Turn your living room into a movie theater

This projector turns even the humblest living room into a movie theater. Rozette Rago YOUR GUIDE Christine Cyr Clisset For years, my husband and I wanted to buy a movie projector, but we couldn’t stomach the steep price. We didn’t want to have a big TV hogging up wall space in our tiny apartment, so we made do with watching movies on our laptop or iPad. We finally ponied up for the [BenQ HT2050A]( as a family Christmas gift in 2019. Little did we know just what a good investment it would prove to be over the coming year. Less than three months later, we, like much of the world, were sheltering in place. In those first frightening weeks of the pandemic, our projector became a salve at the end of our days spent working from home and helping our 4- and 6-year-old daughters navigate distance-learning. The news was scary, and sirens blared nonstop out our Brooklyn windows. But at the end of each day, we gave ourselves a pass to eat dinner in front of a movie. “Yes, it was expensive, but we’ve gotten so much relief, joy, and family bonding from it this year.” Our girls loved it, and we found ourselves blasting through the entire Marvel universe, as well as classics like What About Bob?, Splash, and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Our movie nights were a necessary escape, and as the credits rolled, my husband and I would often high-five each other for making such a good purchase. We’ve cut down on the shows since last spring, but we still congratulate each other over the projector. Yes, it was expensive, but we’ve gotten so much relief, joy, and family bonding from it this year. I use it to stream fitness videos, and it even works well for outdoor movies (which is why it’s Wirecutter’s pick for an [outdoor movie projector](. If I can ever stay up past my kids, I hope to someday watch something more sophisticated and deserving of the big screen (Blade Runner and La Dolce Vita are high on my list). When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. [Learn More ›]( How it compares The BenQ projector is technically a budget projector, and it lacks the contrast and detail of the [$6,000 4K home-theater projector]( we recommend. But it’s the best projector we’ve tested for under $1,000, and it offers good enough image quality for most people. - It produces richer, more vibrant colors than other budget projectors. - It’s easy to set up because of a flexible lens that has both zoom and vertical shift. - It works in a small room, thanks to the 1.3x zoom, which gives you some flexibility to place the projector closer to the screen. - The built-in speaker isn’t amazing, but it produces fuller sound than what you’d get from most budget projectors. Extras you may want to consider The BenQ doesn’t have built-in streaming capabilities, so you’ll need to either connect your laptop or other source via an HDMI cable or invest in a streaming stick. My family uses the Roku Streaming Stick+, but Wirecutter also highly recommends the [Google Chromecast](. Because my family lives in a small space, we invested in a [projector mount]( and a [roll-down screen]( to attach to the ceiling. So we never trip over the gear, and we can roll the screen away when it’s not in use. Wirecutter also recommends a [projector mount]( and [better-quality screens]( that don’t roll up. When to buy The BenQ rarely goes on sale, but you might find deals in November and December. The numbers $750 Average street price $630 Best price we've seen
 Make it last The lamp inside the projector will gradually dim and need to be replaced. It should last between 3,500 and 7,000 hours (years of use for most people), depending on the lamp (brightness) mode you choose. Don’t be tempted to buy a generic lamp replacement. Instead, buy directly from BenQ, if possible. Generic bulbs don’t meet specs, can be too dim, and can even explode inside the projector. You can check the hours left on your lamp in the Projector Info menu. A replacement lamp from BenQ [currently costs around $250](. If the lens gets dirty or dusty, clean it with the same tools you’d use for a camera lens (we [have some tips](. [View email in browser]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for Wirecutter’s Newsletter. Getting too many emails from us? [Unsubscribe here](. 
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