If you are looking for the best budget projector with native 1080p Resolution, it’s essential to find one that fits your specific needs – whether it’s for movie nights, gaming sessions, or business presentations. I tested the 3 top-rated projectors under $500 to find out the best one; Here is a comparison between the Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 3LCD Projector, Yaber T2, and NexiGo PJ40 (Gen 3). For your reference, I bought the Epson for $499, NexiGo for $229, and Yaber for $209.
The Epson EpiqVision Flex is the most expensive option and it is absolutely the best in terms of image quality. It delivers vibrant colors and deep blacks through its 3LCD technology, providing a great viewing experience even in well-lit settings. With an ANSI lumens rating of approximately 3,000, it offers good brightness and clarity in various lighting conditions. While it includes built-in speakers for convenient, casual use, the Epson model has limited connectivity options, offering only one HDMI port; There is a USB port but it only provides power, you can’t use it to play videos from a USB drive. There is no audio jack but you can connect the projector to an external speaker via Bluetooth. The Epson includes an Android TV stick, so you can stream movies easily and its performance is not bad at all. You will have to use a remote control for the projector and another remote control for the stick.
The NexiGo PJ40 (Gen 3) focuses on providing a budget-friendly, compact solution for casual movie watching. With an ANSI lumens rating of approximately 700, it performs well in dimly lit settings, but may struggle in environments with bright ambient light. The NexiGo PJ40 also features manual and auto keystone correction, simplifying the setup process and ensuring a distortion-free image. The picture quality is not as great as the Epson but it is still decent for the price. I love that there are 2 USB ports, 2 HDMI ports, and a 3.5mm audio port. There is no streaming stick, so you will have to use your own. Its built-in speaker is not good enough, so I highly recommend connecting to an external speaker via a cable or Bluetooth.
The Yaber T2 also features a native 1080p resolution but it can’t provide as sharp and clear images as the other 2 projectors. Its ANSI lumens rating is also the lowest at around 450, which means it performs best in dim or dark environments. Since this is a portable projector, you just can use it at maximum 60% brightness when running on battery. Its color accuracy may not be on par with other models, which may be noticeable to those seeking highly accurate colors. Having said that, I still use the projector a lot, especially when image quality is not a priority. It is my top choice for Halloween and Christmas decorations where I project images to pumpkins, doors or windows. The built-in speaker of the Yaber is surprisingly good, so I don’t need to connect it to an external speaker in many cases. It offers multiple connections like HDMI, USB, audio jack, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It also comes with a Google TV dongle that allows you to use streaming services. Other nice features are 4P keystone correction, Auto Focus, and Auto Keystone correction.
Take a look at the image quality comparison between the 3 projectors:
In summary, selecting the right projector depends on your specific needs. The Epson EpiqVision Flex CO-FH02 is absolutely the best choice in terms of picture quality with bright and vibrant visuals. However, it has limited connectivity, so the Yaber T2 and the NexiGo PJ40 (Gen 3) is much more versatile in other scenarios. If one HDMI port is enough for you, the Epson is the best budget projector on the market. If you want a more portable projector for digital decorations, the Yaber T2 is a perfect inexpensive choice. The NexiGo PJ40 comes in the middle; It is good enough for movie nights in dim environments and I use it for holiday decorations as well; The image is quite sharp and clear when projecting to my front door.
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