There are 400 kinds of everything. How do I choose a projector?

March 20, 2023 7:33 PM

I have a tv for watching movies and 3rd and 4th rewatches of Succession on but sometimes it's fun to project things and watch them in a larger way. I have hit a snag.

It's fairly straightforward: I have a space that's about 11' long and I want to put a projector on a shelf on one end and hook it up to a roku and watch movies on the opposite wall. There's already a love seat on the projector end.

The problem is there are a billion different kinds of projectors and I just don't get how to narrow it down. They range from like $100 to thousands of dollars. I doubt I need a high end one but I also don't want a shoddy one.

I know a few features I want (bluetooth I guess to hook up to a speaker) but every listing tells you a dozen technical specs that frankly I don't know what to make of. Wirecutter/NYT's BUDGET pick is a thousand bucks.

How should I narrow this down? The last ask I found on this is from 8 years ago which is a long time in technology.

posted by less-of-course to Technology (11 answers total)

Response by poster: ETA: I do not need a projector that does gaming. That seems to be a big feature of a lot of them.
posted by less-of-course at 7:53 PM on March 20, 2023

We've owned a number of projectors over the past 20 years, and there's a bunch of options to prioritize but they're generally unusable if they're not bright enough and don't have a long enough throw, which could be a factor with 11 feet - this is why you see conference room projectors often mounted above the conference table more like 5-6 feet. It gets more complicated because lumens used to be the primary unit of measure and now it's kinda not and I think it has to do with old real bulbs (which go out and have to be replaced, to some expense) vs LED.

I can tell you we own this one for outdoor use and I would call it okay, if you want to use those specs to compare and choose something a bit better. You will want to dig into reviews to confirm distances that really work in real life.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:13 PM on March 20, 2023

Well, you probably want it to have a resolution of at least 1920 x 1080 pixels (AKA full HD). The next step up would be 3840 x 2160 pixels (AKA 4K or ultra HD). I have tended to be skeptical of the added value of 4K, but if you're going to project movies onto a big wall, there's a case to be made for it.

If you buy a short-throw projector you can mount it on the ceiling, very close to the wall, and still get a very large picture. This can be good in a small room, where you can't get a regular projector far back enough to project a large picture. An added benefit is that with the projector so close to the wall, it's much less likely that people will walk thru the beam and get in the way of the picture.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 8:18 PM on March 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

Here are some key factors to consider when selecting a projector:

Brightness: The brightness of a projector is measured in lumens. The brighter the projector, the better it will perform in a well-lit room. For a space like yours, you may want to consider a projector with at least 2000 lumens to ensure a clear image.

Resolution: The resolution of a projector determines how sharp the image will be. The most common resolutions are 1080p (Full HD) and 4K. If you want to watch movies in high definition, you should opt for a projector with a 1080p resolution.

Contrast Ratio: The contrast ratio measures the difference between the darkest and brightest parts of an image. A higher contrast ratio means that the image will be more vivid and have better color accuracy. For a home theater setup, a contrast ratio of at least 2000:1 is recommended.

Throw Distance: The throw distance is the distance between the projector and the screen. You'll need to choose a projector that can be positioned at the right distance to project the image onto your wall.

Connectivity: Make sure the projector you choose has the necessary inputs and outputs to connect to your Roku and any other devices you want to use, such as a speaker or gaming console. Bluetooth connectivity will be useful if you plan on connecting a speaker wirelessly.

Brand and Price: Look for a reputable brand with a good reputation for producing quality projectors. Generally, more expensive projectors offer better image quality and longer lifespan, but it's possible to find affordable models that still perform well.

Based on your needs, a mid-range projector should suffice. You may want to consider options such as the Epson Home Cinema 880 or the BenQ HT2050A, which both have good image quality and a range of connectivity options. Don't forget to read reviews and compare prices before making a purchase.
posted by storybored at 9:49 PM on March 20, 2023 [4 favorites]

One thing to remember with projectors is that the darkest black you can get is determined by your ambient light, so if you can't get the room very dark your movies will look washed out no matter how many lumens you throw at the problem.
posted by Aleyn at 10:41 PM on March 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

can I piggyback this question to ask: will the models suggested play well with e.g. a MacBook (~2-3 years old) and a big Yorkville speaker (Bluetooth enabled)?

I've been meaning to look into this same question for a year or so.. I have a projector that hooks up to an ancient PC and I imagine I can find adapters to get it to work with the MacBook but once I throw the big concert speaker in, it seems like a new projector is the way to go.
posted by elkevelvet at 8:40 AM on March 21, 2023

If you are in a decent-sized town or city, look for an A/V rental place, and go talk to them, maybe try one out for a day or two. Using one for a bit will beat guessing from specs.
posted by TimHare at 9:21 AM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

Go to Projector Central and use their buyer's guides and filtering system. It's constantly updated and the reviews are solid and honest. And they define terms.
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:49 AM on March 21, 2023 [4 favorites]

Outside of all the technical specs, our projector that we purchased a couple of years ago for around $200 works just fine in daylight (it's no longer available, or I'd link it). Our previous one had been a <$100 and was fine in the dark, but not otherwise. These were both random Amazon brands. Really what I did, though, was to look at the video reviews that showed people actually setting them up and using them in different levels of lighting, commenting on the sound, etc.
posted by bizzyb at 11:26 AM on March 21, 2023

I just bought a cheap-ish one as a gift for a teenager. It all seemed terribly complicated to pick one and I didn’t have super high expectations for the one I picked. Now I can’t comment on longevity but I bought this Toptro projector (they also have more traditional-looking ones). I was surprised how well it worked even in daytime (in a room that isn’t super bright but without curtains drawn). Maybe fussy people would think either picture or sound from built in speaker is not amazing but it was perfectly watchable for me. It was able to throw a very decent size picture onto our large walls at a distance similar to yours.

So I don’t really know how you pick - I chose a price range and then looked for ones with a lot of Amazon reviews and the highest average rating. I’m happy enough with it that I’d consider buying another for myself.
posted by AnnaRat at 3:00 PM on March 21, 2023

@elkevelvet, to anwer your question, I think the Toptro one I bought would work fine with a mac and a bluetooth speaker. It can take an HDMI input (so you may need a converter plug depending on what outputs the mac has), and it apparently can do bluetooth as well (but I haven't tested it).
posted by AnnaRat at 4:57 PM on March 21, 2023