Don’t spend crazy money on a home video projector!
With so many affordable models out there, here’s our list of best projectors under $1000 on Amazon CA. Many of the options below are even under $500.
The Best Projector Under $1000
BenQ HT2050A Review
- SUPERIOR PICTURE QUALITY: 1080p Projector with brightness of 2,200 Lumens, high native contrast ratio and 96% Rec. 709 color accuracy calibration.
- HIGH RESPONSIVENESS: The specialized low input lag of 16ms and unique game modes ensure gamers an ultra-smooth gaming experience.
- WOW YOUR FRIENDS: Take the action to the big screen by projecting a 100 inch screen from just 8 feet away. Projects up to 300 inches.
- FLEXIBLE CONNECTIVITY: Supports most media players, gaming consoles, PCs, Macs, and mobile devices with input options such as HDMI, USB, and more
- AWARD WINNING PROJECTOR: Highly Rated - Projector Central, Best Projector for the Money - CNET
The BenQ HT2050A has stunning, best-in-class contrast w/ super crisp colors – great for gaming, animation, sports, and action movies!
It’s a reasonably priced home theater projector that offers high-resolution and sharp image quality.
- Brightness: 2,200 ANSI lumens
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080p
- Contrast Ratio: 15,000:1
Excellent for movies, the BenQ HT2050A has a brightness of 2,200 lumens and REC 709 color accuracy calibration.
Buyer reviews confirm that it’s great for watching animated movies, sports, and video games. The HT2050A delivers consistently sharp, high-quality images.
In terms of fan noise, the BenQ HT2050A makes a low-pitch white noise which is only noticeable in quiet moments — relatively quiet compared to similar-priced models.
It offers the most accurate colors you can get from a projector for less than $1000.
Optoma HD143X 1080p DLP Projector
- HD READY: Experience a large, vibrant 720p resolution (with 1080p input) image – up to 300"; Rec.709 color gamut guarantees accurate reproduction of cinematic color exactly as the director intended
- LIGHTS-ON VIEWING: Enjoy an incredible 3,900 lumens of brightness in any room in your home; leave the lights on or keep it dim for a cinematic experience
- VERSATILE PROJECTION APPLICATIONS: Ideal for both outdoor or indoor use – bright image for summer backyard movie nights without having to wait till sunset; ideal for daytime movies indoors
- LONG LAMP LIFE: Enjoy up to 15,000 hours of lamp life enabling an average of 4 hours of viewing time every day 10 plus years
- INTEGRATED SOUND: A 10W speaker enhances movies with integrated sound
The Optoma HD143X is an affordable model that offers DLP technology and a full 3D option.
For a cinematic experience, the HD143X is able to create high-quality images with vivid colors and no rainbow effects.
- Brightness: 3,000 ANSI lumens
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080p
- Contrast Ratio: 23,000:1
Buyers say that it’s a very versatile model.
Most use it as a home theater projector, but it can also be used for commercial purposes — it’s super lightweight and easy to set up at an angle.
With an SVGA resolution and 3,000 lumens, the Optoma HD143X is ideal for business presentations. It delivers vivid colors even in bright rooms.
As a DLP, it reproduces the REC 709 color gamut to deliver 3x color brightness. It’s great for saturated colors — perhaps the best projector under $1000 for gaming and animated movies!
Overall, the HD143X is Optoma’s best budget-friendly projector, offering powerful features for an affordable price.
Optoma HD27HDR Projector
- NEXT GENERATION TECHNOLOGY: Enjoy clear detailed 1080p (1920×1080) images (with 4K input) and 50,000:1 contrast ratio renders sharp and detailed images from high definition content without downscaling or compression.Noise Level : 26dB. Operating Temperature : 41–104°F (5–40°C), 85% max humidity.
- HDR COMPATIBLE: HDR10 technology (with 4K input) enables brigher whites and deeper black levels for an enhanced viewing experience,Remote control : Backlit home remote
- HIGH BRIGHT & COLORFUL IMAGE: Enjoy an incredible 3,600 lumens of brightness for lights-on viewing; a 6-segment color wheel (RYGCWB) produces accurate color with sRGB & REC.709 color profile
- FAST RESPONSE TIME: Enhanced Gaming Mode enables lightning-fast response time of 16ms with a 120Hz refresh rate; Game Display Mode boosts shadows and dark scenes for greater visibility of impending obstacles
- MORE IMAGE DEPTH: Dynamic Black technology provides more depth to the image by smoothing lamp output to create high contrast; bright scenes appear clear while dark scenes remain detailed
The Optoma HD27HDR projector is perfect for HDR, 3D, and supporting 4K resolution.
Since 4K projectors are never under $1000, a model like the HD27HDR is the next best thing — it supports 4K by converting it into native 1080p resolution.
- Brightness: 3,400 ANSI lumens
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080p
- Contrast Ratio: 50,000:1
Optoma HD27HDR is also great for color display.
Whether watching a movie or gaming online, it supports a wide color gamut of REC.2019 colors. The effect is brighter whites, deeper blacks, and higher quality color depth than similar projectors.
Buyers also love the lightning-fast response gaming mode, which has a low lag time of 8.4ms — perfect for online gamers!
Watching 3D on the HD27HD should look spectacular as well. For the full effect, make sure to have a true 3D source, a 3D HDMI cable, and 3D glasses.
BenQ MH535FHD 1080p Projector
- TK700 vs TK700STi: TK700STi possesses short-throw capabilities able to project at shorter distances (100"at 6.5ft) and also has an Android TV Dongle. TK700 utilizes standard throw (100" at 8.2ft).
