Best Home Theatre Projectors Under $500 in 2022

The idea of having a home cinema is such a surreal feeling, isn’t it? And no, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to build a private screening room. It’s natural to not want to pay thousands of dollars to own a projector for a movie, video playback, or gaming purposes. However, what if we tell you that all of your entertainment needs can be met under 500? 

Yes, you heard it right. With some of the best home theatre projectors under $500, any old space in your home can be turned into the perfect home cinema. Hence, to have the best display and an amazing entertainment experience having a good projector is paramount. So, we’ve compiled a list of the 6 best projectors under $500 that we’ve tested ourselves. 

Let’s first have a look on the most favorite ones.

List Of The Best Home Theater Projectors Under $500

Product	My Rating out of 5
WiMiUs 4K Support Home Theatre Projector	4.2
Anker Nebula Home Theater Projector	4.5
DB Power Projector for Home Theater	4.4
WiMiUs P28 Home Projector	4.6
XNooGo Projector for Theater Use	4.4
Artlii Energon Projector for Home Theater	4.6

How to Buy a Projector Under $500 for Home Theatre?

People and families that enjoy watching series, movies, or games at home and are just not satisfied by watching it on their old flat-screen TV then they can go for an inexpensive home theatre projector. Some people may wonder whether it is better to purchase a home projector or is it better to own a TV. 

The answer to that question is that projectors are better than TVs even though the quality may not be as great as on a TV. And of course, for a projector to work well a dark room is mandatory. The question that remains unanswered is how to get the best home projectors under $500?

Home theatre projectors are of various kinds and their price ranges differ depending on the kind of quality and features that are required by customers. However, going for an affordable home theatre projector is not a total nightmare. Certain factors need to be looked at before buying a projector for households.

1. Room Size

 Before you hop onto the bandwagon to purchase the best affordable projector for home theatre, always remember to first select the room where you want to place the projector and screen and determine its size. Where the projector will be placed and its approximate distance to the screen are essential pointers that you need to be aware of.

2. Installation Position

 Apart from determining the size of the room, it is also essential to consider how the room that the projector is going to be in is used. For families to enjoy and have a comfortable movie experience, the projector should be placed in such a way that avoids any kind of obstructions within the path of the projector. Households should seek an inexpensive home theatre projector that has a side projection capability and horizontal keystone correction. This will ensure that images are aligned smoothly from the sides as well.

3. Flexible Projector

While it is wise to go for a cheap home theatre projector, it is also mandatory to pick out a projector that delivers an excellent movie experience in various lighting conditions. Latest projectors now can provide an amazing cinematic experience whether the lights are on or off. Households that prefer to have the best cheap home theatre projector with an adjustable brightness option then choose a model that consists of 2000-2,400 lumens of brightness.  

Review Guide For Best Projectors Under $500

1. WIMIUS 4K Support Home Theatre Projector

Overview

The WiMiUS 4K support is one the best home theatre projectors under 500 available in the market today. The P18 provides its audience with a full HD (1920x1080p) resolution, keystone correction, incredible picture quality with bright, high-contrast colour (12000:1) as well as movie-friendly aspect ratios of 16:9 and 4:3. Moreover, this projector also supports screen sizes of up to 200 inches, which is great considering the price.

#2 Anker NEBULA Home Theatre Projector 

Overview

With a starting price of $275, It is entirely safe to claim that the Anker NEBULA projector is the perfect model for low-light environments. Built with the latest DLP technology lens merged with 200-ANSI lumen brightness, experiencing an amazing high-class cinematic experience within the comfort of your home is no dream. Moreover, Anker is known for offering an impressive image quality in its price range along with excellent features that enhance the user experience.

Apart from this, it comes with an autofocus technological feature that gives off super sharp images from all angles. Also, this best affordable home theatre projector has an intelligent operating system that allows users to download streaming applications such as Youtube or Netflix with the help of the Nebula Manager Store. The bottom line is no matter what your purpose is of purchasing a projector: entertainment or educational, the Anker Nebula is a choice that will not disappoint. 

#3 DBPOWER Projector for Home Theatre

Overview

Get yourself new binge movies with this versatile projector that includes everything you need to watch movies, stream content from a cell phone, or deliver a presentation. This cheap home theatre projector is entirely capable. It has built-in stereo speakers, a 100,000-hour lamp life with a three-year warranty so it’s your life-long companion. 

DBPower also comes with a USB port so for presentations or any hard-disk media, just insert a USB thumb drive straight into the projector and watch your content play on a maximum screen size of 300 inches. That may not be an ideal size for a home theatre, but considering the price point of $208 and of course the 1080 native resolution, it’s not a bad option!

