A smart projector is a projector that has integrated functionality so it can connect to your mobile phone, home network, content services, etc. seamlessly. Smart projectors can do everything a smart TV can do, but on a much larger screen, of course. There are many smart home theater projector options between $1,000- $2,000 that do a great job on bright and average lit scenes, some as good as many significantly more expensive projectors. But the differences on very dark scenes are where you start seeing the real difference. If a sharp picture is more important to you than achieving excellent black levels, you should be able to find a projector within this price range that could work for you.
The X3000i is highly recommended for console gamers looking to fully immerse themselves in open-world games. BenQ designed the X3000i especially for gamers to see true to life authentic landscapes in 4K resolution.
The projector also allows the end-user to hear the distinct actions from all around thanks to the dual built-in 5-watt chamber speakers powered by Bongiovi DPS technology with virtual 3D surround sound.
The BenQ X3000i is the best 4K gaming projector I have personally tested as of the writing of this review. The X3000i may be for you if you want a gaming projector and a projector for movies and shows. The BenQ X3000i is absolutely fantastic for console gaming, especially if you want to fully immerse yourself in your games.
PROJECTOR SPECS
Specification
Description
Price
$1,999
Technology
DLP w/XPR (Single Chip DMD)
Native Resolution
1920x1080x4
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)
3000 Lumens
Zoom Lens Ratio
1.3x
Lens Shift
No
Lamp Life
20,000 Hours (Normal)/ 30,000 Hours (ECO)
Weight
14.1 lbs.
Warranty
3 Year Limited Warranty
The X3000i, however, is not a one-trick pony. You could easily switch the X3000i over to Cinema mode with HDR10 and enjoy watching your favorite movies and shows. The DMD Texas Instruments DLP chipset imager does an excellent job reproducing 4K content in HDR and SDR.
The 4LED light source can deliver 3000 ANSI lumens and has a rated life of over 20,000 hours. It also gives the X3000i the ability to reproduce 100% of the DCI-P3 color space which is something most projectors can not do without resorting to a brightness robbing color filter.
The TK700STi has an MSRP of $1,699.00. The projector utilizes a DLP (Texas Instruments 0.47” DMD) chip. Its lamp light source is rated to deliver at 3000 ANSI lumens for up to 15,000 hours.
The BenQ TK700STi is a 4K HDR Gaming Projector that is bundled with the QS0I Android TV dongle which provides access to over 5,000 Android TV apps including YouTube and Amazon Prime Video. The smart features are integrated seamlessly, and the menus are easy to navigate.
BenQ TK850i targeted directly at the gaming crowd with a lag time of 16.7ms for 4K 60Hz: and just 4.16ms for 1080p 240Hz: 4.16ms, which is great for hardcore gamers where response times matter. Not only does the TK700STi have a dedicated video picture mode for gaming, but there are also multiple game-focused audio modes.
PROJECTOR SPECS
Specification
Description
Price
$1,699
Technology
DLP w/XPR (0.47" dmd)
Native Resolution
1920x1080x4
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)
3000 Lumens
Zoom Lens Ratio
1.2x
Lens Shift
No
Lamp Life
4,000 Hours / 15,000 Hours (ECO)
Weight
6.83 lbs.
Warranty
3 Year
Yet, for the end user also looking for a great home cinema experience as well the TK700STi utilizes BenQ’s six-segment Color Wheel with DLP BrilliantColor™ technology. BenQ says this helps the projector produce over one billion colors. Like most BenQ projectors we have reviewed in the past, the projector delivers a very good image right out of the box.
The XGIMI Horizon Pro is a 4K DLP LED projector with an MSRP of $1,699. The Horizon Pro has a rated brightness of 2200 ANSI lumens. An ANSI lumen is a unit of measurement developed by the American National Standards Institute to measure brightness. The LED light source is rated to last up to 25,000 hours.
With 2200 ANSI lumens and 4K, the XGIMI Horizon Pro is XGIMI’s new top-of-the-line projector.
