The best 4K projector 2024: top home theater beamers
Best 4K projectors: quick menu
The best 4K projectors are still the ultimate way for you to get an immersive theater experience at home. All of the projectors in this guide are capable of beaming a larger image than any regular TVs, with 100 inches being a standard image size when a 4K projector is paired with a projection screen.
Over the years, we’ve reviewed many of the best 4K projectors, from some of the highest-specified models on the market through to the more affordable and high-value ones. Not every viewer has the same needs when buying a 4K projector, so we’ve made our recommendations here based on a range of requirements, from no-compromise home cinema to sports viewing and portable use – and in all cases, tested by us.
An advantage to the best 4K projectors we’ve selected below is that, unlike one of the best 85-inch TVs, they don’t take up much room. If you’re set on a portable option or a projector you’ll only use now and again, also take a look at our best outdoor projectors guide . And if you’re specifically interested in ultra short throw projectors, a category that provides more convenience when it comes to positioning, plus the benefit of built-in speakers and streaming capability, also check out our guide to the best ultra short throw projectors.
Al Griffin
Al is TechRadar’s Senior Editor for Home Entertainment and is based in the US. He has 20-plus years experience reviewing projectors and TVs and was previously the editor of Sound & Vision magazine.
The Quick List
Want to cut to the chase and find out which 4K projectors are the best? Below, you’ll find a roundup of our choices. You can also jump to a more detailed review of every pick and our price comparison tool to help you find the best deals.
The best 4K projector for most people
This laser-based 3LCD model is a great all-around option for movie and TV watching, and it’s also reasonably priced for a projector offering good brightness and excellent contrast.
Read more below
The best budget 4K projector, and it’s ideal for gaming
A low-cost DLP model, BenQ’s projector has better than average brightness and its low input lag plus support for HD input at a 120Hz refresh rate also makes it a great option for gaming.
Read more below
The best premium 4K projector
The only native 4K projector on our list, the DLA-NZ8 is a top choice for home theater perfectionists. JVC’s projector dynamically processes HDR on a frame-by-frame basis, resulting in a true cinema-quality picture.
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Hisense L9G TriChroma Laser 4K TV
The best ultra short throw 4K projector
An ultra short throw model designed to project big images onto a wall or screen from inches away, the Hisense L9G combines high brightness with rich color and can stream directly via built-in smart TV apps. A 100- or 120-inch screen is included for the price.
Read more below
Samsung The Premiere LSP9T
The best 4K projector for built-in sound
Samsung’s ultra short throw model is capable of projecting images up to 130 inches and streams using the same smart interface found on the company’s TVs. Powerful built-in speakers make it a great all-in-one home theater option.
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Epson EpiQVision Ultra LS800
The best 4K projector for sports fans
With its 4,000 lumens brightness spec, this Epson ultra short throw is a perfect option for viewing sports in a well-lit room, and it also has a Yamaha-designed built-in speaker system that creates a strong virtual surround sound effect.
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Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen
The best portable projector
While it’s only an HD projector rather than a 4K model, Samsung’s portable projector has a great design and is packed with features such as built-in streaming and gaming, 360-degree sound, and voice assistant support.
Read more below
The best 4K projectors in 2024
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Below you’ll find full write-ups for each of the best 4K projectors in our list. We’ve tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best 4K projector overall
If you want one of the best long-throw 4K projectors and don’t want to spend the high sums required for one of the top models from Sony and JVC, the Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 comes highly recommended. With a laser light engine and 2,700 lumens brightness, it’s capable of putting out a bright HDR (both HDR10 and HDR10+ formats are supported) picture that will impress in a dim home cinema setting.
The LS12000 has serious build quality and can project pictures up to 130 inches. It features vertical and horizontal lens shift for easy, accurate setup with a projection screen and has a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 120Hz input.
Although the LS12000 thrives in a dark room, in our review we found its picture too be “still stunningly acceptable even without ideal conditions.” It’s not exactly a cheap option, but Epson also has a cheaper but nearly identical model, the Epson S11000, which has a lower contrast ratio and less well-defined blacks.
Read the full Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 review
The best budget 4k projector
The BenQ TK700STi is an excellent and affordable 4K projector for gaming, but we think it’s also a very good choice for TV and movies too – although it’s quite pricey for a projector of this specification if response times aren’t important to you.
It supports 4K at 60Hz with an unsurpassed 16ms response time at that resolution, which is as low as response times get in a 4K projector. The TK700STi is capable of beaming bright images up to 120 inches, which makes for highly immersive gaming.
You can also push to 120Hz if you’re happy settling for HD output. And if you’re planning to use the TK700STi for movies and streaming, you won’t be disappointed: not only is the picture is bright, but color and clarity are admirable, though you’re probably going to want to use a better sound source.
