Full HD projectors are ideal for setting up a home theater system. Basically, all 1080p video projector models will offer an excellent image quality, thanks to the full HD resolution. Nonetheless, there are differences between various brands and models, which can make a particular projector more suitable than others for a specific case.
For instance, if you want a brighter image, so you can have a good visibility even when you can’t obtain complete darkness in the room, you may want to choose a projector with a higher brightness level and with better contrast. This article focuses on five of the best HD 1080p projectors, so you can compare and choose the one that suits you most.
Epson 8350
The contrast ratio of up to 50,000:1 and the 2000 lumens brightness offer a sharp and crystal-clear image and make the Epson 8350 an excellent choice for situations when you want to have the lights on in the room and still be able to see the images.
Epson Powerlite 8350 Home Cinema
Based on the 3LCD and C2Fine technology, this projector offers rich and vibrant colors and a reliable performance.
The aspect ratio of Epson 8350 is 16:9 native, but it is also compatible with 4:3 and 16:9 formats. The projector has three image modes available: Normal, Full and Zoom. The 2:1 zoom allows the projector to be placed at 10-15 feet distance from the screen and still offer a great image, therefore you may not need a formal installation, since putting it on a bookshelf would be perfectly fine.
BenQ W1080ST
The best thing about this projector is the short throw lens. By using a BenQ W1080ST, one can put it only 1m away from the screen or the wall and produce a 65-inch image. This makes it particularly interesting for people who want to setup a home cinema, but only have small rooms available.
BenQ W1080ST Short Throw DLP Home Theater Projector in 3D
Another advantage is that, if you have a bigger living room, you’ll be able to put the projector further away from the audience, therefore minimizing the background noise. It’s also great for Wii gaming sessions, because you can stand behind the projector and not in front of it while playing.
The BenQ W1080ST features 10,000:1 contrast ratio and a brightness of 2000 ANSI lumens. It has the 3D facility via DLP link, but it doesn’t come with 3D glasses, so you’ll have to buy them separately.
Optoma HD25
The Optoma HD25 is another single-chip DLP projector which features full HD resolution and active 3D playback. Unlike the BenQ W1080ST, Optoma HD25 comes with a pair of 3D glasses included.
Optoma HD25 3-D Home Theater Projector with 2000 ANSI Lumens
The contrast ratio of 20,000:1 and the brightness of 2000 lumens ensure a good quality image for this price segment, with images visible even in daylight.
The main downside of this projector is a slight rainbow effect which can be disturbing at times. Another issue worth mentioning is the running noise of this projector, which worsens especially when the Dynamic Black feature gets activated.
Mitsubishi HC4000
The Mitsubishi HC4000 is a small projector, therefore it can perfectly blend into a back ceiling, when using an appropriate mount. The lamp is estimated to have a life of 5000 hours in low mode usage. This native 1080p projector features a contrast ratio of 4,000:1 and a brightness of 1300 lumens.
Mitsubishi HC4000 300-inch HD Projector
It has manual focus and a zoom lens with 1.5:1 zoom ratio. This helps improving image depth. The DLP Dark Chip 3 provides a very sharp picture and good black levels. The color is good without any external calibration, but if you set the brightness on very high level, it may cause the image to shift towards green.
The projector has virtually no ghosting, the immediate response making it excellent for video gaming.
Panasonic PT-AE7000U
The Panasonic PT-AE7000U video projector has a native resolution of 1920×1080, a brightness of 2000 ANSI lumens and a throw distance range of 7.8 inch – 29.6 inch. Unlike many of its competitors, Panasonic PT-AE7000U comes with 3 HDMI inputs, unlike other brands which only have 2 such inputs.
Panasonic PT-AE7000U Full-HD 3D projector
The excellent contrast ratio of 300,000:1 produces excellent images, with bright colors and fine shadow details. It is the first 3D projector that uses 480Hz transparent LCD panels, which result in a very low crosstalk.
Another interesting feature is the 2D-3D conversion. This allows you to view bi-dimensional content in 3D, with five 3D effect modes possible. Overall, the projector features 7 different image modes, in order to allow for maximum customization. The built-in 3D infrared transmitter has a maximum transmission distance of about 20 feet. This distance can be enhanced to 33 feet by using an optional infrared transmitter.
The Dynamic Iris Pro feature analyzes the brightness level of each image, then automatically makes adjustments to the lamp power and the iris, in order to create the best image possible. This means both bright and dark scenes will look great, without the need of any manual adjustments.
The Detail Clarity Processor 3 helps optimizing each part of an image, based on the analysis of the video signal frequency. This makes images appear extremely natural.
The Panasonic PT-AE7000U projector has many possible adjustments. For instance, you can have independent horizontal and vertical sharpness adjustment. The Picture Memory allows you to store up to 16 different picture adjustment settings, by giving them custom names,which will be easy to remember later on.
The projector comes with a wireless remote control unit powered by two AA/R6 type batteries.