Reasons to Buy
- Low price tag, especially given the incredible performance
- Can produce an image up to 150” inches
- Triple laser light source produces some of the most stunning and vivid colors
- Great black levels and contrast
- Sits closer than most other USTs
- Supports Dolby Vision
- Best Built-in soundbar
Reasons to Avoid
- Doesn’t come with Netflix
- Fan can be a little noisy
- Lacks 3D support
- Menu is sometimes less intuitive
The top selling ultra short throw projector of 2022 was the Formovie Theater. It has continued this trend thanks to the low price given how incredible the specs are.
This triple laser ultra short throw takes full advantage of the advanced ALPD® 4.0 RGB+ technology that helps give the Formovie Theater some of the best black levels and contrast you'll find on a projector. The amazing specs helped the Formovie Theater take 1st place in the 2022 Laser TV Showdown and the 2023 Laser TV Showdown.
Another big advantage that helps the Formovie Theater win is the level of control you have over the picture. This 4K ultra short throw offers a plethora of calibration options that let you dial in the projector to your liking more than most other units. The wide variable focus allows you to pick your preferred screen size all the way up to 150 inches. This is a BIG deal (pun intended).
If you don't want to use an external sound system, the Formovie Theater features the best built-in soundbar. It offers rich and powerful sound, unmatched by any other UST projector.
As our #1 selling ultra short throw projector, our projection experts chose this as the best 4K UST in 2024.
- LG HU915QE
-
Reasons to Buy
- Sits directly under the screen so it takes up less space
- Solid built in soundbar
- High brightness for lights on viewings
- Vibrant colors
- Great contrast
- Smart TV streaming apps including Netflix
Reasons to Avoid
- Projector needs to be more carefully aligned to avoid focus issues around the edges
- Not great for gaming
- Large Bulky Chassis
With an impressive 3,700 ANSI lumens, the LG HU915QE delivers a vibrant images, even in well-lit rooms. While the color gamut isn't as wide as the Formovie Theater, it still offers 94% DCI-P3 coverage and 2700:1 contrast ensuring vibrant colors, deep blacks and bright whites
The LG HU915QE includes a smart TV system, allowing you to access streaming services, apps, and content directly from the projector, including Netflix, HULU, Disney+ and more. It's also able to sit directly under your screen thanks to the 0.19:1 throw ratio making it a true up-close projector.
Equipped with 2.2-channel, 40W speakers, the projector delivers clear and robust audio without needing an external sound systems.
Because of its extra short throw distance and more compact chassis, the Hisense L5H stands out as a great choice for anyone looking for the big screen experience in their apartment in 2024.
It was a tough call between this 2024 laser TV and its sibling the LG HU915QB. While the picture quality is overall better on the HU915QB, we awarded the HU915QE because of the increased brightness and lower price.
Whether you’re watching during the day or evening, this 4K UST projector gifts owners a truly captivating entertainment experience.
-
Best 4K Gaming Projector
Two years removed from the rollout of the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, 4K gaming is huge and will continue to be through 2024 and beyond. So, now is the time to get a 4K UHD gaming projector, so you can take full advantage of the ultra high resolution gaming revolution. Here are our two top choices:
- BenQ TK700STi
-
Reasons to Buy
- Stunning 4K picture
- 3000 Lumen laser light source
- Input lag of just 4ms at 1080p and 16.9ms at 4K is incredible for gamers
- Enhanced gaming mode
Reasons to Avoid
- Speakers are weak
- Streaming apps are frustrating and quality is inconsistent
- There are lower priced gaming projectors but those lack the performance of the TK700STi
The BenQ TK700STi was built to be the ultimate gaming projector. And it certainly delivers. With 4ms lag time and 240Hz refresh rate, this video game projector is up there with the best gaming monitors.
This ultra high definition projector also delivers outstanding visuals as long as you don't have a discerning eye for detail. Plus it offers Full HD 3D support.
