May 19, 2023 10:00 AM

The Best Projectors (and 2 Great Screens)

Whether you want a backyard presenter or a theater-quality behemoth, our picks will help you upgrade your at-home movie nights.

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There's nothing like watching your favorite films in a dark room on a massive screen. For that authentic movie theater experience at home, you’ll need a projector (and a popcorn maker).

You used to have to shell out more than $10,000 to get an excellent projected experience, but you can now get a massive, beautiful picture for less than the cost of a flagship TV. Projectors are also much more portable and easier to set up than ever. And if you have space, there are excellent pocket-sized and short-throw models that make lawn-side movie nights as easy as finding an extension cord and a level chair to set them on. Below are our favorite models and a couple of screens to pair with them.

Working on a total home-theater overhaul and need some help? We've got an entire guide to How to Set Up a Projector. Also, be sure to check out our buying guides to the Best Soundbars and Best 4K Streaming Devices.

Updated May 2023: We added the LG PF510Q, the Epson Pro Cinema LS12000, and the Optoma UHD38x. We also added the Optoma UHZ50 as an upgrade pick.

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Photograph: Optoma
Best Overall
Optoma UHD50X
The Optoma UHD50X (9/10, WIRED Recommends) offers one of the best pictures you'll find at a reasonable price. The image quality and ease of setup are comparable to the BenQ model that follows it on this list, but with one special trick up its sleeve that makes it my favorite projector right now: low input lag. Plug in a gaming computer with a good enough video card and it will offer a 240-Hz refresh rate and low enough response time that you can play most online games. (If you play tons of fast-paced games, go for the UHD35 below.) The high refresh rate also makes the UHD50X better for sports, which often look weird on projectors.
If you want an upgrade, check out the newer UHZ50 ($2,800), which uses later projection, which makes it faster to turn on and off, and quieter for smaller rooms.
$1,449 at Amazon
Photograph: BenQ
Also Great
BenQ HT3550
Factory-calibrated color, true 4K resolution, and the ability to optimize light output for better-than-usual contrast make the BenQ HT3550 one of the best projectors you can buy. It's lightweight and super easy to set up, thanks to a short "throw"—the required distance between your screen and the projector—and built-in optical zoom, which gives you a good amount of room to find the perfect spot to set it up. Movies look bold and cinematic, but you'll still probably want to watch the HT3550 in a dark room.
★ Another alternative: If you're interested in a projector that looks very similar but works well in the daytime, try the TK800M ($1,449). It boasts a higher overall brightness to compete with the sunlight.
$1,199 at Amazon
$1,199 at B&H
Photograph: HiSense
Easiest Setup
Hisense PX1-Pro
Most traditional projectors require a significant distance between the device and the screen you want your image on, but not this laser projector. This all-in-one device (8/10, WIRED Recommends) sits right on a traditional TV stand and projects an image upward onto an up-to-130-inch screen. It comes with a Dolby Atmos soundbar built in, which means you don’t even need to splurge for better sound until you really want to. Best of all, the setup couldn’t be easier, with a built-in Android TV interface and laser projection system that will be projecting your favorite shows and movies in no time.
$2,799 at Amazon
$2,799 at Best Buy
Photograph: Epson
High End Pick
Epson LS12000
Epson's flagship 4K projectors have always been some of the best that money can buy. It feels like every generation builds in more value. It's hard to perceive value when it comes to a $5,000 projector, but this thing looks like a $20,000 (or more!) projector would have 10 years ago.
This three-chip laser projector is capable of 2,700 peak lumens for a bright picture in even moderately lit rooms, and it's so precise with color that it can do full 10-bit high dynamic range. It's also decent for gaming and watching sports, thanks to a 120-HZ refresh rate. If you have a theater room and need a new projector, this is a solid option.
$5,000 at Best Buy
$4,999 at Epson

