4K HDR High Lumen Projector
For most people, a good 4K projector for home theaters needs to be bright enough to stand up to ambient light. It also must have good color accuracy, contrast, and shadow detail.
The Epson Pro Cinema LS12000 does all of that and more. This long-throw laser home theater projector can turn your living room into a serious dedicated movie theater.
Colors
A projector with a higher lumen rating can display more colors and brighter whites. It can also show more detail in dark areas of the image. This is especially important when watching movies or playing video games in a well-lit room.
This projector supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, along with Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), which is becoming increasingly popular among image sources. Its expansive color gamut delivers an unprecedented level of detail and brightness that is unmatched by any previous projector.
It features a 3D-ready lens and high-definition video processing for crisp, clear images. The low-dispersion lens minimizes chromatic aberration and delivers accurate color reproduction for 4K HDR high lumen projector realistic images. It’s an excellent choice for dedicated home theaters.
ViewSonic’s X2-4K does an outstanding job of tracking colors, even in low-brightness scenes. Its pre-calibration Delta E of 1.7 is excellent. The MOVIE mode offered the most accurate colors and contrast with a black level that was close to my EOTF target. Its standard and gaming modes also performed well on this test. The only negative I could find was the lack of an HDR RGB Balance setting.
Brightness
The brightness available on a 4K HDR high lumen projector determines the image’s overall light output. This is important for overcoming ambient light in dark home theater environments and maintaining a vibrant, clear picture. The 5000 lumens on this projector are more than enough to handle most ambient light, and its 3,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio ensures images remain sharp and in focus. This projector also supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10.
The Optoma HD25 is a good budget option for a 4K HDR high lumen video projector. It features a powerful lamp that lasts for up to 4,000 hours, so you can enjoy it for years before having to replace the bulb. It has a built-in speaker and is compatible with most HDR Blu-rays and streaming services.
The BenQ HT9060 is an excellent choice for a dedicated home theater. Its 5000 lumens can overcome ambient light in most rooms, and its wide color gamut prevents oversaturated greens and reds. It also has low-dispersion lenses that minimize chromatic aberration. This projector also supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, and it has a wide range of features for customization.
Contrast
Contrast is one of the most important aspects of picture quality. It’s the difference between a washed-out or flat image and one that has life and pops to it. While some TV technologies can create a true black, projectors can only create an image that’s darker than black, which is why most have contrast ratios in the thousands and are often called “high-definition.”
The JVC LX-NZ8 may be pricey but its high-end features make it worth the money. It supports HDR10 and HLG, and its powerful Auto Tone Mapping delivers a stunning HDR image every time you watch. It also has a Theater Optimizer feature that takes your screen size and surface gain into account to wring out every last drop of dynamic range.
Most 4K projectors can handle gaming and home entertainment, but the Epson 5050UB is the best of the bunch. Its contrast ratio is excellent, it has impressive brightness and it delivers accurate color and better detail than you can get from a 1080p model. Plus, it has extensive lens shift and motorized zoom.
Resolution
The resolution available on a 4K HDR projector varies widely depending on the model you choose. Some have native resolutions of up to 8.3 million pixels, while others feature lower-resolution imagers and are better suited for 1080p content. Most models also support 3D, making them a great option for a home cinema.
The best 4K HDR projectors have a brightness rating of up to 5000 lumens, which can easily overcome ambient light. The Christie Eclipse 4K RGB pure laser projector, for example, has a brightness of up to 20,000,000:1 and offers a wide color gamut. This allows the projector to display vibrant, lifelike images, even in bright rooms.
The BenQ HT9060 is an excellent choice for those looking to create a dedicated home theater. Its THX-certified DLP 4K UHD LED 4K outdoor projector HDR performance provides stunning picture quality with 8.3 million distinct pixels without panel-related artifacting. It also features a low-dispersion lens to minimize chromatic aberration for realistic images. In addition, the HT9060 has a high native contrast ratio of up to 3,000,000:1. Its brightness is enough to overcome most ambient light and its HDR capabilities deliver an exceptional visual experience.
Weight
The JVC DLA-NX7 is one of the best projectors for 4K HDR with a high native contrast ratio. This is achieved with its 3rd generation 0.69-inch native 4K D-ILA device. The NX7 also has a Cinema Filter which enhances color depth, giving it a rich and detailed image quality.
Ignore the spec sheets that tout crazy million-to-one contrast ratios and insane brightness ratings. These are often divorced from reality. The ViewSonic X2-4K is no exception. It uses a high-quality RGB LED light source that produces accurate colors especially after calibration with vColortuner.
This is an excellent 4K projector that’s primarily designed for gaming. It has a dedicated gaming mode that’s tuned to optimize the look of HDR content when playing games. It also has a movie and video mode that’s great for viewing movies and TV shows. It has built-in Wi-Fi and a USB Type-C port that allows you to connect your mobile devices and charge them simultaneously. It supports Google Assistant so you can easily control the projector using your voice. Its multi-element all-glass lens assembly is also impressive, delivering good resolution with an even focus from edge to edge.