It’s easy to doubt that you’ll be able to find the best projector under $500. But it’s not as difficult as it appears. In fact, many projectors on the market cost less than $500. Furthermore, these are projectors that have a high brand value and are well worth your money.
The price of a projector under $500 can range from $90 to $500. When compared to a $100 projector, a $500 projector will have more features than what you require. That’s why we’re here to help you along the way.
BUYING GUIDE: BEST PROJECTORS UNDER $500
As mentioned earlier, there are several factors to consider before purchasing a projector under $500.
- Resolution- Most projectors should have 720p/ 1080p resolutions because these are the resolutions that will take your visual experience to the next level. Resolution not only refers to image clarity, but also to brightness, contrast, crispness, and alignment.
- Brightness– You may have come across a number of projectors with a brightness of 2000 lumens or higher. Believe me when I say that lumens matter the most because you need to be able to use your projector in any lighting, indoors or out. As a result, if you want a constant brightness, a brightness of over 2000 lumens would suffice.
- Connectivity- It is preferable to have a variety of connectivity options when it comes to connectivity. The most important factor is that the projector you select can connect to all media players, laptops, phones, and other devices via input ports such as HDMI, USB, AV, and so on.
Now let’s look at the best projectors under $500.
No. | Product | Rating | Price |
1. | VIEWSONIC PX701HD | ||
2. | WiMius P18 Projector | ||
3. | EPSON HOME CINEMA 880 | ||
4. | VIEWSONIC PJD5555W | ||
5. | YABER Y30 | ||
6. | EPSON VS260 | ||
7. | VIEWSONIC PA503W | ||
8. | DB POWER RD828 Projector | ||
9. | BENQ TH585 | ||
10. | Mi Smart Compact Projector |
Table of Contents
1. VIEWSONIC PX701HD (OUR TOP PICK) (Amazon’s Choice) : Best Projector Under $500
RATING: 4.5/ 5
For a number of reasons, the ViewSonic PX701HD projector is at the top of the list. To begin with, it is fantastic to play games and watch movies. Ideally, you should feel like you’re watching first-rate home entertainment while watching it. The projector is also suitable for business and educational settings. The 1080p resolution immerses you in Full HD theatre-like colours.
With a brightness of 3500 lumens and a price tag of less than $500, this projector appears to provide ideal lighting in both bright and dark environments. ViewSonic’s SuperColor technology offers a wide colour gamut for superb colour accuracy and precision in any environment. With 5 hours of viewing per day, the projector’s lamp life can last up to 20,000 hours. A 1.1x optical zoom and a vertical lens shift are included for a flexible setup. A powerful 10W speaker provides a thrilling audio experience.
The projector has dual 3D Blu-ray ready HDMI inputs that can connect to any HDMI device and display 3D images from 3D Blu-ray players. The projector is also compatible with Roku, Fire TV Stick, and Chromecast. It accepts input from media players, gaming consoles, Macs, PCs, and mobile devices, including Powered USB A.
2. WiMius P18 Projector
RATING: 4.4/ 5
The WiMius projector is a 2021 upgrade projector with many exciting features. The projector is ideal for watching movies, playing video games, and so on. This projector has a native resolution of 1080p and also supports the same resolution, so the picture quality will not be affected in any way. The projector now has a brightness of 4000 lumens, which has been increased by 20%. This projector is said to be brighter than other 1080p projectors priced under $500.
Even with the lights turned on, the projector produces stunning visuals on a screen as large as 400 inches. The advanced cooling and heat dissipation system in this projector ensures that the LED lamp can last up to 150000 hours. In addition, the projector has built-in dual stereo sound speakers that produce Hi-Fi stereo sound.
The projector can connect to TV Boxes, gaming consoles, PCs, laptops, Fire TV Stick, Android and iOS, and other media players via input options such as HDMI, USB, VGA, and AV ports.
3. EPSON HOME CINEMA 880 (AMAZON’S CHOICE)
RATING: 4.6/ 5
The Epson Home Cinema 880 projector is epic for the reasons listed below. It has a 1080p resolution in Full HD, which produces spectacular and precise images that are ideal for gaming and sports. Almost all Epson projectors feature 3chip 3LCD projection, which is claimed to have 100 per cent colour accuracy, brightness, and clarity.
