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Best Ultra Short Throw Projectors For 2023 – Our Picks

By Diane Jones

A typical ultra-short-throw projector can display a 100″ to 120″ from less than a foot away from the screen. Since an ultra-short-throw projector sits in front of the viewer and close to the screen, you don’t have to worry about someone interrupting projected content by walking in front of and breaking the protector light path, casting shadows on the screen 

When UST projectors are combined with an ambient light rejecting screen, they are an excellent solution for an environment with a large amount of ambient light.

Due to the complex optics required to project a non-distorted image at an extreme angle, UST projectors are generally more expensive than standard throw projectors with the same performance.

While you don’t have to deal with mounting the projector above your head or in the back of the room, installation of an ultra-short-throw projector tends to be quick and easy. Ultra short throw lenses have usually offered little/no zoom range or shift so proper placement is critical. However better ultra-short-projectors include features like horizontal/vertical keystone correction and 4-corner adjustments to help properly align the image to the screen

When a bright UST projector is combined with a ceiling light rejecting screen, they are an excellent solution for an environment with a large amount of ambient light.

The term “Laser TV” has also been adopted by other manufacturers to describe higher-end projectors in this category. It is much easier than saying “4K Ultra-Short Throw Laser Smart Projector”. Great picture, smart features, upgraded sound, easy installation and low maintenance make Laser TVs a compelling alternative to a large flat panel TV, especially in rooms where space is at a premium.

While this article covers multiple types of ultra-short projectors, be sure to check also out our article on Things To Consider When Purchasing a Laser TV.

ProjectorReviews.com has reviewed many ultra-short-throw projectors over the years. To help you find the perfect one for your needs, and budget, below are links to some of our favorites.

Looking for other projectors? View our list of the best projectors we have reviewed this year, broken out by category.

Enjoy!

Our Picks for Best Ultra Short Throw Projectors in 2023

HISENSE L9G

Hisense L9G Best in Class Award

The Hisense L9G is a Tricolor laser-equipped smart ultra-short-throw projector with a brightness rated at 3,000 ANSI lumens. Depending on the screen chosen, the L9G retails between $5499 to $5999 so which makes it one of the more expensive Laser TV (4k smart laser ultra-short throw projector) on the market. However, it is quite possibly the best-designed UST projector that we have reviewed in the last two years.

What sets L9G apart from most Laser TVs is its color performance. The unit’s TriChroma RGB 3 Laser light engine enables the L9G to achieve an astounding 107% of the BT.2020 color space resulting in images that are more realistic with improved color accuracy, depth, and brilliance.

To be clear no existing flat panel television, either OLED or LCD is capable of displaying this much of the BT.2020 color gamut.

Hisense is one of the few projector manufacturers that make flat-panel televisions with smart capabilities. Hisense brings this experience to the L9G and provides the same Android TV smart platform found in their newest flat-panel TVs. The projector’s menus and Android TV are seamlessly integrated, providing a smooth and well-thought-out user experience. 

Hisense L9G Specifications

Price $5499 or $5999
(depending on screen)
Rated Brightness 3000 ANSI lumens
Resolution 3840×2160
(1920x1080x4)
Light Source RGB Laser
Imager Type DLP (0.47” DMD)
Light Source Lifespan 25,000+ hours
Inputs HDMI x 3, USB x 2
Smart Features Android TV, Google Assistant, Alexa
Sound 40W Dolby Atmos sound system
Bundled Screen 100-inch ALR Daylight screen
100-inch/120-inch ALR Cinema screen
TV Tuner Yes

The built-in 40W Dolby Atmos sound system gives the L9G is a significant soundstage upgrade over the typical speakers found in most televisions.

If you want to put a very large TV in your living or theater room, this Hisense would be an excellent choice. The Hisense L9G offers a great picture, smart features, and low maintenance, making it a compelling alternative to a large flat-panel TV.

Read The Review

EPSON EPIQVISION ULTRA LS500 LASER PROJECTION TV

Espon-LS500-award-1

The LS500 is a laser powered, 4000 lumen, 3LCD projector with an ultra-short throw design, and it is bundled with either a 100” or 120” screen. It’s built for your living, family, or other common rooms, and will make sure they remain common, no more. At 4000 lumens, this Laser TV one of brightest Laser TVS on the market so it is definitely bright enough to utilize day or night.

It has audio that’s better than most flat-panel TVs and, most importantly, it produces a massive sharp image, one that makes a 65” LCD TV look like something that’s more suitable for a spare bedroom.

If you’re a gamer, you probably use your existing flat panel TV for gaming. The LS500’s ultra-low game lag also makes it an excellent option for your epic gaming sessions. Its rated input lag of 16.7 ms input lag is a lot faster/better than most home projectors and many flat panel displays.