Read the full BenQ TK700STi projector review
The best premium 4K projector
If you’re looking for the best 4K projector possible for a dedicated home theater, and have a budget that lets you reach for the stars, the JVC DLA-NZ8 should be at the top of your list.
The DLA-NZ8 is a native 4K projector, and it uses a BLU-Escent laser light source to beam bright images with astonishing black levels. Fan noise is also impressively low, making the DLA-NZ8 a perfect projector companion for a no-holds-barred home theater setup.
JVC’s three-chip D-ILA device includes 8K e-shift processing to effectively display images at 8K resolution. It also has a powerful Auto Tone Mapping for HDR, along with a Frame Adapt HDR feature that dynamically processes HDR in real time. Lastly, a Theater Optimizer feature takes your projection screen’s size and surface gain into account to adjust HDR and wring out every last drop of dynamic range in images.
The DLA-NZ8 is pricey, but in this case you’re getting real quality for your money. You won’t find another home theater projector offering this combination of powerful contrast, HDR support, and future-proofing from its 8K input (4K 120Hz input is also supported) and 8K display capability.
Read our full JVC DLA-NZ8 review
The best ultra short throw 4K projector
The Hisense L9G isn’t just any projector, but a 4K Laser TV system that comes complete with a 100-inch ambient light-rejecting screen (a 120-inch screen option is also available). Like other examples of the best ultra short throw projectors, it sits at a fixed position from the wall mounted screen – around 11 inches with the 100-inch screen option.
In our Hisense L9G review, we found this projector’s bright 3,000 lumen image made it “comfortable watching just about anything in our living room in the middle of the day.” With the lights off, the picture was equally revelatory, with the tri-laser light engine delivering vivid color (it’s specced to cover 107% of BT.2020 color space) and rich shadow details.
Features include HDMI 2.1 ports with eARC, an Android smart TV interface, and a built-in 40-watt speaker system that’s powerful enough to stand on its own without having to resort to a soundbar. And while the L9G typically ships with an included screen, the company is now also selling the projector by itself at a reduced cost over the full projector-plus-screen configuration.
Read our full Hisense L9G review
The best 4K projector for sound
Samsung’s The Premiere is an undoubtedly pricey ultra short throw projector option, but it’s got two things going for it that provide an advantage over other similar models. The first is the company’s Tizen smart TV interface, which is the same one you’ll find on the company’s TV lineup and makes streaming, gaming, and content discovery easy. The second is a powerful built-in sound system that’s good enough for movies and will render an outboard soundbar system unnecessary.
With its white glossy casing, and gray fabric mesh covering the speakers, The Premiere will look good in your living room. Brightness is specced at 2,700 lumens and the projector’s three-laser light engine can cover 106% of BT.2020 color space, making it a powerful option for home theater.
In our Samsung The Premiere review, we admired its picture but also marvelled at the sound, which was close “to a wall of sound, complete with significant height and width, that seems to elevate everything to match the position of the onscreen pictures.” For an all-in-one projection system, with great picture, sound, and smart TV capabilities, The Premiere offers up a lot for the price.
Read our full Samsung The Premiere review
The best 4K projector for sports
Not all projectors work equally well for daytime viewing as they do in a dark room, but the Epson EpiQVision Ultra LS800 is an exception. This ultra short throw model’s bright, 4,000 lumen image retains its punch even with overhead lights on, making it an excellent choice for viewing sports or for daytime gaming sessions.
The Epson LS800 uses 3LCD technology and a laser light engine. Streaming is made possible via the Android TV platform, which, as is usually the case with Android TV, omits the Netflix app. Another omission is Wi-Fi 6 – the LS800 instead uses the dated Wi-Fi 5 standard for streaming, and there’s no Ethernet port for a wired connection. Epson’s emphasis on brightness in the LS800 also means that colors aren’t as robust as what you’ll see on some other projectors, though picture quality overall is very good. Adding to the LS800’s appeal is a built-in Yamaha speaker system with a virtual surround mode that offers a strong semblance of surround while maintaining dialogue clarity.
If you want a projector that can work equally well for daytime and nighttime viewing, and also deliver powerful enough sound to fill a small room, the Epson EpiQVision Ultra LS800 will be the perfect option.
Read our full Epson EpiQVision Ultra LS800 review
The best portable projector
Samsung’s The Freestyle 2nd Gen differs from the other entries in this guide in that it’s a 1080p ‘Full HD’ resolution projector, though its compact, portable design and a wide array of features make it a must-add to any list of top projectors.