#4 WiMiUS P28 Home Theatre Projector

Overview

How’s the idea of being able to binge-watch your favourite tv show or play games all night without any eye discomfort? Sounds impossible, right? Well, not with WimIUS P28. This home theatre projector is the one you’ve been looking for all your life. With the help of an automatic image diffusion technology that acts as a protection barrier between your eyes and the screen’s bright light, hence preventing damage to the retina. Thus your eyes feel less strained after spending the whole night watching or playing. Moreover, it has dual internal 10W Hi-Fi speakers which can produce a stereo, loud and clear sound. 

Besides being a user-friendly machine, WiMiUS has several other brilliant features such as it uses breakthrough 4D Keystone Correction technology with the Keystone correction feature which assists in overcoming angles from room limitations. By taking advantage of the 4D ± 50° Keystone editor the projector can be positioned at any angle and you’d still be receiving a sharp, high-quality image. The moral of the story is WiMiUS stands out for the unique features that it has to offer plus its eye-friendly. This makes it a choice that shall make your entertainment experiences more complete, comfortable and enjoyable. 

#5 XNoogo 5G Home Theatre Projector 

Overview

XNoogo surely deserves to be on the list of best home theatre projectors under 500 as it has incredible features to offer such as excellent picture quality, high compatibility, and portability which makes it suitable for outdoor events as well.  Moreover, XNoogo is known for delivering HD visual content, 9600L brightness, and a 10,000:1 aspect ratio. 

With a 3-year warranty and lifetime professional support, say goodbye to any issue or confusion while installing the projector. The XNoogo incorporates the latest WiFi connection which is compatible with Android, iPhone as well as Windows 10 where no expensive adapter is required. You can connect any of your devices with the original cable easily.  

What’s more? With this home theatre projector, you will certainly be having a pleasant viewing experience, thanks to its wide range of 60-450 inches screen. The product also comes with 2 built-in 5 Watt speakers giving you a lifetime of cinematic experience. Even better, connect your PC, Fire Stick TV, Laptop, Tablet, DVD for movies or enjoy games by connecting PS, WII, or Xbox via HDMI port, what else do you need?!

Furthermore, the XNoogo projector also supports screens up to 450”. What do you do with such a large screen? Organise parties and have an epic time watching your favourite movies with friends! 

You might be interested in knowing best day light projectors:

#6 Artlii Energon Projector for Home Theatre  

Overview

Artlii Energon Projectorunder $500 is synonymous with excellence. It is one of the leading models for all those who demand exceptional image quality. To begin with, this machine has a native resolution of 1080P coupled with multiple responsive reflective lenses. As a result, you have a projector that doesn’t compromise on picture quality regardless of whether it is indoor or outdoor. 

Secondly, Energon comes with a total of 242 highly luminous LEDs with a brightness of almost 340 ANSI lumens, bringing you unparalleled cinematic experience; another reason why it must be a priority for movie enthusiasts. 

Furthermore, Energon is equipped with an ultra-fast 5G wifi connection that provides users with a smooth, stable, and lag-free online video streaming experience. Also, there is a Bluetooth connection available as well so you can link your speakers or headphones and enjoy the brilliant sound quality of your favourite music on its built-in stereo speakers.

How to Choose a Home Theatre Projector Under $500?

Now that you’re well updated with the different affordable projectors for home theatre, the question is which one should be chosen. Making the right decision is essential for having a home cinema that matches your requirements. Before jumping on the home theatre bandwagon, there are certain criterias and aspects you need to see and judge. Only then can you make a wise selection.

Placement Location

Firstly, to choose the right projector consider your room size and placement location. Determining the size of the room where you’ll be placing the projector, its position and the maximum distance to the screen (throw distance) is vital as each one has a max and min screen size. For small to medium rooms, the distance from the projector to the screen is normally between 1.5-2.5 metres. While, for larger spaces, the distance should be 2.5 to 4 metres. 

Brightness

The second aspect to be considered should be the brightness output of the machine because it directly impacts the image quality. Choose the projector that gives the best results with lights on or off. If you’re a movie lover and desire an exceptional cinematic experience then look for a model that has 2000-2400 lumens of brightness. On the other hand, to enjoy movies with the lights on so people can interact and move freely then a model with more than 3000 lumens would be the ideal selection. 

Screen Size

Apart from this, keep an eye on other specs and features as well such as screen size, LCD VS DLP, resolution, throw distance, connectivity (HDMI, Bluetooth, USB, WiFi, etc). Make sure you know that LCD units offer better, clearer, and sharper images while DLP units are simpler, economical, and more portable. Keep this difference in mind when deciding among the many projectors. 

