Best Budget Projector to Buy 2018
There are different factors which you should consider in a good projector. However, we have listed some important aspects of the buyer’s guide, but, to give a bird’s eye over them here are some important points – the screen size (most importantly width), distance between the projector and the screen (the throw distance), the ideal ambient light ratio in the room for good results.
Moreover, you should also determine the ease of installation of that particular model, the lamp life, and native aspect ratio. For the beginners, it would be a plus point if they read the buyer’s guide before considering any model. By doing so, they would be able to recognize a better unit for them. Let’s move on to the list of best budget projectors which you can buy for 2018.
Buyer’s Guide:
For the people who already own the projector, it is easy to buy another one. Because they are familiar with the basic features of a good projector. But for the beginners, it is very hard to find a good one for themselves. We have compiled a buying guide to give the starters a comfort station and if you are beginner you will surely find it useful. So, if you are a beginner then keep reading the guide.
Which Type of Projector Should I Buy?
#1. Home Theater Projectors
In a home theater projector, the image quality is very important and it is given importance over all else features. They have low brightness around 1700 lumens and their zoom feature is awesome if compared with any other type having built-in lenses. Moreover, most often they run on low-voltage. As the projector produces heat during heavy operation, to counter the heat produced they possess a cooling system that disperses the heat produced.
Relatively they are heavy and hard to install with the upside down on the ceiling. Mostly they are Full HD and few are 4k. Most manufacturers place the multimedia projectors into the category of Home Theater projectors so, be careful about them and thoroughly read the specs before buying.
#2. Multimedia Projectors
The sale of multimedia projectors is on a constant increase. They are multi-dimensional and they are widely used. They are being used for PPT presentations, in business meetings, for educational purposes and more. They weight around 3 pounds and more – vary from model to model. The range of their brightness is mostly from 2500 to 4500 lumens. You should be careful when choosing, you should make sure that the screen size is compatible with the throw ration of the device.
They have several input options. The most widely used digital input is HDMI nowadays. This type of display devices follow the computer resolutions. The resolutions include SVGA (800 by 600), WXGA (1280 by 800), XGA (1024 by 768), and WUXGA (1920 by 1200).
#3. Pocket Projectors
This type of projectors is extremely small. They are mostly liked due to their portability. Due to their small sizes, they have a resemblance with the smartphones. They are the best substitute for the small TV and you can have fun when you are outside your home. Watch a movie or images of your loved ones. Having the built-in speakers is a good feature but they don’t make a remarkable difference.
When talking about the brightness, the pico projectors’ range from 100 to 1500 ANSI lumens. On the other hand, multimedia projectors start from 2500 lumens. The manufacturers sometimes brag about the lumens and originally the projectors don’t possess that. Therefore, be careful about the brightness when buying a one for you. Unpleasantly, they don’t have the optical zoom feature and you will have to adjust the placement to achieve the desired image size.
#4. Short Throw Projectors
The projector is said to be short throw if its throw ratio is less than 1:1. Most common throw ratio is of 0.5:1 and the ultra short throw ratio is 0.3:1. They are mostly placed very close to the projection screen. The distance between the screen and itself is mostly between 18 inches and 2 feet.
In some cases, you will have to place it at a very large distance from the screen and most often in the least ambient light to achieve a very large image size. You will be unpleasant with the results when it is placed at a very large distance from the screen. They are made for the smaller screen. If you have limited space and require a brighter projector then you should look for the model with a fixed installation.
DLP Vs LCD Projector, Which One Is Better?
Nowadays, there are 3 imaging systems that are mostly used namely – LCD, DLP and the 3LCD reflective, you may not be familiar with the last type. There isn’t a clear difference between the LCD and DLP type devices. Nevertheless, the DLP type projectors have a better contrast and LCD has no rainbow effect.
A single chip DLP uses a spinning color wheel and small mirrors, on the other hand, there are no moving parts in LCD. If you want to use the projector in a remote setting, the place where it can’t be replaced easily then go with the LCD. Apart from that, the comparison of LCD and DLP don’t need to be the deciding factor when buying a one.
What is Throw Ratio?
