Brightness Per Dollar

This is the bluntest possible ranking and it is here as a sanity check, not a recommendation: it ignores color accuracy, contrast, lamp replacement cost and whether the projector is any good. It is calculated only across projectors whose brightness is measured to a nine-point screen standard, because dividing an unverifiable number by a price produces an unverifiable ratio.

How this list is ordered: Published lumens divided by price, restricted to ISO 21118 and ANSI figures. 63 of the catalog’s projectors qualify. 1 of them is under a manufacturer safety recall — BenQ GV31 — and is marked in the list rather than removed from it, because the specification that put it here is still true.

1Optoma
~$1,066
Optoma UHD38x
The UHD35x with the brightness turned up: 4,000 ANSI lumens from the same chassis, lamp and gaming path.
Brightness
4,000lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
83–92 in
Input lag
8 ms
Light source
Lamp
2Optoma
~$999
Optoma UHD35x
The cheapest way to get 4.2 ms of input lag and 3,600 ANSI lumens into a room.
Brightness
3,600lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
83–92 in
Input lag
8 ms
Light source
Lamp
3ViewSonic
~$1,300
ViewSonic LX700-4K
3,500 ANSI lumens from a 20,000-hour laser in a 7.3 lb body, with a 1.36x zoom and a short 1.06 minimum throw.
Brightness
3,500lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
95–130 in
Input lag
17 ms
Light source
Laser-phosphor
4Dangbei
~$949
Dangbei DBOX02
Sold as the Mars Pro 2 in most markets: a 4K ALPD laser projector with licensed Google TV, 24 W of audio and a 30,000-hour light source, for under a thousand dollars.
Brightness
2,450lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
108 in
Light source
Laser-phosphor
5Yaber
~$400
Yaber K3
A budget LCD projector with 30 W of JBL-tuned audio and a Google TV dongle, and the clearest example in this catalog of why the brightness standard on the box matters.
Brightness
990lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
LED
6Dangbei
~$549
Dangbei Atom
A 2.8 lb slab barely thicker than a paperback, with a laser engine putting out 1,200 ISO lumens — nearly three times what the LED portables of the same weight manage.
Brightness
1,200lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
Laser-phosphor
7XGIMI
~$1,429
XGIMI Horizon S Max
XGIMI's brightest standard-throw lifestyle projector, on an integrated stand that tilts through a wide arc so it can throw from a coffee table to a high wall.
Brightness
3,100lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
Hybrid
8BenQ
~$1,199
BenQ GP520
A 4K Google TV lifestyle projector with 2x12 W of audio, auto keystone and auto focus, designed to be carried to a wall and switched on.
Brightness
2,600lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Input lag
18 ms
Light source
LED
9Epson
~$1,399
Epson Home Cinema 3800
The long-running 4K PRO-UHD lamp Epson, still on Epson's US price list seven years after launch.
Brightness
3,000lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
64–104 in
Input lag
21 ms
Light source
Lamp
10Optoma
~$1,895
Optoma UHZ66
4,000 ANSI lumens from a 30,000-hour laser with a 1.6x zoom — the widest zoom range of any laser projector under $2,000 here.
Brightness
4,000lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
61–98 in
Input lag
9 ms
Light source
Laser-phosphor
11Epson
~$1,399
Epson Home Cinema 2350
A 1080p three-chip 3LCD lamp projector with Android TV baked in, aimed at a bright family room rather than a blacked-out theater.
Brightness
2,800lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
63–103 in
Input lag
18 ms
Light source
Lamp
12XGIMI
~$949
XGIMI Horizon S Pro
The Horizon S Max with the light engine turned down and the price cut by a third.
Brightness
1,800lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
Hybrid
13Anker Nebula
~$950
Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE
The cheapest 4K Dolby Vision projector with licensed Google TV in this catalog.
Brightness
1,800lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
Hybrid
14Optoma
~$1,849
Optoma UHZ35ST
A 0.50 throw ratio puts a 100-inch picture on the wall from about three and a half feet, which is closer than anything here except the true ultra-short-throws.
Brightness
3,500lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
275 in
Input lag
8 ms
Light source
Laser-phosphor
15Optoma
~$1,599
Optoma UHZ55
Optoma's mainstream laser home-theater projector: 3,000 ANSI lumens, a 30,000-hour laser, a 1.3x zoom with a little vertical shift, and 20 W of built-in audio.
