How We Ranked the 6 Best Projectors Under $1,000

Chris Stobing Avatar

By

Evan Shephard Avatar

Reviewed By

Evan Shephard
Updated May 2, 2024 12:16 PM
best projector under 1000 guide that shows the top best projector model

A whopping 75% of electronic and appliance reviews are untrustworthy. That’s why every reviewer gets a Trust Rating so our True Score System filters out the fake reviews. See how we do it.

If you’re looking for the best projectors under $1,000, there are a few must-have features for top-notch performance. Brightness is crucial, as well as a wide color gamut and an input lag of less than 100 milliseconds for smooth and responsive visuals. We evaluated over 28 projectors, with six top-rated projectors earning a spot on our buying guide.

We certified these six as tested and reviewed 10,210 customer opinions. Our unique approach uses our data-driven True Score to filter out fake or low-quality reviews. The winning projectors performed well in tests, delivering outstanding performance and value.

How Did We Rank the Best Projectors Under $1,000?

Crafting the ultimate guide to the best projectors under $1000 involved a deep dive into over 200 different sources. Our team dissected testing methods, customer experiences, and expert opinions to deliver a precise evaluation. We focused on 2 critical test results, 2 additional nice-to-have features, and 1 must-have specifications. By synthesizing this data, we ensure our true score system offers clear, trustworthy advice, helping you make informed decisions with confidence.

Our commitment to unbiased reviews is powered by our ‘True Score’ system, targeting low quality and fake reviews. When you shop through our links, you’re backing our mission. Dive deeper to see how.

?️ Minimum Specifications

  • Must cost less than $1000.

? Test Criteria

  • SDR or HDR Brightness: Equal to or greater than 1500 lumens or more to help produce a bright and clear display.
  • Color Gamut: At least 90% of the DCI P3 or Rec. 709 color gamut, providing rich and vibrant colors.

? “Nice To Haves”

  • Color Temperature: Should be as close to 6500K as possible.
  • Input Lag: An input lag of less than 100 milliseconds, to prevent delays between what’s on screen and your reaction to them in games.

Latest Updates

  • 05/07/2024: Published the list of best projectors based on our True Score system.

Top Projectors Under 1000 For 2024

Prices accurate at the time of publishing

See how we test the testers

  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Epson Pro EX7280 WXGA

    Epson Pro EX7280 WXGA excels for educational and business use with WXGA resolution and brightness, ideal for well-lit rooms and large venues.

    Epson Pro EX7280 WXGA Review →

    True Score

    83
    84
    1

    Experts

    87
    343

    Customers

    SAVE $150
    $699.99
    $549.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    BenQ HT2060

    Optoma ML1080 offers crisp Full HD visuals with high contrast if you prioritize presentation depth, and its LED DLP technology ensures vibrant images.

    BenQ HT2060 Review →

    True Score

    80
    81
    4

    Experts

    84
    1k

    Customers

    $899.00
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Epson Home Cinema 2350

    Epson Home Cinema 2350 excels with 4K resolution, ideal for large venues, home theaters and gaming setups seeking quality visuals and vibrant colors.

    Epson Home Cinema 2350 Review →

    True Score

    76
    77
    3

    Experts

    80
    387

    Customers

    SAVE $249
    $1,299.99
    $1,051.01
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Anker Capsule 3

    Anker Capsule 3 combines DLP laser tech and smart features for crisp visuals and long life, ideal for dim, confined spaces.

    Anker Capsule 3 Review →

    True Score

    74
    75
    8

    Experts

    77
    439

    Customers

    $749.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Kodak Luma 350

    The Kodak Luma 350 is a cost-effective choice under $1000, offering Full HD resolution and a 200-inch maximum screen size, ideal for large spaces requiring clear, detailed visuals for both home entertainment and professional presentations.

    Kodak Luma 350 Review →

    True Score

    73
    74
    4

    Experts

    76
    2k

    Customers

    SAVE $50
    $349.99
    $299.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Optoma ML1080

    Optoma ML1080 delivers text clarity in presentations with high contrast, ideal for dimly lit rooms, small theaters, or gaming.

