Budget Home Theater Projectors

Top picks for low-cost home theaters

The prices of 1080p projectors have fallen to the point that some are not much more expensive than 720p projectors. Still, for those on the tightest of budgets, a 720p projector will create a home theater experience that will wow all but the most finicky. Among 720p projectors, we saw good comments for the Panasonic PT-AX200U (*Est. $1,080). Among its advantages, this projector includes Smooth Screen technology to help smooth out pixel structure. Experts say this technology eliminates the screen-door effect (a pixilated effect sometimes seen with LCD projectors such as this one), even at close viewing distances, though ProjectorReviews.com notes some slight image softness. Light output is excellent, and a light harmonizer adjusts light output depending on ambient light. LCD technology does not have the same placement limitations as DLP, and the long 2x zoom helps ensure that the Panasonic PT-AX200U projector can be used in just about any viewing room.

The Panasonic PT-AX200U projector gets great comments from a variety of reviewers. Art Feierman at ProjectorReviews.com says that while the PT-AX200U isn't perfect, picture quality is very good overall and that it offers an "excellent price performance proposition." Evan Powell at ProjectorCentral.com notes that it does a great job with 1080p film material from HD disc sources such as Blu-ray. "Quite honestly, the image at first glace looks as if it were coming from a 1080p projector," he writes.

At the time it was first released, the Panasonic PT-AX200U was a tremendous bargain, but while that projector remains both current and widely available, it has since been eclipsed in price by some fairly well-received 1080p projectors (discussed below). Still, the Panasonic AX200U has a few noteworthy extras. It sports two HDMI inputs, for greater hook-up flexibility. There's also a preprogrammed game mode for displaying games that might otherwise be too dark if the projector is left in its normal setting for viewing video. The projector's buffer is also reduced in the game mode, reducing lag time for better game play.

For even less, consider the Optoma HD65 (*Est. $700) home theater projector. According to Bill Livolsi at ProjectorCentral.com, this DLP projector "pushes the price/performance envelope." Picture quality is generally first rate, but don't expect the deepest, inkiest blacks. ProjectorReviews.com says that colors right out of the box are fairly accurate, and users can get them near perfect with just a few minutes' worth of easy-to-make adjustments. Brightness is excellent.

The Optoma HD65 projector does have a couple of significant negatives. One is that it has a relatively slow DLP color wheel, which means that the few people that are sensitive to the rainbow effect (discussed in the What to Look For section) will almost certainly see them with this projector.

The other issue is that the Optoma HD65 projector can be very difficult to place in some viewing rooms. There's no lens shift and the zoom range is a paltry 1.1x, which means the only real adjustment you can make to get an image centered on a screen is to physically move the projector. On the positive side, the projector is very lightweight and relatively portable. And, of course, the value is terrific.

Budget 1080p home theater projectors

A resolution of 1080p is currently the holy grail in HDTV. That's because 1080p televisions are capable of displaying every line of the two prevailing HDTV image resolutions -- the highest of which is 1,920 pixels by 1,080 pixels. Other TVs, including the 720p projectors discussed above, have to scale down 1080p content -- including most HDTV broadcasts -- to fit the display's native resolution. While viewers won't notice a huge difference between 720p and 1080p in a small HDTV (42 inches and under), the difference in resolution becomes more apparent when the image measures more than 50 inches or so. While 1080p projectors remain more expensive than most 720p options, the gap is closing fast and 1080p projectors are quickly becoming more affordable for those looking for the best possible home theater experience without breaking the bank.

According to Bill Livolsi at ProjectorCentral.com, not too long ago, the thought of a sub-$1,000 1080p home theater projector was absurd. Now it's a reality, and reviewers say that the Optoma HD20 (*Est. $1,000) is the top choice in its price category. It earns a Highly Rated tag from ProjectorCentral.com, a Hot Product award from ProjectorReviews.com and a Recommended award from AVGuide.com. TrustedReviews.com looks at the essentially identical version sold outside the U.S. and also recommends it.

No one says that the Optoma HD20 will outperform more expensive projectors, but to get that better performance, you'll need to be willing to spend much more. The Vivitek H1080FD (*Est. $1,000) is very similar, but while ProjectorCentral.com does a head-to-head comparison that says the two projectors have their strengths and weaknesses, he ultimately awards the HD20 a half-star higher grade. John Archer at TrustedReviews.com compares the two projectors and has no quibbles. "I can tell you now that the HD20 is easily the best," he says.

Achieving this price point in a 1080p projector doesn't come without a cost and some cut corners, of course. One thing that most reviewers note is that black levels, while good, are easily bested by better -- and more expensive -- projectors. In place of the automatic iris used to deepen blacks in response to image content, the HD20 uses a system that changes the lamp's level. The problem, experts say, is that the system responds too slowly, creating a distraction. Experts who comment on the feature, such as ProjectorReviews.com's Art Feierman, say to just skip using it. The limited zoom range and lack of any lens shift (see What to Look For) limits placement options. Since this is a DLP projector, those few people prone to seeing that technology's rainbow effect might be happier with a projector using a different technology.

