10 Best contrast ratio Projectors
for September 2023

The Optoma EH200ST is a mid-range projector that offers all of the features you need for both home entertainment and educational presentations. It has a 20,000:1 contrast ratio, which is among the highest values you'll find in a projector under $1,000. The EH200ST is also good at handling motion, with fast image transitions and fairly low latency. Its native resolution is 854 by 480 pixels, but its highest resolution is 1280 by 800, which is the resolution that most Blu-ray movies play at (and the resolution that Netflix recommends). The EH200ST's image can get a bit bright, but it has several useful brightness adjustment options, including an auto brightness feature, a brightness setting, and a manual brightness setting. The EH200ST's image quality also varies depending on how far it is from the screen, which indicates that it's best used on a screen that's at least 5 to 10 feet from the projector. The EH200ST also has a USB port for connecting an external drive.

The BenQ MH733 is bright, offers superior image quality, and is compatible with pretty much any input type. It offers a good range of connectivity options, including HDMI, VGA, and 3.5mm audio, and it's easy to use and set up. The projector's native resolution is 1920x1080, which is enough for a high-definition picture. The MH733's 1600 lumens output is bright enough for a well-lit room, and the lamp life on this model is 15,000 hours. The MH733's contrast ratio is 16,000:1, which is excellent for a color image. The MH733's image quality is sharp, and its color accuracy is great. The MH733's color reproduction is particularly good, with well-saturated colors. The MH733's black levels are good, but the projector's image can drift toward gray in dark scenes. The MH733's image also lacks fine detail. The MH733's image is a bit bright, so it may not be appropriate for watching very dark movies. The MH733's lens shift is not as deep as you'd find on projectors with more resolution, and there's no vertical keystone correction or auto vertical keystone correction, so you can't place the screen level with the projector without adjusting the vertical keystone. The MH733 is a good choice for office presentations, game room entertainment, and home cinema.

The Epson VS260 3-chip 3LCD projector costs less than a third of the price of its competitor, the Optoma HD142X. Even though it has a similar brightness rating, the VS260 (or the HD142X) produces better-quality images. The Optoma's colors were noticeably more vivid, and its contrast was much better. The VS260 is a step down in quality from Epson's previous-generation VS220, but if you're on a budget and don't need the absolute best image quality, the VS260 is a great option. Its image quality is decent for watching movies and TV shows, and it's bright enough for most presentations and classroom use. The VS260's auto-skew detection works as advertised, but if you're displaying a video with an uneven horizon, you'll need to manually adjust the image. The VS260 has a built-in speaker, which makes it easy to hook up audio, but you'll still need a sound system. The VS260 has the smallest footprint of any projector we tested, so it fits well on desks and tabletops.

The F-1080P projector from BIGASUO is a moderately-priced, bright projector that features 1080p resolution and 3,500 ANSI lumens of brightness. It's compatible with a wide range of media, including DVDs, CDs, memory cards, USB thumb drives, and HDMI and VGA inputs. It can reach an impressive 100-inch projected image size, though it's a little dimmer at 100 inches than at 50 inches, which might not be ideal for movies. The focus is on visuals, rather than on audio, so the projector has a low-wattage speaker that uses internal speakers for audio. The F-1080P's menu system is easy to navigate, and the projector's remote is responsive and has buttons for switching between sources. Although the projector's keystone correction is manual, it's intuitive and easy to use, and it's easy to zoom in and out on an image. We also like the projector's short throw distance, which makes it easy to project an image from a short distance. The F-1080P's image isn't as sharp as our pick for best projector for movies, but it's good enough for most use, including watching movies and presentations.

The Epson Home Cinema 2250 3LCD projector is an excellent choice for anyone looking for the ability to project media from their smartphones or tablets. The projector's image quality is also excellent, with crisp, clear images from its 3LCD projection engine and an impressive 70,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. The Home Cinema 2250 excels in brightness, delivering 2,700 lumens of color and white brightness, which is more than enough for outdoor viewing. The Home Cinema 2250 also has a powerful built-in speaker, which, combined with the excellent image quality, makes it an excellent choice for home theaters. The Home Cinema 2250's built-in Android TV makes it easy to watch your favorite streaming apps, including Hulu, HBO, YouTube, and Netflix. Its simple-to-use remote includes voice search, which makes finding content easy. The Home Cinema 2250 is easy to set up, and it can run for up to 10 hours on a single charge. It also has two HDMI inputs, so you can add a second source to the projector, such as a game console. The Home Cinema 2250 is a bit more expensive than some projectors, but it's well worth the money, and it's the easiest way to stream media from your smartphone or TV to your home theater.

