When was the last time you had a great movie experience on your projector? Are you one of those people who are very particular about their movies and gaming experiences? Are you one of those who dislike people casting their shadows on the wall, while you are deep in the woods and lost in your thoughts?
Do you also dislike a range of wires hanging here and there, blocking the view of the small display screen that you have?
If you are so passionate about your immersive experiences, you shouldn’t let a bad projector hamper it.
Have you considered buying an ultra-short-throw projector?
Yes, they cast huge images on the walls/screens and don’t create a mess, as the other projectors do. Alas, you have reached the right place. This article is about 5 best ultra-short-throw projector reviews.
So, without wasting any time, let’s go through the list.
How was This List Made?
Ultra-short-throw projectors are a bit expensive, as compared to the other projectors. So to help you get the optimum worth of your money, we worked hard to put this list together. We tried to compare every feature and looked for products that stood out. For this, we took help from some of the industry experts. They had the requisite knowledge about projectors that they were kind enough to deliver to us.
Best Ultra-Short-Throw Projector
This one is a smart, LED home theatre projector by LG. A perfect fit for your family gatherings and parties even in small spaces.
Lumens & Contrast Ratio
Since it is an ultra-short throw projector, a lumen brightness of 1000 serves its purpose here. Though with a high contrast ratio of 150,000:1. So your whites and blacks will have a sharp, clear cut difference.
Resolution
Since the LG PF1000UW is a home theatre kind of a projector, an HD quality resolution was a must. That is why this projector ensures up to 1920p x 1080p resolution that makes it full HD. Hence you can expect some larger-than-life experiences while watching movies with this projector.
Throw and Projection
With an ultra-short-throw, you can keep your projector anywhere from 4.3 to 15 inches away.
With as close as 15 inches, you can see an image up to 100 inches in size. If you need a smaller image size like 60 inches, you can keep the projector at 4.3 inches away.
Lamp Life
With an LED light source, you get natural and rich colors. Apart from that, the LED reduces light consumption thereby increasing the lamp life of the projector. So this projector has a lamp life of up to 30,000 hours. So even when you use your projector daily for 8 hours, you won’t need to replace the lamp up till 10 years.
Connectivity
Your content can reach the projector wirelessly. This is because the projector has an inbuilt wifi connection. Therefore you can easily share your screen, from your laptop or IOS android devices, and watch your favorite content on a bigger screen, without needing any additional adapters.
Apart from that, there are other sources of connectivity such as 1HDMI, 2xUSB, Lan, audio out, and a port for plugging in your headsets. So in case you want a solo experience, you have the liberty to do so.
Sound
Since the projector has no inbuilt sound system, it has still got a fix. It has Bluetooth connectivity that is one of a kind. So you can easily connect your projector with additional Bluetooth enabled speakers. No need for wires.
Added Features
With the help of Smart TV technology, you can easily see broadcast tv, Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and much more. With the help of a magic remote, that comes along, you can navigate whatever you feel like watching.
Pros
- 1000lumen brightness with 150,000:1 contrast ratio
- Bluetooth connectivity for additional speaker attachment
- Wifi connectivity for connecting to android, ios, laptops
- Super TV Technology converts your screen into a tv where you can watch your favorite content from different streaming platforms
- It can project from a distance ranging from 4.3-15inches, at a screen of maximum 100 inches in size
- Full HD 1920X1080 image resolution
- LED light source technology, hence more bright and less electricity consumption
Cons
- Requires pitch darkness for perfect functioning
Verdict
The LG PF1000UW is perfect for a cinematic experience at home. You might as well club together on a couch and watch your favorite series, back to back with this full HD quality projector. Moreover, you don’t need any additional wires for speakers or projection. With the help of Bluetooth and wifi connectivity, everything is handled by the air.
Are you looking for an ultra-short-throw projector that gives 4K image quality?? One that could easily replace your tv? Well, the Vava 4K home theatre projector is just the right product for you. It is 4k plus laser technology-enabled.
Lumens & Contrast Ratio
With 2500 Lumen brightness and 3000:1 contrast ratio, your images will have deeper colors and great saturation levels.
Resolution
Forget, WXGA, or HD, this projector delivers 4k Ultra HD image quality. 4k means the projector has a resolution of 3840 x 2160. That is unmatched so far.
The advanced laser light throw technology further helps to bring the theatre right into your home.
