Best 4K Projectors
Wouldn’t it be great if you can enjoy cinematic quality movie-watching experiences at your home or make high-definition professional-grade presentations at your office? A 4K projector empowers you to experience immersive viewing in 4K resolution.
A 4K projector is an ideal projector for setting up your home cinema as it provides an exceptionally large screen that goes well with the powerful sounds of your home theatre audio system.
The 4k projectors are high-performance projectors that deliver superior brightness and premium picture quality. Even in the daylight, you can enjoy 4K quality images in HDR format due to its high brightness.
This article explains in simple terms everything you need to know about a projector. You will know how a projector works and its feature, What are the different types of projectors?, Comprehensive buyers guide along with the list of Top 9 Best 4K Projectors and FAQs is provided here. This will help you make the right choice when making your purchase.
Our Pick for the Best 4K Projectors in India
| Product (Best Brands) | Best Price |
|---|---|
Our Choice |  |
Best built-in speakers | |
Our pick from the Expensive range | |
Versatility | |
Best battery life | |
Portability | |
Best new entry | |
How do projectors work?
The way a projector works depends on the type of display it uses.
DLP Projectors
A DLP projector is a Digital Light Processing projector. These projectors use a number of tiny mirrors to produce dark or light pixels by tilting away from the light source or towards it.
The DLP projectors are available as either a Single-chip DLP or a three-chip DLP. The single-chip DLP is the more affordable of the two.
The Single-chip DLP projectors produce an image on the screen through the use of a color wheel. This color-wheel rotates between the primary colors very quickly.
Although this type of projector provides the sharpest image on consumer projectors, there is often a rainbow effect on the image it produces. The rainbow effect occurs when a single image is split into red, blue, and green images.
A Three-chip DLP projector does not make use of a color wheel. In place of the color wheel, each color has a dedicated DLP chip. These projectors are not very common due to the high costs.
The complex designs which result from the difficulty in aligning each panel usually make it quite expensive. A lot of movie-theaters use this type of projector.
LCOS Projectors
The LCoS projectors or Liquid Crystal on Silicon projectors use silicone-backed LCD panels instead of the DLP chips present in three-chip DLP projectors.
In this case, the image is formed by combining the light reflected from three separate silicone-backed LCD panels. A unique feature of this type of projector is the elimination of the rainbow effect. This is because it uses an LCD.
Although LCoS projectors can produce very high contrast ratios with the deepest blacks, they lack in brightness. To produce high-quality images, it is best to use this type of projectors with screens of about 130 inches in a dark environment. When producing fast-motion scenes, the LCoS projectors usually have more motion blur issues.
LCD Projectors
In the case of LCD projectors, they stand on the fine line between the LCoS projectors and the DLP projectors. While they are brighter than the LCoS projectors, they are not as bright as the DLP projectors.
They also have a lower contrast ratio than LCoS projectors but offer deeper blacks than you get on the DLP projectors.
Features to look out for
Display type
Like we discussed above, there are different types of projectors based on the type of display they use. Depending on the type of display, the prices of projectors will vary. Carry out extensive research on the best display type within your budget when you intend to make a purchase.
Lens Zoom
An important feature of projectors is the zoom on the lens. With this feature, you don’t need to set up the projector at a particular distance to get the best picture quality.
Instead, you can set it up at a convenient location and then use the zoom in or zoom out function to adjust the output of the image. As a result, it is possible to make the image large enough for very large projections, or just small enough to fit a TV-sized projection.
Resolution
This feature on a projector is similar to that which is available on smartphones, computer monitors, and televisions. Since the image display by projectors is in pixels, having more pixels always offers a much better output. Most of the popular projectors available on the market usually offer an HD resolution.
With the recent increase in the availability of 4K content, there are also some projectors available that offer a 4K resolution. Although they cost a bit more than HD projectors, the image output is of excellent quality.
Brightness
The brightness of a projector is an important feature to consider if you intend to use the projector from a far distance or in a place with a large amount of ambient light.
In projectors, the unit for measuring brightness is lumens. A projector with a very high number of lumens will be very bright. Any projector that will be used to display on a wall or screen in a dark area doesn’t require too much brightness.