    Optoma ML1080 Review →

    True Score

    71
    72
    2

    Experts

    74
    294

    Customers

    $863.04

Which Criteria Matters for Testing Best Projectors Under $1,000?

By prioritizing these criteria (2 essential, 2 desirable), individuals can efficiently compare these projectors and their performance. This facilitates making well-informed decisions and acquiring a projector that fulfills all requirements.

CRITERIARANGEREQUIREDDEFINITION
SDR Brightness (lumens)> 1000 lumensYesThe amount of light the projector outputs from the lamp/bulb and projects onto the screen when playing SDR content.
HDR Brightness (lumens)> 1000 lumensYesThe amount of light the projector outputs from the lamp/bulb and projects onto the screen when playing HDR content.
Color Gamut % (DCI P3)> 90%YesThe % of colors a projector can produce defined by the gamut. DCI-P3 is commonly used in film.
Color Gamut % (Rec. 709)> 90%YesThe % of colors a projector can produce defined by the gamut. Rec. 709 is commonly used by HD TV, and is also known as BT.709.
Input Lag < 100 msNo (Nice to have)The amount of time it takes for inputs to be registered and processed by the projector and shown on screen.

Our Trusted Data Sources

We looked at 86+ projector reviewers and found that 16 are trustworthy (60%+ Trust Rating). The three we have listed below are our most trusted for projector.

  1. Pierre-Olivier Jourdenais – Rtings, LinkedIn
  2. Geoffrey Morrison – CNET, MuckRack
  3. Kam Valentine – Projector Reviews, MuckRack

Interested in a comprehensive analysis of our data sources? We’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find a detailed list of every projector review website we’ve identified, organized by their respective Trust Ratings from highest to lowest. But we didn’t stop there. We’ve meticulously reviewed each publication and verified the data by checking whether the authors have bio links to MuckRack or LinkedIn. We’re committed to not only checking the facts but ensuring their veracity.

Projector Test Data & Results

Disclaimer:

Projectors are complex and difficult to test and evaluate, requiring extensive testing on the same level as televisions to paint a complete picture of how any given unit performs. Unfortunately, the testing behind projectors isn’t as rigorous, and a lot of the data we’ve compiled from expert reviewers has been incomplete at times. With different brightnesses measured from different sources, different color gamut tested and spotty contrast ratio measurements, we’ve done the best we can to leverage the available data when putting together these lists but have also trusted our True Score to help us make decisions when the data isn’t available.

1. SDR Brightness (lumens) Test Results

Projectors have two ways you can realistically measure brightness: in lumens or in nits. Lumens are more common, but brightness in general matters because projectors have to project light strongly enough that it overcomes ambient light without losing detail or color.

Most of the time, a projector is going to be used in a fairly dark room to help give the unit the best chance of displaying content the way it was intended, but higher lumens output let you watch content in progressively bright spaces – or across longer distances on bigger screens. For standard dynamic range content, we recommend at least 1000 lumens for most home applications, but more isn’t a bad thing, and 3000 lumens or more are ideal.

SDR Brightness (lumens; higher is better; 0 = No Data)

2. HDR Brightness (lumens) Test Results

High dynamic range content requires enough light to make the dramatic differences in a scene actually stand out. Otherwise, the same rules that would apply to SDR brightness apply here.

You’ll want a HDR brightness of 2000 lumens at least to use the projector and enjoy HDR content the way it was intended, but a higher brightness is always nicer. Low brightness will make content look dimmer, less vibrant and can cause the image to completely disappear if the ambient light is too strong.

HDR Brightness (lumens; higher is better; 0 = No Data)

3. Color Gamut % (DCI-P3) Test Results

Different color gamut are used for different types of media and represent the colors used by that form of media when creating the content. In the case of DCI-P3, this gamut is favored by film creators for making movies, so being able to cover large parts of it with a projector means the projector is better at showing movies.

We recommend a coverage of at least 90% to ensure you can reproduce accurate colors when watching movies and enjoy the films the way they were intended to be seen. Any lower and you begin to lose accuracy, which impacts how the movie looks by distorting the director’s creative vision.