Throw and Projection
Being an ultra-short-throw projector, it has a throw ratio of 0.233:1.
If those 80 inches or 100 inches screens don’t fit your needs, the Vava 4k offers you a big 150 inches display picture. That means, 4 screens of 75 inches are put together as one. That too from an ultra-short distance of 7.2 inches.
Lamp Life
With 25,000 hours of lamp life, you are free to watch your favorite content for 4 hours daily, with 17 years at a stretch. You will almost forget your projector bulb after a one-time installation!
Connectivity
Whatever be the source of content, you should stay assured to play it on this projector. With as large as 9 ports, every appliance known can be connected to this projector. Be it an HDD player, gaming consoles, laptops, computer, tv set-top box, speakers, and whatnot. For this, you have triple HDMI ports, optical, Bluetooth, USB, audio, video ports, and wifi as sources of connection.
Sound
If you don’t have additional speakers to connect to your projector, you must love this feature. The projector has an inbuilt stereo sound powered by the incredible Harman Kardon. That is a high fidelity, Dolby sound quality. So you will have the desired sound support without an extra penny spent.
Added Features
With such an incredible projector, there is a fear of you getting hooked up to it and hence straining your eyes. So in order to prevent that the makers have equipped the projector with intelligent eye protection technology. It makes use of the Diffuse Reflection technique to protect your eyes against radiation and prevent it from fatigue. So watch endless content without worrying about your eyes.
No doubt it has been acclaimed by Wall street journal, Tech Crunch, Digital Trends, and ARS Technica.
What’s in the Box?
Apart from 1 projector, the box contains a Bluetooth remote, power cord, cleaning cloth, 2xAAA batteries, and a user manual.
Pros
- 4K UHD image quality giving you a cinematic experience
- 25000Lumen and 3000:1 contrast ratio
- Display size up to 150 inches from a 7.2-inch distance
- Laser light technology for enhanced picture quality
- 25,000 hours of lamp life
- Harman Kardon speakers as sound support
- Unmatched connectivity options with wifi and Bluetooth included
- Intelligent eye protection technology to prevent straining of your eyes
- Awarded by multiple parties for excellence
Cons
- The fan is a bit noisy
Verdict
It is fairly difficult to match the overall quality and experience that the Vava 4K UHD projector provides. It has a bigger projection size, 4k UHD image quality with Laser technology. Apart from that, it has its own sound system with Harman Kardon stereo. Being awarded by different parties and praised by consumers alike, this product has nothing but a little noise as the only defect.
If you don’t have enough space for a big ultra-short-throw projector or you want to carry it with you, opt for a portable one. The Asus S1 can be one of the best choices in the portable ultra-short-throw projector category. With a thickness of 30.7mm and a weight of 342g, this projector can be your companion everywhere, especially for on-the-road professionals. All this, at a much cheaper price than the rest.
Lumen and Contrast Ratio
With a small, portable structure, the brightness of the projector suffers. It has 200Lumen of brightness. So you will have to use the projector in extremely dark, light conditions.
Resolution
The portability of the projector allows an FWVGA resolution. This means a pixel size of 854x480p. This resolution is mostly found in your mobile phones. So that is the image quality you can expect.
Throw and Projection
Being an ultra-short-throw projector, it has a throw ratio of 1:1. Therefore it can be placed anywhere from 1-3metres from your screen. At 1 m and 2m, you get a display size of 41 inches and 82 inches respectively. For a larger display, that is up to 100 inches, you can move the projector to 3metre distance from the screen.
Lamp Life
A big 30,000 hours of lamp life gives you ample time to enjoy your projector.
Connectivity
For the purpose of connectivity, you can use the HDMI port. So you can connect your laptops, game consoles, or media players through it. Other than that you can have a headset input, where you can plug in your headset with the projector for a solo viewing experience.
In order to connect your Ios or Android devices, you will have to buy a lightning digital AV adapter or a Samsung specific MHL cable respectively, for video output.
Sound
Though small, this projector does have space for an inbuilt sound system. The ASUS Sonic Master is built inside the projector, to deliver a great sound quality.
Added Features
Since it is a portable projector, you would want to carry it with you, even while you travel. To keep that purpose in mind, the Asus S1 has a built-in rechargeable battery system. With 6000mAh battery power, you can watch your content for up to 3 hours. This is a good enough time to wind up your presentations.
