7 Best Projectors For Your Home Theatre Set Up In 2021
Discover truly immersive entertainment with the top-rated projectors that hit every price point and feature.
These products are hand-picked by our team to help make shopping easier. We may receive payments from third parties for sharing this content and when you purchase through links in this article. Product prices and offer details are not assured, and should be confirmed independently with the retailer. Learn more
We’ve been spending more time at home than ever before in the past few years, making many of us rethink our home entertainment set up.
And, while luxury smart TVs still make for a near unbeatable movie and gaming experience, projectors are a device that we just keep coming back to.
Allowing you to create a truly authentic cinema experience wherever you go (cue the popcorn), projectors are now more portable and easier to set up than ever; making them a worthwhile investment for entertainment seekers.
Given that many models now cost less than a flagship TV, there are plenty of reasons to grab one for your home-theatre overhaul.
BEST PROJECTORS
To help you find the best projector to suit your entertainment needs, we’ve rounded up seven models that have been consistently well-rated by real life consumers.
BEST BUDGET PROJECTOR
Anker Nebula Apollo, Amazon Australia, RRP $849
If you’re after an entry-level projector that won’t blow your budget, you won’t do much better than the Anker Nebula Apollo. The sleek little capsule is no bigger than a Bluetooth speaker, making it easy to set up and take with you wherever you go.
Arriving with a resolution of 854 x 480, 200 ANSI lumens and a 16:9 aspect ratio, the Capsule delivers remarkable clarity for its size and allows you to watch enjoy movies, TV shows, games and more at a size of up to 100-inches.
A transparent touch panel meanwhile gives you additional control, making it easy to navigate menus and more directly from the device.
The projector also features an in-built speaker and is able to be mounted on a tripod and placed on a tabletop in addition to being freestanding. On the downside, the device does struggle in well-lit rooms and offers a fairly limited four-hour battery life. Despite this though, customers seem to think it’s worth the spend.
Reviewers on Amazon Australia awarded the Nebula Apollo a five star rating, with one happy customer commenting, “We absolutely love this thing! Far better than expected – we are using it very often now all around our house [and] outside at night.”
BEST 4K PROJECTOR
Samsung The Premiere Laser 4K Smart Projector SP-LSP7TFAXXY, The Good Guys, RRP $5,995
Those after a true home cinematic experience should look no further than Samsung’s The Premiere 4K Smart Projector. Holding a huge 4.7 star rating on Google Reviews, the ultra-short throw beamer creates pictures of up to 120 inches; giving you a big-picture experience without the need for a screen.
Combined with long-lasting laser technology and 2200 ANSI Lumens of brightness too, the projector delivers on both bright, detailed images and impressive punchy colours. The projector is also the first to include a Filmmaker Mode, which helps to reduce post-processing treatments so you can experience films the way the directors intended.
Fitted with Samsung’s smart TV operating system, The Premiere allows for easy access of your favourite apps, services and connected devices; all of which can be controlled through built-in voice assistants Alexa or Bixby. While the system can be a little sluggish at times, it’s certainly a huge improvement on many other projector interfaces currently on the market.
As you would expect with a 4K model, the major downside of The Premiere is in the price point. In fact, at $5,995, the projector is a luxury buy that certainly won’t suit all shoppers. If price isn’t an issue though, there’s no denying that it is a truly impressive model that’s worth the spend. One customer on Google Reviews has even claimed that the projector offers an experience akin to, “watching a movie in the theatre,” thanks to its epic picture quality.
BEST GAMING PROJECTOR
BenQ W1210ST Full HD DLP Short-Throw Gaming Projector, Mwave.com.au, RRP $1,695
BenQ has produced a lot of great gaming projectors, but our pick of the bunch has to be the W1210ST model. The impressive projector has been fitted with a range of great gaming features, including a specialised 16.67ms low input lag and unique game modes that allow for a smooth gaming experience.
The W1210ST model also arrives with CinematicColor technology; delivering Rec. 709 HDTV colour coverage, 6X speed RGBRGB colour wheel and high native ANSI contrast ratio for a crisp visual experience that will keep you immersed as you play. Built-in 20W speakers meanwhile expand on the experience, with CinemaMaster Audio+ adding four preset sound modes and an equaliser setting that matches the music and soundtrack of your choice.
Reviewers have also taken a shine to the device, awarding it a 4.5 star rating across more than 140 reviews on Google Reviews. One customer commented that they were glad they made the purchase, saying that, “Gaming on my PS4 Pro has so much more detail” since making the switch to the W1210ST.
RUNNER UP: XGIMI Halo Smart Portable Projector, Amazon Australia, RRP $1,499
Whether you’re looking for a slightly cheaper gaming projector, or just want one that’s portable, the XGIMI Halo is a top choice. Retailing for $1,499, the little projector can often be found on sale and is a popular choice among customers; holding a current 4.5 star rating from more than 190 customer reviews on Google Reviews.
Doubling as a Bluetooth speaker, the XGIMI Halo supports video formats of up to 4K Ultra HD and comes with a battery life of up to three hours. While response times can be a bit slow, the projector offers crisp Full HD Resolution (1920×1080P), punchy audio and 600-800 ANSI Lumens of brightness; effectively offering an impressive audiovisual experience that belies its size.
Though the Halo unfortunately doesn’t seem to support Netflix, it does work with the Google Play Store for Android TV, giving you access to over 5,000 native apps. According to one customer on Google Reviews, who awarded the Halo a five star rating, the projector “is truly [a] big screen experience in a small portable package. All you need is Halo and a blank wall and it works well for gaming or just watching movies.”