Photograph: Optoma
Best for Gamers
Optoma UHD38x
Our top pick is good for most casual gamers, but if you demand an even shorter lag time, the UHD38x from the same company is your best bet. Projectors have always had slower input response times (the time it takes your motion on a gamepad to react onscreen) than regular TVs, but the UHD38x fixes this with a superfast 240-Hz refresh rate at full HD resolution. That lowers the input latency to a mere 4.2 milliseconds, compared with 16 on the UHD50X—more than good enough for all but the most competitive gamers.
When you're not using it to play Tears of the Kingdom on an up-to-300-inch screen, you can watch all your favorite films and TV shows in 4K. At 4,000 lumens, it's also bright enough for medium-lit rooms. The one thing I don't like about it? You can't shift the lens inside if you want to reposition it, so you'll want to make sure you have a proper mounting solution planned before you pull the trigger.
$1,449 at Amazon
$1,449 at Best Buy
Photograph: BenQ
Best Under $1,000
BenQ HT2150ST
I strongly recommend you don't spend less than $500 on a new projector—unless you're looking for a small, portable option, which we have below. The fact is, you just don't get TV-level performance for that kind of money. If you're looking for a cheap model, I recommend saving a bit more cash and snagging the BenQ HT2150ST. This plucky 1080p projector offers the excellent color accuracy the company is known for, sharp image quality, and enough brightness to look great during outdoor movie nights.
$899 at Adorama
Photograph: LG
The Smartest Projector
LG CineBeam HU710PW
This gorgeous 4K laser projector from LG (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is also beautiful to look at when media is playing, and it's just about the easiest to use when it comes to finding stuff to play. It has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LG’s TV operating system built in, including the awesome Wiimote-like LG Smart Remote. That means you can access everything from Netflix to Apple Airplay casting.
It’s a bit cumbersome to mount (you’ll want two people), but once you do, vertical and horizontal adjustments for the lens make lining it up with your screen a breeze. It even has HDMI eARC, which makes it easy to connect to soundbars and other modern receivers. The projector’s remote can control them.
$1,797 at Amazon
$1,797 at Walmart

Photograph: LG
A Portable Smart Projector
LG Cinebeam PF510Q
If you have Wi-Fi in your back yard, this portable little model from LG is a great way to have movie night. It has a built-in smart TV interface that features all the biggest apps, and the onboard speakers are loud enough for a small gathering (though you might want to consider speakers or a soundbar if you're playing for more than a few.
I like how easy it is to set up and get things streaming on this model, which easily focused in seconds using the slider on the top of the device. The screen size gets up there, too, with this little thing capable of 450 lumens (you'll want it to be night to watch outside) and up to a 120-inch screen. It's full HD (1080p), and though it will go that big, I found this model best for a normal-to-large TV-sized screen (about 80 inches in diameter).
$558 at Amazon
$597 at B&H
$600 at LG
Photograph: LG
Best for Phones
LG CineBeam PH30N
The CineBeam PH30N is a blast. It has two hours of battery life, so you can watch a short movie anywhere (plug it in for longer sessions), and you can even stream things straight from your cell phone—no cables required. With 720p resolution and up to a 100-inch image size all from a projector that fits easily in a purse, you'll be watching Netflix in the woods in no time. Just wait until it's dark, because portable projectors aren't nearly as bright as their beefier, cabled counterparts.
$360 at Amazon
$397 at Walmart
Photograph: Silver Ticket
Best Indoor Screen
Silver Ticket STR-169100
If you're gonna splurge on a projector, you should snag a screen to go with it. You'll get better colors, sharper highlights, and have a more cinematic experience overall. My favorite is this Silver Ticket model, which looks as good as screens that cost much more. It's also super easy to mount.
$220 at Amazon

Photograph: Elite Screens
Best Outdoor Screen
Elite Screens Yard Master 2
Outdoor movie nights shouldn't rely on an old white sheet or the scruffed-up wall of your garage. Instead, grab the Yardmaster 2 from Elite Screens, which assembles in minutes and comes with a carrying case for storage between events. Don't want two screens in your life? Do what I did and just move it inside during the cooler months.
$186 at Amazon
Photograph: Marko Geber/Getty Images
Tips and Tricks
What to Know Before Buying a Projector
Projectors offer larger screen sizes and a more cinematic viewing experience than their TV counterparts, but that doesn't mean they're easier to set up. That's why we have an entire guide to How to Buy a Projector to check out!
Unless you're going for a portable option, you'll want to make sure you have a projector mount ($24) and audio cables properly routed to the location of your projector. This is because setting up full-size projectors to fit your screen, be in focus, etc., can be a pain, so once you get everything dialed in, you'll want to leave it as-is.
Make sure you get enough lumens (how bright your projector will get at its peak, the higher the number the better). Over 2,000 lumens is a good starting space for any kind of lit viewing, but we recommend 3000 or above if you're viewing in a bright room.
Another thing to bear in mind before you get a projector is just how much space you'll need to properly set it up. In most cases, you'll need 10 to 15 feet between the screen and the projector (be sure to check the “throw distance” listed by the manufacturer in the manual) to achieve screen sizes over 100 inches.
Without a completely dark room, the image can look washed out and be hard to see. If you don't have a room without windows, consider getting blackout curtains. For more detailed information on how to set up a projector after it arrives, I highly recommend this video.

Parker Hall is an associate editor of product reviews at WIRED. He focuses on audiovisual and entertainment products. Hall is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied jazz percussion. After hours, he remains a professional musician in his hometown of Portland, Oregon.

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