The outcome of your audio-visual presentations relies heavily on the quality of the digital projector, whether it’s budget or high-priced and for home or professional use. This is why it’s important to have one that can withstand repeated use so that it won’t fail to work in the middle of an important business presentation, an exciting movie scene, or an emotion-filled wedding video.
Now you might be thinking: How much will it cost me? Aren’t they expensive?
The short answer is: not at all. Quality doesn’t always equate to a higher cost. In fact, there are many top-of-the-line projector options that can be purchased at relatively low budget prices.
In the past, projectors were considered expensive pieces of equipment. But now that technology is more accessible for everyone, prices of projectors have gone down even when their features have increased in quality. Some projectors are even as cheap as an average smartphone. These best budget projector options will make perfect use in your home or business.
How to choose the best budget projector for you
As projectors become more and more commonplace, the notion that cheap projectors equate to poor quality becomes less and less true. In fact, the best budget projector options have more than adequate specs for a bright, high-quality viewing experience.
We’ll detail several features to keep an eye on in a home projector, as well as desirable numbers to look for in order to get the most out of a cheap projector.
Light Output (Lumens)
A projector’s American National Standards Institute (ANSI) lumens rating indicates overall light output — i.e., brightness. A greater ANSI lumens value means a brighter picture. Low output projectors can make images look smeared and blurry, and they tend to not perform their best in well-lit rooms during the daytime.
For home projectors, 1000 or more lumens will suffice for most applications. The good thing is that many of today’s cheap projectors can have high ANSI lumens output at a reasonable price.
Resolution
The next important feature in a projector is its resolution — also called pixel density. Full HD resolution is 1920×1080, so if you have plan to purchase a home projector for streaming HDTV, you’ll want to see a pixel density of at least that.
Contrast Ratio
Contrast ratio and lumens work together to create vivid image quality. Projectors with greater contrast ratios produce pictures with whither whites and blacker blacks. The overall result is a deeper, richer image that doesn’t appear “washed out.” A contrast ratio of at least 2000:1 is considered quite good for a cheap projector.
Color
Next, we have color. This can be subjective from viewer to viewer, and every home projector will likely reproduce slightly different visuals. If a projector offers multiple picture settings or customizable options, you’ll be able to dial in something that pleases your eye.
Portability
Finally, portability might be an attractive option for some users. While portable projectors tend to compromise overall image quality for being miniature in size, these types of devices can be a lot of fun for travel or entertaining guests.
Best Budget Projectors for Home and Business
ViewSonic M1 mini WVGA Ultra-Portable LED Projector
The ViewSonic M1 mini is an ultra-portable, pocket-sized projector measuring just four inches by four inches. It features an integrated JBL speaker for big sound on the go, and offers plug-and-play USB-A/micro USB connectivity to display multimedia anywhere, anytime. ViewSonic even includes three swappable top panels in different colors to customize its look. A portable projector like this is perfect for travel, camping, or even just visiting friends and family.
Key Features:
- 854×480 resolution best suited for less demanding graphics
- 50 ANSI lumens brightness
- 120,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
- 24” – 100” display size
- 2.1’ – 8.7’ throw distance
BenQ MS536 SVGA DLP Projector
The BenQ MS536 is a projector designed with business presentations in mind. As part of its dedicated feature-set, it includes viewing modes such as Spreadsheet, Infographic, Presentation, and Video to accommodate a wide range of professional needs. It can be ceiling-mounted, fixed to a conference table, or carried to and from different presentations. Made to be a long-term office fixture, this business projector also provides super easy access to its lamp for hassle-free maintenance.
Key Features:
- 800×600 native chip resolution with full HD 1920×1080 support
- 4000 ANSI lumens brightness
- 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
- 60” – 150” display size
- Extensive I/O for a variety of connections
Philips PPX360 480p PicoPix Micro2TV Mobile DLP Projector
The PicoPix mobile projector by Philips is the company’s smallest highly capable projector. With a built-in Android TV dongle, you can enjoy the full entertainment experience with all of your favorite apps and streaming services. The binge-ready four-hour battery is great for cable-free viewing, and the powerful LED light source is rated for up to 30,000 hours of use.
Key Features:
- 854×480 resolution
- 600:1 contrast ratio
- Up to 80” display size
- Built-in Android TV operating system
- LED light source lasts up to 30,000 viewing hours
Asus ZenBeam Latte L1 HD LED DLP Gaming Projector
The award-winning ZenBeam Latte is one of the most unique projectors on the market thanks to its textured, mug-shaped case. And while immersive audio is sometimes an afterthought when it comes to projectors, the built-in Harman Kardon speaker system absolutely delivers with three audio modes. Other features include blue light reduction for less harmful viewing, a carry pouch for portability, and a sturdy indoor/outdoor build.
Key Features:
- 1280×720 HD resolution
- 300 LED lumens brightness (120 ANSI lumens)
- 400:1 contrast ratio
- Four video modes: Presentation, Standard, Theater, and Eco
- Integrated Harman Kardon audio
LG PF50KA Full HD DLP LED Smart Home Theater Projector
LG created an ideal solution to affordable home theater projectors in the PF50KA. The exclusive smart TV platform provides access to all kinds of premium content, including Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and more. Bluetooth connectivity lets you pair the projector to speakers, headphones, or sound bars, and also allows you to display media from your phone, tablet, or laptop.
Key Features:
- 1920×1080 full HD resolution
- 100,000:1 contrast ratio
- 25” to 100” display size
- LG Smart TV platform for premium streaming content
- Bluetooth connectivity
BenQ MH733 Full HD Network Business Projector
BenQ’s MH733 is a premium business projector with exceptional image quality. Amongst its many versatile features for the workplace is seamless pairing with the QCast app to present content from a PC or smart device. The app also lets users easily search the web and display the image, which is uncommon in most projectors.
Key Features:
- 1920×1080 full HD resolution
- 4000 ANSI lumens — high brightness
- 16,000:1 contrast ratio
- 60” – 180” diagonal display size
- QCast connectivity for convenient projection from PC/smart device
What are the best budget projector screens?
Once you’ve bought your budget projector, there’s still the issue of the surface or screen that you’ll project the images onto. While a wall will do in a pinch, there’s still the hassle of having to remove frames, furniture, or anything that’s blocking the way.
If you think a pull-down screen is your only option, similar to the ones that were probably used in your middle school, think again. There is an entire world of options available for projection screens, including ones designed to be put away quickly, ones that are for rear projection, front projection, or both to ones for very specialized uses.
The surface material that is used on the screens is important for the type of use the screen was designed for. For instance, the Da-Lite mini fold tabletop projection screen has a different material for its rear projection version and for its front projection version of its 21×30-inch screen.
An example of a permanently mounted wall screen is the Draper Clarion 4:3 format fixed wall projection screen. It includes frame extrusions that enable both horizontal and vertical tension adjustability so that the screen maintains a flat surface for a perfect viewing experience.
Not everybody wants a screen present at all times, and a variety of options are available for this type of user, often a corporate one that needs the white space for other purposes such as a grease board. A projector screen that’s perfect for a corporate setting is the Elite Screens Spectrum Series MaxWhite 110″ screen that has a silent motor and a ceiling enclosure that can conceal the screen when not in use.