The Horizon Pro is a 4K pixel shifting projector that can project an image as small as 40.38 inches and up to 300 inches.
PROJECTOR SPECS
Specification
Description
Price
$1,699
Technology
Texas Instruments™ 0.47” DMD
Native Resolution
1920x1080x4
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)
2,200 Lumens
Zoom Lens Ratio
N/A
Lens Shift
No
Lamp Life
25,000 Hours
Weight
6.39 lbs.
Warranty
1 Year
The Horizon Pro is powered by the Android TV 10 OS. With Android TV 10, you have apps and capabilities that are also found included in Smart TVs. Horizon Pro includes Google Assistant, which allows you to control the Horizon Pro with your voice.
With a $1,699 Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the Horizon Pro, it is clear that the Horizon series' target customer is the individual looking to step into the premium home cinema style of projectors but still desires a portable projector. The small and portable Horizon Pro provides a hassle-free home theater experience. Gaming (Android games, Xbox, PlayStation), direct casting via Chromecast from an Android or iOS device, and non-stop entertainment from Horizon Pro’s Google Play Store for Android TV ensure entertainment any way you want it.
The Optoma UHD55 is a 4K DLP projector that retails for $1,799. It utilizes a single DLP (0.47” DMD) chip to reproduce 4K UHD resolution (3,840 x 2,160 pixels). The UHD55 has a brightness rating of 3,600 ANSI lumens so it provides more than enough brightness to enjoy movies with the lights on or in the daytime.
With a 1,200,000:1 contrast ratio, the UHD55 supports High Dynamic Range (HDR), providing brighter whites and deeper blacks with detail in both areas of the picture.
The UHD55 uses an 8-segment color wheel combined with Optoma’s BrilliantColor technology and covers 97% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, enhancing the overall viewing experience.
PROJECTOR SPECS
Specification
Description
Price
$1,799
Technology
DLP w/ XPR
Native Resolution
1920x1080x4
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)
3,600 Lumens
Zoom Lens Ratio
1.3x
Lens Shift
Yes
Lamp Life
4,000 Hours
Weight
8.6 lbs.
Warranty
1 Year Parts and Labor, 90-Day Lamp
The UHD55 offers smart functionality via the included USB WiFi dongle. This adaptor provides users wireless internet connectivity and access to Optoma’s application portal, where a small number of apps are available for this projector. Internet access is also available via the projector’s RJ45 wired connector.
The UHD55’s smart setup features allow users to easily go from unboxing the projector to watching a movie or playing a game quickly. The built-in geometric correction tool adjusts individual points of the displayed picture to get the image perfectly square. The Wall Color adjustment makes it easier to get a good picture even if you don’t have a projection screen because users can alter the projected image based on the color of their wall. The six modes to choose from are BLACKBOARD, LIGHT YELLOW, LIGHT GREEN, LIGHT BLUE, PINK, and GRAY, making it easier to compensate for the wall color and display the most accurate image possible.
The UHD55 projector is an excellent choice for a home theater or bedroom, where there’s less control over ambient light. This projector does not need total darkness to shine.
3 Year Limited Warranty, 1 Year on Light Source + 1st Year Free Express Exchange® Service When Registered
The ViewSonic X10-4KE takes the big screen experience, makes it portable, and gives it a handle. Add to that the 4K UHD resolution (3840 x 2160), short throw design and smart TV capabilities, you’ve got a highly versatile, portable home theater. The X10-4KE combines the very best of home entertainment and packages it into a super compact form, measuring just 10.3” wide, 10.7” deep, 6.5” tall, and weighing 9lbs.
This is a compact projector made even more portable by its handle. The projector is a sleek, matte gray with brown leather accents, making the X10-4KE look retro with a modern touch. That handle’s top is lined with a classy strip of leather, its color reminiscent of a briefcase from the late 60s. Even cooler, the inputs are hidden by a leather door that flaps down to reveal a simple connector panel that has everything you require for your home entertainment needs.
