$700 is a sweet price point to get a modern projector equipped with all the necessary bells and whistles. You get projectors from all the reputed brands and a mix of features available only in higher priced models.
However, multiple projector brands have several projectors listed at this price point, and it can be puzzling which one to go for.
Thus, to help you, we’ve created this simple guide of 5 Best Projector under $700. These projectors come with all the essential features and offers the best bang for your buck.
Without wasting any time, let’s get straight into the list.
Shall we?
Top 3 Picks for Best Projector under $700
7 Best Projector under $700
1. Optoma HD39HDR
Optoma is the most honored brand in the projector space. Thus, Optoma HD39HDR is a popular choice for work environment and educational usage because this projector offers 4000 lumens brightness.
This high lumen value is useful in a daytime environment. Thus, you get high quality and crisp image output, where projection from other projectors seems washed out and faded.
Even though you get a 4000 lumens projector at an affordable price, the Optoma HD39HDR’s USP is its 120Hz refresh rate and response time of just 8.4ms. Hence, this projector is ideal for fast-paced gaming and can be referred to as the best gaming projector under $700.
On the feature front, the Optoma HD39HDR comes equipped with 1920 x 1080p Full HD native resolution with a contrast ratio of 50,000:1, which results in a vibrant projection while watching your favorite cinematic content.
You can expect a 120-inch screen from this projector with a distance of just 9.5ft. It’s possible because the lens is equipped with 1.3x zoom. In contrast, the DLP lamp behind the lens can last up to 15,000 hours and serve you over 15+ years if used couple of hours every day. Thus the Optoma HD39HDR is also referred to as the best DLP projector under $700.
With this best Optoma projector under $700, you get relatively rich connectivity options like:
- HDMI 2.0
- HDMI 1.4
- USB port
- VGA in
- VGA out
- Audio In
- Audio Out
- RS232
However, it misses out on wireless connectivity options. It is a small itch otherwise to an awesomely put together projector package. You can overcome this by connecting it to any streaming media device like Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or Roku and turn it into a smart projector. With a streaming media player in place, you can connect your phone or laptop wirelessly to this projector.
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2. Epson Home Cinema 1060
Epson Home Cinema 1060 should be your ideal pick if you’re looking for the best home theater projector under $700. The 3LCD projection technology used in Epson projectors offers an excellent dynamic range and color contrast.
Thus, if you want to set up a casual home theater experience in your basement, the Epson Home Cinema 1060 should be the weapon of your choice.
Launched way back in 2017, the Epson Home Cinema 1060 projector is still relevant today. It offers all the necessary functions and features that are just starting to come in modern-day projectors. Moreover, projector technology hasn’t changed rapidly in the last few years compared to modern-day TV sets.
Also Read: Epson Home Cinema 2100 vs 2150
It offers 1920 x 1080p Full HD native resolution, and it’s projected through a 3100 lumens bulb, which can last up to 10,000 hours in Eco Mode. The best part is, this projector registers the number of hours of lamp usage, and hence you’ll get a good idea about the lamp life.
This best 1080p projector under $700 weighs a puny 5.6 pounds, thus taking it to your friend’s house for a movie night-over won’t be an issue. However, it would be better to invest in a dedicated speaker because the inbuilt won’t suffice your earworms.
Epson provides a USB-B video port with this projector that mirrors your laptop display through a regular USB port. Other connectivity options include: 2x HDMI, USB-A, VGA port, 1x RCA port, 1x Audio In port, along with MHL connectivity to mirror your smartphone, laptop, and Macbook.
Also Read: Epson Home Cinema 1060 Review
At an affordable price point, the Epson Home Cinema 1060 is equipped with 3-axis lens shift technology. It allows the projector lens to be shifted up to 46% on the horizontal axis and up to 96% on the vertical axis. While it does miss out on optical zoom, the provided zoom ring offers digital zoom for your convenience.
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3. BenQ TH671ST
Want a 100-inch projection display from a distance of just 5 feet?
Then the Benq TH671ST should be the arsenal of your choice. It is the best short throw projector under $700 that provides bigger projection from a short distance.
While most projectors offer a 100-inch screen from a distance of 10 feet, the Benq TH671ST can do it within half the distance. Moreover, if you keep this projector at 8 feet distance, it can offer you a whopping 135-inch projection size.
Additionally, BenQ markets this device as a gaming projector, and it’s equipped with a low input lag of just 16ms. Thus it’s the best gaming projector under $700 after the previously mentioned Optoma HD39HDR.
The BenQ TH671ST weighs just 5.6 pounds and has compact dimensions with a length of just 11.5 inches. Thus, with your gaming laptop, you can carry along this ‘best projector under $700’ too.
Feature-wise, the Benq TH671ST comes with a 240W lamp that produces a brightness of 3000 lumens. In Eco Mode the lamp can last up to 10,000 hours.