The LS500 is bundled with an Epson SilverFlex™ Ultra AR screen (100-inch or 120-inch). This high-resolution screen is designed for 4K content. It has a super-wide 178-degree viewing angle – so everyone in the living room gets a great seat, even your cousin you make sit on the old beanbag chair. The bezel has a modern thin form factor that was designed to look beautiful in any room.

Epson LS500 Specifications

Price $4999 (100″ screen)
$5999 (120″ screen)
Rated Brightness 4000 ANSI lumens
Resolution 1920 x 1080
Imager Type 3LCD
Light Source Laser
Light Source Lifespan 20,000 hours
Inputs 3 HDMI
Smart Features Android Operating System, Google Assistant
Sound System Dual 10-watt speakers
Bundled Screen 100-inch or 120-inch
TV Tuner No

It comes with the familiar Smart TV functionality of Android, it is easy to install, the laser is rated for a whopping 20,000 hours (eco mode) and the unit comes with a 2-year warranty. At around $5,000 (including the 100-inch screen), the Epson LS500 Laser Projection TV is a real alternative for customers who crave the big screen experience in their living room.

Read the Review
Buy the Epson LS500 now!

HISENSE PX1-PRO TRICHROMA LASER CINEMA

HISENSE PX1-PRO TRICHROMA LASER CINEMA

The Hisense PX1-PRO is a Tricolor RGB laser-equipped smart ultra-short-throw projector with a brightness rated at 2,200 ANSI lumens which sells for $3,999 MSRP. 

The PX1-PRO is classified as a Laser Cinema. So what does this new Laser Cinema projector offer, and what sets it apart from previous and current Hisense Laser TVs models? To start with, the PX1-PRO does not come with a bundled screen, thus reducing the price and allowing you to select whatever screen you wish to use. This projector enables users to adjust the screen size using a new built-in digital zoom function.

Color performance sets the PX1-PRO apart from other displays. The PX1-PRO uses a TriChroma Laser light engine similar to the one found in Hisense L9G, so it can reproduce 107% of the BT.2020 color space, providing higher color accuracy, depth, and brilliance over single laser and lamp light engines. Not even an OLED TV can display this much of the BT.2020 color gamut.

The Digital Lens Focus feature allows for ultra-fine focus tuning via menu controls to get a razor-sharp image in sizes from 90 to 130-inches.

Placed just inches from the wall, the PX1-PRO casts an image as large as 130″ with excellent brightness uniformity and edge-to-edge sharpness.

Hisense brings its integrated TV OS experience to the PX1-PRO and it uses the same Android TV smart platform found in their newest flat-panel TVs. The projector’s menus and Android TV are seamlessly integrated, providing a smooth and well-thought-out user experience. 

Hisense PX1-PRO Specifications

Price $3999
Rated Brightness 2400 ANSI lumens
Resolution 3840×2160
(1920x1080x4)
Light Source RGB Laser
Imager Type DLP (0.47″ DMD)
Light Source Lifespan 25,000 hours
Inputs HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB 2.0
Smart Features Luna OS with a built-in smart Android system
Sound System Dolby Surround audio – 15W x 2 speakers, 10W x 2 tweeters
Bundled Screen No
TV Tuner No

The front of the PX1-PRO cabinet holds a 30-watt Dolby Atmos sound system that produces amazing sound quality and more bass than it should be able to reasonably produce for such a physically small ultra-short-throw projector.

The Hisense PX1-PRO offers excellent color reproduction along with smart features, low maintenance, and big sound, making it one of the most compelling ultra-short-throw RGB laser projectors of 2022. We highly recommend this projector.

Read The Review

BENQ V7050I

Ben Q V7050i Highly Recommended by Projector Reviews

The BenQ V7050i is a 2400 lumen Laser TV that retails for $3499. The BenQ V7050i was given our “Highly Recommended” Award because this projector delivers a noticeably crisper, more detailed, and colorful image than I have seen to date on any other ultra-short-throw projector in its price class.

It features HDR-Pro™ (High Dynamic Range) for improved image quality and shadow detail from HDR content. The V7050i also utilizes BenQ’s proprietary CinematicColor™ technology to deliver a wider color gamut covering up to 98% of the DCI-P3 color space. The projector’s Fimmaker mode did a great job utilizing the unit’s color capability accurately.

The BenQ V7050i slightly outperformed its rated brightness of 2,500 ANSI lumens. Its brightness has a lot to do with the V7050i’s Laser Light Source and the BenQ’s implementation of their proprietary technologies like HDR-Pro and CinematicColor.

V7050i’s treVolo-tuned 5W x 2 virtual surround stereo uses what BenQ calls DSP-IC. This patented audio correction algorithm powered by MaxxAudio™ adjusts the V7050i’s speakers and psychoacoustics tuning, allowing better 3D surround sound, more detailed highs, and more powerful vocals

BenQ V7050i Specifications

Price $3499
Rated Brightness 2500 ANSI lumens
Resolution 3840×2160 (1920x1080x4)
Imager Type DLP (0.47” DMD)
Light Source Laser
Light Source Lifespan 20,000 hours (normal)/30,000 (ECO)
Inputs HDM1 x 2, USB
Smart Features Google-certified Android TV stick included, Google Assistant
Sound Systems treVolo-tuned 5W x 2 virtual surround stereo
Bundled Screen No
TV Tuner No

As far as HD and 4K SDR performance go, the V7050i exceeded our expectations. This projector comes pre-calibrated from BenQ, so out-of-the-box they have put their best foot forward.

