The home theater projectors listed here are grouped according to their native resolution. Each projector is linked to its reviews.

The 5-star ratings are assigned based on the projector's performance, features, and value as compared to other projectors within its resolution group.

16:9 Widescreen, 1920x1080.................................................................

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: This 1080p single-chip DLP projector delivers an extremely sharp, high contrast image, though it has a greater amount of digital noise than other, similar projectors on the market. While not as "film-like" as other projectors on the market, the incredibly sharp picture is a sight to see. See review. [Review Date 02/20/2008]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: The BenQ W20000 offers most of the performance of higher-end models without the bank-breaking price tag. This bright, high contrast projector combines accurate color with deep blacks, sparkling highlights, and quiet operation with a very sharp image and a reasonable price tag. The W20000's image can appear noisy at times, and placement flexibility is less comprehensive than that of competing units, so it's not a projector that will work for everyone. However, if you can work around or look past its limitations, the BenQ W20000 is a great value. See review. [Review Date 04/18/2008]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: The Epson Pro Cinema 1080 UB is a beautiful projector once it is calibrated, and in buying the Pro version you are likely to get some assistance with the calibration. The overall package is fairly priced, and a highly competitive value proposition. A bright, vibrant picture with superb black level and shadow detail make the 1080 UB a fantastic performer. See review. [Review Date 01/18/2008]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: The InFocus IN83 is an excellent 1080p offering that concentrates on image quality, first and foremost. The projector has light output to spare, deep inky black levels, precise 2.2 gamma, and accurate, saturated colors. However, this performance comes with a price - the IN83 is not cheap at $5999 MSRP, and other features such as placement flexibility, color wheel speed, and connectivity are somewhat weak in comparison to competing units. Nevertheless, if you want a projector that produces an outstanding, very bright picture, and you want it installed by a professional, the IN83 is a great choice. See review. [Review Date 05/23/2008]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: JVC has achieved an ideal balance between image sharpness and a natural, lifelike quality. The RS2 is a step up in performance, clearly surpassing the older RS1 in contrast, black level, and color saturation. In our view it is certainly worth the extra money just for the incremental improvements in picture quality alone. The new features of powered lens, HDMI 1.3, and anamorphic lens compatibility are just icing on the cake. The JVC RS2 surpasses not only the RS1, but all of the 1080p competition anywhere near or below its price range when its natural, filmlike characteristics are taken into consideration. This has always been the latent strength of JVC's D-ILA technology, and it shows itself in impressive fashion on the RS1 and RS2 series of projectors. See review. [Review Date 12/11/2007]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: Mitsubishi is officially the first vendor to break the $2,000 barrier with 1080p resolution projectors. The HC4900 is a slightly downscaled HC5000, but it retains almost all of the performance advantages of the HC5000. And at a mere $1995, it is one of the best values in the home theater projector market at this time. See review. [Review Date 12/18/2007]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: Despite the modest looking improvements in the specifications, the HC6000 is clearly a better projector than the HC5000, which itself was an outstanding product. If you were looking at them side by side without knowing the specifications, you could not be faulted for guessing that the HC6000 is double the contrast of the HC5000. With the higher contrast, the apparent sharpness of the image is improved along with incrementally refined shadow detail. The HC6000's extremely quiet fan and ideal lens configuration for easy rear-shelf installation will appeal to a wide variety of consumers no matter what size viewing room they have. See review. [Review Date 9/28/2007]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: Panasonic's second generation 1080p projector, the PT-AE2000U, is a significant step beyond last year's impressive AE1000. Topping its long list of great attributes is its outstanding contrast and black level performance. On these measurements it outperforms every other 1080p projector we have put it up against that is anywhere near its price range. And along with its high contrast comes excellent color saturation. Selling at an official street price of just $2,699, it is one of the most formidable and competitive of the new 1080p projectors released this fall. See review. [Review Date 11/03/2007]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: Sanyo's first 1080p resolution home theater projector is a gauntlet thrown down in the projector industry. It features 1080p resolution, great contrast, a smooth filmlike picture, virtually silent fan noise, and no pixelation or screendoor effects. Also included are a long 2.0x zoom lens and 3 full picture heights of lens shift, making installation a breeze. With one of the lowest prices in the industry on top of a three year warranty, the Sanyo PLV-Z2000 is easily one of the best around. See review. [Review Date 10/29/2007]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: The VW40 uses Sony's SXRD technology (a version of LCOS), which has proven itself as a solid performer over the years. More important, it marks the first time a 1080p LCOS home theater projector has broken the $3,000 price barrier. With superb contrast and a razor-sharp image, the VW40 is a great choice for dark room home theater, though its somewhat anemic lumen output hurts performance on large screens or in ambient light. See review. [Review Date 02/22/2008]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: The Home Cinema 1080 is the most impressive home theater projector for the money that we have yet seen from Epson. In terms of bang for the video buck, it is a true winner. With generous lens shift and a highly variable zoom lens, the Home Cinema 1080 lets you step into this world for under $3,000. See review. [Review Date 03/30/2007]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: JVC designers and engineers have done an outstanding job with the DLA-RS1. Not only is it the finest consumer projector ever made by JVC, it is uniquely outstanding in the new group of aggressively priced 1080p projectors. At $6,295, it is the most expensive in the group. However, when loaded down with features like two HDMI ports, 2:1 zoom, and lens shift, it becomes a much more attractive proposition. This one is not to be missed. See review. [Review Date 03/09/2007]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: The Mitsubishi HC5000 is one of the first aggressively priced 1080p home theater projectors to hit the market. It features outstanding color fidelity, pristine deinterlacing and scaling, and a powered 1.6x zoom/focus with extensive vertical lens shift capability. Fan noise is extremely low. The versatility of the lensing will allow this unit to be installed in a wide variety of home theater settings. This is the best projector Mitsubishi has built to date. See review. [Review Date 10/25/2006]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: At an official estimated street price of $2,699, the Optoma HD80 delivers a remarkable 1080p image that will undoubtedly affect the price structure of the competition in the months to come. It does not have anywhere near the installation flexibility of its competitors, so it takes more effort and planning to get it installed. But those who have the right viewing room to accommodate the HD80 will be rewarded with outstanding 1080p image quality for an amazingly low price. From the moment we lit it up, we had no doubt that we'd be giving the Optoma HD80 our Editor's Choice Award. See review. [Review Date 07/31/2007]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: This fully loaded projector has a wide assortment of preprogrammed operating modes, long zoom lens range and extensive lens shift to make it as easy as it gets to install and operate. With the last minute improvements to the final production models, Panasonic has delivered a phenomenal projector that stands out as a truly remarkable achievement, especially in light of its aggressive price point of $3,999. See review. [Review Date 11/17/2006]