The 3000 Lumen laser light source works fantastically in well lit rooms (especially when paired with an ambient light rejecting projector screen.) The moderately low price tag makes the BenQ TK700STi an excellent choice not just as a gaming projector but as a home theater beamer as well.
-
- Epson LS800
-
Reasons to Buy
- Comes bundled with the screen
- Works fantastically in well lit room
- 16.7ms lag time is incredible for gamers and the lowest of any UST projector.
- Brightest 4k Laser UST currently available.
- Can produce an image size up to 150 inches
- 3 LCD Chipset is “Rainbow Effect” proof
- Available in either black or white chassis
Reasons to Avoid
- No 3D support
- Limited grayscale, gamma and color management
- No dynamic tone mapping, Dolby Vision or HDR10+ Dynamic HDR formats
- Manual lens focus
Many video game enthusiasts want to play in a well lit environment. Most projectors just aren’t bright enough to allow you to do that. As an ultra short throw, The Epson LS800 EpiqVision lets you game in beautiful 4K, even in a well lit living room.
We tested it with the Playstation 5 and it was phenomenal! The vibrancy of the colors, the razor sharp details and the optional and huge 120 inch screen that comes bundled gave us an extra edge for fast paced shooters and other games. It can even produce an image size up to 150 inches!
If you’re looking for a giant screen to play video games on, the Epson LS800 is definitely a phenomenal choice.
-
Best 2024 Projector For An Apartment
As apartment living becomes more prominent in 2024, big screen enthusiasts are going to need a projector that fits in with the limited amount of space available. Here are our top picks for 2024 4K projectors for apartment living:
- XGIMI Horizon Ultra
-
Reasons to Buy
- Low price for 4K resolution projector
- Robust built-in sound system
- Automatic sliding shield protects the lens from dust and damage
- Compact size so it doesn't take up much space
- Autofocus and keystone correction make it easy to set up and move around
Reasons to Avoid
- Only has 2 HDMI ports
- Contrast is somewhat lacking
- Built in speakers are not great
The XGIMI Horizon Ultra placed second at the 2023 Lifestyle Projector Showdown for good reason. This all-in-one projector offers a bright picture with accurate colors, powerful built-in Harman/Kardon speakers and smart tv technology for your favorite streaming apps, making it perfect for apartment living. With 2300 lumens, this apartment projector puts out enough light to allow you watch TV and movies with the lights on.
For gamers, this XGIMI 4K projectors offers a very low 18ms lag time (4K/60Hz).
The stylish beige chassis looks fantastic in any apartment setup.
While we wouldn’t call this a cinephile grade projector, it offers an outstanding picture and is a great option to replace your flatscreen for everyday use. If you want to buy an overall great projector for your apartment, you can't go wrong with the XGIMI Horizon Ultra.
-
- Hisense PX2-Pro
-
Reasons to Buy
- Triple laser light source
- Brighter more vibrant colors
- Sharp image
- Includes built-in TV tuner
- Black body
- Supports Dolby Vision
- Comes with Netflix
Reasons to Avoid
- Limited to 130 inch screen size
- No dynamic tone mapping
- Built-in soundbar is not stellar
- Only has 2 HDMI ports
The triple laser Hisense PX2-Pro is a serious home theater quality projector that’s also bright enough for your living room (especially when paired with an ambient light rejecting screen). The Hisense PX2-Pro provides tremendously vibrant yet comfortingly accurate colors. It's capable of producing 107% of the BT.2020 color space. It also supports Dolby Vision and HDR content.
The simple design allows this living room projector to fit in with practically any interior aesthetic. It does feature a built-in soundbar, although it doesn't perform as well as some of the other USTs out there.
Pictures and videos of the projector in action just don’t fully capture the absolute grandeur of the Hisense PX2-Pro on a UST screen. You must see it for yourself in person. And when you do you’ll exclaim, “I need this!”
Because of its great value, short throw distance and more compact chassis, the Hisense PX2-Pro stands out as a great choice for anyone looking to achieve a big screen experience in their apartment in 2024.