The ViewSonic X10-4KE has a 2,400 lumen claim, which is bright enough for most living rooms, media rooms, and family rooms with decent lighting control. This is not a bright room projector, but it is capable of handling a modest amount of ambient light without the picture being severely washed out.
Since this is a super portable projector, you may find yourself taking it outside for a movie night when the weather warms up! This ViewSonic has built-in Harman Kardon speakers for great onboard sound, or you can hook up your favorite Bluetooth speaker or sound bar.
The LG HU70LA is an HDR compatible DLP home theater LED projector which utilizes a single DLP (0.47” DMD) chip to reproduce 4K UHD resolution (3,840 x 2,160). The HU70LA’s 4ch LED light engine is rated to deliver at 1,500 lumens for up to 30,000 hours.
The HU70LA is part of the LG CineBeam lineup of projectors which are designed to make front projection more accessible and appealing to a wider range of consumers. LG’s goal was to build a line of projectors that could replace a TV in an environment where a large TV just won’t fit.
Since the HU70LA is designed to serve as a TV replacement, it includes most of the features that consumers expect in a flat panel TV including a TV tuner, internal speakers, and of course smart features.
To make the HU70LA as Smart as possible, LG utilizes the same ThinQ AI webOS that is offered in their lineup of Smart flat panel TVs. Like their Smart TVs, the HL70LA can be voice controlled and offers a wide variety of apps. Since it is a DLP projector with a LED light engine, it also delivers years of the maintenance free operation like a flat panel.
Great picture, smart features, and low maintenance make the HU70LA a compelling alternative to a large flat panel TV especially in room where space is at a premium.
The X1300i is a gaming-optimized home entertainment projector packing a ton of powerhouse features. It is a 120Hz 4 LED PJ with a 3000 ANSI lumens rating, according to BenQ, and a 5,000,000:1 published contrast ratio. The X1300i LED light engine is rated for up to 20,000 hours of light engine life in its Normal (High Power) mode.
The combination of focusing on Gaming and Entertainment, including an excellent implementation of HDR and 3,000 lumens of LED-powered brightness, all packaged into an incredibly stylish form, all for a price of $1299, earns this projector a Highly Recommended award.
BenQ’s GameMaestro audio and video presets and the built-in sound system tuned by treVolo are standout features. This projector offers an amazing array of supercharged features and technology all geared to make your gaming experience more immersive, dynamic and enjoyable.
The X1300i, like other BenQ i-series projectors, comes with a BenQ HDMI smart stick offering full access to a wide range of Google Chromecast features, as well as the Android TV operating system.
While there are other smart projectors on the market, the X1300i stands out from the crowd with its focus on elevating the quality of home entertainment content and blowing the doors off of other projectors’ “game” mode, including some of their own.
The XGIMI Horizon Ultra is a 4K DLP projector that retails for $1699. The XGIMI Horizon Ultra, which has a rated brightness of 2300 ISO lumens, utilizes a newly developed Hybrid laser source technology called Dual Light that combines the benefits of Laser and LED light sources into one compact package.
XGIMI has always been focused on expanding the projection market to include those users who don't typically seek out projectors. Since XGIMI's goal is to broaden the user base of projectors beyond the traditional market, projectors like the Horizon Ultra include all the features found in traditional flat-panel TVs, including Android TV and built-in sound systems. In addition, they are ultra-compact units that can be quickly set up in any room and projected onto a screen or a wall (even one painted a color).
XGIMI, due to its non-traditional approach to designing home entertainment projectors, is quickly becoming a leading projector manufacturer globally. The Horizon Ultra is XGIMI's new flagship home projector, so it included several technical firsts highlighting their engineering expertise. As a result, the Horizon Ultra delivers outstanding performance from a projector retailing for just $1699.
The Horizon Ultra is the best projector I have reviewed from XGIMI. It is feature-packed (optical zoom, Iris, Hybrid Laser-LED light source) so it is an amazing value. I believe that the Horizon Ultra is arguably the best sub-$2000 projector on the market today.