Color Gamut DCI-P3 (%; higher is better; 0 = No Data)

4. Color Gamut % (Rec. 709) Test Results

If you watch a lot of high-definition TV such as HD sports, you’ve experienced the Rec.709 gamut. This gamut is employed mostly by HD television, so covering as much of it as you can is ideal. Fortunately, the Rec.709 gamut is smaller than the DCI-P3 gamut, so if you have good coverage of DCI-P3, it’s very likely you have good coverage of Rec.709. This gamut is also known as BT.709.

Regardless, we recommend you have a Rec.709 coverage of at least 90%, especially if HD TV is what you spend most of your time watching. Not covering enough of the gamut directly contributes to seeing inaccurate colors on things like sports uniforms or otherwise vibrant sets on your favorite TV shows.

Color Gamut Rec. 709 (%; higher is better; 0 = No Data)

5. Input Lag (ms) Test Results

Input lag is primarily an issue when it comes to playing video games on your projector. If you’re trying to enjoy fast-paced shooters or are using projector to play competitive modes, you’ll need a low input lag to “keep the projector out of your way”, so to speak. High input lag causes delays in your inputs and makes it harder to react to action on screen because your own physical reactions start to count for less than the projector’s ability to process what you’re doing.

For this reason, we recommend an input lag of 40 ms or less, but lower is always better, and for really competitive games we’d recommend less than 15 ms. Any more than that and your projector is better suited to playing games casually, though if you don’t play anything fast paced, input lag is less of an issue.

Input Lag (ms; lower is better; 0 = No Data)

Best Projectors Under $1,000: Mistakes To Avoid

  1. Not Researching Throw Distance and Screen Size: Understanding the projector’s throw distance and its compatibility with your room size is crucial. Short throw projectors are oftentimes more convenient than long throw, but they tend to be more expensive. Make sure the projector can achieve your desired projector screen size from your preferred mounting location.

  2. Ignoring Resolution and Image Quality: While 4K projectors offer the highest resolution, there are also good-quality 1080p projectors available under $1000. Ensure you prioritize image quality within your budget, considering factors like resolution, brightness, and contrast ratio.

  3. Overlooking Connectivity Options: Check that the projector has the necessary ports and connectivity options to connect to your devices, such as HDMI, USB, and VGA. Additionally, consider if wireless connectivity is essential for your setup.

  4. Not Considering Room Lighting: Take into account the lighting conditions in your room. If your room is well-lit, prioritize projectors with higher brightness levels to maintain image quality in brighter environments. Or if you’re after an outdoor projector, make sure it has higher brightness to ensure clear and visible images even in daylight or ambient outdoor light conditions.

The Best Projectors Under $1,000 Tests Compared

Product
True Score
SDR Brightness
HDR Brightness
Contrast Ratio
Color Gamut % (DCI P3 uv)
Input Lag (ms)
83
$549.99
$700
$150
80
  • 0

  • 0

  • 0

  • 0

  • 0

$899.00
76
  • 1,582 lumens

  • 0

  • 0

  • 73.2%

  • 26 ms

$1,051.01
$1,300
$249

Anker Capsule 3

  • Best for Best Overall

74
  • 175.33 lumens

  • 138 lumens

  • 138:1

  • 74.8%

  • 22.45 ms

$749.99
73
  • 129 lumens

  • 129 lumens

  • 130:1

  • 129%

  • 129 ms

$299.99
$350
$50
71
  • 586 lumens

  • 105 lumens

  • 105:1

  • 105%

  • 25 ms

$863.04

Projectors Under $1,000 Questions (FAQ)

Can I get a good quality projector for under $1000?

Yes, you can find high-quality projectors under $1000 that offer excellent performance for home entertainment, office use, or educational purposes. Many budget-friendly projectors provide impressive features like HD resolution, good brightness, and versatile connectivity.

Share this Article

About Gadget Review’s Editorial Process

Our guides, reviews, and news are driven by thorough human research and use our Trust Rating system and the True Score. AI assists in refining our content, ensuring that every article is engaging, clear and succinct. See how we write our content here →