In this buying guide we are discussing on the best projectors under $2000. It is quite difficult to make a decision when moving from TV to projector. When considering the eye health perspective, it’s better to use a projector than a TV. Researching projectors can be much confusing and most of them are not much aware of the factors which need to be considered while choosing a projector. Our buying guide will help to answer the common questions regarding the terminology, features and other major considerations when you are opting a projector.
Here I am considering four things in order to buy the best smart projector under $2000.
• Type of the projector (DLP or LCD)
• Resolution and Price
• Throw distance
• Contrast ratio
If you consider these four factors while purchasing, I promise you won’t get mistaken when buying a good projector under your budget.
BEST HOME THEATER PROJECTORS UNDER $2000
1. OPTOMA UHD52ALV – The Best True 4K Home Theatre Projector Under $2000
It’s quite difficult for us to use projectors in dark, particularly if there is not backlighting in remote controls. This Optoma’s UHD52ALV delivers a better solution for this problem through voice recognition facility. We can use this projector by giving a verbal instruction and this voice can be recognized by an amazon Alexa or Google Home listening device connected to the projector. We can give instruction in the form of words like “turn the projector ON” or “Increase the volume”.
Highlights
• Display Technology : DLP Optics
• Brightness : 3500 Lumens
• Contrast : 500000:1
• Resolution : 1080p
• Throw Distance : 1.21m to 1.59m
• Screen Size : 0.8 to 2.0
• Lamp Life : 15000 Hours
Pros
• Voice recognition facility helps in capturing the verbal instructions using Amazon Alexa or Google Home Listening device.
• It supports 4K playback through DLP’s digital mirror device (DMD) flashing technology.
• It is having high level of baseline brightness and contrast. This helps in viewing pictures and images with the real punch and enhanced image sharpness.
• 15000 hours of lamp life that is 4 hours of viewing time every day for almost 10 years.
• This projector can be connected to various kind of media players, PC’s, and Mobile Phones etc
• Vertical lens shift and 1.3x zoom for easy installation and also it is good for both table mound and wall mound
Cons
• Very high input lag, making it a poor choice for playing games
Verdict
It is not a perfect choice for serious home cinema enthusiasts but many other advantages are also there. It is much simple for using and easy to watch as a living room projector. It is also bright enough for a normal living room, daylight and all.
Check Price and User Reviews
2. VIEW SONIC PX 747-4K – Best True 4K Projector Under $1000
View sonic PX 747-4K is one among the most inexpensive home theaters and home entertainment projectors now-a-days. When compared to PX727-4K, PX747-4K is the brightest version projector which is intended for use in home theater. Another special feature of this projector is “Silence mode”. This makes this projector run at a quietest mode. Pixel shifting makes an additional noise which can be minimized by this projector.
Highlights
• Display Technology : DLP Optics
• Brightness : 3500 Lumens
• Contrast : 12000:1
• Resolution : 1080p
• Lamp Life : 15000 Hours
Pros
• A backlit remote controls features illuminated buttons are much convenient during night time and in dark rooms
• This projector is having a DLP display technology with a RGBW color wheel rather than the RGBRGB type found in the PX727-4K projector.
• This projector is mainly focused for home entertainment and business/ education projector due lthe presence of RGBW color wheel
• In RGBW, “W” refers to the “clear slice” which allows a lot of light to pass through which results in producing brighter images.
• It is designed with a 10W speaker, which improve the projectors sound effects and thus a realistic feel
• This projector is much compact and portable and it only weighs less than 10 pounds
Cons
• This projector does not support the expanded colour space P3/BT.
• This projector offers only 2 HDMI inputs.This projector is much easier for handling since it weighs less than 10 pound. Due to RGBW facility, this projector is capable of producing brighter images and it can produce the same in day light too.
Check Price & User Reviews
3. VIEWSONIC X10-4KE – Best True 4K Short Throw Smart Projector
View Sonic X10-4KE Home Entertainment Projector allows short throw design and smart TV capabilities. A feature that differentiate from the rest of the projectors is the handle’s top lined with a classy strip of leather which makes this projector more easily portable.
Highlights
• Display Technology : 3 chip DLP Optics
• Brightness : 2400 Lumens
• Contrast : 3480p
• Resolution : 3840*2160
• Lamp Life : 30000 Hours
Pros
• This projector is made portable by its handle and it is having input ports hidden by a leather door.
• This projector is having an RGBB LED light engine and 4KUHD resolution.
• This light engine has a life span up to 30000 hours and hence no need of maintenance for the lamp till this period.
• This projector is having in built Harman Kardon speakers for great on-board sounds.
• For better sports viewing, the projector ensures CFI ( Creative Frame Interpolation).
Cons
• This projector is not meant for gaming since its input lag is far too high for most gamers.
• This is not a bright room projector, but it can handle ambient lighting.
Verdict
View sonic X10-4K projector is cool looking portable projector that gives good performance at this price tag. This projectors has an in built 4K audio system which provides a better hearing experience. Also the lamp life is much more and hence there is no need of replacing the lamp during the projectors life span.
