Ultra short throw projectors are great for getting a big image if you don’t have the space for a standard projector. Here are some of the best available.
Home theater projectors are becoming a much more viable alternative to spending tons of money on a huge TV that you either can’t afford or can’t fit through the doors in your house or apartment. And while more traditional standard- or long-throw projectors that need enough space and distance from the screen are more viable, they’re still a challenge for those without the living room real estate.
Enter short throw and ultra short throw (UST) projectors. These projectors can beam huge images in excess of 120 inches on your wall of screen from mere feet or inches away, making much better use of tight spaces.
Short throw and UST projectors are often powered by advanced laser lighting technology that offers beautiful 4K resolution and features such as HDR contrast and even some decent built-in sound so you don’t necessarily have to fork over even more cash for a soundbar or sound system.
While UST and short throw projectors can be pricey, ranging anywhere from $1,000 to more than $6,000, and often require a special ambient light rejecting (ALR) screen, if a big-picture theater at home is what you’re after, one of these projectors is the way to go. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the best short throw and ultra short throw projectors on the market right now, hitting a variety of price points.
Samsung LSP9T PremiereBest overall UST projector
Samsung’s ultra short throw projector has an excellent collection of specs that guarantee a high-end home theater experience while also saving a bunch of space. That includes a 2,800-lumen bulb that ensures images will be visible even in bright-room conditions, 4K resolution at up to a 130-inch image size, and Samsung’s own Tizen smart TV platform for browsing apps and more.
This ultra short throw project also comes with 30-watt speakers, and while projector speakers aren’t generally that impressive (we highly suggest getting a full sound system), these plus the built-in subwoofer are better than traditional TV speakers. It’s also a smart projector with support for Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung’s own Bixby voice assistant, so you don’t have to get up when you can turn the projector on or search for a show with basic voice commands.
Like many short throw projectors, Samsung’s model is also fairly portable if you’d like to move it to different locations and doesn’t require the same sort of calibration each time that other types of projectors may require. It’s a complete package, although the price may deter some buyers.
BenQ V5000i 4K UST laser projectorGreat for gamers, excellent built-in sound
The BenQ V5000i is a big and bold 4K, triple laser RGB ultra short throw projector with a beautifully bright and clear 2,500-lumen picture that excels in a dark room. And with BenQ’s Pro-HDR tech (with support for HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG), colors and contrast are excellent, too, even with some light in the room.
The V5000i is BenQ’s follow-up to the single-laser V7050i on our list, and its 100-inch picture blew me away during my review. It features a wide range of picture settings for you to choose from — including Bright, Cinema Bright, and Filmmaker mode — and adjustable manual settings to help you dial it in. Gamers won’t be left out in the cold either, as the V5000i features Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and a 120Hz refresh rate at 4K.
Like with most projectors (and even the best TVs), you’re probably going to want to upgrade to a soundbar or even connect it to your AV receiver for better sound, but give the V5000i’s built-in 40-watt speaker system a try first — it actually sounds pretty good in a pinch.
For a little extra money, you can get the V5000i with a 100-inch ambient light rejecting (ALR) screen to ensure the best possible brightness, color, and contrast. The BenQ V5000i also comes with a Google TV dongle built-in, so you can get streaming through all your services in no time. With three additional HDMI ports (two HDMI 2.0 and one HDMI 2.1), you can also connect streaming devices or a Blu-ray player, too.
Hisense PX1-PROBest UST for color reproduction
Hisense’s TriChrome engine is the real highlight of this ultra short throw laser projector, able to reach 107% coverage of the BT.2020 color gamut: that means extra color accuracy, which is always an important consideration for projectors. Combine it with the peak brightness of 2,200 lumens, and you won’t have to worry about losing any image detail if you’re switching from a TV. It also provides a 4K image at up to 130 inches.
We love to see a projector supporting the Dolby Atmos sound format as well. Add in the HDMI eARC support for easy passthrough connections for modern speakers, and this is one of the best projectors for sound quality you can find. Thanks to its Android TV platform, it’s also friendly for Google app users and supports casting video using the Chromecast tools.
If there’s any downside here, it’s that 130 inches is a fairly large space, and you’ll need a lot of room for a screen that large, which may not fit in every home theater space.
LG Cinebeam HU715QWAnother great ultra short throw all-rounder
Combine the impressive 2,500 lumens with 4K technology backed by LG’s XPR tech, add in support for HDR10, and this projector can really deliver an image to make your friends jealous. It’s another model that includes Dolby Atmos and HDMI eARC to benefit your careful speaker setup, too.
The platform also uses LG’s ThinQ smart tech, which means you can give voice commands if you like. Screen sharing is supported via AirPlay 2, Miracast, and more. There are also some handy modes here, including different brightness modes for medium light, bright rooms, dark rooms, and others. Unfortunately, the two 20-watt speakers could be more impressive, so this is another example of why you’d really want an external sound system or soundbar to use as well.
