Getting a projector has become one of the essential needs of society today due to technology. Most of our needs for a projector are mainly for classrooms, business presentations and entertainment. This has made the industry opt for improvements on devices that are affordable and functioning.
There are various projectors that offer great features like internal memory capacity, ease of use, brightness, great pictures and even the weight of the projector. Below we have discussed the perfect machines for you that offer cutting-edge features and a modest price range of under $500. Projectors are designed differently with varying features, purposes, and capabilities. Before buying a projector you have to know the specifications of the projector that meets your need and is suitable for you.
Editors Choice: Best Projectors Under 500
- ViewSonic PJD5133 SVGA DLP Projector
The View Sonic PJD5134 is a high-performance projector that provides a quality image and good connectivity. It is ideal for classroom and business presentations. The PJD5134 provides SVGA (800 x 600) resolution with 3000 ANSI lumens and 15000:1 contrast ratio. The projector can be put on standby mode by the user reducing down the brightness to 30% with Dynamic Eco technology when shifting the focus of the audience without restarting the projector. With its HDMI input, the PJD5134 can display 3D content directly from a 3D Blu-ray player. The energy saving eco provides long-term use without maintenance and enhance reliability. The projector is lightweight at 4.6 pounds.
The projector is packed with features that include:
- HDMI
- Dynamic Ecotechnology for total control of the audience
- Multiple PC 3D up to 120Hz refresh rate powered by DLP Technology
- Video Input options
- 1.1x optical zoom
- Eco mode saves money and power
- Integrated speakers
- 3000 ANSI lumens for clear and bright images
- Long lamp life up to 10,000 hours
Pros
- Its light and easy to carry
- Saves money and power due to Eco-Mode
- Has long lamp life
- It is affordable
- Acer H5382BD 720P 3D DLP Home Theater
Acer H5380BD is a small, portable home theater that comes with a ceiling mounting bracket. Acer H5382BD Is the best choice since it has ready 3D and resolution of 750p and a maximum resolution of 1900×1280. It can be used indoor and outdoor and up to 3000 lumens and a contrast ratio of 17000:1. It is designed with HDMI that works with Blue-ray Disk players. The Acer H5382BD DLP Home Theater has a long lamp life of 5,000 hours when set to standard, 6000 hours when is put on eco and 10000 hours when set on extreme eco. It has a brightness of 3300 ANSI Lumens when standard and 2640 ANSI Lumens when set on eco mode.
Features
- Has HDMI which works with Blu-ray Disk players
- Aspect ratio: 16.9(native), 4.3(supported).
- Resolution: 720p (1920×1080)
- Contrast ratio: 20000:1
- Lamp life : 5000 hours(standard), 6000 hours(eco), 10000 hours (extreme Eco)
- Brightness: 3300 ANSI Lumens (standard), 2640 ANSI Lumens (Eco).
Pros
- Has a long lamp life 5000 hours
- Offer 90 days free support on the software
- It saves energy and money with the Eco mode
- View Sonic PJD5255 3300 Lumens
View Sonic PJD5255 is well designed with advanced visual features ideal for education and small businesses environment. It has a great brightness of 3300 lumens, bright enough for indoor and outdoor use. It is simple to set up and control making it user- friendly. Has an energy saving Dynamic Eco feature that reduces power consumption up to 70% extending the lamp life up to 10,000 hours. View Sonic PJD5255 has flexible connectivity that supports most media players, PCs, Macs and mobile devices inputs options such as HDMI, VGA and more. It contains a power cable, VGA cable, and Remote control. It has limited port selection one VGA port and one HDMI port. A USB type B port has been designed for remote mouse control and also has a RS-232 Serial port that is used for controlling the projector from a computer.