The Freestyle 2nd Gen is small enough to fit in a backpack, and when set up it can beam images up to 100 inches with a specified 550 lumens brightness. Auto adjustment features including keystone and focus let you quickly get a crisp and geometrically correct image on any surface without having to wade through menu settings, and the projector can be powered by external power banks connected to the USB-C port, making it an outdoors-friendly option. Samsung also has optional power base and socket adaptor accessories, with the latter letting you plug the projector into a ceiling light socket to project on a table or floor.
A big advantage to The Freestyle 2nd Gen is that it runs the same Tizen smart TV system found on Samsung’s TVs, which makes it easy to stream from a wide range of apps, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus. It also features Samsung’s Gaming Hub, which provides easy access to cloud-based services such as Xbox, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Utomik, along with gaming-related custom picture settings. A built-in 360-degree speaker system gives you adequate sound, and Samung’s projector can also be used as a standalone Bluetooth speaker for two-in-one functionality.
There are plenty of portable projectors on the market, including ones that cost a good deal less than The Freestyle 2nd Gen. And while its picture is not nearly as bright as what you’ll get from the other projectors in this guide, this Samsung’s unique design and feature set make it a superior option for getting big-screen images on the go, and a perfect choice for a playroom, dorm room, or any room where you want to create a portable theater.
Read the full Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen projector review
How to choose the best 4K projector for you
What to look for in a projector
You’ve made up your mind: a projector is the perfect AV solution for you. So how do you choose one?
Cost is important, of course. But it’s best to start at the other end and ask, what is it that you want the projector to do? Is it something you want to take out in the garden on summer nights, or is it a projector for a comfy home cinema room? Will it live in darkness, or will you want to use it in brightly lit rooms? What do you want to connect it to?
If you’re going down the home cinema route, you’re generally looking at more premium projectors with 4K resolution, HDR, high contrast and high light output from LED or laser. More portable devices tend to cut a few corners in favour of portability and practicality.
The first thing to consider is how far away the projector is going to be. For smaller spaces short throw projectors are great: you can place them fairly close to a screen or a wall and get good results. They’re not ideal for really big projections, however. For that you’ll want a long-throw projector. They sit much further back – so you’ll need to think about where you’ll put yours and how you’ll connect it – but can project much bigger videos.
The next feature is light output, and how that light is created. Brightness is typically measured in lumens, and the bigger the number the brighter the output. Under 3,000 is fine for darker rooms or night viewing but for bright environments you’ll want high output.
There are three kinds of light source. Bulbs, LEDs and lasers. Bulbs are the oldest and cheapest technology, but they can generate a lot of heat and bulbs will need to be replaced fairly often.
LEDs tend to be a little brighter and a lot more accurate, and they don’t generate the same amount of heat so they last much longer – typically 20,000 hours of viewing. LED projectors can be made much smaller than lamp-powered ones.
Lasers are better still, with a similar lifespan to LED but much better brightness. However, they generally cost more too.
Finally, there’s the consideration of whether or not to use a dedicated projection screen. A screen is crucial for getting optimal performance from your projector, whether it’s a regular or portable model. When shopping for a screen, however, you’ll discover there’s an almost bewildering array of options, so check out our five things to consider when shopping for a projector screen guide to learn more about screen types and how to select the perfect one for your setup.
Do I need a 4K projector?
If you’re not convinced by any of the 4K projectors in this list, it may be worth weighing up the pros and cons of competing technologies.
One of the best TVs is generally a simpler affair: you put it in your home, on a wall or stand, and it stays there. It’s a set screen size, and will offer the likes of 4K resolution or HDR at a cheaper price point than a projector.
Projectors tend to be pricier for comparative resolutions or HDR support, especially dynamic HDR – with Samsung The Premiere and the JVC DLA-NZ8 being the only existing beamers with HDR10+.
However, the compact form and flexibility that a projector affords does make it a better choice in a lot of cases, and the ultra-large, cinematic image they can provide makes them well worth the investment for die-hard movie fans.
How important is ultra short throw?
Many new 4K projectors these days come with ultra short throw technology, which vastly reduces the distance needed between the projector and the wall or screen surface it’s projecting onto.
The laser light module used for this creates crisp images, though it does ramp up the price from a non-laser long-throw model, or even regular ‘short throw’ which sits somewhere between the two.
Ultra short throw (or ‘UST’) is certainly a great space-saving measure, keeping your projector in the same position as you might put a TV, and meaning you don’t need to install a projector into your ceiling. With UST, people moving around a room are less likely to block images too. These models also pack better built-in audio than other projector types, along with built-in streaming capability for popular apps.
How big should my 4K projector picture be?
An age-old question. It really comes down to how big a picture you can fit in your home. A standard projection screen size is 100 inches, though larger – in some cases, much larger – and also smaller screens are also available. It’s well worth measuring the wall you have at home, and checking whether the projector you plan to buy can beam an image at the size you have in mind from the distance where you plan to install it.
Are 4K projectors as good as 4K TVs?
