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The best home cinema projectors of 2026, tested for ultimate picture quality
To capture the full-scale joy of a cinema experience at home, there’s only one answer: grab some popcorn and switch on one of the best home cinema projectors from leading brands, including BenQ, Epson or Valerion. Prices range from less than £900 to over £2,000, so there’s something for a variety of budgets.
“There’s no better way to watch movies at home, if you want to see them as the director intended,” advises Matt Horton, TV and Projector buyer at Richer Sounds. “A top-flight home cinema projector will offer better image quality, higher brightness and a much more immersive viewing experience than you’ll get from a typical portable projector.”
In this guide, I’ll help you choose the right projector, covering what to look out for and answering the most common questions. If you’re in a hurry, scroll straight to my top five picks below.
The best projectors: At a glance
How to choose the best projector
Most of the best projectors now advertise 4K resolution, which is still costly, so many models use pixel-shifting on Full HD chipsets to reach 4K. While not technically the same, the results are highly convincing in practice.
“To get the best performance, I’d recommend investing in a model with 4K resolution, along with the widest degree of HDR (High Dynamic Range) compatibility,“ says Horton.
“Having said that, there are also LCD-based examples available from brands such as Epson, well worth investigating if you’re sensitive to DLP’s occasional ‘rainbow effect’,” Horton adds.
Brightness and contrast figures are less reliable, as manufacturers use different methods to measure these parameters and seemingly boost their ratings. Treat published numbers as a rough guide only. For home cinema, aim for at least 2,000 to 3,000 lumens brightness and a contrast ratio of at least 3,000:1 and upwards.
Finally, check the throw ratio. This tells you how far the projector needs to be from the screen to create the picture size you want. All the models here are long-throw and a 100-inch diagonal image should be your minimum goal. I’ve included the screen distance needed for that in each review.