In such a situation, about 1,000 lumens will perform excellently. On the other hand, an area with high ambient light will require projectors with about 2,000 lumens or more.
Wired and wireless connections
The type of connections that a projector will feature usually varies. Some of the connections which you will find on most projectors include VGA, HDMI, Component, Display Port, and USB.
By connecting an adapter, you can use a backward or cross-compatibility function that is available on most of these ports. There are also wireless connections like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi available on most projectors.
Below are some details on each connection
- USB: The hot-swapping functionality of a USB is a significant reason why it is very popular. It is possible to connect a device while in operation and also disconnect it when using a USB. Another reason for their popularity is that most USBs are Plug-and-Play compliant. This means that any USB device you connect will perform its installation and configuration very quickly without the need for a CD.
- HDMI: On most of the latest projectors as well as TVs, HDMI input is always included. It has become the more preferred means of connecting most devices. The main reason for this preference is its ability to project audio and video in high-definition using a single cable. HDMI connectivity can be used with laptops, gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, and more.
- 3.5mm Audio Jack: As the name suggests, this form of the connector is solely for audio. Since not all projectors have a built-in speaker and others may be of low quality, you need a connector to hook up a sound system or a set of speakers. This is where the 3.5mm becomes important.
- Composite: Although it is not as common as it used to be, it is still possible to find a few projectors with a composite. This form of connection separates the input signal into a left channel, right channel, and a video connector.
- VGA: This connector is also on a steady decline regarding its use. A noticeable feature of VGA connectors is how large they usually appear. Having a VGA connection on a projector is very helpful if a computer which you make use of still operates on this form of connection.
- Wi-Fi: This is a form of wireless connection, which is very important. It has become a necessity if you intend to stream content without the use of an Ethernet cable. Depending on the type of projector, you may need to use this feature with an app. This is unless you have a smart projector.
- Bluetooth: This is quite common, even on smartphones and smart TVs. To use Bluetooth connection, the two devices you intend to connect should support Bluetooth connectivity. This connection doesn’t require cables and allows data transfer within a particular range.
Keystone correction
This is a feature which a projector should possess. In most cases, it is common to find a vertical keystone while a horizontal keystone can be sometimes difficult to find. Keystone correction counters the keystone effect on a projector. This is to a particular percentage.
When using a projector, it is common to notice a wider image at the top of the projector is set up too low. If the projector is off the center of the screen horizontally, the image may appear wider on a particular side.
Vertical keystone correction counters the keystone effect due to height. Some projectors perform the keystone correction automatically while others require manual correction.
Using the keystone correction in excess will usually reduce the resolution of the projector.
Built-in speakers
There are some projectors that now include a built-in speaker. These projectors save any additional cost that you may have to spend on speakers after making the purchase.
Although some projectors come with built-in speakers, these speakers are often of low-quality.
Types of projectors based on the size
Pocket Projectors
These are very portable projectors which can sometimes have a size that is smaller than a smartphone. In most situations where such projectors are used, they often serve as a substitute for small televisions and computer monitors.
This also eliminates the need for a large cooling system on the projector. Since they offer a very small, portable size, the image size which these projectors produce is usually quite small. These projectors may also be missing some key features like optical zoom.
As a result, they require a lot of flexibility concerning set up a placement. Regarding brightness, these projectors usually range from 25 to 1500 ANSI lumens.
Multimedia Projectors
These are the more popular types of projectors. The brightness which these projectors offer, range from 2500 to 4500 lumens or more.
Although it may not be as wide as the home theater projectors, the multimedia projectors usually offer a zoom function. These are the common projectors used in regular PowerPoint presentations and in some wedding venues.
The input options available on these projectors include digital inputs like SDI, DisplayPort, HDMI, and DVI while VGA is also available.
It is also common to find a number of these projectors which are usable for presentations without connection to a computer. Wireless presentations are also supported by these projectors.
Short Throw Projectors
Any projector with a throw ratio that is lower than 1:1 falls within the category of a short-throw projector. Ultrashort throw projectors include those having a specification of 0.3:1 as the throw ratio.
It is difficult to find a short-throw projector that has a zoom lens. They are commonly found in classrooms and are usually paired with a digital whiteboard. Setting up short throw projectors at a distance beyond the specification will often not yield a wider image.