The BenQ MW612 offers bright, colorful images, and its 4000 ANSI lumens make it a bright projector for a small room. The MW612's images are bright enough to see even in well-lit rooms, and it has a 4000:1 contrast ratio, which delivers deep blacks and bright whites. Its images are sharp, and the black level isn't grainy. The MW612 has a 2.1 speaker system, and it's loud enough for presentations in a medium to large room, but it's nothing special. The projector also has a small, moveable kickstand, so it's portable enough for tabletop use. The MW612's image also gets a little washed out on bright days, but its wide brightness range is helpful for outdoor use. The MW612's image quality is consistent, and the image doesn't shift in any direction, even at fast motion. The MW612 has dual HDMI inputs, and you can connect a streaming device, a games console, or a computer easily. The MW612's menus are easy to use, but they aren't as intuitive as the ones on our previous top pick, the Optoma EH500. The MW612's lamp life isn't great, and we would recommend changing it after about 2,000 hours. The MW612 also has one USB input, but it's useful for connecting a USB flash drive, a mouse, or a card reader. The MW612's remote control is large, which makes it easy to find and type.

The InFocus IN119HDx is a budget projector that packs an impressive punch for its price. The projector's 3200-lumen brightness and 15,000:1 contrast ratio make it bright enough to be usable as a secondary TV in a home theater setup, and its 1080p native resolution means that images will look detailed and crisp. The projector has a 1.15-to-1.5 throw ratio, so it projects images only a short distance from the screen. The IN119HDx is portable enough to take with you, but it's heavy enough that it's not ideal for travel. The projector has HDMI, VGA, composite video, and 3.5mm audio in/out ports, but it lacks an HDMI port for connecting a Blu-ray player or gaming console. The projector also has one speaker, which can get fairly loud. The IN119HDx works well as a home entertainment projector, but it's best suited for businesses looking for a portable projector for presentations. The projector's 1.15-to-1.5 throw ratio and 1080p native resolution make it a good choice for business applications.

The InFocus IN3138HDa is an impressive value, with 1080p resolution, 4500 lumens of brightness, a 20,000:1 contrast ratio, and a long list of connectivity options for connecting a computer, video source, or media player. Its 24-inch image has a 1.44:1 aspect ratio, so its surface brightness is relatively low, and it's not quite as bright as some of the other projectors we've tested. But it's bright enough for a well-lit room, and it provides a solid picture. The IN3138HDa has a clear, crisp image, and colors are both bright and vibrant. Its contrast ratio is among the best we've seen in a projector of this price range, and it's more than sufficient for images with fine details. The IN3138HDa has a few other advantages over its rivals, as well. It has a wider lens, so it's less likely to project an image that is too small or too large. It also has an HDMI port with MHL support, so you can easily connect it to a smartphone or tablet. In addition, the IN3138HDa has built-in speakers, which aren't as loud or as clear-sounding as some of the more expensive projectors we've tested, but they're adequate for multimedia presentations. The InFocus IN3138HDa also has built-in Wi-Fi, so you can easily connect it to your home network. However, the IN3138HDa doesn't have an audio out port, so you can't connect a projector to external speakers.

The BenQ TH585 is a 1080p home theater projector with a 3500-lumen output, a high contrast ratio, and a bright picture. It has a 10W speaker for listening to digital music, movies, and gaming, and it's capable of supporting multiple screens up to 200 inches (diagonally). The TH585 comes with a 1.6x zoom, a 3.5x lens shift, and a rotating lens panel that lets you adjust the projection angle up to 90 degrees. The TH585 offers a host of connectivity options, including HDMI, VGA, VGA, and USB. It has 2 built-in 10W speakers, and it uses a compact, 3-W fan for quiet operation. The TH585 has a 2-year warranty, and it's covered by a 90-day money-back guarantee. We liked that the TH585 has a bright, vivid picture and a bright, colorful design that makes it easy to set up. The TH585 has a sturdy construction, and it's quiet when operating. The TH585 is low on input lag, which is important for viewing digital entertainment. The TH585 is also compatible with several leading game consoles, including PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

The BenQ TH585 1080p projector is ideal for gamers, movie buffs, and anyone else who needs a large, bright, and affordable display. Although it only offers 1080p resolution, the TH585's native 3,500 lumens and 16:9 aspect ratio produce surprisingly sharp images, and it uses the same laser projection technology as BenQ's more expensive projectors, which are known for their contrast and picture quality. We like that BenQ includes a full-size tripod with the TH585, and that it's designed to tilt 30 degrees forward or backward, allowing gamers to project their console games or movies at a comfortable viewing angle. The TH585's built-in 10-watt speaker offers clear, crisp audio, and its HDMI input supports 4K video, so it's ready for next-gen consoles and other devices. The TH585 is easy to set up and use; its buttons are clearly marked, and the projector automatically detects any connected device, such as game consoles, Blu-ray players, or computers. The TH585 offers a three-year warranty, and it features a built-in air filter that helps keep dust and dirt out of the projector.