The projector has a colour brightness of 3300 lumens and white brightness of 3300 lumens. This is ideal in all lighting situations. For a higher quality picture viewing experience, the projector has four colour modes to choose from dynamic, bright cinema, cinema, and natural. The built-in picture skew sensor detects uneven alignment and vertically corrects images. The projector has a lamp life of 6000 hours in Normal Mode and 12000 hours in Eco Mode.
This projector also includes a built-in speaker. This projector’s All-digital HDMI connectivity option lets you connect to media players, gaming consoles, laptops, PCs, and other HDMI-enabled devices.
4. VIEWSONIC PJD5555W
RATING: 4.5/ 5
At a mid-range price, the ViewSonic projector has commendable features. The projector has a native resolution of WXGA (1280×800), which is impressive given that it can display screen sizes of up to 110 inches wide and has a dynamic contrast ratio of 20000:1. Its user-friendly design allows it to be used both indoors and outdoors. The projector can be used for home entertainment, education, and small business environments.
The brightness of the projector is 3300 lumens, which is as expected. The specialised SuperColor technology ensures true-to-life images on screen, as well as excellent colour accuracy and sharpness. The projector’s lamp life is 8000 hours in Eco mode and increases by 70% to 10000 hours in DynamicEco mode.
There’s also a 2W built-in speaker. There’s also optical zoom and vertical keystone for easy interface and alignment. HDMI 1.4, VGA in, VGA out, Mini USB, and other input options allow the projector to connect to DVD players, Blu-ray players, Macs, Windows, media players, gaming consoles, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, and other devices.
5. YABER Y30
RATING: 4.4/ 5
Yaber’s go-to projector is the Yaber Y30, which is ideal for gaming, home entertainment, gaming, parties, and even sports. Let’s take a look at why. To begin with, the projector has a native resolution of 1080p and supports 4K. With a dynamic contrast ratio of 10000:1, the projector delivers sharp images with no downscaling or compression. The bright LCD display technology and LED lamp combine to provide a brightness of 8500 lumens, displaying images on the screen that are 50% brighter than other projectors.
The exclusive Adopt Color Matching Algorithm ensures that the projector has superior colour gamuts and produces true-to-life colours on the screen. The X/Y Zoom function is an added bonus because it can decrease the image’s width up to 50%. The vertical and horizontal keystone features allow you to change the angle without moving the projector. The HD reverse lens, which hides the lens with a zoom ring and prevents scratches on it, is a unique feature of this projector.
The projector also includes dual 3W built-in stereo speakers and an SRS sound system for a satisfying audio experience. Two HDMI ports, two USB ports, and a VGA port, among others, allow you to connect to gaming consoles, HDMI devices, iPhones, PCs, Windows, TV boxes, DVD players, USB sticks, Amazon Firestick TV, and other devices.
6. EPSON VS260 (AMAZON’S CHOICE)
RATING: 4.6/ 5
The Epson VS260 projector has a plethora of features. The projector has a supporting resolution of 1024×768, which is adequate for picture quality. In addition, the native XGA resolution produces clear images on the screen. This projector, like all Epson projectors, features 3chip 3LCD technology, which provides exceptional colour accuracy and eliminates rainbow effects.
The 3300 lumens of colour and white brightness are ideal for displaying presentations and videos even in well-lit rooms. The projector can display images on a screen as large as 150 inches. The Easy Zoom In and Out feature aids in image adjustment. The vertical and horizontal keystone correction of +/- 30 degrees is also present. The lamp has a lifespan of 12000 hours in ECO mode. The projector has a 2W built-in speaker.
The HDMI and USB ports allow you to connect to devices such as Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, gaming consoles, and media players to watch movies and play games.
7. VIEWSONIC PA503W (AMAZON’S CHOICE)
RATING: 4.6/ 5
The ViewSonic PA503W projector is especially popular in business settings and classrooms. In terms of features, it is satisfactory but not exceptional. The native resolution is 1280×800, resulting in clear and sharp images on the screen. The brightness of 3800 ANSI lumens ensures that you can watch presentations or videos even in brightly lit rooms. In addition, the contrast ratio of 22000:1 ensures that the images’ whites and blacks are crisp and detailed.