Specification
- 3300 lumens
- Eco mode
- Long lamp life
- HDMI
Pros
- Saves power and money due to Eco mode
- Easy to set up
- Quality pictures
- Loud and clear sound
- Compatible with all devices
- Epson EX7240 Pro WXGA 3LCD Projector
Epson EX7240 Pro is a wireless portable projector for business and education applications. Epson produces more light than any other projector. It is ideal for conference and lecture halls presentations and does not need light to be put out in the room for clear and vivid pictures it uses ambient light. It has 3200-lumens white brightness for well-lit rooms. The Epson has a resolution of WXGA (1280 X 800) it offers more resolution than SVGA for HD – quality presentation and also enhanced connectivity. The projector has USB plug in play. Due to wireless connectivity, you can connect any of your devices to do presentations and any other project directly and move freely around the room without tripping down from cables. It supports MHL enable devices including chrome cast and Roku streaming. It has a long lamp life of 5000 hours
Specifications
- Lamp life of 5000 hours
- Great quality resolution of (1280×800)
- Wireless connectivity
- 3200 lumens
- Aspect Ratio of 16:10
- Have USB ports
- The contrast of 15000:1
Pros
- It is compatible with most devices
- Offers amazing pictures and videos
- Long lamp life
- Wireless LED LCD Smart Android Bluetooth Projector
With wireless LEF LCD Smart Android Bluetooth Projector who would want anything else? It is the newest released WIFI Bluetooth projector that can wirelessly connect smartphones, tablets, pc/laptop display to big screen surf the internet and install apps. You can be able to amplify sound to enjoy a total visual- audio experience. The wireless LED LCD is capable of high-speed streaming. This is due to the powerful Quad-core Processor ARM CorexA7 Quad-core CPU and strong WIFI connection. It also offers great gaming experience and brings entertainment at home. It has an amazing in-built 10 W stereo speaker clear sound with more bass. The 3.5mm audio out jack is also available for adding wired speakers. Has a WXGA (1280 X 800) native resolution. LED 4200 lumens, contrast ratio 5000. It has a long lamp life of 50000 hours.
Specification
- Built-in speakers
- WXGA (1280 X 800) resolution
- Multifunctional interfaces: HMDI/2 USB/VGA/AV/Audio/TV
- 50000 hours lamp life
- Free HDMI cable included
Pros
- Long lamp life Of 50000 hours
- No replacement required within 17 years
- Strong WIFI connection
- Compatible with all android devices and PC
- Optoma ML750 WXGA 700 Lumen 3D
Saying the best is an understatement of optima ML750 WXGA projector. Its features are incredibly awesome it’s portable and can be transported anywhere anytime, be it at home or at the office all you need to do put it in its carrier bag and go. It has 700 lumens that are powerful and bright and has a throw ratio of 1:5:1. It has a long lamp life and no lamp replacement is required for a pretty long time. It has an inbuilt office viewer with free presentations making it easier to do a business presentation on either your PC or your mobile phone since it has HMDI/MHL connectivity. You can even do you wireless presentations through an adapter that is optional.
Specifications
- An audio speaker 1-watt
- In-built office viewer
- 700 lumens
- It is an HMDI/ XML connectivity
- It is capable of wireless connection
Pros
- It is incredibly small and easy to carry around
- It is affordable
- Great 2D and 3D pictures
- LG Electronics PH550 Minibeam
LG Electronics PH550 Minibeam projector is one of the cheapest and under $500. Its features are superb an HD resolution of 1280x 720 that gives the best images and no distortion at all can be connected wirelessly to your android O/S or WiDi. Having an inbuilt battery of up to 2.5 hours that can serve when the power if off is a great feature that can make anyone go for it. It has a brightness of 550 lumens and a long lamp life of up to 30,000 hours and is capable to operate in all the RGB LED colors Its great portability design is an added advantage of purchasing the LG Electronics PH550 Minibean projector. The projector is bright enough for a 55’’ image making entertainment lively at home. I t has the LED light extend the life of the projector.
Specifications
- Lamp life of up to 30,000 Hours
- The brightness of 550 Lumens
- Has an HD resolution of 1280×720
- Wireless connectivity
- In-Built battery of up to 2.5 hours
Pros
- It is affordable
- A great resolution that shows great pictures and images
- Epson Home Cinema 760HD 720p
Well, what do you understand by bringing life into your living room or backyard? With Epson Home Cinema 760HD 720P you can definitely achieve this. Epson Home Cinema has a wide screen that is in HD 720p that is up to 300” which shows images of 25x larger than a 60” flat panel this means that it can virtually display at any blank wall or screen. Its brightness is amazing 3300 lumens and is ideal for any lighting condition at any given time. Its color accuracy is wow that is 3x higher color brightness. Epson Home Cinema 760HD has HDMI connectivity that works with all digital components that have enabled HMDI connections. This is great for movies and gaming at home. It has a Dynamic contrast Ratio and you can slide Horizontal images.
Specifications
v All HDMI connectivity
v Brightness
v Incredible color accuracy
v You can slide Horizontal images.
v HDMI connectivity
v It has a Dynamic Contrast ratio
Pros
v It definitely deserves the pricing for the great pictures
v It’s easy to adjust the brightness
v It has a great dynamic Contrast Ratio
- ViewSonic PRO7827HD 1080p HDMI
ViewSonic is a remarkable projector worth your money and time. It’s a full HD 1080p (1080 x 1920 ) that has a screen size of 130 inches at 12 feet high. PRO7827HD has a remarkable feature that makes the home experience exciting. The advanced color technology brings out virtual accuracy and does not experience the rainbow effect. The PRO7827HD Is an ideal projector for high definition entertainment, gaming, movies and even business presentations and education too.
