Ultra-Short-Throw Laser TVs Under $3,000

An ultra-short-throw sits in a cabinet against the wall and throws upward at a screen a foot or two away. Under $3,000 the real fork is single-laser phosphor against RGB tri-laser: the tri-laser sets cover far more of the color space, the phosphor sets tend to be brighter per dollar and show no speckle. Both need an ambient-light-rejecting screen to look like the demo, and that screen is a separate four-figure decision.

How this list is ordered: Ordered by published brightness; figures not on the ISO/ANSI scale are listed last. 10 of the catalog’s projectors qualify.

  1. Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS650 projector

    1Epson

    ~$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
  2. Hisense PX3-Pro projector

    2Hisense

    ~$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
  3. Hisense PL2 projector

    3Hisense

    ~$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
  4. Samsung The Premiere 7 projector

    4Samsung

    ~$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
  5. LG CineBeam HU715QW projector

    5LG

    ~$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
  6. NexiGo Aurora Pro projector

    6NexiGo

    ~$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
  7. XGIMI Aura 2 projector

    7XGIMI

    ~$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
  8. Formovie Theater Premium projector

    8Formovie

    ~$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
  9. AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro projector

    9AWOL 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
  10. Formovie Cinema Edge projector

    10Formovie

    ~$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

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