How to Set Up Home Theatre Projector Under $500

Once you’ve made the decision, it’s time to set it up. Of Course, it’s not going to work directly after unboxing. You need to do some hard work. Here’s everything you need to know for setting up a home theatre projector!

Basic Settings to Connect Home Theatre Projector

1. The base of setting up any projector is the placement. When you select your preferred projector, decide whether you’d like it to be casted on the wall or the screen. If you choose to project it on the screen then purchase your screen when you get the projector.
   
2. Once the projector has been correctly positioned, it’s time to connect the sources and power up. The most common inputs in any projector are HDMI, composite, component video, and PC monitor ports. To connect any source devices, some general instructions are:

Switch on the projector

You’ll know it is successfully switched on when you see the brand’s logo with a message that the projector is searching for an active input source.

Turn on your desired source you want to connect.

If the projector is unable to detect it, you can easily select it manually using the remote or onboard source selection option. Once detected, choose the projector’s placement (front, rear, etc) from the menu for the right image orientation.

Adjust Projector Screen

Lastly, adjust the projected screen which will probably be the source inputs on the screen menu. After the unit is switched on, choose any default test patterns available across the on-screen menu.

3. After the source device is connected, the image on the screen needs to be positioned at the proper angle as per the placement of the projector. If it’s on a table, raise or lower the unit’s front using the adjustable feet placed at the bottom front. However, if it’s ceiling-mounted, a ladder might be used to achieve a suitable angle that complements the screen. You can also take the help of the additional setup tools available on the majority of the projectors such as keystone correction and lens shift.

4. Zoom and focus options are used to get a crystal clear image. Use the zoom control so the image fills the screen size. Then, use the focus option to make it clear to the eye from where you’re seated. These controls are mostly located on the top of the unit or just behind the lens assembly. However, some projectors may be lacking these options. 

5. The fifth step is to set up the projector to optimise the image quality by making further changes. Firstly, fix the default aspect ratio from the many options available such as 16:9, 16:10, or 4:3. The selection depends on your purpose of using the projector. If it’s being used as a PC monitor, 16:10 is ideal. However, for a full cinematic experience, 16:9 is the best. Settings can always be adjusted if you’re not satisfied.

6. After adjusting the size, the image needs to be set. Most projectors offer a variety of presets such as vivid/dynamic, standard/normal, cinema, etc. 3D presets are also available if the projector supports them. 

To display computer graphics or content, a PC or computer picture setting should be selected if available.

For movies or other recreational activities, standard/normal is the best choice.

The vivid setting increases the colour saturation and contrast quite drastically.

The Cinema preset is generally warm and dim, making it a good choice for nighttime binge-watch.

7. Another thing to keep in mind is like TVs, even projectors come with manual settings for colour, brightness level, tint (hue), and sharpness so you can always change it as per your preference.
   
8.  What is a movie without all the action sounds? For a real home cinema audio experience, it is recommended to incorporate multiple speakers since most video projectors’ built-in speakers are weak and just don’t match with the grand screen. Thus, it would be best to connect your audio source with the projector which is the cheapest alternative. You can connect the speakers via an analog cable, Bluetooth, RC connectors, stereo audio jack, or optical/TOSLINK depending upon what your projector supports. 

Best Home Theatre Projectors: FAQs

How to set up a home theatre system with a projector?

The first thing you need to do is determine your space size then pick out the screen that would suit the size of your room and lastly, determine how you are going to get the content that you want to watch on screen.

What to look for in a home theatre projector?

You need to look and analyse your room size and understand where your projector will be placed exactly, on the front or the side. Finally, choose a home theatre projector that has an adjustable lighting option.

Which projector is best for a home theatre?

One of the best projectors for home theatres is Epson Home Cinema 2150 which costs around $800.

How to buy a projector for a home theatre?

Before buying a projector for your home it is important to consider the size of the room and where the projector will be placed so that the right kind of projector can be bought.

Is it worth buying a projector?

People who want to enjoy the 4K type of content should definitely go for a projector.

What home theatre projector should I buy?

One of the best home theatre projectors that can be bought is Samsung the Premiere.

Bonus Resource: Best Outdoor Projectors 

Conclusion

Having a home theatre is no less than a dream and those who own it definitely realise its perks. For those who aspire to have it but are bound by a limited budget, I’m sure this list of the best home theatre projectors under 500 can fulfil all your wishes. All your Monday blues will be gone when you watch your favourite movie with some popcorn and your loved ones in the comfort of your home!