Plenty of us are endeavoring to recreate the movie theater adventure at home. And you can successfully do that if you make the right choices.
Can you afford a quality projector for your bedroom?
You may think of projectors as pricey, shady, or even janky, but that’s no longer the matter. Nowadays, you can obtain 4k hdr projectors with close theater-quality pictures for under a thousand bucks, and the latest ultra short throw laser models are bright, sharp, and easier to install than ever.
Before heading to the shop for popcorn, it’s a must to comprehend a few points and beware of the surprises. Seeing you here indicates you are aware of projectors but need help picking the best projector for the bedroom. So I’ll keep it very brief and get ahead with the listing.
The brightest home projectors
These days the brightest home projectors only display 4 000 lumens equates to about 100 to 150 nits which is not as big a thing as it might seem. Projector shots are much more extensive, and your eyes will adapt to the light in a dark room. As a point of comparison, the average movie theater screen brightness is only about 50 nits.
But what should you look for as a buyer?
The first spec you’ll get hit with is brightness measured in lumens followed by contrast. Home theater projectors commonly vary in luminance between 2000 to 4000 lumens, but many models will only hit those levels if you use the high brightness settings, which can hurt image quality and your bulb’s lifespan.
Mounting and fan noise
Another contemplation is fan noise and mounting. Long-throw projectors have an edge; you can mount the screen and the projector on the ceiling utilizing zero space in your space. Doing that does mean budgeting for a mounting bracket and long cables. Some projectors are louder than others, and the more you pay, the less noisy it will get. Multiple new 4k DLP projectors, when functioning in 4k mode, are specifically noisy as with TVs.
HDR support
You will want a projector that supports HDR; most do that these days even lower resolution models. Projectors can not deliver anywhere close to the lowest 400 nits needed to equip as HDR.
Tone mapping
They utilize tone mapping to conform the entire hdr gamut into a descending brightness degree. Only costly projectors that cost five thousand dollars and up have native 4k resolution. However, many budget-oriented models starting at a thousand dollars use pixel shifting to hit the 4k mark.
Optics and projector type
Now let’s talk about optics and projector type. In the last two years, ultra-short throw projectors have evolved into an alluring unexplored category. Let’s look into two of its primary benefits.
● You can mount them close to the wall like a tv, so there’s no requirement to run wires through your walls and ceiling.
● At the exact time, you nonetheless get an immersive image as enormous as 120 inches which is unimaginable with the tv unless you’re rich.
Ultra-short throw model
Keep in mind that if you go for an ultra-short throw model, you will want an ambient light rejecting or alr screen, so you will need to add 500 or more to your budget. You can’t use roll-down screens, and while a white wall may work, it must be perfectly flat.
Long throw
If you’re scrutinizing a long throw projector, you will require to regard the zoom capacity and whether the projector has a lens modification option. A zoom range will make it more manageable to mount the projector wherever you want.
Projector for Gaming
And lastly, if you are inquisitive about a projector for gaming, you will want to examine the refresh rate and input-like figures. Budget is not a problem if you know your priorities. Now that we’re clear on the technology and how to buy, let’s look at a few of my top picks. Even if budget is an issue, you don’t need to compromise on certain key features.
It is a native 1080p projector; its refresh rate is 60 hertz, so perfect for your next-gen consoles like the Xbox series s and x. It has 3 600 ANSI lumens which are nice and bright, and it’s got a 25 000 to 1 contrast ratio.
Optoma’s HD146x uses dlp tech to deliver 1080p video at up to 3600 lumens with excellent brightness, color accuracy, and contrast. It also has decent gaming specs with just 16.4 milliseconds of input lag. I recommend this to anyone trying to get into having their home theater and is on a budget. The pros outweigh the cons (you will see in the pros and cons section) because the few cons don’t seem like a deal breaker to me.
Specs
1080p (1920×1080) resolution
an RYGCWB color wheel
DLP DMD single-chip design
3, 600 brightness
Game Display Mode
HDMI-CEC technology
Dynamic Black technology
contrast ratio of 500 000 to 1
lamp life of 15 000 hours
Full 3D
40° keystone correction (vertical)
1. 1X zoom
HDMI and USB power
lightning-fast input response times of 16ms
So it’s now time to jump into the pros and cons part.
Pros
Affordable
Low input lag
Amazing picture quality
home theater color calibration
ideal for fast-paced and competitive console or PC gaming
If 4k is a must, the best budget projector with that feature is ViewSonic’s px701 4k. It comes with a 0.47-inch chip and uses pixel shifting to generate a 4k image. It is pretty bright at 3200 lumens with hdr10, and it is one of the best gaming projectors handling 1080p at 240hz with just 5 seconds of input lag.