Brightness
3,000lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
87–114 in
Input lag
17 ms
Light source
Laser-phosphor
16BenQ
~$1,249
BenQ HT2060
A 1080p LED projector built around color accuracy rather than pixel count: 98% Rec.709 out of the box, a 20,000-hour LED that never needs a lamp, and just enough vertical lens shift to clear a coffee table.
Brightness
2,300lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
92–120 in
Input lag
33 ms
Light source
LED
17BenQ
~$2,199
BenQ TK710STi
The laser answer to the X500i: the same 0.69 short throw and the same 4.2 ms gaming path, but with a 20,000-hour laser-phosphor engine pushing 3,200 ANSI lumens instead of 2,200.
Brightness
3,200lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
166–200 in
Input lag
8 ms
Light source
Laser-phosphor
18Epson
~$2,499
Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS650
The cheap way into a laser TV, and the one that behaves most like furniture: 16 lb, a console-style cabinet, Yamaha 2.1 audio with a subwoofer, and Android TV.
Brightness
3,600lumensISO 21118
100-inch screen at
24 in
Light source
Laser-phosphor
19XGIMI
~$319
XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro
A 2.4 lb cylinder with an integrated tilting stand, Google TV and Harman Kardon speakers, at a price where most rivals ship an unlicensed launcher.
Brightness
450lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
LED
20Dangbei
~$319
Dangbei Freedo
Dangbei's first battery projector with licensed Google TV: 3.1 lb, two hours of runtime, a rotating handle stand, and 24 dB operation that makes it the quietest battery projector in this catalog..
Brightness
450lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
LED
21XGIMI
~$1,699
XGIMI Horizon Ultra
The first consumer projector to combine a laser and an LED source in one engine, and still one of the few lifestyle boxes with a powered optical zoom.
Brightness
2,300lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
92–115 in
Input lag
18 ms
Light source
Hybrid
22ViewSonic
~$1,599
ViewSonic X2-4K
A short-throw 4K LED gaming projector that accepts 1440p at 120 Hz — a signal mode most projectors ignore and most PCs and current consoles can output.
Brightness
2,150lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
168–200 in
Input lag
5 ms
Light source
LED
23Hisense
~$2,298
Hisense C2 Ultra
A tri-laser lifestyle projector with something almost nothing else in its class has: a real 1.67x optical zoom.
Brightness
3,000lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
92–153 in
Light source
Tri-laser
24Anker Nebula
~$2,749
Anker Nebula X1
Anker's attempt at a flagship: 3,500 ANSI lumens of RGB tri-laser, a 1.67x optical zoom, a motorized gimbal that aims and aligns itself, and detachable wireless satellite speakers.
Brightness
3,500lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
92–153 in
Light source
Tri-laser
25BenQ
~$2,799
BenQ X3100i
The gaming version of BenQ's 4LED platform: 4.2 ms at 1080p/240, 8.3 ms at 1080p/120, and three game modes tuned per genre.
Brightness
3,300lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
92–120 in
Input lag
8 ms
Light source
LED
26Anker Nebula
~$1,564
Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K
Anker's original 4K laser box, built on an ALPD 3.0 phosphor engine with a 25,000-hour rating and a carry handle.
Brightness
1,840lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
108 in
Light source
Laser-phosphor
27Epson
~$3,499
Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS800
The brightest three-chip ultra-short-throw in the catalog, and the one with the shortest throw of any of them: a 0.16 throw ratio puts a 100-inch image on the wall with the cabinet almost touching it.
Brightness
4,000lumensISO 21118
100-inch screen at
14 in–15 in
Input lag
17 ms
Light source
Laser-phosphor
28Epson
~$2,299
Epson Home Cinema 5050UB
The UB stands for Ultra Black: a dynamic iris and Epson's best 3LCD panels aimed squarely at a dark room.
Brightness
2,600lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
48–102 in
Input lag
23 ms
Light source
Lamp
29BenQ
~$1,999
BenQ X500i
A short-throw gaming projector that puts a 100-inch image up from about six feet, which is what makes it work in an apartment.
Brightness
2,200lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
166–200 in
Input lag
8 ms
Light source
LED
30Hisense
~$2,499
Hisense PL2
The single-laser step below the PX3-Pro: same 0.22 throw ratio and chassis size, 2,700 ANSI lumens, and Dolby Vision retained.
Brightness
2,700lumensANSI
100-inch screen at
19 in
Light source
Laser-phosphor
31BenQ
~$2,999
BenQ HT4550i
BenQ's 4LED flagship: 3,200 ANSI lumens, 100% DCI-P3 coverage, and — unusually for DLP at this price — real horizontal and vertical lens shift.
