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What would be some of the best 4k 16:9 projectors to be had for under £800? Preferably portable, and bluetoothable to speakers? I realise there will be "compromises" to be made...Thanks!
4k Projector 16:9 Under £800?
- Thread starter AlienSoccer
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Soldato
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Shirley any £800 4K projector will be fake 4K? Just 1080p in alternate modes?
So I guess that is my first compromise?
Soldato
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Have you had a look at the Optoma range?
www.optoma.co.uk
Otherwise, there's a list of manufacturer sites here.
4K UHD | Optoma United Kingdom
Optoma's range of DLP home & business projectors, interactive flat panel displays, LED displays, projection screens & accessories.
www.optoma.co.uk
Otherwise, there's a list of manufacturer sites here.
Thanks! I'll check these out
Caporegime
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Worth bearing in mind that the EU are banning the lamps that a lot of projectors use from 1st Jan 2026.
Thanks. Might just stick with LED / Laser.... I'm also dropping the portability need. So now I'm back to the best projector (scrap the 4k if too much) I can find for under £800. Mainly for movies, about a 4-5m distance viewing to screen.
Soldato
Looks like I'll be keeping my old Epson Projector until it breaks or the bulb expires.
Wait… what? Link?
Edit: oh god https://www.whathifi.com/news/new-eu-regulations-mark-the-end-of-lamp-based-projectors
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Wait… what? Link?
Edit: oh god https://www.whathifi.com/news/new-eu-regulations-mark-the-end-of-lamp-based-projectors
The article does seem a bit vague on specifics, but jeez, if / when this does go ahead then we could see a lot of perfectly good / great projectors ending up in landfill when bulbs vanish, which just seems beyond crazy.
Soldato
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Shouldn't matter as not EU
Caporegime
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It will though.
They aren't going to make them just for our little island.
They aren't going to make them just for our little island.
The market in the States is big enough for manufacturers to still continue making bulbs, assuming they're going to still be on sale there for a while.
Shipping to the UK could get very expensive though, which would be reflected in prices.
Shipping to the UK could get very expensive though, which would be reflected in prices.
Soldato
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Soldato
Eu mercury uhp lamp ban 2026
Evening all As you know I'm revving up for a new projector some time in the next year as my trusty Sony hw45 is nearing it's replacement. One thing I've been on the fence about is lamp Vs laser, lamp cheaper -mostly- but also ultimately replaceable laser embedded and rendering the whole unit...
www.avforums.com
Sometime post 2026, could actually prove to be a good time to pick up a used lamp based projector.
Lets face it lamp based projectors from the likes of JVC, Sony, etc can still put out a stunning image even if bulb costs increase.
iirc JVC are due a refresh of their current N series later this year around their traditional autumn slot, so they could well come out with a 'budget' laser model - by budget I'm thinking something more in line with their previous Xnnnn model pricing. Fingers crossed eh?
Lets face it lamp based projectors from the likes of JVC, Sony, etc can still put out a stunning image even if bulb costs increase.
iirc JVC are due a refresh of their current N series later this year around their traditional autumn slot, so they could well come out with a 'budget' laser model - by budget I'm thinking something more in line with their previous Xnnnn model pricing. Fingers crossed eh?
How about this? Optoma HZ40HDR DLP. Laser so gets around the lamp thing. Can be had for around £800 I think - 1920x1080 but I've kind of given up on the 4k at this price point now.
Soldato
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Maybe best going used at that price , few UST ones at that price point and some short throw ones such as Dangbei Mars Pro ( £800 new on eBay while back ) . As said most will use pixel shift to achieve 4k - hard to spot the difference though and it'll be down to finding a balancing point among the other compromises that come along with them.
I intend on using it mainly for home cinema - viewing distance to screen will be around about 4-5m. So won't need short throw, right?