It represents the association between the distance between the screen and projector and the width of the screen. The format is as “throw distance: screen width”. For example – if the throw ratio is 1:1 then the lens will produce an image of 5 feet wide from the distance of 5 feet.
The special short throw projectors will have a throw ratio of 0.5:1 or less than that. On the other hand, the home theater and multimedia projectors have the throw ratio of 0.3:1 or more than that and with the 3:1 ratio they produce very high-quality media. If the lenses can be replaced in the model you own then you can change the throw ratio. You can increase or decrease the throw ratio with the add-on lenses. However, you may disturb the quality which the projector may be capable to give out, so, it is highly recommended not to change the lenses if you don’t have enough knowledge about how to do that with the mastery.
How Much Brightness is Enough?
It is very important to get the right brightness and it is a very important factor to consider. Regardless of the brightness the ambient light also plays an important role. To get enough light out of the projector is a questioning element. To get a one which is too bright is impossible. There are some other factors that determine the quality of the image.
To get better results the projectors are mainly used in the total darkness. The more ambient light makes the image poor and unclear. You won’t get the great image quality but a viewable image in the ambient light. To know how much brightness you need there are certain factors which need to be determined.
These factors include – the content to be presented, the image width needed, throw distance, and how much ambient light is there in the room. So, you need to calculate these factors. Mostly the brightness is measured in lumens. For the users’ convenience, some manufacturers provide the calculator that does the work for you. You can use the projection calculator to calculate the brightness needed.
Here are some numbers (they may differ according to the situation)
- Living Room (Lights can be turned off completely): 1500 – 2000 lumens
- Movie theater: more or equal to 20,000 lumens
- Hall, Church, Event with high ambient light: 4500 lumens
- Classroom (where lights can be dimmed): 3000 lumens
What Resolution Should I Consider?
Resolution is an important factor to consider. The most models nowadays have a resolution of 1024 x 768 (XGA). Some of the entry level units are still 800 x 600 (SVGA). I would recommend you to not go below XGA i.e. 1024 by 768 resolution. Some of the computer programs need XGA to run, however, you can deceive the computer system by changing the requirements to XGA. By doing so, the image will look blurry and will give an annoying effect.
Again the calculator can come in and help you at this stage. You will give the screen size and viewing distance as an input to the calculator and the calculator will give you the resolution. But wait, the resolution which you can calculate through the calculator wouldn’t be based on realistic situations. If you are going to buy it for a production company then 4K is going to be okay. Otherwise, for ordinary usage, the XGA would satisfy you, correct me if I am wrong.
Are Built-in Speakers Sufficient?
No, the built-in speakers aren’t enough to produce great sound. The device with the 10W speakers may be good to satisfy you. Most often the built-in sound is constrained 1 or 3 Watt speakers. I would honestly recommend you to buy a separate sound system (sound bar or surround sound system for home cinema) for awesome results. If you want a portable solution then the small wireless speakers can work great for you.
Conclusion
Folks, I hope that you will feel it safe to pick the best budget projector from this list. There are many projectors on the market but finding the one with excellent features and the small price tag isn’t easy. Okay, let me give you my honest opinion. Narrowing the list again, which projector you should pick from this list? If portability is not one of your main concerns, then, you can pick from these two – the Optoma HD142X and Epson VS240.
What makes them worth buying? Firstly, they both have 3000 lumens brightness. Secondly, they are inexpensive. Moreover, they have a good bulb life. They have a good compatibility scope. The downside is that their built-in speakers aren’t good enough to impress you and you may have to install an external speaker for good sound quality. In short, they are the best choice if you want to buy a good projector while remaining in the budget. You won’t regret your decision if you go with any of them.
With that said, if you want an extremely portable device to project the media, then, you should look no beyond than the RIF6 CUBE Projector. This is the ultra-portable model to go for. Due to its extremely small size, it would always be ready to go with you outside. Moreover, you are getting a tripod with it which makes its installation easy. It supports the TF card and USB and has a built-in battery.
Making the long story short, if you are looking to buy a model with ultra-portability and cheap price then the RIF6 cube is the model waiting for you. Grab it and give it a chance to please you, correct me if I am wrong!
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