The projector is a classic fixture in movie theaters the world over, and to this day, many cinephiles when they are designing for their personal home theaters will search for the best projector on the market over a simple display.
That’s because projectors for home theaters (and commercial theaters) have come a long way since their initial introduction, with a 4K UHD projector being relatively obtainable for budget-minded and extravagant cinephiles alike in addition to being widely available, ranging from as low as $750 MSRP to $8,0000, though many experts would argue that $4,000 to $8,000 falls within the sweet spot of value meets performance.
So, for your consideration, we’re offering up seven projectors we think slot nicely into home theaters the world over in the price range from $4,000 to $8,000 and provide 4K UHD images. These 4K UHD projectors also provide HDMI 2.1 connectivity, HDR compatibility, and advanced chipsets that utilize the latest LCD, DLP and proprietary variations of LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon).
This is by no means meant to be an exhaustive list for home theater projectors and instead pulls from CE Pro‘s own research from the CE Pro 100 Brand Analysis, which looks at the top 100 integration firms in the industry to see what types of products they’re using on their projects.
Quick List of the Best Home Theater Projectors in 2024
- BenQ LK970
- Digital Projection E-Vision 4000
- Epson Pro Cinema LS12000
- JVC DLA-NP5
- LG ProBeam AU810PB 4K UHD Smart Dual Laser CineBeam Projector
- Optoma UHZ65LV
- Sony VPL-XW5000ES
BenQ LK970
Priced at the top of this tier, the $7,999 LK970 utilizes Texas Instruments’ (TI) DLP chipset to produce approximately 8.3 million pixels to provide a UHD compliant 3840 x 2160 image. BenQ emphasizes the projector also features a laser light engine and a high-performance lens system to provide users with clear, well defined, colorful images.
Digital Projection E-Vision 4000
A case could be made the $5,300 E-Vision 4000 is the top product among this group of 4K UHD home theater projectors. Featuring TI’s 0.47-inch DarkChip 3 DMP DLP chip, as well as a six-segment phosphor wheel; an eight-segment color wheel, and 10-bit color processing (30 bits per pixel), the projector can produce high-quality 4K UHD images. Digital Projection adds the projector is also capable of delivering up to 3,800 lumens of brightness. I also have a review of this product available for additional thoughts.
Epson Pro Cinema LS12000
Announced about a year ago, the $4,999 LS12000 incorporates Epson’s 3-chip 3LCD chipset, along with the company’s Laser Array Light Source, and the proprietary 32-bit Epson ZX Picture Processor. Epson says the projector is compatible with HDR, HDR10+ and the Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) HDR formats. The 4K UHD projector also provides HDMI 2.1 to offer features such as eARC, 120Hz refresh rates and 48Gbps throughput.
JVC DLA-NP5
One of the few non-laser light engine products among this group of 4K UHD Projectors, the $6,999.95 JVC DLA-NP5 features the company’s proprietary D-ILA chipset technologies. Rated to deliver up to 1,900 lumens of brightness, the native 4K projector (4,096 x 2,160) utilizes a 17-element, 15-group all-glass lens system. The gaming-friendly projector offers a 4K 120p input that when combined with Low Latency Mode enables users to enjoy big-screen gaming action.
LG ProBeam AU810PB 4K UHD Smart Dual Laser CineBeam Projector
The $3,999 LG AU810PB 4K projector is a DLP-based solution that produces 8.3 million pixels, contrast ratios as high as 2,000,000:1, and brightness levels up to 2,700 lumens. LG emphasizes the AU810PB delivers up to 97% of the DCI-P3 color space, and it works with screens as large as 300 inches. LG adds the UHD projector also features its WebOS smart platform that offers a host of streaming options, along with options such as Apple AirPlay, and a choice of Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa voice assistants.
Optoma UHZ65LV
The $5,999 laser based UHZ65LV from Optoma is rated to produce up to 5,000 lumens of brightness. Optoma also points out the projector employs a DLP chipset that helps the UHZ65LV to produce 8.3 million pixels, and it provides options such as a 1.6x optical zoom. In addition, the UHD projector provides installer-friendly features such as 12-volt triggers, RS-232 and LAN connectivity.
Sony VPL-XW5000ES
For many consumers Sony is a trusted, go-to brand and the company’s VPL-XW5000ES is one of the most popular 4K UHD Projectors in the home video market. The native 4K $6,000 projector features Sony’s SXRD chip technology and a laser light engine to help the unit deliver up to 2,000 lumens of brightness. Internally, the VPL-XW5000ES offers users Sony’s X1 Ultimate for Projector processing, as well as the ability to produce up to 95% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. The projector also provides a pair of HDMI inputs, along with IR, LAN, 12-volt trigger and RS-232 control options.