PRO7827HD has a long lamp life of 6,500 on Eco mode saving money for a replacement for a long time it also has an in-built 10w speaker and magnificent optical zoom of 1.3 x. The projector has been designed to resist dust.
Specification
- In-built speaker
- HDMI
streaming port
- Lamp life of 6500 hours (eco mode)
- Compatible with Mac and windows
- Comes with power cable, VGA cable remote control with batteries, wizard cd, and a manual guide
Pros
- It saves maintenance money with the 3-year warranty offer
- It is designed to be dust resistance
- Has Eco Mode that saves money and energy as well
Cons
- The sharpness of the images is not good despite great color production
- Epson VS355 WXGA 3,300 lumens
Business presentations are very important especially when convincing investors through slides and explain step by step what they need to know. With Epson VS355 WXGA you can present amazing pictures and quality that can display the smallest of 33.1 inches and as large as 320 inches it has great inbuilt speakers that the audience may not have to struggle to listen. Epson has Dynamic Ecosystem that enables a lamp life of 10,000 hours on eco mode. It is lightweight and portable. Has a resolution of 1280x 800 that delivers detailed high-quality images and motion without any distortion of images at any time. The projector has a brightness of 3300 lumens and white brightness.
Specifications
- Resolution of 1280×800
- Has an eco mode
- HMDI Port
- Has UHE 210W lamp
- In-built speaker
- Horizontal and vertical image correction
- Has 3300 lumens and white brightness
pros
- It is portable
- Has an inbuilt speaker
- Epson EX5260 XGA 3,600 lumens
Epson EX5260 XGA is one of the best under $ 500 that has great features. You may be able to use Epson EX5260 in a well-lit room without distortion of the images this is because it has a brightness of 3,600 lumens and white brightness and uses ambient light. It can be connected to the laptop. You can be able to use a tablet or a Smartphone to do your presentations wirelessly. Tablet or even a Smartphone wirelessly. Epson EX5260 has a remarkable color accuracy that is 3x color brightness. It is easy to use and setup. To connect to your phone or tablet just scan the QR code and you will be connected. One is able to do a presentation of heavy details because it has a resolution of 1024×768.
Specifications
- Has 3600lumens and white brightness
- Resolution of 1024×768
- It has wireless capabilities
- Incredible color accuracy
- Easy to setup wireless connectivity
Pros
- No effect on images even with great light
- Has good video
- It’s portable
Cons
- Has no 3D capability
- WOW OTO T8E Full HD Mini Portable
WOW TO T8E FULL HD is a flexible projector that can project on any surface. It has a resolution of 1280×800 and great color accuracy that make your home lively. Its technology has made it possible to be equipped with Android 4.4 operating system that enables you to download apps, music, and games too making life enjoyable. The router in the T&E has a touchpad embedded in it. It has a strong Wi-Fi connectivity due to its in-built dual-band (2.4GHz + 5 GHz). It has huge storage capabilities that can hold a 32 GB micro SD. It has the lamp lifespan of 20000 hours and a battery can work up to 2 hours without plugging in the socket for charge
Specifications
- Has a resolution of1280x800
- In-built dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz+5 GHz)
- Support multi-screen sharing
- Have micro SD storage of up to 32 GB
- Has been equipped with Android 4.4 operating system
Pros
- Can be used to watch in a dark room
- It is very bright
- It is affordable and portable
Cons
- Does not pair with some devices
- Epson EX3260 SVGA 3,300 lumens
Epson EX3260 SVGA is an ideal projector for business presentations at the office. It can be used in a well-lit room without affecting the images on the screen. Epson EX3260 has a resolution of 800 x 600 enabling accurate and clear graphics. It is easy to set up the projector and also to adjust the images is easy. Have 3x color accuracy and brightness making it enjoyable and not straining at all. Epson EX3260 can easily work with laptops. It supports HMDI, which is capable of connecting on media players in one cable.