The V7050i’s HDR performance was noticeably better than many of the DLP projectors that we have reviewed. Overall, this was a beautifully designed projector that deliver amazing picture and sound qaulity, which is why we highly recommend this BenQ 7050i if you are in the market for a Laser TV.

Read the Review
Buy the BenQ V7050i now!

XGIMI AURA

XGIMI-Aura-Value-Leader Award

The XGIMI Aura 4K Ultra Short Throw (UST) Smart Laser Projector retails for just $2499. The Aura is XGMI’s first UST projector so they made sure their first UST came packed with many of their advanced technologies.

XGIMI rated the Aura’s brightness at 2400 ANSI lumens. The light source’s life span is rated up to 25,000 hours, that is 17 years if you use the projector for 4 hours every single day.

The Aura uses a 0.47-inch DMD Texas Instruments (TI) DLP chipset and a 2,400 ANSI lumen laser diode light source to deliver its 4K (3840 x 2160) displayed resolution.

In addition, Aura features HDR10 (High Dynamic Range); HDR10 sends static metadata to the video stream, which is encoded information on color calibration settings required to make images look more like the content creator’s intentions. The Aura covers up to 90% Rec. 709 and 80% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

XGIMI Aura Specifications

Price $2499
Rated Brightness 2400 ANSI lumens
Resolution 3840×2160
(1920x1080x4)
Light Source Laser
Imager Type DLP (0.47” DMD)
Light Source Lifespan 25,000 hours
Inputs HDMI 2.0×3
Smart Features Android TV, Google Assistant
Sound System 60-watt Harman/Kardon Audio System 15W tweeter x2, 15W woofers x 2
Bundled Screen No
TV Tuner No

The Aura utilizes Android 10 which is the latest version of Android TV, meaning you have access to 5000+ Android TV native apps. Best of all, the Android TV is built-in, so you do not have to worry about an Android TV dongle taking up a valuable HDMI port.

While the XGIMI Aura ($2499 MSRP) is one of the least expensive Laser TV on the market but its picture quality along with the unit’s fit and finish rival Laser TVs that sell for several hundred dollars more. 

Read the Review

ELITE MOSICGO 360 

MosicGo Award

The Elite Projector offers multiple MosicGO systems, which are portable home theater systems designed for outdoor and indoor entertainment. The MosicGo systems all include a 1,000 lumen Full HD (1,920 x1,200) ultra-short throw DLP projector with an Osram LED light source rated for up to 25,000 hours.

We reviewed the MGFU-S with a MosicGO Sport that comes with everything you need for a backyard or poolside movie night or even an end-of-season camping trip.

MosicGo 360 systems come with an Elite Yard Master 58” CineWhite screen and stand for portable use, as well as a fixed screen that can be permanently mounted in your home or office.

Elite Projector offers the MosicGO projector in two variations: The MosicGO Sport and the MosicGO Lite. The MosicGO Sport has a built-in battery while the MosicGO Lite does not. The MosicGO Sport systems cost $300 more than the Lite series, but the integrated 37,200mAh Power Bank is worth it for the enhanced portability.

For just $1,299, you get the ultra-short throw LED battery-equipped projector, an adjustable tripod, 58” projector screen, and stand – not to mention carrying cases for all of it.

Elite MosicGo Specifications

Price $899 or $2099
(depending on projector / screen)
Rated Brightness 1000 ANSI lumens
Resolution 1920×1080
Light Source LED
Imager Type DLP (0.47” DMD)
Light Source Lifespan 25,000 hours
Inputs HDMI x 2, USB x 1
Smart Features N/A
Sound Dual 8W sound system
Bundled Screen 100-inch ALR Daylight screen
100-inch/120-inch ALR Cinema screen
TV Tuner No

The MosicGO systems were originally focused on portable applications. Many customers also wanted to utilize the projector with a larger, permanently mounted screen. So, while we were in the process of reviewing the MosicGO Sport (MGFU-S), Elite Projectors launched a new system series called the MosicGO 360. These systems come with an Elite Yard Master 58” CineWhite screen and stand for portable use, as well as a fixed screen that can be permanently mounted in your home or office. They are also available in either the Sport (with battery) or Lite projector variations.

By combining the MosicGO Sport and MosicGO Lite UST projectors with a variety of portable and fixed screens, Elite Projector has 24 different system options to choose from.

Read The Review

Also, be sure to read our article on things you should know when purchasing a Laser TV.

Things to Consider When Purchasing a Laser TV