- 4K LOW LATENCY: Low latency 16ms at 4K/60Hz low input lag, Game Mode/Game Sound Mode to fine-tune audio and images
- PRO PERFORMANCE: Compatible with major consoles (Sony PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X, Google stadia) huge, bright, sharp images and equalized audio
- EASY SET-UP: 1.2x zoom flexible throw distances, 2D Auto Vertical Keystone, Picture Rotation Adjustment for squared images
- ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENT: Google-certified Android TV and Google Play store, with 5,000 plus of the latest Android apps, movies, shows, live sports, games, music, and more
The BenQ MH535FHD is a 2019 upgrade from the previous 2017 model.
It’s a very budget-friendly model costing around $500 — but as a newer model, it offers a lot of the advanced features you’d get on more expensive projectors.
- Brightness: 3600 ANSI lumens
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080p
- Contrast Ratio: 15000:1
Featuring 3,600 lumens of brightness and native 1080p Full HD quality, buyers love the picture quality and say that the operating fan is nearly silent.
BenQ MH535FHD also includes a projector lamp life of up to 10,000 hours, longer than similar models.
From researching dozens of models, I think the BenQMH535FHD is the best projector under $1000 for DLP technology. It is strong brightness, and crisp picture quality makes it perfect for home theaters wanting an affordable model in the $500-600 range.
Very good buyer ratings online too!
Optoma EH416 Projector
- VERSATILE PROJECTOR: High brighness 4000 Lumens XGA projector with advanced visual features
- EASY SETUP: 1.3x optical zoom lens, H/V keystone and corner adjustment
- LONG LAMP LIFE: SuperEco Mode allows the lamp to shine bright for up to 20,000 hours
- AMAZING COLOR ACCURACY: A 6 segment color wheel and dynamic lamp control capabilities provide vivid colors
- REDUCED INPUT LATENCY: A low 16ms input latency provides faster frame-by-frame action for smooth images without delay
The Optoma EH416 is a versatile projector that can be used for home theaters or business presentations.
Buyers say it gives videos an extremely sharp, bright picture — excellent for animation and movies!
- Performance: 1080p quality
- Brightness: 4,200 ANSI lumens
- Contrast Ratio: 20,000:1
There’s also a strong optical lens that lets you view from a distance using a 1.6x zoom function!
As a versatile projector under $1000, buyers say they use it as a home theater projector and for presentations. It’s also fairly lightweight at only 6.6 lbs, making it very portable.
Optoma EH416 is used by:
restaurants, bars, golf courses, stores, hotels
Buyers say it’s one of the best projectors under $1000.
Epson Home Cinema 2100
- Amazing brightness — 4,000 lumens of color and white brightness (1) ideal for displaying large-group presentations, spreadsheets and videos, even in well-lit rooms
- Stunning image quality — amazing Full HD 1080p resolution delivers crisp text and images; perfect for displaying professional-quality presentations, video and more
- True 3-Chip 3LCD technology — displays 100% of the RGB color signal for every frame, providing outstanding color accuracy while maintaining excellent color brightness, without any distracting “rainbowing” or “color brightness” issues seen with other projection technologies
- Wireless connectivity — including screen mirroring with Miracast, plus two HDMI ports, so you can easily video conference and connect streaming devices, including Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku and Chromecast (2)
- Get up and running in no time — with easy image adjustments and convenient control like 1-1.6x optical zoom, horizontal slider and auto vertical correction
The Epson Home Cinema 2100 offers Widescreen Full HD quality from nearly any type of device.
Wireless screen mirroring technology lets you watch videos, view photos, or stream movies directly from your smartphone.
- Performance: 1080p quality
- Brightness: 4,200 ANSI lumens
- Contrast Ratio: 20,000:1
The dynamic contrast ratio is what really stands out.
Epson Home Cinema 2100 provides better color depth than similar projectors. Along with the brightness of 2,500 lumens, you’ll see brighter whites and deeper blacks.
Buyers also love the Wireless Miracast feature. It’s super easy to sync with your smartphone — great for family slideshows or streaming Netflix!
Looking online, the Epson Home Cinema 2100 is the best projector under $1000 for smartphone mirroring.
BenQ HT3050 Review
- With a breathtaking screen size of up to 140 inches, the ceiling-mountable HU70LA delivers 4K UHD resolution, leveraging XPR* with 8.3 million pixels (3840 x 2160), four times the resolution of Full HD
- Wheel-less LED technology uses a 4-channel LED with RGB separate color and Dynamic green, overcoming conventional projector defects such as discoloration of LCD and the rainbow effect* of DLP for a vivid picture with rich and deep color
- Remote Focus allows you to zoom in on areas on the screen with an improved 1.25x zoom. Use the included LG Magic Remote to adjust the screen size without relocating the projector
- HDR 10 with Dynamic Tone Mapping delivers optimized picture quality frame by frame. TruMotion technology generates animation frames between existing ones to make animation look and feel more fluid
- Use your voice to control your favorite content—AI ThinQ has Google Assistant and Alex built-in. Magic Remote and Bluetooth compatibility let you connect and navigate easily as well
The BenQ HT3050 is the most expensive on my list, but still a projector under $1000.
It displays a clear and crisp image without having to set up calibration.
- Performance: 1080p quality
- Brightness: 2000 ANSI lumens
- Contrast Ratio: 15,000:1
Great for movies, the BenQ HT3050 has a brightness of 2000 lumens and color accuracy calibration REC 709.
It shows bright whites and deeper black levels than nearly any other home projector under $1000.
Buyers also confirm there’s hardly any rainbow effect and say the fan noise is super low, practically unnoticeable. Many use it as a portable projector, but it’s also great for setting up with a ceiling mount.
BenQ’s cooling fan system prevents the HT3050 from overheating even when watching for continuous hours.
The HT3050 is the best projector under $1000 for easy setup.