Specifications
- 3300 lumens and white brightness
- Has an SVGA (800×600) for projecting
- Remarkable color accuracy without the rainbow effect
- Works with media players and laptops that are able to connect easily
You should know just five things before buying Best Projector Under 500
Getting a new projector may sound fun and entertaining not knowing all the insights about projectors. You can’t just go and get the next projector you find on your ways without looking at several factors that may affect your use of the projector. Projectors come with different features and capabilities without knowledge of what you want or need, you may end up confused and choose the wrong intended product. You have to look at the type of projector you want, its brightness, cost of the projector, resolution and even the size of the projection you need. You may want something big with a great resolution that brings life in the room and feels alive with the game for gamers. Here we will discuss things that you may need to know before buying the best projectors under $500.
Type of Projectors
You may wonder what I mean by type of projector buy yes, that is some of the factor ones has to consider before buying the best under $500 projector. There are three types of projectors that is;
- DLP(digital light processing)
A digital light processing projector has been made to produce sharp images and its response time is amazing. This is because it has been made of tiny microscopic mirrors and a spinning wheel that makes the images’ movement faster. It is mostly used in a lightweight and compact projector. It has the capability of smooth motion videos and scenes are faster.
- LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
Liquid Crystal Display has less contrast and has no motion. It may be said to be less costly and produces little noise. The LCD projectors have less contrast and require regular filter maintenance.
- LED projectors
It uses tiny LEDs giving incredible colors and capable of reducing power consumption. The lifespan of the lamp requires no maintenance since it has over 20,000 hours. It may not produce the same amount of brightness like LCD or DLP but it comes in smaller sizes and generates less heat.
Brightness
Brightness is sometimes not better this means that it all depends on the size of the image, the light and the material used to make the screen that you are using.
If you are looking for a business projector you may consider going for a projector with brighter output this may prompt you to look for one with a higher lumen rating. This is because there is a high possibility of using in a well-lit room in the office. Bright projectors require adequate light to enable great picture.
If you are looking for a projector for home use, you may consider the one with enough brightness. The projectors for are mostly the one with controlled lighting. With all this, it depends on what you want to achieve by the end of the day. An example of a projector you can use at home is that of 1,000 to 1200 lumens this enables you to images clearly without straining your eyes with the light. If you are using in a large room you may consider going for the ones that are much brighter.
Resolution
Resolution may be said to be the number of pixels or dots that are used to display an image. When a picture is very remarkably clear, it means that it has a higher resolution. If you are a looking for a projector that can produce cleaner images and detailed graphs and charts, text and high-definition video or audio. Then projectors with high resolution are the best for you. You easily get a projector with better resolution that is under $500 at the market.SVGA projectors can be used for simple charts and data projecting this is because of it has low-resolution. Most computers use XGA which is the standard resolution. If you are using a computer for most of your viewing consider projectors with this resolution. 720P Projectors are the best for home theater and are mainly used for economical movie projection. If you want a standard resolution that can broadcast HDTV and Blu-ray then look for projectors with 1080 p resolutions
Budget
Getting a good projector with great features for less may seem difficult but you can get one with great features too. If you have deep pockets you may go for projectors that are of more than $500 to get the one you consider the best. But I can say that you may consider saving some money by getting one that is less than $ 500 and has same features and capabilities that are great for the ones that are extremely expensive. There are many projectors with incredible features like HD pictures, wireless connectivity, USB ports, HDMI Capability and more that are just affordable and easy to use.
- The size of Projection
Projectors come in different sizes and variety before acquiring one you may have to consider the size of projection you want. The distance at which you want or plan to place your projector matters a lot and you need to consider it before getting the projector. The viewing distance is as important as the distance between the wall and the projector. Where you plan to sit while viewing should be at least twice the distance of the image width. The images in the projected item also depend on the contrast ratio which affects the clarity of the projected images. If you are a fan of large screens and large pictures you may go for projectors with large projection size.
These are essential facts that you should have to look at before buying the first projector that you see before you. From what we have discussed, you have seen that with the variety of projectors that are available in the market today, they have different capabilities and features. These products are designed in a way to be affordable and easy to use.Now with all this information on your fingertips, you can go to any electronic shop and get that projector with the features that meet your specifications and need.
The products above are unique in their own ways and bring out the best experiences depending on the need you expect. They may be ranging at low prices but give you the best experience in home theater, classrooms in education and also boardrooms during the presentations. Now you are able to choose the best projector under $ 500 that suits your need and specification wisely.
Hi, This Is Kyrie Paul. I am a tech enthusiast and fall In love to write and study about projectors since 2018. When I tried to enjoy FIFA world cup 2018 with a big screen, but the big screen TV was out of my budget. Some of my friends suggest projectors Instead of TVs. After that still now I am a big fan of projectors.