BEST PORTABLE MINI PROJECTOR
Anker Nebula Capsule Portable Wireless Projector, The Good Guys, RRP $799.95
At roughly the size of a soft drink can, the Anker Nebula is a truly tiny portable projector with big ambitions. Rated 4.4 stars on Google Reviews, the clever model is capable of both streaming popular apps (including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Spotify and YouTube) and being used as a dedicated Bluetooth speaker thanks to its 360-degree omnidirectional speaker.
Despite operating on Android 7.0, the Nebula allows you to stream video from certain iDevices through AirPlay connection. You can also do the same with Microsoft devices through Miracast, giving you the freedom to watch all your favourite content.
While the picture quality does suffer in lit rooms and can be a little pixelated up close, the projector handles colour well and offers an adequate amount of detail. Customers on Google Reviews have also said that the projector is easy to set up and is a great travel size, with one reviewer remarking, “Its such a cool device – despite its small size it feels real nice and sturdy … it’s very portable and even has a mount at the bottom so you can attach it to a tripod.”
BEST PHONE PROJECTOR
Anker Nebula Capsule Portable Wireless Projector, The Good Guys, RRP $799.95
With its high customer rating and dual-purpose as both projector and Bluetooth speaker, the Anker Nebula Capsule is also our top choice for the best phone projector. Its tiny size makes it easy to take with you wherever you go, while its ability to use both AirPlay and Miracast while running on an Android operating system offers a wide variety of accessible content.
While the three hour battery life may leave something to be desired, it’s just enough to pop on your favourite movie whether you’re travelling or at home. The capsule is also easy to set up with HDMI, USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Screen Mirroring connectivity all available.
Though there are certainly more premium models on the market, the portability, Android OS and price make the Nebula Capsule an easy buy.
BEST BLUETOOTH PROJECTOR
Epson EH-TW7100, Harvey Norman, RRP $2,649
Boasting a 4.8 star customer rating on Google Reviews, the Epson EH-TW7100 is one projector that’s well worth the price tag. The Bluetooth connectivity allows for direct connection with a wireless speaker or soundbar, making it quick and easy to create an impressive home cinema set up.
The device also provides instantly crisp picture quality, with the preset modes largely removing the need to fiddle around with the settings. A high contrast ratio meanwhile delivers balanced colours and impressive blacks, helping to make picture details more lifelike; resulting in images that are similar to those you see at a cinema.
With 4K capability and 3000 lumens of brightness too, the projector works well even in rooms that are relatively well lit. According to one five star reviewer on Google Reviews, the EH-TW7100 produces, “Excellent features at such a bargain price. Love the vertical and horizontal lens shift, great throw ratio allows me to mount the unit 4 meters from my screen.” Another reviewer meanwhile summarised the device by simply calling it a “super beamer.”
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: BEST PROJECTOR SCREENS
Though projectors are designed to work on any blank wall or surface, using it on a dedicated projector screen can significantly increase the image quality. Projector screens also give you more control when it comes to colour, framing and how much light gets reflected; making it worth investing in one if you plan on using your projector regularly.
BEST INDOOR PROJECTOR SCREEN
Elite Screens ezFrame CineGrey 5D, Catch, $2,499
If you’re going to splurge on a projector screen, customers agree that Elite Screens ezFrame CineGrey 5D is the way to go. Awarded a 4.5 star on Google Reviews, the popular screen offers a 110-degree viewing angle and features a high fidelity grey surface that enhances picture clarity.
Boasting Angular-Reflective and Ambient Light Rejecting technology too, the ezFrame rejects ambient white light to give you an impressive and immersive viewing experience.
BEST OUTDOOR PROJECTOR SCREEN
Elite Screens Yard Master 2, Amazon Australia, RRP $710.49
Those looking to entertain outside should look to the Elite Screen Yard Master 2 to enhance their experience. The 120-inch diagonal, 16:9 aspect ratio screen is able to be assembled in minutes, making it great for pulling out at parties and family get-togethers.
The freestanding construction also comes with its very own padded carry bag for easy transportation and has a mildew resistant design to prolong its life. Customers on Google Reviews have been quick to praise the screen, commenting that it’s “great quality” and “perfect for both indoor and outoodr use,” awarding it an overall 4.7 star rating.
Looking for a great tech bargain? Head to our news.com.au Coupons page to see all the latest deals and offers. You can also sign up to our Best Of shopping newsletter to stay on top of the best-rated products and upcoming sale events.
Lauren is news.com.au’s Best Of Consumer Technology Reporter. She previously worked at comparison site Finder as the Senior Shopping Writer where she reported on everything from tech gadgets to the latest home products. Prior to cutting her teeth as a journalist, she completed a Bachelor of journalism at the University of South Australia and worked as a media advisor for JB Hi-Fi where she sold the very products she now writes about.
‘Small, but mighty’ portable projector made me ditch my TV
It’s not often that you come across a gadget worthy of the moniker “better than TV”. But this versatile projector changed my entire home entertainment set-up.
‘Impressive’ savings on Samsung smart TV
Save $1000 on a high-rating Samsung smart TV, which shoppers say has “impressive” picture quality and sound.
‘Superb’ smart TV tops list
Samsung’s flagship OLED TV is brighter and better than ever, making it a top pick for premium entertainment.
‘Superb’ new smart TV tops list
Samsung’s 2023 flagship OLED TV is brighter and better than ever, making it a top pick for premium entertainment.