Check Price & User Reviews
4. EPSON HOME CINEMA 4010/PRO CINEMA 4050 4K
Epson Home Cinema 4010/ Pro Cinema 4050 4K is a new evolution of 4K content including HDR and expanded color and pixel shifting technology. Pro cinema series is having high quality ceiling mount, one spare lamp and a cable cover. The 4K UHD processing chip offers improved pixel shifting, but less native contrast. Thus the difference made in this projector are evolutionary.
Highlights
• Display Technology : LCD
• Brightness : 2500 Lumens
• Contrast : 200000:1
• Resolution : 1080p
• Lamp Life : 3500 Hours
Pros
• Improved pixel shifting due to the presence of new 4K PRO-UHD processing chip.
• The projector offers 100% colour gamut P3/BT.2020 color range.
• This projector offers nearly to P3 colour range.
• In this price range this projector offers high warranty period ie, 3years and it also offers rapid replacement programme.
• This projector offers CFI for the smooth motion of pictures.
• It also offers 3D support system which enhances the quality effect of the pictures.
Cons
• The projector offers a less native contrast ie, it shows poor performance on darkest scenes
Verdict
The new Epson 4K home cinema 4010 offers an improved performance over the previous Epson projectors that could also handle 4K content which includes HDR and expanded color. This projector is not well suited for gamers since projector is having input lag of 28.4 ms.
Check Price & User Reviews
5. OPTOMA UHD50X – The Best 4K Projector for Gaming and Movies
Optoma UHDX50X is an ultra HD DLP projector. This projector is the world’s first 240 Hz cinema gaming projector. This projector stands out in case of gaming and also allows plenty of cinema friendly attributes HDR10 and HLG (Hybrid log Gamma). Even under high glare the projector shows a very bold and clear picture. The projector works very well with HDR signals.
Highlights
• Display Technology : DLP
• Brightness : 3400 Lumens
• Contrast : 500000:1
• Resolution : 1080p
• Lamp Life : 15000 Hours
Pros
• It provides bright, sharp and colourful images under high glare.
• It is a cinema cum gaming projector.
• The projector is installed with a 10W amplifier and a built in speaker.
• By default dynamic black will be in off position when even ever we switched on the dark scenes are impressive and the blacks were nicely deep.
• This projector offers different modes for gaming and cinema needs ie, Camera picture mode, Game picture mode, and Enhanced gaming mode.
• For maximising the performance for gamers, the projector has an extremely low latency mode.
Cons
• This projector do not offer motion smoothing.
• Since the default position of dynamic black is off the black levels seems muddy and rather uneven and the bottom centre of the picture will show a brighter patch.
Verdict
Optoma UHD50X projectors is mainly targeted for gamers. Its image and video clarity is much better when compared to other projectors of same price level.
Check Price & User Reviews
BUYING CONSIDERATION
We are considering 8 most important key factors which we need to keep in mind while purchasing the projector.
1. Brightness
Brightness and image quality are much dependent and hence this is one among the major factor which we need to consider while purchasing a projector. The key aspects of using a projector depend upon the time and place where we set the projector. If we are setting this projector in dark room or at night we prefer a brightness level of 1000 lumens whereas during day light a brighter one with 3000 plus is required. So among the projectors we prefer Optoma UHD52ALV, View Sonic PX747-4K, and Optoma UHD50X for day time.
2. Contrast
Quality of the image clearly depends on contrast ratio. The difference between the dark and light images is known as Contrast ratio. When the image becomes darker projector will have a higher contrast ratio and vice versa. A higher contrast projectors are recommended in order to get a better image quality. Thus we recommend Optoma UHD52ALV or Optoma UHD50X projectors.
3. Resolution
For getting a better quality images and videos it is must to have a better resolution projectors. In most projectors we are unable to change the resolution manually so better to choose a projector with varying resolution so you could set the resolution as per your need. So keep in mind that as the size of screen increases, the resolution decreases.
4. Warranty Deal
When we finalise a projector, it is important to select a projector with a better warranty life. At least 3 years is ideal with a coverage of multiple damage types. Hence when we consider the projectors under $2000 it is better to take Epson Home Cinema 4010 projector.
5. Bulb Age
The Bulb is the most expensive part of any projector so the life span of this bulb is very important and the warranty cover does not include the bulb age. So it is much important to consider bulb life a projector. Here I recommend View sonic PX747-4K projector with a bulb age of 30000 hours.
6. Connectivity
Most the projectors are coming with multiple connectivity options but in the worst scenario you may need to buy adapters for connection which is an additional cost. The best connectivity option is HDMI for better sound and pictures. Some projectors also allows to connect wirelessly which is an ideal option for place anywhere and use.
7. Compatability
In this changing world, we are using many devices such as smart phones, MAC, PC etc. So make sure the projectors can be connected to this gadgets for better performance.
8. Screen Size
Screen size depends on the surface on which the light is reflecting. With a higher screen size you will be getting an excellent viewing experience.
FINAL VERDICT
The above mentioned 8 factors will help in choosing an ideal projector under $2000. All the 5 projectors discussed above is excellent and fit in terms of performance in various usages like cinema or games.
After considering the above factors and comparing the 5 projectors I will recommend the Optoma UHD50X projector. Since it shows a better bulb life and resolution. Also this projector is well suited for both home entertainment and gaming. It will always be a best package for you.