If you don't already have a projector screen or you're looking for a more bright room UST projector, we'd recommend checking out the 3000 lumen Hisense L9H that comes with a bundled UST screen.
-
How We Picked Our Top 2024 4K Projectors
To be called a top rated projector it must deliver outstanding picture quality, while balancing the cost. A home cinema projector needs to perform in different lighting conditions and situational usages. Of course it also needs to be easy to use and points for style.
We chose our favorite 2024 4k projectors based on these criteria:
- Picture Quality
- Contrast Ratio
- Brightness
- Color Accuracy
- Color Gamut
- Price
- Light Source
- What the projector is built for
- Other Features
- Size
- Chassis
- Connectivity
- User interface
What is meant by "Picture Quality"?
Picture quality is without a doubt the most important factor when choosing a projector. There are four aspects to a phenomenal-looking video image. They are the contrast ratio, brightness, color accuracy and color gamut.
Contrast Ratio
Contrast ratio is the difference between the darkest part of the projected image and the lightest part. It is possibly the most important aspect when comparing projectors. A projector with a low contrast ratio will appear flat and boring. It can also make it harder to decipher what’s happening in a darker scene.
Brightness
A projector’s brightness is often considered the second most important factor that makes up the image quality. The light output of a projector determines how bright the image is. If you don’t have enough brightness your image will appear washed out. A cinema room projector doesn’t need to output as many lumens as a regular TV because the light in the room is much more controlled. However in a more well lit environment like a living room, the brightness of the projector becomes very important. Higher brightness also helps with HDR content.
Color Accuracy
The color accuracy of a UHD projector is how true to the source content the colors on the screen appear. If you want to see the image as the director intended you need to get a projector with a high level of color accuracy.
Color Gamut
Color gamut is defined as how many colors a projector can show on a screen. Ultra High Definition content has a much wider color gamut than standard high def, which is a big part of why 4K looks so much better than 1080P. Many cheap 4K projectors lack the ability to fully display the vividness of the reds, greens and blues. Higher end projectors however are completely capable of showing all these different shades of color.
FAQ
What Is 4K Resolution?
The resolution of a screen tells you just how dense are the tiny dots (aka the pixels) that collectively make up the image you see you. The higher the pixel count the higher the resolution. 4K resolution refers to a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. With the “K” standing for “kilo” (thousand)
The majority of 4K displays come with a 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution. This is referred to as 4K UHD and is the 4k standard. You can also find 4K media that uses 4096 x 2160 in the movie projection industry. This is called DCI 4k.
What Is A UHD Projector?
A UHD projector is the same as a 4K projector. It’s a projector with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. UHD stands for ultra high definition. You can use these terms interchangeably.
How Much Is A 4K Projector?
Most 4K projectors cost between $1,800 to $6,000. There are some higher end ultra high definition projectors that are priced at $9,000 and above. The variation in price is a result of a number of factors including throw distance, picture quality, lamp type, chipset and other features included with projector such as built in sound.
Is It Worth Getting A 4K Projector?
If you want superior picture quality it is definitely worth getting a 4K projector. When you put a UHD image next to a 1080P it’s very easy to see the difference. This is particularly true in 2024 as more media is being broadcast and created in 4K, including Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Videos.
Do You Need A 4K Screen For A 4K Projector?
Yes, in order to get a 4K image from a UHD projector you’re going to need to buy a 4K projector screen or better. If you’re paying for a 2024 projector that’s ultra high definition you want to see the picture in 4K. Using a wall, even a white one, is going to have bumps and imperfections that won’t resolve to the proper number of pictures. Cheap movie screens also do not have a smooth enough surface and will distort your image.
Beware of screens that advertise themselves as “4K Ready” as these cinema screens lack the smoothness to display UHD quality video.
We recommend future proofing your investment in your display surface by getting an 8K or even 16K projection screen. This way, as more and more media content is put out in 8K and 16K you can be ready to upgrade your projector without needing to get a new screen to go along with it.