The SuperColor technology in this projector, like in all ViewSonic projectors, maximises colour accuracy and brings images to life. There are also five distinct viewing modes: brightest, standard, presentation, photo, and movie mode. In SuperEco mode, the projector’s lamp life can be extended to 15000 hours. There is also a vertical keystone feature with a range of +/- 40 degrees, and 1.1x optical zoom which aids in image correction and installation.
You also get smart presentation tools like the presentation timer and the blank timer as a bonus. In terms of connectivity, the projector’s HDMI port allows 3D content from 3D Blu-ray players and HDMI-enabled devices to be displayed. Additionally, the projector is compatible with PCs, laptops, and other devices.
8. DB POWER RD828 PROJECTOR (AMAZON’S CHOICE)
RATING: 4.6/ 5
The DBPower L21 is a well-known projector for under $500. It has a native resolution of 1080p, which is said to make full use of the LED light and LCD technology. This projector is an excellent choice for home entertainment, parties, games, and even yoga. This projector’s brightness is 8500 lumens, which is 60% brighter than other 1080p projectors. A contrast ratio of 10000:1 adds crisp details to colourful images.
This projector’s most notable feature is its 4D +/- 50-degree keystone correction. This correction allows images to be properly aligned when controlled from any location. You could also stand directly in front of the image, and there would be no image obstruction! You can display images in any size you want thanks to the 50 per cent zoom function. It should be noted that this projector is only suitable for small business environments.
There are also dual 5W built-in speakers with an SRS sound system for excellent sound quality. The lamp life of the projector is increased to 100000 hours while the lamp power consumption is reduced. With WiFi screen sync technology, you can connect to your iOS/Android device simply by turning on your WiFi. This wireless projector does not support Netflix or Hulu, but it can connect to an Amazon Firestick. Aside from that, the HDMI and USB ports can be used to connect to phones, tablets, media players, and other devices.
9. BENQ TH585
RATING: 4.5/ 5
The BenQ TH585 is not only affordable, but it also has the highest resolution of 1080p Full HD, which produces realistic HDR details on screen. This projector is ideal for gaming on any console, including the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and others. The brightness is 3500 lumens, which results in clear images.
The 95 per cent Rec. colour conversion improves image quality for gaming. The projector has a maximum screen size of 100″. The 10,000:1 contrast ratio improves image clarity and sharpness. The projector has a lamp life of 15000 hours thanks to the LampSave mode. For greater throw distance flexibility, vertical keystone, digital lens shift, and a 1.1x zoom function are included.
It also has a built-in speaker with a 10W output that produces loud sound for gaming. The projector, as usual, can connect to media players, gaming consoles, and other devices.
10. Mi Smart Compact Projector
RATING: 4.1/ 5
The standard resolution of the Xiaomi Smart Compact projector is 1080p with Full HD, and it also supports 4K resolution. True colours with a wider range are ensured by the HDR10 video decoding feature. The square pixel architecture ensures that there are no zigzags and that the images are smooth. This projector employs diffuse reflection, which differs from the light employed by other projectors. This removes the strain from your eyes.
The average brightness of 500 ANSI lumens was found to be disappointing in this projector. The LED light, on the other hand, is said to increase this brightness by 20%. This projector’s lamp life is 30000 hours. There is a large built-in sound chamber and dual 5W speakers.
In terms of connectivity, input ports such as HDMI and USB allow you to connect to media players, gaming consoles, and other devices. To stream content from smart devices, the projector also includes Android TV 9.0 and Google Assistant.
CONCLUSION
What do you think you’ll choose now that we’ve reached the end of this article? As previously stated, the first projector – ViewSonic PX701HD – is our top pick as the best projector under $500 because it is not only one of the well-known brands, but it is also modestly priced. However, if you’re looking for a low-cost alternative, the WiMius P18 and other projectors can help. This is your cue! Get going, and we hope you are able to obtain the best projector.