If you don’t feel like watching anything but have a dire need of charging your phone, this projector will deliver itself to you as a power bank. Isn’t it interesting?
Another interesting feature is the auto-keystone correction. So you need not worry about distorted images anymore and will surely get a perfect rectangle image every time.
Pros
- Smalls and compact, great as an on-road companion
- 30,000 hours of lamp life because of an LED light source
- Inbuilt Asus Sonic Master sound system
- FWVGA resolution fit for standard images and graphics
- 3 hours of battery back up with 6000 mAH batteries
- Projector doubles up as a power bank
- Projection ranges from 41 inches to 100 inches at a distance ranging from 1m to 3m
Cons
- Problems with vertical keystone correction feature
- Low resolution and less lumen restrict its use
Verdict
A palm-size projector for your outdoor or on-the-road projector needs, the Asus S1, has a whole lot of features in such a small price bracket. It is not only portable but has a great lamp life, 3 hours of battery backup with a 100-inch display sized projection. Though with low lumen brightness and FWVGA resolution, it is more favorable for business and other on-the-road professional needs.
Another popular use of a projector is to play your favorite games on the Xbox or other gaming platforms. The Optoma GT5600 is made just for that purpose. Even when you are playing in a semi-lit environment, this one will give you an immersive gaming or movie experience.
Lumens & Contrast Ratio
With a Lumen brightness of 3600, you can use the projector even in semi-lit environments, even outdoors. The contrast ratio of 20,000:1, creates a wide array of colors between white and black. Thus giving you vivid, sharp, and crisp quality images.
Resolution
The projector offers a native WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution which means your images are bright and well proportioned. So, whether you are in a mood for sports, gaming or movies, you will surely have a great experience.
Not only that, but you can also experience your favorite 3D movies via this projector. Whether you choose a 3D Blu-ray media player, 3D broadcasting, or latest generation gaming consoles, you will easily be able to watch this using the projector.
Throw and projection
Being an ultra-short-throw projector, it has a throw ratio of 0.25:1. Thus giving you an image size of 80 to 100 inches when kept at a few inches away from the screen.
Lamp Life
With 15,000 hours of lamp life, you can carry on your gaming sessions every day for 4 hours, for more than 10 years, before changing the lamp bulb.
Sound
Usually, projectors offer a sound system of 2W or 10W, this projector, however, gives you a sound quality of 16W. So the sound is the least of your worries when you buy this projector.
Connectivity
With the help of the USB cable, you can connect your Ios or Android device and use screen mirroring to watch your content via the projector.
If you want to go wireless, you can use the Optima Cast Pro 1080p HDMI/MHL Multimedia Stick.
Apart from this, you have 2xHDMI ports to connect your laptops, gaming consoles, PCs, Macs, and firesticks.
Added Features
The auto keystone feature helps in easy setup, without the image getting distorted.
Pros
- 3600L brightness and 20,000:1 contrast ratio makes the image bright and colors sharp
- Several modes of connectivity including wireless, using Optima Cast Pro stick
- WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution, meaning sharp and brighter images
- Display size ranges from 80-100 inches
- 16W inbuilt sound system leaves no room for additional speakers
- A good 15,000 hours of lamp life makes life easy
Cons
- Some consumers faced unstable and blurred images
Verdict
Your gaming sessions have got a fix. The Optoma GT5600 is a great choice for your gaming and movie experiences. It will work even in daylight or semi-lit environments. With a great resolution and sound system, this projector is worth buying.
Another equally competitive projector for your gaming and movie experiences is the Viewsonic PX800HD. It has a pumped-up image resolution, with HD TV and cinematic image quality.
Lumens & Contrast Ratio
The projects offer brightness up to 3000 Lumens. So even if you want to do a gaming session in semi-lit space or even outdoors, this projector will offer clear and sharp images.
As for the contrast ratio, it is 100,000:1. So not only is your image quality great but the colors are highly defined.
Resolution
With a full HD(1920x1080p) image quality, you won’t miss going to the theatre.
Moreover, the projector also has a Rec 700 image quality that resembles that of a High definition TV. So if you are thinking of buying a tv too, you might save some money here.
Throw and Projection
With a 0.23 ultra throw lens, you just need to keep your projector inches away from the display screen. You can expect an image size up to 150 inches from a distance of 4.9 feet. A screen ranging from 30 to 300 inches can be used with this projector.