Brightness is very good, making the Optoma HD20 a good choice for a living room, family room or any other room where light control might not be perfect. Lighter than perfect blacks aside, picture quality is excellent, with most reviewers pleased with color performance, even right out of the box. Connectivity is also above average and includes two HDMI inputs. But, in the end, the most powerful positive is cost, and most say that the HD20 is a tremendous value.

If you have a little bit more to spend, critics who've seen it say that the new Epson Home Cinema 8100 is very much worth looking into. Art Feierman at ProjectorReviews.com notes that the Home Cinema 8100 (*Est. $1,600) is an evolutionary refinement of the very well-received Epson Home Cinema 6100 (*Est. $1,700) and rates it as a contender for the best entry-level projector he's seen thus far in the fall of 2009. Evan Powell at ProjectorCentral.com concurs, and adds that it's a tremendous value and a "superb" performer. He compares it to the Optoma HD20 and says that while that projector is worthy of consideration at its price, those who can budget the extra $600 for the Epson Home Cinema 8100 will be rewarded with "superior image quality and more lens and brightness flexibility." Powell also gushes that "the Epson 8100 is a[n] impressive projector with no flaws that we can detect."

Black levels still don't quite come up to those of the very best -- and more expensive -- home theater projectors, but ProjectorReviews.com notes that they are excellent for a projector in its price class. Color is good, even right out of the box, and there are ample controls and adjustments to dial things in to perfection. Brightness is about average in the projector's home-theater modes, but there is also the high-brightness Living Room mode that boosts things up quite a bit. Powell at ProjectorCentral.com tinkers with the default settings in Living Room mode, but adds that while blacks and contrast levels suffer a bit, color is very good and the Living Room mode is a "viable alternative" for brightly lit viewing locations.

The Epson Home Cinema 8100 is an LCD projector. Because of that, you don't have the placement issues that DLP technology introduces, and placement is made easier still by the large amount of horizontal and vertical lens shift available. Using LCD technology also means that those few who do see DLP's rainbow effect won't have to worry about it with the Home Cinema 8100. The zoom range is long at 2.1x, but ProjectorCentral.com notes that brightness is cut by around 41 percent at the long end of the zoom range. Some complaints surfaced around the Home Cinema 6100's tendency to shift focus as it warmed up, but Powell says that Epson addressed that issue in later production runs of the Home Cinema 6100 and that it is not in evidence at all in the Home Cinema 8100. Like all projectors, the lamp has a limited life span, but the 4,000-hour rating is longer than most.

The newly introduced Panasonic PT-AE-4000U (*Est. $2,000) is the latest in a line of mid- to budget-priced projectors that have drawn raves from critics. Last year's Panasonic PT-AE3000U (*Est. $2,300), which still has some availability at retail, drew almost unbridled admiration from reviewers. ProjectorCentral.com named it an Editors' Choice winner, Home Theater magazine named it a Top Pick and ProjectorReviews.com called it one of the two best-in-class projectors in its price class for 2009.

Early reviews -- only one professional reviewer has looked at it at the time this report was prepared -- indicate that the PT-AE4000U (*Est. $2,000) is another winner. ProjectorCentral.com is almost over-the-top in its praise, saying it's never seen this much performance at this price. We need to hear from other quarters to see if Evan Powell's enthusiasm is echoed elsewhere before we can include the Panasonic PT-AE4000U among our Best Reviewed, but if your budget can take the increased price over the Epson Home Cinema 8100, it's clear that the Panasonic PT-AE4000U at least bears serious consideration.

Picture quality is (or should be) among the most important considerations when selecting a home theater projector, and ProjectorCentral.com's Powell says that "picture quality not only surpasses the competitors in its price range, but rivals and in some cases exceeds that of 'high-end' models selling for five times the price or more." Color accuracy is nearly unbeatable, and excellent right out of the box. Black levels and contrast are excellent on the Panasonic PT-AE3000U, and they are better still on the new PT-AE4000U, something Powell confirms by running the two projectors side-by-side. Like the Epson Home Cinema 8100, this is an LCD projector, which is easier to place in a room than projectors using DLP technology. Additionally, while LCD technology has improved to the point where bothersome artifacts like visible pixel structure (also called the screen-door effect because images look like they are being viewed through a screen door) are no longer a real concern, Panasonic takes that one step further with its smooth-screen filter that removes all traces of visible pixel structure without softening the picture.

The Panasonic PT-AE4000U is also feature-packed. The Frame Creation function is used to reduce an artifact called judder, which is the result of the mismatched frame rates between film and video. It creates a smoother image -- movies in particular look they were shot in HD video rather than on film -- but not everyone appreciates the effect. Intelligent Lens Memory simplifies lens adjustment when viewing video with different aspect ratios. Split-screen calibration lets you tinker with settings and compare the changes side-by-side with the original picture so you can see their effect. There's also more -- lot's more. In fact, Powell says that the PT-AE4000U "has more features than any other home theater projector ever built."

There are some negatives. Brightness is lower than some competing projectors, and lower still if used at the long end of its zoom range. That means the Panasonic PT-AE4000U best for use in a room where light can be well controlled. Powell also notes that focusing is a little more difficult than some other projectors. Finally, the warranty includes a provision that limits coverage to 2,000 hours. That might not be a concern for most, but it is something that heavy users will need to keep in mind.