Best Short Throw Projectors

Optoma GT1080Darbee: Diverse Short-Throw Full HD Projector

Need a versatile projector with the short throw, large screen, good brightness, flexible connectivity, and don’t want to spend a fortune? Then, the Optoma GT1080Darbee will definitely top the list. This 180p projector features the high contrast and bright lamp, can be used in a small condo apartment or in the backyard, has full 3D compatibility, and is easily adjustable.

The projector can be used for different purposes including gaming, TV- and movie watching, screen mirroring, etc. It’s very responsive, has good speakers, and is promised to last for long.

Design

The grilled sides and front panel, large lens placed in a half-open funnel, and side connection ports make the GT1080Darbee stand out among many of the competitors. The focus control wheel and the navigation buttons are located on the top and are well outlined for easy operation.

The projector is quite compact is 12.4 inches wide, 8.8 inches deep, and 4 inches high. Its low weight (just 5.5 lbs) lets shift it around easily to find the optimal placement. The included remote has the ergonomic shape and protruding buttons that can be backlit for navigating the projector in the dark room.

Features

The primary highlight of the Optoma GT1080Darbee review is the proprietary technology of image processing and enhancement called Darbee. The DLP technology ensures good contrast and deep blacks while the Darbee mode produces more small detail and textures. The projector supports the 28,000:1 contrast on the 1-million pixel screen of the native Full HD resolution. The 3D is supported in two modes and can be produced through both HDMI ports (version 1.4a).

The Optoma GT1080Darbee manual shows the projector has a long lamp life varying from 5,000 hours in the Vivid mode to 8,000 hours in the Dynamic Black mode. The brightness makes 3,000 lumens in the dark room. The projector can produce the image from 30 to 300 inches; with the short-throw technology enabling the 100-inch screen from just 4 feet distance.

The connections are versatile including the HDMI, audio and video RCA ports, 12V trigger, and USB for power. The HDMI connections are MHL-compatible. The wireless connection goes through the relevant devices enabling the TV and movie streaming and screen mirroring with mobile devices. The integrated speakers have 10W capacity and produce the mono sound. The input lag makes 16ms, and the projector’s noise is usually below the 30 dB.

Performance

The high contrast of the Optoma GT1080Darbee projector combined with the sRGB color scheme results in a balanced and detailed picture. The Darbee mode activated, the shades become deep and distinct, the gray uniformity is very high. Whites are solid and don’t feature cool hues. The color mapping is very accurate, with distinct highlights.

The 3D image is full and balanced, with a little of “blur artifact”. The 3D picture preserves the high resolution and detail, and vivid color. The brightness is generally even over the screen making the picture vivid and natural.

The Game mode provides highly dynamic and bright image especially with the Darbee mode on. There’s almost no flare produced and the motion is consistent and sharp.

The Optoma GT1080Darbee 1080p projector works well with multiple sources including Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, streaming devices, etc. The sound produced by the device is quite loud though doesn’t feature much bass. The working noise is very low and is audible only in the silent scenes.

Epson LS100: Transportable TV Substitution with 4000 ANSI Lumens

The Epson LS100 review reveals that this ultra short-throw projector is positioned as an alternative to traditional TV. It means that you should choose the quality sources (1920×1080 Full HD and 3840×2160 Ultra HD). The insufficient-quality sources with low bitrate will create artifacts, noise, and other unpleasant things, which can spoil the whole impression.

Design

The device has average dimensions (19.4 x 17.2 x 7.4 inches) and weighs 24.3 pounds, but it still belongs to the transportable units. If necessary, the projector can be easily carried from room to room. The connector panel is located on the left rear side. The panel is covered by a removable lid. There’s a built-in control panel on the right side, which is rather useful in case you lose your remote. The model is equipped with 3 HDMI ports and can be integrated into your home media network using the LAN connector or an optional Wi-Fi adapter. The Epson Home Cinema LS100 review demonstrates that the unit is endowed with a built-in speaker system (16W mono) and you can connect sound sources to it (there is a 3.5mm audio input jack).

Features

The Epson Home Cinema LS100 has a high brightness level (4000 ANSI lumens) and this indicator allows you to successfully use the device in a living room filled with sunlight. The latest Epson matrixes (3LCD system) with a resolution of 1920x1200 in combination with a unique laser light source (that is able to dynamically vary brightness) provide a truly cinematic contrast level – 2.500.000: 1, which fully displays all the nuances of the play of light and shadow. It has a lifespan of about 30.000 hours, so there’s no need to periodically change the lamp as in an average projector.