Specs
screen up to 300 inches
3200 ANSI lumens of brightness
4.2ms low input lag
240Hz refresh rate
ViewSonic SuperColor Technology
HDR/HGL Support
1.1x optical zoom
anti-warping stabilization
automatic vertical plus horizontal keystoning
SuperEco mode
20,000 hours of brightness
Dual HDMI
powered USB-A and more
max throw distance: 36 ft (to display a clear 4K image)
Moving up another notch in price is BenQ’s sixteen hundred dollars ht3550i. It is similar to the previous ht-3550 model, offering reference quality 4k and hdr and sdr that’s a match for projectors costing much more. The latest model brings an addition to android tv that gives you streaming options via Chromecast or airplay and is one of the few projectors to offer that feature.
The build quality of this projector is durable; the plastic is very high quality, all the corners are very smooth, and it’s a little bit on the heavier side. It is not too crazy big, but you can expect this projector to be a bit heavy. So, if you’re wondering how loud this projector is-the projector is surprisingly extremely quiet; you can still hear a fan a bit, but it’s nothing of a big deal. There is a proper way to install an android tv dongle inside the projector. All you have to do is unscrew a couple of screws on the side, slide the panel out, put this dongle inside and connect it to a USB for power.
Besides the google certified android tv app, this projector also supports hdr ten and hlg, which is a fantastic feature, especially if you’re planning on watching hdr content, and it will allow you to enjoy the cinematic experience to the fullest. HDR content on this projector looks fantastic, especially if you dial the user mode, allowing you to use white gamut, which is dc ip3 95.
Specs
8.3 million Pixels
3840×2160 UHD
Google-certified Android TV
Google Play store
airplay
Chromecast
95% DCI-P3 color space
HDR-PRO tone mapping
350 watts wattage
Remote for both Android TV and projector
3-year opinionated parts and labor coverage
Pros
unlimited entertainment
Director envisioned color
brilliant display
out-of-the-box accuracy
the image and color performance customizable for any room
hyper naturalistic video
optimized movie modes
Cons
You might wish to have a regular sound output jack that it lacks.
Epson home cinema 4010 4k Pro devised more for gaming than home entertainment, delivers what every gamer seeks. It provides superb gaming performance with a 240hz refresh at 1080p and one of the most down latency figures we have ever witnessed in a projector at 4.2 milliseconds, which gets us to ultra-short throw projectors.
The best value is the 3 000 high sense 100 l5f because it produces 2 700 lumens along with 4k HD, comes with a 30-watt dual speaker system with dbx tv, and has a 100-inch screen, so you won’t need to buy one separately.
Specs
Advanced 3LCD technology
100% of the RGB color signal
Advanced pixel shifting technology
Full 10-bit HDR (3)
12-bit analog to digital video processing
2,400 lumens
Epson Precision Lenses
3-axis motorized precision lens
250 watts wattage
full HD in 3D mode
Entire DCI-P3 color space
contrast ratio: 200 000:1
Pros
remarkably sharp 4K experience
smooth tonal transitions
helps eliminate banding, blocking, and other compression artifacts
So this is the inheritor to the p1. The optima p2 has a few distinctions from the p1, but first, you will catch that it is white instead of black. I guess they did this to match the competition since everybody else seems to be making white projectors. Hate it or love it pretty much looks like a white p1, and you still have the gray fabric on the front that is hiding the 40 watts, internal speakers.
The power button is now silver instead of copper. You still get the USB and HDMI 1.4 port on the right side, and the rest of your ports are on the back. So the p2 has pretty much the same ports as the p1. You still get two HDMI 2.0 ports, an ethernet port, a stereo output, and a couple of USB ports. Alright, so aside from the color, how does the optima p2 differ from the p1? The first thing is the price; the p2 costs about $500 less than the p1, which is a pretty big deal, especially considering it has better specs.
Specs
360 watts
3000 Lumen brightness
IFTTT support
integrated 40W soundbar
gaming mode
2-year parts and labor fixed protector on the projector
RGBRGB color wheel
ultra-short throw
contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1
voice assistant compatible
4K Ultra HD
HDR10 technology
5-year light source protection
What I like
richer shades
enhanced brightness
true-to-life cinematic color
reliable laser
hassle-free image alignment
uncomplicated setup
lights-on viewing in various rooms
Cons
No mute button
Only 3 HDMI inputs
That is all for the best projector you can have for the bedroom. Hopefully, you find it easier to pick a projector best suited for the home theater experience anticipated.