15:9 Widescreen, 1280x768..................................................................

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: Despite some limitations imposed by the short zoom range and lack of lens shift, the Optoma HD72 is a reference quality projector with an aggressive street price. In terms of image quality, it is hard to beat. If it fits the geometry requirements of your viewing space, it is highly recommended. See review. [Review Date 02/15/2006]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: The HD73 isn't an upgrade or replacement for the HD72, per se, but a similar projector made for different needs and environments. The HD73 is a wonderful home theater projector for classic dark room viewing. As long as you keep its mounting limitations in mind and properly plan your installation, the HD73 is an impressive projector that can serve well as a cost-effective solution for great video and data display in your home theater. See review. [Review Date 03/14/2007]

16:9 Widescreen, 1280x720..................................................................

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: The Epson Home Cinema 720 is a killer projector. It gives solid performance in all areas with extra emphasis on rock-solid contrast and black levels. With the exception of limited connectivity, it has no major flaws. The picture quality is outstanding for the money, and the Cinema 720 is an exceptional value at $1299. See review.[Review Date 01/11/2008]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: Last fall Mitsubishi released a remarkable low end 720p resolution home theater projector--the HD1000U (review available here). It delivered a sharp, beautiful, high contrast image for under $1000, and we gave it our Editor's Choice Award as a truly outstanding achievement. Now comes an update to that model, the HC1500. There isn't much difference between the new HC1500 and the HD1000. But then, at street prices below $1,000, there wasn't much room for improvement. Both models are exceptional performers for the money. See review. [Review Date 07/02/2007]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: The HD70 marks the first time that 720p has been available for less than $1000. With 1000 ANSI lumens and excellent contrast performance, this little powerhouse brings 720p to a new level of affordability. See review. [Review Date 09/13/2006]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: Replacing last year's AX100U, the AX200U features zero visible pixelation, making it a great option as the "poor man's 1080p projector." Great color and contrast coupled with the standard 2.0:1 zoom range and vertical/horizontal lens shift make the AX200U an incredibly versatile projector with superior image quality. With the updated Light Harmonizer technology, the AX200U will even adjust the image for ambient light without making you lift a finger. See review. [Review Date 10/02/2007]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: A small step beyond the PLV-Z4 earned this model our second full 5-star rating ever. With significant performance improvements over the Z4 in lumen output, contrast, and color performance, the Z5 retains all of the Z4's most attractive features and adds a second HDMI port. With retail prices starting at $1695 at launch, the Z5 is a killer value. See review. [Review Date 10/13/2006]

4:3 Standard, 1400x1050...................................................................

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: The native SXGA+ (1400x1050) SX7 builds on Canon's successes with the SX60 and adds some new features. With a razor-sharp picture, superb color accuracy, an exceptionally bright image, and surprisingly good contrast, the Canon SX7 is a fine choice for photographers, medical educators, engineers, graphic designers, or anyone who requires the display of very high resolution 4:3 images. See review. [Review Date 02/06/2008]

Performance: Features: Ease of Use: Value: The Canon SX60 is a great solution for large-screen 4:3 home theater. LCoS technology means that there is no color wheel to distract viewers, and pixel structure is nearly invisible. This makes for a smooth, film-like image that is particularly suited for classic 4:3 cinema. While the projector's low contrast make it a less than perfect match for digital photography or data presentation, home theater is where this projector really shines. See review. [Review Date 06/19/2006]