Buyer's Guide: The Best Video Projectors

A video projector should display a sharp image with accurate colours and high contrast levels. It should also be well-designed, with all the controls and options you need. Here are a few things to look for when shopping for a projector:

- Technology. There are three main kinds of projector technology—SXRD, LCD and DLP. Each has its own advantages and drawbacks. Head over to our projector reviews page to find out more.

- Colour fidelity. Accurate colours are very important. Out of the box, most projectors will display colours that are verging on crazy. Thankfully, switching to Cinema or Movie mode usually sorts things out.

- Depth of black. A nice deep black really brings out the best in projected images. In a video projector, the black tone reproduced can be considered sufficiently dark from 0.20 cd/m² and lower.

- 3D support. Unlike TVs, 3D projectors only use one kind of 3D technology—active shutter 3D. The advantage of this is that Full HD resolution can be maintained in 3D mode.

With these factors in mind, here's our pick of the best projectors out there right now.

Editor's Choice

The PT-AT5000 is a well-made projector with loads of connections plus powerful zoom and lens-shift functions. All in all, it offers excellent picture quality in 2D and 3D.

Two Alternatives

Best of the Rest

Here are a few more of our favourites.