The maximum brightness of short-throw projectors is usually 3000 lumens since they are designed for small screen sizes. An ultra-short-throw projectors, before the image appears on the screen, it is first projected onto a mirror.
Home Theater Projectors
A home theater projector offers a very high image quality in comparison to other types of projectors. The zoom on these projectors is also more than any other type while the brightness is usually lower. The average brightness of these projectors is about 1800 lumens.
A lot of home theater projectors offer 4K and Full HD resolutions. It is easy to mistake a multimedia projector for a home theater projector, especially when companies place them in the same category.
An easy way to identify a multimedia projector from such list is the high lumen rating. They also have a zoom which is below 2x with a VESA native resolution.
An efficient cooling system is also a necessity in these projectors to ensure that the operation is very quiet. As a result, they are usually large. A feature which is common to home theater projectors is the low-voltage control (LVC).
These projectors are a good option if you have a screen of about 100 inches in size with a means of blocking out all the ambient light in a room.
Fixed-Installation and Large-Venue Projectors
These projectors provide the highest brightness available on the market. You can easily find such projectors offering a brightness of 4500 lumens or more. The set up of these fixed-installation projectors take a lot of time, and they are not portable.
To adjust to the throw distance, most of these projectors have a system of interchangeable-lens. Places, where these projectors are used, are areas where it is difficult to control the ambient light such as a movie theater, lecture hall, or a worship center.
They usually display on huge screens for large groups. Other features that these projectors support are ‘edge-blending’ and ‘staking.’
The installation of these projectors is usually done by a professional.
Benefits of using a projector
Customize the output size
One of the major features of a projector is the option to adjust the image size. You can buy a projector screen to meet your specifications. It is also more convenient if you have to move your setup to another room.
You don’t need to worry about space like you would when moving a large screen TV to a smaller room. Simply adjust the projector to produce an image output which is suitable for the new position.
The price
Are projectors expensive? Yes, some projectors are. There are certain projectors which may cost as much as a high-end TV.
So what do they offer? There are a lot of advantages which such a projector would have over a TV. The first is the portability. There is no need to explain the size difference between projectors and TVs. Another benefit is the size customization you get when using a projector.
Is the room big enough? If yes, you can make a display as big as the wall. If the room is too small, then you can adjust to the size.
Comparing the performance of a projector and that of a TV at the same price will often show some of the variances. It may be difficult to get a good TV offering a high-quality 4K resolution at the same price you would get a 4K projector.
Portability
Small and lightweight are two features most projectors share. If it becomes necessary, there will be no issue moving a projector around the home. These features also make them a great choice for outdoor viewing.
Interactive projectors and teaching
When teaching, it can be challenging to get students to listen while taking notes at the same time. By creating a presentation of your notes, you can easily discuss the notes with the students during the lecture and then share a digital copy at the end of the lecture.
Top 9 4k Projectors
1. BenQ TK800 4K Projector – Our Choice
The product comes in the range of high-priced projectors and offers a wide variety of features. BenQ TK800 4K Projector offers a good experience of 4K viewing on a projector screen. Let us have a look at all the features of this product.
- This product could be easily used as a home theatre to enhance your viewing experience.
- The projector has 8.3 million pixels, which increase the picture quality and improved contrast.
- Weighs: 4.2 Kg.
- Product Dimensions : 35.3 x 27.2 x 13.5 cm.
- Despite being 3000 lumens, the projector has a very good brightness.
- It has an automatic vertical keystone correction.
- It comes with a 2-year manufacturing warranty with the product.
- It is expensive.
2. XGIMI H2 LED Home Projector – Our Pick for Best Built-in Speakers
Everything about this projector just shows off quality. The company is the brainchild of a group of young members who are intent on providing projection solutions at an affordable price. The H2 is proof of their dedication.
The quality of the output and the performance of the projector are on par with some of the premium options in the market.
- Built-in Harman Kardon branded speakers for a very high-quality audio output.
- There is a remote control included in the package which eliminates the need to use a mobile phone in controlling this smart projector.
- The projector supports other inputs with a headphone jack, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, HDMI ports, Ethernet port, and external speakers.
- It comes with different adapters, so it is easy to connect regardless of the type of socket outlet.