When it comes to gaming, this BenQ projector can handle any gaming device you throw at it, like – Gaming PC, Xbox, PS4, Wii, Nintendo, and more. The quick response time ensures that you see no noticeable lag while playing lightning-fast games.
Even with all the pros that Benq TH671ST offers, it lags in the contrast ratio department, which is rated at 10,000:1. Thus, you won’t get the deeper blacks found in the two projectors mentioned above. You won’t notice this issue if it is your first projector purchase. However, it’s my job to also let you know about this projector’s shortcoming.
Do you want all the benefits that this projector offers along with better picture quality? In that case, you should check out Benq’s HT2150ST that offers a higher contrast ratio and better color reproduction due to the RGBRGB color wheel and covers 96% of the Rec. 709 color space.
Also Read: Viewsonic PX706HD vs Benq TH2150ST – Gaming Projector Battle
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4. Viewsonic PX703HD
Even if you fancy getting a short-throw projector, then the Viewsonic PX703HD is another option that you can consider. While it may not impress on the design front, but the Viewsonic PX703HD is a capable projector just like the one previously mentioned.
It is also marketed as a gaming projector because it offers a low input lag of 16ms, which is ideal for fast-paced gaming. Even hardcore gamers will appreciate its response time and enjoy all-day gaming on it.
It outputs a contrast ratio of 12,000:1 and offers up to 20,000 hours of lamp life if used in the SuperEco+ mode. Whereas in Normal mode, it can output a max brightness of 3500 ANSI lumens. Thus, you can consider it as the best DLP projector under $700.
Being a short-throw projector, it manages to project a 100-inch screen from a bit farther distance of 8 feet. Other features include 1.3x optical zoom, ±5% vertical lens shift, and ±40° horizontal and vertical keystone adjustment.
Connectivity options include – 2x HDMI 1.4 port, USB-A port, Audio In/Out, VGA In, VGA out, RS-232 port. Wireless and MHL connectivity options are absent; however, you can enable wireless connectivity through the use of any streaming media player.
If you fancy watching sports, then the built-in Sports mode will make the colors pop out and improve sharpness and response time. Hence, watching sports will be an altogether new experience for you.
Viewsonic PX703HD comes with in-built 10W speakers that are loud enough but miss out on clarity. The provided remote control makes handling the projector a breeze.
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5. Epson Epiqvision Mini EF11
The Epson Epiqvision Mini EF11 is almost everything you’d expect from a portable projector. It’s incredibly compact, lightweight, and features the best projection technologies inside it.
First of all, it comes with Epson’s 3LCD projection technology, regarded as the best projection technology globally at an affordable price. Secondly, this projector comes with a Laser light source, rather than LED or lamp-based projectors we’ve seen above.
Compared to other light sources, the laser light source offers consistent light output, which doesn’t deviate. As a result, the projection looks super sharp with consistent brightness throughout the entire screen.
With the amalgamation of these two projection technologies, you can expect superb picture quality from this tiny-size projector that offers 1000 lumens white brightness as well as 1000 lumens color brightness.
In terms of specification, the Epson Epiqvision Mini EF11 comes with 1080p native resolution and also supports 4K input. It can produce up to a 150-inch screen, good enough for outdoor viewing.
Since it’s a long throw projector, you’ll need considerable distance between the projector and the projection surface. To get a 100-inch screen, you’ll need at least 9-feet of distance.
This projector has slightly saturated colors that give a false sense of vibrancy out of the box. Hence, I’d recommend dialing down the saturation values or switching between the different viewing modes available on this projector once the initial setup is done.
Most projectors at this price come with built-in Android TV or other OS to connect with the internet and watch your favorite movies and TV shows. This feature is absent on the Epson Epiqvision Mini EF11; however, it isn’t a deal-breaker because you can quickly get an Amazon Fire TV Stick for cheap and turn this dumb projector into a smart unit.
Again for the price, it also misses out on smart features like Auto-Focusing or Obstacle Avoidance. However, you do get automatic vertical keystone correction that makes things a little easier.
The Epson Epiqvision Mini EF11 also comes with 2x built-in speakers. But, both speakers work in mono and don’t offer the best experience. Hence, you’re better off getting an external speaker system with this projector and turning your living room into a casual home theater.
To get the best viewing experience from this projector, I recommend coupling it with a projection screen to squeeze every ounce of performance from the Epson Mini EF11. To know more about this projector, do check out our full review on it.
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6. BenQ HT2050A
The BenQ HT2050A turns out the best home theater projector if you’re on a tight budget. This projector offers a whopping 96% Rec.709 color space coverage, which means you’ll get a vibrant and almost true-to-life color reproduction from this projector.
On top of that, this projector offers 2200 lumens brightness output. As a result, you can also use this projector during the daytime and enjoy your favorite content. The high lumens output is bright enough to be easily visible during daytime unless the sunlight isn’t directly falling on the projection surface.