Brightness
3,200lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
92–120 in
Input lag
18 ms
Light source
LED
32Formovie
~$1,799
Formovie Cinema Edge
The cheapest tri-laser ultra-short-throw in this catalog, and at 15.4 lb the lightest.
Brightness
1,900lumensISO 21118
100-inch screen at
20 in
Light source
Tri-laser
33Valerion
~$3,399
Valerion VisionMaster Max
The brightest ISO-rated projector in this catalog at 3,500 ISO lumens, with ±55% motorized vertical lens shift, a 1.67x zoom and a published 5,000:1 native contrast figure — the only tri-laser projector here that publishes native contrast at all..
Brightness
3,500lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
92–153 in
Input lag
8 ms
Light source
Tri-laser
34XGIMI
~$2,239
XGIMI Aura 2
XGIMI's laser TV built around its Dual Light 2.0 engine, which mixes a laser and an LED source to widen the gamut without full tri-laser speckle.
Brightness
2,300lumensISO 21118
100-inch screen at
16 in
Light source
Hybrid
35XGIMI
~$399
XGIMI Elfin Flip
A flat slab with a hinged lens housing that flips up to aim at a wall or a ceiling, then folds shut to travel.
Brightness
400lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
LED
36Hisense
~$1,297
Hisense M2 Pro
A compact tri-laser box with a 1.3x optical zoom, aimed at people who want real 4K color in something they can carry between rooms.
Brightness
1,300lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
106–138 in
Light source
Tri-laser
37Epson
~$999
Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22
A 1080p laser 3LCD cube on a rotating stand that swivels 150 degrees, so it can throw at a wall or straight up at the ceiling.
Brightness
1,000lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
134 in
Light source
Laser-phosphor
38Hisense
~$2,998
Hisense PX3-Pro
The tri-laser ultra-short-throw that most people end up comparing everything else to: 3,000 ANSI lumens, 110% of BT.2020, Dolby Vision, Google TV and a 50 W Harman Kardon system with Dolby Atmos.
Brightness
3,000lumensANSI
100-inch screen at
19 in
Input lag
30 ms
Light source
Tri-laser
39Valerion
~$2,999
Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2
An RGB tri-laser projector that behaves like a home-theater model: motorized lens shift, a 1.67x optical zoom, Dolby Vision, and 15 ms input lag at 4K/60.
Brightness
3,000lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
92–153 in
Input lag
8 ms
Light source
Tri-laser
40Yaber
~$300
Yaber T2 Plus
A budget LCD projector with a carry handle, JBL-tuned speakers and Wi-Fi 6, sold largely on its automatic setup features.
Brightness
290lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
110 in
Light source
LED
41Anker Nebula
~$420
Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air
A battery projector with a proper carry handle and 16 W of stereo audio, aimed squarely at back yards and camping.
Brightness
400lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
LED
42Hisense
~$5,331
Hisense L9Q
The brightest projector in this catalog by a wide margin: 5,000 ANSI lumens from an RGB tri-laser at a 0.18 throw ratio, with a 128 W 6.2.2 Dolby Atmos system built into the cabinet.
Brightness
5,000lumensANSI
100-inch screen at
16 in
Light source
Tri-laser
43Formovie
~$2,399
Formovie Theater Premium
A tri-laser UST tuned for a dark room rather than a bright one: 2,200 ISO lumens, Dolby Vision, and a Bowers & Wilkins audio system.
Brightness
2,200lumensISO 21118
100-inch screen at
18 in
Light source
Tri-laser
44Samsung
~$2,999
Samsung The Premiere 7
The single-laser Premiere: half the price of the 9, 2,500 ISO lumens, the same Tizen platform and a 60 W 2.2-channel Atmos system.
Brightness
2,500lumensISO 21118
100-inch screen at
22 in
Light source
Laser-phosphor
45LG
~$2,999
LG CineBeam HU715QW
LG's mainstream laser TV, running the same webOS as its televisions with all the streaming apps built in.
Brightness
2,500lumensANSI
100-inch screen at
19 in
Input lag
54 ms
Light source
Laser-phosphor
46AWOL Vision
~$2,499
AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro
The gaming ultra-short-throw: 15 ms at 4K/60 and 8 ms at 1080p/120, which is unheard of in a category where 30 to 50 ms is normal.