- The lens has a sliding cover which will slide open when you plug in and power on the projector.
- Download more apps using Aptoide which is preinstalled along with a lot of other apps like Amazon and YouTube.
- The high-quality speaker makes it possible to use the projector as a boom box or portable speaker.
- There is a rechargeable 3D glass available in the projector package.
- The projection distance is 2.2 m – 5 m.
- Easy control for the volume with a simple slide of the hand over a particular part of the surface of the projector.
- Amazing lamp life of 30,000 H.
- No negative points observed so far.
3. BenQ W1700 Home Cinema Projector – Our Pick from the Expensive Range
A very popular name when it comes to the supply of consumer electronics. The company goes as far back as 2001 and has since continued to grow. In addition to the unique BenQ design, the W1700 is a 4K projector which offers some great qualities like HDR10 support.
- It comes with a remote which has backlit buttons in a comfortable layout for use in dimly lit rooms.
- There are two HDMI ports on the projector with one supporting HDCP 2.2 for 4K contents.
- CinemaMaster Video+ technology which provides enhancements to sharpness and color.
- The projector uses a lamp with a maximum life of 10,000 hours for economic use, 8000 hours for SmartEco, 4000 hours for normal.
- It has a 5W speaker in a resonant chamber along with EQ settings for different types of content.
- The projector chassis is made from a durable plastic material.
- There are manual controls for the lens focus and zoom on the body of the projector.
- The backlighting on the projector remote is a great feature to have when using the projector in dark rooms.
- The 4K content playback on this projector usually has a detailed and sharp output quality.
- It comes in a reasonably small size with a high-quality upscale.
- The projector has an integrated lens with a low-dispersion layer and a 1.2x optical zoom.
- There is a noticeable lack of image stability during some movie scenes.
4. AUN M18UP Full Hd Smart Projector
AUN M18UP is a full HD smart projector that provides ultra-clear videos with more vivid colors. It is engineered for brighter and higher resolution. It comes with a native full HD resolution of 1920*1080 along with a contrast ratio of 5000:1.
It provides up to 3 times more detailed images as compared to 720P projectors for delivering impeccable image quality suitable for professional usage. It employs 6” LCD projection technology and up to 30,000 hours of LED lamp life.
It comes with built-in android 6.0 that supports 4K decoding so that you can access tons of android applications and view them in 4K resolution.
- It has 5500 lumens of brightness that support up to a 300” display in size. It provides up to 80% more brightness than others.
- It shows versatile digital connectivity with its two HDMI ports, including one premium audio.
- It comes with Android 6.0 OS that supports 4K video decoding.
- It features 4 cores ARM CPU processor, ARM A35 GPU, and 1G RAM / 8G ROM GPU memory.
- It supports 2.4G / 5G Wi-Fi connectivity along with built-in Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity so that you can play your videos directly from your phone to the projector screen without messing up with cables.
- It supports Airplay/Miracast for various devices like android phone, iPhone, iPad, tablet PC.
- It has a projection distance of 1.7-9.2 meters and a projection ratio of 1.35.
- Its input ports include 2 USB ports, a VGA port, an HDMI port; an AV port and its output port includes a 3.5 mm earphone port.
- It has built-in Hi-Fi 5W speakers, 150W power, and it is compatible with power input in the range AC 110~240V.
- It supports AC3 file decoding. It comes with 16777k true colors and a maximum contrast ratio of 5000:1.
- It features a short focus principal design that enables you to project larger images at a shorter distance.
- This 4K projector delivers ideal contrast for delivering an excellent performance during business presentations.
- It comes with an ultra long-lasting lamp that provides long working life of over 10 years with 2-3 hours of daily usage.
- This smart HD projector enables the users to project full HD presentations from their devices like smartphones, laptops, and various other streaming devices.
- It supports Google play store and APK online installation. You can access various Android applications, do online shopping, play games, browse the internet, watch online videos, etc; on a bigger screen using this 4K projector.
- It helps you to set-up your private home theatre for viewing HD videos on-screen bigger than TV. It provides relaxation for your eyes from watching TV incessantly.
- It has a 9.2-meter throw distance that converts your living room into a home theatre.
- No negative points were observed so far.
