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The best budget projectors for movie nights in 2024
Make movie-watching even more fun
Now is the perfect time to nail down your home entertainment setup with one of these top affordable movie projectors.
Allow us to set the scene: you're surrounded by your favourite snacks and are in a duvet cocoon. You've lined up your favourite movie and your projector is beaming it on your wall at 100-plus inches. Who wouldn't want to watch a classic like The Breakfast Club, Taylor Swift’s Eras tour movie or the live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix on a much more cinema-like scale? Just imagine the viewing party possibilities.
Or, for a chilled solo night at home, why not string up loads of fairy lights alongside your projected rom-com of choice, creating a cute self-care den. What could be better? Because let's face it, our television (and/or laptop) isn't cutting it. And we're all still snuggling up during the cold, dark nights - we say draw the curtains and power up the projector.
Just want the top budget projector picks? Here they are:
Best budget projectors
Before you invest in a home projector, especially a more affordable model, there are some things you need to consider:
- The resolution: you can get everything from cheaper HD-ready 720p projectors to cutting-edge HDR displays, so figure out how often you're going to use yours and what you're actually after
- The picture quality, or contrast ratio: this looks at how well the projector will recreate blacks and whites. The bigger the ratio, the better the performance (e.g. 400,000:1 is very good, 2,000:1 means the image will look murky)
- The brightness of the projector: This is rated in ANSI lumens, with home projector setups usually landing somewhere between 400 and 4,000 lumens
- The throw distance - aka, how far away from the wall or screen you need to place your projector, which obviously impacts how much space you have.
- Streaming service features - Some of the newer projector offerings can link up to your streaming services from the device, meaning you can seamlessly use the likes of Netflix and Disney+ without having to grab a streaming stick.
Once you've got all that in hand, you're good to go with choosing the best one for you! Scroll through for projector options for every budget.
Simon Cocks is Hearst UK’s Technology Ecommerce Editor, overseeing tech shopping content and strategy across a range of titles including Good Housekeeping UK, Esquire UK, Digital Spy, Men’s Health UK and Women’s Health UK. Simon specialises in testing the latest smart gadgets, home entertainment gear, headphones, speakers, portable chargers, radios, ebook readers and smartphones. He's reviewed top tech products from brands including Google, Apple, Amazon, JBL and Bose.
A magazine journalism graduate from Kingston University in 2014, Simon also worked on the Discovery and Silkroad inflight magazines. He then gained experience writing about entertainment at SFX and Total Film. He also contributed reviews and interviews to TwitchFilm (later ScreenAnarchy), CultBox and Frame Rated.
He joined Good Housekeeping UK as the Editorial Assistant for Special Projects and was part of Good Housekeeping’s Consumer Affairs Team between 2014 and 2019. In this role, he conducted price comparison research, wrote detailed household and money-saving advice guides and edited thousands of in-depth reviews for the Good Housekeeping Institute.
He has focused on technology and gadgets since 2020, where he started by testing out power banks and instant cameras. He writes reviews, roundups, news articles and deals updates, and also covers top tech deals during sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
When not testing out the latest gizmos, you’ll find Simon either catching up with the newest releases at his local cinema or out shooting with his beloved compact camera.
You can follow Simon on Instagram at @simonrcocks, on Threads at @simonrcocks, and on Twitter/X at @simoncocks.
Jason Murdock was Hearst UK’s Deputy Technology Ecommerce Editor, contributing to multiple titles including Good Housekeeping, Esquire and Digital Spy, between 2022 and 2023.
With more than eight years’ experience covering tech at publications including Radio Times, Newsweek and the International Business Times, Jason has extensive knowledge of the latest gear and gadgets – reviewing phones, tablets, laptops, headphones, smart home products and more – and covering the biggest shopping events of the year, including Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.
He won Digital Writer of the Year at The Drum's Online Media Awards in 2017 for his cybersecurity coverage in the International Business Times. When not writing and testing the latest gadgets, you’ll find Jason playing the guitar or learning how to parent his new baby.
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