Performance

The Epson Home Cinema LS100 laser projector mounting should be performed on a table, directly in front of the screen (in contrast to the traditional long-throw projectors, which should be located close to the rear wall of the room or under the ceiling). The Epson LS100 is designed for use in a living room or apartment with natural light, so it is brighter but not rich in contrast like classic home theater projectors. A dark-gray border around the image is noticeable even in a dimly lit room. Moreover, the horizontal stripes, when viewing widescreen content, differ from the screen color. Vivid scenes pleased me with believability, the accuracy of shades, and smooth color transitions. The rainbow effect is absent and there’s an ability to manually adjust the gamma to draw out shadows when needed. The Normal power consumption mode makes the projector operate at maximum brightness and the noise level is noticeable in quiet movie scenes, but it is easy to get used to it. The Quiet mode greatly reduces the noise, but the brightness drops to 66% of the maximum.

The BenQ W1080ST Projector is a great choice for those looking to take their home entertainment experience up a notch. This 1080p projector uses DLP technology and its short-throw lens allows it to project an image of 100" from just 2 meters away, making it ideal for smaller rooms or tight spaces. The 2000 ANSI lumens brightness ensures that images remain crisp even in ambient light conditions, while the 10W built-in speaker provides excellent sound without requiring external speakers. With versatile inputs including HDMI and USB ports as well as support for 3D content via active shutter glasses (sold separately), this projector offers something special no matter what your chosen form of media may be.

Optoma UHD51A — High-Contrast Short-Throw 4K Projector with Quiet Operation

Here’s the detailed Optoma UHD51A review. The projector features native UHD quality, HDR10 compatibility, enhanced color mode, versatile connections, and regulation mechanisms. This device creates a high-quality image on a short distance while preserving the sharp detail on the large screen as well.

The high zoom capacity and keystone regulation make up for various installation positions, while the size and weight factor might become an issue in tight spaces. The native sound is quite loud and distinct adding up to the high value of this middle-priced 4K projector.

Design

The Optoma UHD51A has a distinctive design that reminds of other Optoma models while retaining an individual look. The body is black, with the grilled front panel and sides and shiny top panel. The horizontal aluminum strip and the alike lens rim make an individual accent. The device is quite big (5.1-inch tall, 15.4-inch wide, and 11.1-inch deep) and heavy at 11.7 lbs requiring a sturdy mounting stand for the wall or ceiling installation.

The top panel contains the operational buttons and zoom and focus regulating dials (the latter can be hidden under the sliding panel). The backside houses the connection ports (HDMI, USB, VGA, mini-jack, etc.). The remote is a small black bar with the minimum buttons, which are quite tall and intuitive to use.

Features

As can be read in the Optoma UHD51A manual, the projector is equipped with DLP chipset and the 2,400-lumen lamp with the 4,000-15,000 hour resource. The color matrix is based on the DCI-P3 technology and supported by the 6x RGBRGB wheel producing over 1 billion colors. The device is fully compatible with HDR10 and implements the Rec.2020 format.

The resolution is the native 4K representing 8 million pixels simultaneously. The Ultra Detail and Dynamic Black technologies enable the contrast ratio of 500,000:1. The projector also supports the 3D video format.

The projector can create the 30 - 300-inch display at 3.4 - 26.4ft. It has the 1.3x manual and digital zoom and the vertical regulation of the lens and focus.

Connectivity is represented with two 2.1 HDMI ports, three USB type-A ports, the LAN input, audio input and output, the VGA port. The UHD51A is compatible with Alexa and Echo voice command devices.

The speakers produce the stereo sound at 10W. The inner fan noise is rated at 28 dB.

Performance

The variety of the picture modes brings flexibility and provides the optimal settings for the different conditions of use (environment light, content played, and consumption). The utmost clarity and color accuracy and saturation are provided in the Cinema mode while the Bright mode can bring some halo around the peaks in the HDR. Both SDR and HDR formats feature a lot of detail and well-textured shades.

The Optoma UHD51A projector is compatible with numerous devices and is easy to set up. The graphic interface is easy to navigate and informative. Hooking up the Alexa or Echo device, you can control the volume, power on and off, input switching, and USB media via the voice commands.

The sound quality is good, with the distinct stereo separation and clear dialogs. The volume can be adjusted quite high to fill the middle-sized room. The integrated fan works quietly becoming slightly louder in the heavy-load Bright and Cinema modes.

The ViewSonic PJD5553LWS Short Throw Projector is an ideal option for classrooms and offices. It offers a bright 3200 lumens of brightness, making it easy to read even in well-lit rooms. The projector also has a short throw lens with 0.49:1 ratio that allows users to project images from just 2 feet away while still achieving clear image quality up to 120 inches on the screen at WXGA 1280 x 800 resolution. Its intuitive design includes an adjustable vertical keystone correction so you can easily adjust the picture without distorting its shape or size, as well as 1W built-in speakers for audio output — perfect when you need sound but don't have access to external equipment like speaker systems or amplifiers