Every projector gets a score from 0 to 100% built from eight factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Projectors are ranked within their type: 1080p and under (by native panel), 4K (including pixel shift 4K) and ultra short throw.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Brightness | rated ANSI or ISO lumens | 25% |
| Value | price per lumen | 15% |
| Resolution | native panel resolution | 10% |
| Streaming | built-in apps with licensed Netflix | 15% |
| Setup | autofocus, auto keystone, zoom and lens shift | 10% |
| Light life | rated light source life | 10% |
| Gaming | input lag | 10% |
| Warranty | warranty length | 5% |
Where the numbers come from
Specs come from the maker’s product page, spec sheet or manual, with Projector Central’s spec database for figures the maker leaves out. Prices are checked on Amazon.
Brightness counts only when it’s rated to a standard: ANSI lumens, or ISO 21118 lumens, which are measured the same way and are what Epson calls “color and white brightness” and what XGIMI, Dangbei and others call ISO lumens. Figures labelled just “lumens”, “LED lumens” or “light source lumens” follow no standard and can be ten times the real output, so they’re ignored.
Some cheap projectors now put “ANSI” on figures they can’t reach: 3,000 to 6,000 ANSI lumens on a $150 to $400 projector, when established makers’ certified 3,000 lumen models cost more and draw several times the power. A rating of 1,000 lumens or more on a projector under $400 that rests only on the seller’s own listing or store page, with no test certificate or independent measurement behind it, is shown on the product page but scored as unrated.
The factors
Brightness is scored on a log scale, because the eye sees brightness that way: doubling the lumens looks like a step up, not twice as bright. Each type has its own scale:
| Type | Scores 0 | Full marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 150 lumens | 3,500 lumens |
| 4K | 500 lumens | 4,000 lumens |
| Ultra short throw | 1,000 lumens | 4,000 lumens |
A projector with no ANSI or ISO rating, or with a rating that isn’t credible, scores zero here, not the neutral middle, since an unrated figure says nothing about what you’ll see.
Value is the price divided by rated lumens:
| Type | Scores 0 | Full marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | $1.00 per lumen | $0.15 per lumen |
| 4K | $2.00 per lumen | $0.30 per lumen |
| Ultra short throw | $2.00 per lumen | $0.50 per lumen |
Resolution is the native resolution of the panel or chip, not the highest signal it accepts. Many cheap projectors say “1080p supported” or “4K supported” on a 1280 x 720 panel or lower: they take a 1080p or 4K signal but scale it down, so the picture has a fraction of the detail. A native 1080p panel scores full marks, a 720p panel 30% and anything lower zero. Many small DLP portables sold as 1080p use a 0.23 inch chip with 960 x 540 mirrors that shifts each frame to put 1,920 x 1,080 pixels on screen: sharper than a 720p panel but softer than a true 1080p chip, so it scores 70%. Every 4K projector scores full marks, whether its chip is native 4K or uses pixel shifting, since both put all of a 4K picture’s pixels on screen. The native resolution is listed on each product page alongside the picture resolution.
Streaming: built-in apps with officially licensed Netflix (Google TV, Roku TV and some makers’ own systems) score full marks. Built-in apps without licensed Netflix score half, since Netflix then needs a streaming stick or a workaround. No built-in apps scores zero.
Setup credits the features that save fiddling each time you move the projector: autofocus and automatic keystone (or automatic fit to the screen) are 30% each, and optical zoom and lens shift, which let you place the projector where it suits the room without distorting the picture, are 20% each. An ultra short throw sits at a fixed spot below the screen and has no use for zoom or lens shift, so it’s scored on autofocus and keystone alone.
Light life is the rated life of the light source in its longest-lasting mode: 4,000 hours scores zero and 20,000 hours full marks. LED and laser projectors reach 20,000 hours or more; a lamp typically lasts 4,000 to 12,000 and then needs replacing.
Gaming is the lowest input lag the maker publishes, in any mode: 50 ms scores zero and 8 ms full marks. Many 4K projectors reach their lowest lag only at 1080p and a high refresh rate; the product page notes the mode.
Warranty: 1 year scores zero and 3 years full marks.
What isn’t scored
Contrast ratios are listed but not scored. Makers mostly quote dynamic contrast, measured with the light source dimmed between an all-white and an all-black frame, which says little about a real picture, and native contrast is published too rarely to compare. Color gamut, HDR formats, speakers, fan noise and weight are listed but not scored. Independent measurements are shown where they exist, but there are too few to score.
Missing data
If a figure other than brightness isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each type. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.