5. XGIMI CC Aurora Mini Portable DLP Projector– Best battery life
If you are looking for a projector that offers great quality while retaining its portability, then the CC Aurora is a great choice. It works well when broadcasting in daylight and offers a high-quality sound output with the JBL speakers.
- The projector uses an LED lamp which is very durable with a life of 30,000 hours.
- It supports the 4K resolution with a native resolution of 1280×720.
- It comes with built-in JBL with Harman Kardon stereo speakers to offer excellent sound output.
- Uses services like YouTube and Netflix with the built-in Android 5.1.1 operating system.
- It includes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity for wireless connections.
- It comes with 2 USB inputs along with one HDMI 2.0 port for easy connectivity of compatible devices.
- The remote control is available in addition to the five sensor buttons on the top of the projector for easy control and settings adjustment.
- The inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack makes it possible to enjoy your video without interrupting others within the area.
- The built-in 20,000mAh battery provides a long-lasting use on each charge.
- It uses a DLP display technology which makes it more affordable.
- It comes with a remote control which has a great appearance and buttons which are very easy to use.
- It runs on an older version of the Android operating system.
6. AODIN Android 7.1 4K Smart Mini DLP Projector – Our Pick for Portability
Aodin is a brand under Shenzhen Hotack Technology Co., Ltd. They are well known for the production of Smart TV box, Android tablets, DLP Smart projectors, and more.
This is an excellent projector to purchase when you need one to carry around with you at all times. It uses a battery as a power source which also provides versatility in the use of this projector.
- 8000mAh battery which offers more than 1.5-hour playtime when outdoors.
- A Quad-core Cortex-A53 with processor speeds up to 1.5GHz for the efficient running of the Android 7.1 operating system.
- A touch panel with smart touchpads for easy control of the projector settings.
- It has an HDMI and USB 3.0 for rapid transmission.
- It has a brightness of 2200 lumens and is suitable for screen sizes up to 300-inches.
- It offers a 4K decoding with support for various video formats including WMV, VOB, MP4, and more.
- It uses a DLP display technology.
- The projector is very portable with a size that easily fits into small spaces.
- There is a 2GB DDR with a 16GB ROM which is expandable to 32GB for storing files.
- It allows users to watch videos online and TV channels without the need for a subscription.
- There is often a difficulty when trying to gain access to Play Store.
- The battery doesn’t last very long when in use.
7. DCC 4K LED Projector UHD – Best new entry
This is a new product which is really pulling its weight. The projector offers a lot of great features, and the manufacturers offer a 2 years warranty on the product. It also supports HDR content with a MicroSD slot for streaming content.
- Watch 4K content in high-quality with the HDMI 2.0 port with HDCP 2.2 capability.
- A high brightness at 3,000 lumens to reduce the limitations when choosing places to use the projector.
- Great video playback with support for HDR content decoding on this projector.
- Connect various devices on the input ports available including one AV port, a headphone jack, HDMI ports, USB ports, and a VGA port.
- The projector has a dedicated MicroSD slot for reading information from such source.
- In addition to the long life of the lamp, there is an Eco mode which can further increase the life to 30,000.
- The projector can display on screens of up to 200 inches with 4x the clarity of regular full HD projection.
- It features the LED display technology.
- This projector supports all kinds of input including MicroSD cards and VGA inputs.
- Supports a lot of inputs including the VGA ports.
- The projection expansion is limited.
Conclusion
A 4K projector redefines your HD video viewing experiences. It provides detailed images in high-definition enriched with rich colors and contrast. It adds X-factor to your business presentations and delivers impeccable image quality suitable for professional applications.
With a 4K projector, you can project Full HD presentations from your smartphones, tablets, laptops, or other streaming devices. You can do everything on a bigger and better screen including surfing the internet, playing android games, watching online videos, etc.
It is a useful gadget that is designed for full HD visual performance on a larger screen so that you can enjoy the visual and auditory feast.
For anyone who is not on a strict budget, the BenQ W1700 projector is a great choice. A product of a company that is popular for making high-quality products, it offers a lot of high-quality features.
For a projector that offers some very cool features like high-quality built-in speakers along with some additional accessories like cool 3D glasses, then you should try the XGIMI H2 Projector