On the design front, it looks very similar to other projectors in the market and the projectors from BenQ’s stable. However, the redeeming factor is the projector’s grey-color panel on the front. It gives this projector a premium look and makes it stand out from other projectors in the market.
Being a budget home theater projector, the BenQ HT2050A offers a plethora of connections, which are hard to see on modern projectors. You can connect these ports to modern devices like computers, laptops, Xbox, PlayStation, and streaming media players. On top of that, you can also connect it to older devices like a DVD player, an old camcorder, and more.
While the BenQ HT2050A has plenty of wired connectivity options; however, it misses out on any wireless connection. It isn’t a deal-breaker because you can easily connect it to Roku Stick or Google Chromecast, which offers wireless options, and turn it into a true smart projector.
Other than home theater usage, the BenQ HT2050A turns out to be an excellent gaming projector as well. It has a low latency input of 16ms; hence you can use this projector to play modern and fast-paced games without any issues.
Also Read: Viewsonic PX706HD Review (Gaming Projector)
To further improve your content watching experience, this projector is equipped with 1.3x optical zoom. With this feature, you can set up this projector even in a small room. With the optical zoom, you can achieve a 100-inch screen from a distance of just 8 feet.
Other features include a 10W built-in speaker, 2D Keystone Correction, and Lens Shift. However, suppose you want to set up a proper home theater. In that case, it is recommended to couple this projector with an effective home theater speaker system.
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7. Wemax Dice
Suppose you’re looking for a portable projector with built-in battery. In that case, you’ll absolutely love the Wemax Dice. It is manufactured by a relatively new brand called Wemax. The brand produces a wide range of projectors and other electronics.
For starters, the Wemax Dice is a smart projector with Android TV 9.0 built-in. With this feature, you can access 5000+ Android apps right from the projector itself. It saves you the hassle of connecting a streaming media player to access apps like Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and more. Moreover, you can also watch Live TV content right from this projector without needing a Cable TV box.
Also Read: How to Watch Live TV on Projector Without a Cable TV Box
In the brightness department, this projector offers around 700 ANSI lumens brightness. In a relative context, the brightness output might not seem much. However, if you plan to binge-watch your favorite TV series at night, then the 700 lumens brightness will suffice enough to take full advantage of in a dark or up to 80% dim room. However, if you add in ambient light or try to use it during the day, the experience feels a little abysmal.
The Wemax Dice uses DLP projection technology and offers native 1080p video resolution support. You can also run 4K content, but it will be downsized to 1080p when you view it.
On top of that, the Wemax Dice is a battery-powered projector just like the LG PF50KA (check review). As a result, you can take this projector anywhere you go and more specifically for camping. The brand claims the built-in battery lasts up to 3 hours if used in Eco mode. 3 hours is good enough to watch 2 Hollywood movies back to back.
Also Read: 5 Best Projectors for Students Living in Dorm Room
For a low price, this projector also offers smart features like Automatic Focusing and 4-way Keystone Correction. The Autofocus feature is life-saving because you can set up the projector anywhere you like and it adjusts the focus on its own. The same goes for 4-way keystone correction because you can place this projector in a room’s corner, yet you’ll get an even projection at all times.
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Important features to look for in the best projector under $700
1. Should come with Full HD Native Resolution – $700 is not a small amount if you’re spending it on a projector. To get the best projector under $700, make sure it at least comes with a native 1920 x 1080p resolution.
It ensures that you get a crisp and blur-free image quality that offers you the best bang for your buck. Great, if you can find a projector that offers support for 4K content. All projectors mentioned in this list of best projectors under $700 come with native 1920 x 1080p resolution.
2. High Lumen Value – Under the $700 price range, you can find projectors that offer brightness between 300-4000 lumens. Most portable projectors offer low brightness and are not ideal for daytime or ambient light usage.
The commonly found projectors offer brightness range between 2200-3500 lumens that makes them usable during daytime and in ambient lighting conditions.
3. Get your projector from a reputed brand – If you’re looking for the best projector under $700, it’s recommended to get one from a reputed brand. The projectors mentioned above are from popular projector brands like Optoma, Benq, Viewsonic, Epson, etc.
Conclusion
I hope your search for the best projector under $700 ends here.
However, if you’re still on the fence, then with closed eyes, you can go with our #1 pick i.e., Optoma HD39HDR that offers all the necessary features and a little more.
While it lacks wireless connectivity, you can couple it with a streaming media device like Amazon Fire TV Stick or Chromecast. Thus, you can enjoy wireless connectivity features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Screen Mirroring options.
Want to set up a projector in a smaller room? The BenQ TH671ST will be an ideal pick because of its short throw capability and a Gaming Mode that ensures faster response time.
While the Epson Epiqvision Mini EF11 is a unique choice if you want a projector for casual use and making a style statement. Its lightweight design coupled with a portable casing makes it easy to carry wherever you go.
If you still have confusion about spending your money on a projector under $700, please don’t hesitate to leave your concerns in the comment section below.
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