Brightness
2,000lumensISO 21118
100-inch screen at
22 in
Input lag
8 ms
Light source
Tri-laser
47NexiGo
~$2,999
NexiGo Aurora Pro
A tri-laser UST with an unusually serious audio system — two 15 W woofers and two 15 W tweeters — and Dolby Vision.
Brightness
2,400lumensANSI
100-inch screen at
20 in
Light source
Tri-laser
48BenQ
~$799
BenQ GV50
A 4.6 lb laser portable on a tilting cradle that swings through 135 degrees, with Google TV and a 2.1 speaker system with its own bass driver.
Brightness
500lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
Laser-phosphor
49Optoma
~$899
Optoma ML1080
A 2.2 lb RGB tri-laser projector the size of a hardback book, covering 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut — colour coverage normally found in projectors ten times the size.
Brightness
550lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
Tri-laser
50Anker Nebula
~$250
Anker Nebula Capsule Air
A soda-can projector that runs two hours off its own battery and weighs 1.4 lb.
Brightness
150lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
LED
51Samsung
~$5,932
Samsung The Premiere 9
Samsung's tri-laser flagship UST, and the brightest ISO-rated projector in this catalog at 3,450 ISO lumens.
Brightness
3,450lumensISO 21118
100-inch screen at
17 in
Light source
Tri-laser
52AWOL Vision
~$5,499
AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro
AWOL's brightest laser TV: 3,000 ISO lumens of tri-laser output with Dolby Vision and 3D, aimed at screens up to 150 inches.
Brightness
3,000lumensISO 21118
100-inch screen at
22 in
Input lag
15 ms
Light source
Tri-laser
53Epson
~$4,999
Epson Pro Cinema LS12000
The projector that made 4K/120 gaming normal in a home theater.
Brightness
2,700lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
48–102 in
Input lag
20 ms
Light source
Laser-phosphor
54Anker Nebula
~$570
Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser
The laser version of Anker's can-shaped projector: 1080p, 300 ANSI lumens, two hours of battery and licensed Google TV.
Brightness
300lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
Laser-phosphor
55BenQ
~$599
BenQ GV31Safety recall
A battery projector built around its speaker: a 2.1 system with an 8 W woofer in a 3.7 lb cylinder that runs three hours off the internal cell.
Brightness
300lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
LED
56Samsung
~$498
Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen
A 1.8 lb cylinder on a cradle that rotates through 180 degrees, running the same Tizen platform as Samsung's televisions including the Gaming Hub.
Brightness
230lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
LED
57Epson
~$7,999
Epson Home Cinema QB1000
Epson's Q series replaced the LS12000 at the top of the 3LCD line with a multi-array laser, the QZX processor and a new UltraBlack treatment.
Brightness
3,300lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
48–102 in
Input lag
20 ms
Light source
Laser-phosphor
58LG
~$1,299
LG CineBeam Q
A 4K RGB tri-laser projector in a 3.3 lb aluminium cube with a swivel handle that doubles as a stand.
Brightness
500lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
115 in
Light source
Tri-laser
59JVC
~$5,999
JVC DLA-NZ500
The cheapest way into a genuinely native 4K imaging device.
Brightness
2,000lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
68–109 in
Light source
Laser-phosphor
60Sony
~$5,999
Sony VPL-XW5000ES
Three native 4K SXRD panels driven by the X1 Ultimate processor from Sony's televisions, in the smallest and lightest chassis Sony has ever used for a native 4K projector.
Brightness
2,000lumensISO 21118
Screen at 10 ft
62–100 in
Input lag
21 ms
Light source
Laser-phosphor
61JVC
~$8,999
JVC DLA-NZ700
The NZ500 with double the native contrast and a motorized lens.
Brightness
2,300lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
68–109 in
Light source
Laser-phosphor
62Sony
~$9,999
Sony BRAVIA Projector 7
Sony's renamed successor to the XW5000ES, and the fix for its two biggest limitations: 4K/120 now works, and input lag drops to 12 ms.
Brightness
2,200lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
62–100 in
Input lag
12 ms
Light source
Laser-phosphor
63JVC
~$16,999
JVC DLA-NZ800
Third-generation native 4K D-ILA with 8K e-shiftX on top: the panels are 4096x2160 and the shift takes the addressed resolution beyond that.
Brightness
2,700lumensANSI
Screen at 10 ft
50–101 in
Light source
Laser-phosphor

Brightness Per Dollar

BenQ GV31Safety recall

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