The Best Smart Projectors for 4K Streaming

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Projectors in the past have been noisy, clunky, and sacrificed picture quality, with an internal lamp that’s expensive to replace once it burns out.

But things have drastically changed for the better. The best projectors now offer so much more, including improved 4K picture, sharper graphics, reduced fan noise, and Bluetooth capability. The best smart projectors are also compatible with voice command programs like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, letting you do everything from powering the unit on and off, to adjusting volume, changing inputs, and controlling playback all using just your voice.

What Are the Best Smart Projectors?

The best smart projectors take an image from a video source and beam it onto a larger screen or wall, with voice-activated controls and easy pairing from any device.

Projector vs. TV: So why choose a projector over just a TV? First off, the best projectors are capable of stretching your screen to a much, much larger surface – usually over 100 inches. If you’ve got the wall space, this can really give you the full cinematic feel, especially in a room with dimmable lighting. Same goes for gamers too, as a projector can provide an immersive experience like no other.

Screen Size: This is the biggest draw to getting a projector, and screen size can range from 50 inches all the way up to 300 – recreating a real theater right in your house. A “short-throw” projector is great if space is limited, as you can put this within centimeters of the screening wall and it’ll still beam up a full picture. Long-throw projectors require placement some distance away from the screen, usually about a meter or more, but these are only recommended if you’ve got a large amount of room. Some units also may offer the feature of horizontal and vertical lens shift, which lets you adjust and move the projected picture without having to physically move the projector.

Picture: The brightness of a projector is measured in “lumens”, and the higher the lumens count, the brighter the picture will be. Brighter rooms require a higher lumen count (around 2500 and up) to project a clear image, while darker rooms fair better at about 1000-1200.

Noise: A loud projector can be distracting while watching a movie. This is mostly from the cooling fans that kick in when the unit starts to get hot. Different projectors deal with this in various ways, and some of the newest projectors don’t even have fans at all.

Temperature: The last thing you want is for your projector to overheat. Check the listed operating temperature before you go all-in: -41 to 104°F (5 – 40°C) is the usual range, with about 85% max humidity.

Resolution: Same deal here as shopping for a TV: 1080p is full HD, and 4K is Ultra HD. All of the picks on our list support 4K resolution.

Modes: Depending on what you’re watching (or games you’re playing), various modes can greatly enhance the experience. For example a “Natural” mode might work well for a movie, as it gives vivid colors and accurate flesh tones, but for a classic film, a “Black and White” setting will help bring it into a sharper focus.

Sound: Some projectors offer built-in speakers, but the quality varies. If it’s within your budget, a set of external speakers can really expand the sound.

Ports: When it comes to connecting all your devices, ports are important. You may not need them all now, but consider what you might be connecting in the future as technology evolves. At the very least, it should have HDMI, USB, and AV inputs for you to connect a media source or device.

Remote Capability: Having to get up on a chair and mess with the projector unit can be a pain, especially when you’ve got guests waiting to watch something. While voice command can handle a good amount of tasks, the rest relies on the remote. Some even feature backlit buttons for easy use during a darkened movie screening.