Yes, with some important caveats. The biggest one is that projectors are not usually as bright as TVs, and as a result most really struggle in brightly lit rooms: the more light there is, the less vivid your projected images will be. Projectors are best suited to home theater setups rather than sun-drenched living rooms, though some ultra short throw projectors like the Epson EpiQVision Ultra LS800 included in our list provides an exception to that rule.
The second consideration is cost. 4K projectors aren’t coming down in price as quickly as TV panels are, and that means you’ll usually pay more for a good quality 4K projector than for a good quality 4K TV.
That said, if you’re looking for a big picture then the price differences start to disappear. 4K TVs become very expensive at their largest sizes, and projectors effortlessly deliver bigger images than even the biggest mainstream TVs.
Another thing to consider is refresh rate, and again that’s something TVs tend to be better at – so if you’re buying for gaming, you’ll get a smoother performance from one of the best 120Hz TVs with a fast response time than you’ll get from a similarly priced projector. And you’re more likely to find HDMI 2.1 ports with gaming-friendly features in a TV than in a projector.
Will a projector play Netflix, Disney Plus and the rest?
The short answer is yes, but the specifics vary from device to device.
Higher-end long throw projectors are generally “dumb” displays, with no built-in smart TV interface or ability to stream video directly. That’s because they’re usually the main video component in an AV system that uses a receiver and separate speakers for audio, with the receiver sending video directly to the projector, and audio to the speakers.
But some of today’s projectors, particularly UST models, are as capable and connected as any smart TV, with many models running Anroid TV or another TV OS and offering streaming apps from big-name services such as Prime Video or Disney+ pre-installed. All you need to do is log in with your account details and you can use the app just as you would on a TV.
For projectors where that isn’t the case you usually have three options: you can connect a device such as a laptop or Apple TV via the HDMI connector, run the streaming app on that and send its video to the projector; you can put a streaming stick such as an Amazon Fire TV Stick into the HDMI port and use that as your video source; or you can stream wirelessly from a device such as a laptop, Chromebook, phone or tablet. The two main standards for easy streaming are Google’s Chromecast, which is in Android devices and the Chrome browser, and Apple’s AirPlay 2, which is in iPhones, iPads and Macs.
When you stream, you’re usually streaming video and audio simultaneously – which is fine if your projector has speakers that you want to use. If not, your projector or your streaming device may enable you to send audio to wireless Bluetooth speakers or a soundbar at the same time as you watch the video.
Other 4K projectors to consider
Our best 4K projectors list omits several models we’ve recently tested that are also worthy of consideration. There haven’t been many new long throw 4K projectors released over the past few years, but one worthy contender is the Epson LS11000. This is the less expensive version of the Epson LS12000 that tops our list and, like that model, uses a 3LCD laser light engine. Key differences between the LS11000 and the LS12000 include a lower specified brightness and contrast ratio, with both factors contributing to the latter’s superior picture performance.
The ultra short throw projector category has been booming lately, with many new models arriving over the past year and even more to come. One strong contender is the Hisense PX2-Pro, a model with lower specified brightness than our top ultra short throw pick, the Hisense L9G. The L9G also comes packaged with a 100- or 120-inch ambient light rejecting screen, which simplifies the buying process for those who want to set up a system with a projection screen.
Two other ultra short throw models that we’ve reviewed that could make good alternative options are the BenQ v5000i and Epson LS650. The BenQ has a living room-friendly look, and provides plenty of adjustments for tuning its picture plus low input lag for gaming. The And the Epson LS650 is a less bright version of the Epson LS800, our top projector pick for sports, that is also less expensive while offering many of the same features as the step-up LS800.
How we tested the best 4K projectors
We test the best 4K projectors in real-world conditions, viewing with both room lighting on and lights off to get a sense of how well the projector performs under a range of conditions. All of our viewing is done using a projection screen, either a matt white material or an ambient light-rejecting screen in the case of ultra short throw projectors.
Sources used for our testing include 4K Blu-ray and streaming services, and Xbox One X and PlayStation 5 gaming consoles. We also use test patterns from the Spears & Munsil Ultra HD Benchmark disc and standalone pattern generators to measure performance factors such as peak brightness.
The latest updates to this guide to the best 4K projectors
25 March 2024
Added “Also consider” section with descriptions of other recently reviewed 4K projector options.
27 February 2024
Replaced Samsung The Freestyle (2022) with updated model, The Freestyle 2nd Gen.
4 January 2024
Added link to TechRadar CES hub in introduction.
4 December 2023
Checked to confirm the availability of all models in guide.
26 October 2023
Restructured this guide to make it easier to navigate, and to give more specific recommendations to different models. We also added this new ‘Latest updates’ section to help readers know how we’ve changed the guide recently.
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