How Much To Spend On A Projector? (Cost Of The Best Ones)

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Many jargons related to projectors will confuse you to choose what and which price range. That’s why I have categorized the projectors into two categories here. The native 1080p ones and the native 4K ones. You will understand it better in this way. Ok, the question is. How much to spend on a projector or How much does a good projector cost?

At A Glance: If your goal is to have the best picture quality in a 100 inches image screen then spend $700-1200 for a 1080p projector, and for the 4K projectors choose the price range of $1600-4500. You will get high picture quality and modern technology compatibility in this range. 

Keep reading to know why I choose these price ranges. I will also show you those price ranges used as a trap by brands. In the end, I will answer the most frequent questions. 

Why do I categorize them into two categories?

Because many home theater enthusiasts prefer picture quality over price. They choose 4K projectors for their entertainment. 

The 4K is a normal projector they go for. On the other hand, some people want home theater on a budget and for them, 1080p is the norm. 

That’s why I categorized them broadly into two categories. Let’s discuss each one to know why I choose these price ranges.

How much to spend on a 4K projector?

Projector TypePrice RangeRight or Wrong
4K projector$1600-4500Thumbs Up
4K projectorBelow $1500Thumbs Down
Values obtained from research

Let’s discuss the two main price ranges of the 4K projectors to know them in depth. The one price range is for good projectors and the other is just to trap you in the sale.

Why is this $2000-4500 price range the sweet spot?

For the 4K projector, the sweet spot is $1600-4500. Because in this range you can get true 4K and native 4K projectors. 

While you can get the true 4K cheaper and the native 4K, the most expensive ones on this price range scale.

What is a true 4K? A true 4K is just a pixel shifting from 1080p. They pixel shift the existing 1080p image. They multiply the same image four times and just complete the 8.3 million per square pixels requirement for 4K. Furthermore, they are not native.

The native is the full real 4K. Many brands will claim that their projector is a native 4K, but when you read their description carefully you will find they are pixel shifting too. The native 4K is the real 4K, and that’s why those projectors are the expensive ones. 

In this price range, You will get modern technology features and compatibility for your modern hardware. That’s why this price range is the sweet spot because you can get the new features and new facilities along with the best picture quality.

Read this guide to know what short throw projector you need. I have added an interactive table that will help to choose which projector for your room size.

Why is below this $1500 price range a trap?

Below this price, you will get many 4K projectors. As claimed by brands, they are 4K. But in reality, they will be 2K. For a true 4K. The square inch area of the screen should be filled by 8.3 million pixels, but these projectors will have 4 million pixels. 

Many will write in their description that the projector is 4 million pixels per square inch. You can read this and can instantly identify that they are 2K and not 4K.

That’s why if you want to buy a 4K projector, then avoid this price range.

How much to spend on a 1080p projector?

Projector TypePrice RangeRight or Wrong
1080p projector$700-1200Thumbs Up
1080p projectorBelow $300Thumbs Down
Values obtained from research

Here again, I have found two price ranges in my research. I intensively read their description and ordered a few for my business. I found a few patterns in them that I will tell you about in the upcoming sections.

Why is this $700-1200 price range the sweet spot?

Here you will get native 1080p projectors. The native or those that support the resolution at the chip level and not pixel shifting the image to it.

In these projectors, you will have deep blacks, nice resolution, suitable brightness, and automatic zoom and focus facilities.

This is a great price range if you want to have the best 1080p projector with all the modern technology benefits.

Read this guide to know how many lumens you need for your home theater. I have included the lumens for each ambient light condition.

Why is below this $300 price range a trap?

Here there are two price ranges. One is scary, and the other is the scariest. Below $300 you will get projectors that will be near 720p in real life, but brands will say it is 1080p or native 1080p. 

You will get a projector that is not even a native 720p.

Now, here comes the scariest price range. Some projectors are under $100. The brands have listed them as 1080p but in reality, their every claim will be wrong. 

The lumens will not be what they have written in the listings. The contrast will not be the exact one, the resolution will not be the same, and they will be listed as 1080p but in reality, they will be less than 480p.

In many cases, they look awful when stretching their image above 50 inches.

Read this guide to know why projectors get so hot. I have included the solution too.

Final verdict

Don’t expect higher picture quality or the brand’s claim to be true if the price is very low. Be careful while choosing the projector.

Read their product description and remember to check whether they are native or pixel-shifting the image.

The cheap projectors are the ones whose listing claims appear to be wrong all the time.

Did you get something out of this Projector guide? Hold On We Have Something Exciting To Share.

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FAQs

How much should you spend on a projector screen?

For the best picture quality, you need to spend at least $300 for an ALR projector screen. These screens can give you the best picture experience, but don’t go above $300. The $300 ALR screens will do fine.

The ALR screen rejects all other lights and reflects only the projector image light at you. That’s why you get filtered and clean image quality.

Is it worth buying a projector?

If you want a bigger image size cheaper and want to have a product that has good portability and convenience, then the projector is worth buying.

Projectors provide bigger image sizes cheaper because if you want to buy a 65 inches TV you have to pay at least $3000+ but a projector at this price can give you 150 inches or above image size. That’s why the projectors are cheaper when compared to image size.

Can a projector replace a TV?

The projector can replace a TV in terms of content. Meaning you can get the same content on the projector too. You can connect the projector to any media source via the receiver or to a streaming service through its interface, but it can’t replace the TV in terms of a good picture in ambient light presence.

You get almost every content now on the projector, but the projector can’t show good contrast pictures in ambient light as TV does. That’s why if your room has ambient light, then your projector can’t replace the TV. You need a TV then.

Helpful Resources For The FAQs To Read More

  1. I have written a guide about the ALR screen. Go and read. Is an ALR screen worth it? (Resource for the first answer)
  2. This was my opinion, read more about it from this Reddit discussion. (Resource for the second answer)
  3. This was my opinion, know more about it from this Quora Discussion. (Resource for the third answer)

Watch To Learn More

This article was first posted on Homelytainment.com.
Ayaan Khan
Ayaan Khan

I'm Ayaan khan, a freelancer and a Computer Science degree holder from P.E.S. College. After my degree, I started an internship with my father in his home theater showroom. After working for a month I realized that this is the best job in the world for me and it could be turned into a passion. Fast forward to when my internship ended, I joined my father as a full-time home theater equipment tester. I test new equipment and approve it before it can be installed in the customer's house. I love to test equipment and sometimes love to install it by myself in the customer's theater room. I have the right experience and knowledge to learn from my articles. In my Free time I write & answer questions here on AVSFORUM. Every Article on Homelytainment is curated according to Homelytainment's Editorial Policy and Sponsorship Policy. If you have any questions for me. Reach out to my email (Support(AT)homelytainment.com)

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