Projectors

1. Budget · First home theater, light-controlled living rooms

• 3LCD pixel-shift 4K
• 2,800 lumens
• Throw 1.32 to 2.15
• Vertical lens shift

ProjectorCentral measured it close to its 2,800 lumen rating with equal color and white brightness, which is the 3LCD advantage over DLP at this price. Vertical lens shift plus a 1.6x zoom means it can sit on a shelf or ceiling without keystone correction, and it doubles as a low-lag gaming display.

Watch out: It is a lamp projector, so brightness fades over a few thousand hours and a replacement bulb is part of the cost of ownership.

2. Budget · Gaming, sports and movie nights in rooms with some light

• 0.65-in DLP, 4K pixel shift
• 3,200 lumens (2,478 measured)
• Throw 1.15 to 1.50, 1.3x zoom
• 4 ms at 1080p240, laser

ProjectorCentral measured 4 ms of input lag at 1080p240 and 16 ms at 4K60, the fastest numbers in its class, with 1,800:1 native contrast from the larger 0.65-inch DLP chip. The laser light source removes the lamp-replacement cost that the Epson Home Cinema 2350 carries, and the small vertical shift plus 1.3x zoom make it easier to place than most DLP projectors at this price.

Watch out: Bright mode has a strong green bias and measured well under its 3,200 lumen rating, so plan around 1,500 to 1,800 usable lumens in the accurate modes.

3. Mid-range · Dedicated theater rooms, color-critical viewing

• 0.65-inch DLP pixel-shift 4K
• 3,200 lumens 4LED
• Throw 1.15 to 1.50
• H/V lens shift

Projector Reviews gave it an Editors' Choice for factory-calibrated 100 percent DCI-P3 color and a measured 4K60 input lag under 18 ms, both rare in a DLP under three thousand dollars. Horizontal and vertical lens shift with a 4LED light source that never needs a lamp makes it the mid-tier long-throw to build a dedicated room around.

Watch out: Native contrast is DLP-typical, so a very dark room with a black-velvet ceiling shows its limits next to an LCoS projector.

4. Premium · Living rooms, no ceiling mount, UST ALR screens

• RGB triple laser UST
• 3,000 ANSI lumens
• Throw 0.22:1, 80 to 150 in
• Dolby Vision / HDR10+

It won the UST comparisons at ProjectorCentral and Projector Reviews on the strength of a measured 3,246 lumens, 3,000:1 native contrast, and 110 percent BT.2020 color from the triple laser, plus Dolby Vision and 18 ms input lag. That mix of picture and price is why it is the default living-room projector in the catalog.

Watch out: Needs a UST-specific lenticular ALR screen such as the Elite Screens Aeon CLR 3 to look its best; a standard white screen washes out with the lights on.

5. Premium · Large dedicated theaters, 130 to 150 inch screens, awkward mounting positions

• 3LCD laser, 4-way pixel shift
• 3,300 lumens (3,383 measured)
• Throw 1.35 to 2.84, 2.1x zoom
• Motorized H/V lens shift

ProjectorCentral gave it an Editor's Choice after measuring 3,383 lumens with equal color brightness, 5,833:1 native contrast and just 21 ms of lag at 4K120, a combination no DLP in the catalog matches. The motorized 2.1x zoom lens with ten memory presets means the same projector can fill a 2.35:1 screen and a 16:9 screen without touching the mount.

Watch out: The pixel grid is visible from about six feet and can moire on woven acoustically transparent screens; there is no Dolby Vision or 3D.

6. Premium · Lights-on living rooms with no separate audio system

• Single laser DLP UST
• 2,500 ISO lumens
• Throw 0.25:1, 100 to 120 in
• HDR10+ / HLG, Tizen OS

It is the only UST in the catalog with a full smart TV platform, native Netflix and Samsung's Gaming Hub built in, plus a 30 W 2.2-channel speaker system that removes the need for a soundbar in a casual room. At 2,500 ISO lumens it is bright enough for daytime viewing on a CLR screen, and it undercuts the Hisense PX3-PRO by several hundred dollars.

Watch out: Native contrast is only about 1,000:1 and there is no HDMI 2.1, 4K120 or Dolby Vision, so treat it as a bright-room TV replacement rather than a theater projector.