The Formovie X5 is a new 4K UHD (Ultra High Definition) 3,840 x 2,160p HDR-capable video projector that retails for $1,599.99 MSRP. The Formovie X5’s ALPD laser light source is rated to produce 2,450 CVIA (China Video Industry Association) lumens of manufacturer-rated brightness. It has a Denon three-speaker sound system to provide users with an immersive sound experience.
Formovie Tech is a Mi ecosystem company jointly established by Appotronics Corporation, the maker of ALPD lasers, and Xiaomi (shau-mee) Technology, the leading global Laser TV and smart projector brand.
Formovie uses Appotronics ALPD laser light sources in their laser-powered projectors. Formovie is one of many Chinese-based projection makers looking to shake up the industry by offering innovative products. For example, the company's award-winning Formovie Theater ultra-short throw projector that I recently reviewed.
The Formovie X5 has an MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) of $1,599. On paper, the projector looks impressive. The X5 is the company's first cube-style 4K home theater projector. Formovie does make an attractive cube-style portable projector called the Formovie Dice. Click on the link to read my full review.
The Formovie X5 uses one of the most popular image sensors made by Texas Instruments. This 0.47-inch XPR (1,920 x 1,080 x4) pixel-shifting projector can shift the imager in four directions faster than the human eye can see to create a displayed 4K image.
In my initial examination, I didn’t experience any rainbow effects often found in DLP projectors, which I tend to be very sensitive to.
The LG CineBeam PU700R is a 4K (3,840 x 2,160) Ultra High Definition (UHD) home entertainment projector selling for $1,699 MSRP. This smart projector uses a single Texas Instruments 0.47-inch Digital Light Processing (DLP) Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) to display up to a 120-inch diagonal image. The PU700R uses an RGD LED light source to produce up to 1,000 ANSI lumens of brightness for up to 30,000 hours of light source life.
The PU700R incorporates a swivel stand. This type of design is gaining popularity because consumers can quickly go from sitting vertically and projecting onto a wall or screen to laying in bed and projecting the image onto the ceiling or at any point. This form factor resembles the JMGO N1 Ultra and Samsung Freestyle we recently reviewed. To make setup as simple as possible, PU700R can quickly and automatically adjust the keystone and focus on producing a square image at multiple degrees of vertical tilt. The projector can also compensate for side-to-side (horizontal) position changes.
The PU700R uses LG's RGB LED light source, providing a bright, long-lasting image with incredible color depth.
LG is known for using innovative features and technologies in its projector designs. LG has been in the projection business since CRTs were primarily used as a projector light source. Still, the company took little time to offer innovative video projection products focusing on laser and, more recently, LED light source technologies.
LG is a name-brand manufacturer fearless in occasionally taking a design or function chance. The company is also willing to embrace new designs that may ultimately not change functionality but visually can inspire consumers. The LG PU700R is a projector that meets both those descriptions.
The BenQ GP500 is a 4K HDR capable 4LED Home theater projector that retails for $1,799 MSRP. This projector is rated to deliver 1,500 ANSI lumens by the manufacturer. While not a dedicated gaming PC, it can provide an excellent gaming experience due to its low input lag and superior audiovisual performance. The GP500 has a 1.3x zoom lens and projects up to a maximum recommended image size of 150 inches diagonally.
The GP500 is one of BenQ's Smart Home Theater projector series. Built off of Texas Instruments, 0.47″ DMD DLP system with XPR technology, the GP500 can display a 4K image through pixel-shifting technology.
At Projector Reviews, we have a long-standing policy of using the term native to describe LCD and DLP imagers with a one-to-one sensor pixel-to-displayed pixel relationship. LCD and DLP-based projectors that don't use a one-to-one ratio to achieve their displayed resolution are called pixel-shifting projectors. All things being equal, we believe there is no inherent picture quality advantage to using either of these imager technologies in a projector.
