After consulting reviews on sites such as PC Magazine, Projector Central, Projector Reviews, Trusted Reviews, Audioholics, and Amazon, we created this list of the four top rated home theater projectors of 2011.
We’ve selected only full HD (1080p) home theater projectors for our recommendations — lower resolutions are available, but you give up a lot in picture quality without saving significant money. Our choices represent both dominant technologies: DLP and LCD.
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8350 ($1,139)
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8700UB
Top Review Sources:
- PC Magazine: 4.0/5.0 “It’s an easy pick for Editors’ Choice”
- Projector Central: 5.0/5.0 “There’s no sense beating around the bush: the Home Cinema 8350 is a fantastic value”
- Projector Reviews: “It’s the easy choice for the family room or bonus room, but can easily be considered one of the best low cost choices for more of a dedicated theater”
The LCD-based Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8350 produces realistic color, deep blacks, and a high level of detail. At 2000 lumens, the 8350 is able to perform well in rooms with moderate amounts of ambient light. You can turn the brightness down for darker rooms. A great aspect of this projector is its flexibility; the 8350 comes with horizontal and vertical lens shift plus manual zoom, allowing you a good deal of freedom in placing the projector off center and at different heights. There is a good selection of video inputs: 2 HDMI, 1 set of component video, 1 VGA, 1 S-video, and 1 composite. There is no onboard sound, nor are there audio inputs. The 8350 can be controlled by computer through its RS-232 serial port, and it has a 12-volt screen trigger. Dimensions are 15.5” D x 17.7” W x 5.7” H and weight is 16.1 pounds.
You’ll find the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8350 available now on Amazon.
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8700UB ($2,325)
Top Review Sources:
- PC Magazine: 4.0/5.0 “Our Editors’ Choice for a moderately priced home theater projector”
- Projector Reviews: “[Its] strengths will satisfy a large percentage of those shopping for a projector in the price range, or even for twice the price”
- Projector Central: 5.0/5.0 “A powerful, capable 1080p projector”
The Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8700UB is a notch above the Home Cinema 8350 in terms of performance and price. The main advantage the 8700UB has over the 8350 is picture quality; the 8700UB is capable of deeper black levels, better shading detail, and more accurate color. The 8700UB also has a resolution enhancement feature that effectively sharpens non-HD sources. Its 1600-lumen strength allows it to work in both dark and well-lit rooms. Like the 8350, the 8700UB has a good selection of video inputs: 2 HDMI, 1 set of component video, 1 VGA, 1 S-video, and 1 composite. There is no built-in audio, nor is there 3D capability. You can control the 8700UB by computer via its RS-232 serial port, and there is a 12-volt trigger for automatically raising and lowering a screen. The zoom and lens shift controls give you a lot of leeway for positioning. The 8700UB measures 15.5” D x 17.7” W x 5.7” H and weighs 16.1 pounds.
The Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8700UB is for sale on Amazon.
BenQ W1200 ($1,299)
Top Review Sources:
- Trusted Reviews: 9/10 “It’s the vibrancy of the colours in particular that really makes the W1200 stand out from the similarly priced crowd”
- Projector Reviews: “Its combination of color, brightness, and sharpness give it a boost over entry level DLPs”
- Projector Central: 5.0/5.0 “High dynamic range and dead-on color accuracy”
The BenQ W1200 is a low-cost DLP projector with impressive performance. It doesn’t fall down in any specific way; rather, the W1200 delivers consistent quality in just about every area. Its colors are vibrant and it has exceptional sharpness. Black levels and shadow detail are both good. It has an above-average 1800 lumens potential, 10-bit color processing, and plenty of picture adjustments. The projector is limited by its lack of lens shift, though it does have zoom. For inputs, you’ll find 2 HDMI, 1 VGA, 1 set of component video, 1 RS-232 serial port, 1 USB, a 12-volt screen trigger, 2 audio inputs, and 1 audio output. The W1200 also has two 10W speakers. The speakers are decent, but they will not replace a proper set of external home theater speakers. One potential annoyance is the variable speed fan, which some reviewers found distracting. Dimensions are 13.3” W x 5.5” H x 10.2” D and weight is 7.9 pounds. The BenQ W1200 is 3D ready.
The BenQ W1200 is available for purchase on Amazon.
Optoma HD20 ($900)
Pros:
- High value
- Impressive picture
Cons:
- Rare rainbow effect incidence
Top Review Sources:
- Amazon: 4.5/5.0 (125+ reviews)
- Audioholics: “We can’t stress enough that the price of this 1080p projector is just amazing”
- Projector Central: 4.5/5.0 “We are thrilled with the HD20′s picture quality for the price”
The remarkable Optoma HD20 provides 1080p resolution and class-leading picture quality for less than $1,000. This DLP projector produces a high level of visual detail and color accuracy. If you are particularly sensitive to the single chip DLP rainbow effect, you may not like the HD20—however, most reviewers don’t notice it. The HD20 can produce 1700 lumens, more than enough to operate in well-lit rooms. On the back of the HD20 you’ll find inputs for 2 HDMI, 1 composite, 1 component, 1 VGA, and a 12-volt screen trigger. It is a fairly portable home theater projector, weighing only 6.4 pounds and measuring just 12.76 W x 3.82” H x 9.21” D. There is no internal audio and no 3D capability.
The Optoma HD20 is for sale on Amazon.
