ISO lumens
- Built-in apps
- No
- Bluetooth
- No
- Largest picture
- 300in
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1TOPTRO X9 Pro | #2Hisense M2 Pro | #3WiMiUS P62 Pro | #4KOGATA VIDAA | #5Epson Home Cinema 980 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best portable 4K | Best budget | Brightest | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Price | Over $300 | Over $300 | $200–$300 | Over $300 | Over $300 |
| Resolution | 1080p | 4K UHD | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p |
| Brightness (maker) | 920 ISO lumens | 1,300 ANSI lumens | 600 ANSI lumens | 550 ANSI lumens | 4,000 ISO lumens |
| Built-in apps | VIDAA | VIDAA | Own app store | VIDAA | No |
| Bluetooth | Two-way | Yes | Two-way | Two-way | No |
| Largest picture | 200in | 200in | 300in | 300in | 300in |
| Best for | Streaming with strong built-in sound | 4K that moves between rooms | Console gaming on a big wall | Live TV and streaming in one | Watching with the lights on |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