Lamp Life
The lamp life of this projector is a bit less than that of others. In eco mode, you can expect it to last for 6000hours.
Connectivity
The projector offers multiple sources of connectivity. It has 3xHDMI, 2xVGA, 1xAudio input, 1xcomponent in, and 1xMini USB. with this, you can connect your Macs, PCs, gaming consoles, media players, and whatnot.
Sound
The 2 10W speakers will fill your room with an optimum amount of sound needed for your gaming or movie sessions.
What’s in the Box?
The package includes a projector, power cable, VGA cable, and a remote control
Pros
- 3000 L brightness and 100,000:1 contrast speaks volumes about the image output
- 2 10W speakers give ample sound quality
- Image size up to 150 inches
- Multiple avenues of connectivity
- Full HD resolution
- Rec 700 image resolution gives you an image quality equal to a high definition tv
Cons
- Short lamp life
Verdict
The ViewSonic PX800 HD is the perfect choice in projectors if you are looking to buy one for gaming or movies. The image quality it delivers is better than that of a high definition tv and offers you a cinematic experience. Many other features such as multiple connectivity options make it a powerful product.
Buying Guide: What to Look for in an Ultra-Short-Throw Projector?
1. Why an ultra-short-throw projector?
The throw ratio determines the size of the image produced when the projector is kept at a certain distance from the screen.
An ultra-short-throw projector means the projector would be kept close to the screen and would deliver exceptionally large images. This type of projector is great for small spaces. It also creates less of a mess because when kept close, the wires are tucked behind it. Also, you won’t get disturbed by people moving around or in front of the projector.
Though it is a bit expensive, the ultra-short-throw is better than short throw and standard projectors. These are common and less expensive but are usually large in size and need bigger rooms to cast an equal size of images.
2. How much brightness do you need?
In the category of projectors, brightness is defined in terms of Lumens. It ranges from 2000-6000. The average lumen is 2500.
If you are buying this projector for your movie or gaming sessions, you can opt for a lumen range from 2000-3000.
But if your usage is professional, as in the office or an educational environment, you will require more lumens in your projector. That is because you will use it in semi-lit or bright conditions. So, you can choose our options that fall above 3000 Lumen.
In other cases such as outdoor screenings, or parties, an average of 3000L is a must, though you can go higher too.
3. What resolution size is fit for you?
There are mainly 4 types of image resolutions bifurcated into several others. These are
SVGA(600X800), XGA(1024×768), WXGA(1280x 800) and HD(720p or 1080).
With an aspect ratio of 4:3, the SVGA(Super Video Graphics Array) is great for displaying graphics, charts, and presentations. Therefore, fit to be used in official environments.
With the same aspect ratio, the XGA(Extended Graphic Array) renders a higher number of pixels. So if used in offices, you will get sharper and clearer images in this resolution.
The other two are for gaming, movies, sports, and other elaborate experiences.
With an aspect ratio of 16:10, the WXGA(Wide Extended Graphic Array) has an image resolution like that you experience on your LCD screens and laptops. So it is a great fit for your videos and images.
To have a greater and much more profound experience go for, HD(1280x720p ), Full HD(1920×1080), or 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution. These give you a cinematic experience much like your high definition LED TVs.
4. What kind of connectivity ports should it have?
You need to have several options available in your projector in terms of connectivity. This helps you watch/display different types of content from different types of sources.
On average, most of the projectors have 1xHDMI, 1xVGA, and 1xUSB ports. This much is standard, no compromise till here.
Additionally, you may go for wifi connection, Bluetooth availability, audio output in case there is no sound system, etc.
And if you are thinking of 3D content, not any port will do. Only a 3D enabled HDMI will help you plug in 3D sources for 3d content.
The Conclusion
I hope our listicle contained the right products for you. By now you must have decided which projector fits your requirements. If not, we have the answer to that too.
Our best pick is the VAVA 4K UHD Laser TV Home Theatre Projector. The consumers have voted this product with several great reviews and stars. Why? Because it is undoubtedly the best on the list. The 4K image quality that the projector delivers is coupled with laser light technology. You can easily watch your favorite tv show or movies on an ultra-large screen size of 150 inches. Together, you get a cinematic experience right in the comfort of your home. For sound requirements, you have the Harman Kardon speakers that speak volumes about the sound quality on its own.