More and more people choose a projector as decoration of home theater in view of its portability and lower cost. In this guide, we will introduce short throw projectors and give a list of the best short throw projector under $500, helping you know more about short throw projectors and make a wise decision.
What Does Short Throw Projector Mean?
Throw ratio is the ratio between throw distance (distance between the projector lens to the screen) and screen width. The throw ratio determines the screen size that a projector can project when the throw distance is fixed.
Short throw projectors refer to projectors that have a throw ratio of less than 1 but no less than 0.4:1.
A short throw projector means the projector can project a bigger screen within the same distance compared with a long throw projector. If your room is not spacious enough but you want to get a giant screen, then you need to choose a short throw projector.
In other words, a short throw projector enables you to enjoy a bigger screen at a shorter distance compared with common projectors.
If you want to install the projector on a cabinet just like a TV, you can pick an Ultra Short Throw projector. Ultra Short Throw projector has a throw ratio of no more than 0.4:1, projecting a big screen at a short distance. If you have no idea of the throw distance of a projector for fixed screen size, you can use the online projector calculator to calculate the throw distance.
Best Short Throw Projector Under $500
In this section, we carefully select the top 5 best short throw projectors under $500 for 2022.
AAXA P400
- Price: $269
- Throw Ratio: 0.7:1
- Lamp Type: LED
- Lamp Life: 30,000 hours
- Brightness: 400 LED lumens
- Resolution: 1920×1080 (HD)
- Contrast: 1,000:1
AAXA P400 projector has a throw ratio of 0.7:1, which can project a 100-inch screen from a short distance of 63”. The projector adopts LED as a light source and has a long lamp life of 30,000 hours. In addition, the projector has a built-in battery, enabling you to use the projector for 2 hours even though it is not connected to power. AAXA P400 projects a max screen of 180”, bringing an immersive viewing experience. With 400 LED lumens, the contrast of 1000:1 and 1080P resolution, the image is sharp with rich details.
It is equipped with HDMI, USB, Micro SD/TF card, and AUX interface, supporting various connections of external devices, including laptops, smartphones, TV sticks, etc.
| Pros | Cons |
| High resolution Long lamp life Lower cost | Lower brightness |
Yaber V3
- Price: $109
- Throw Ratio: 0.98:1
- Lamp Type: LED
- Lamp Life: 60,000 hours
- Brightness: 6,000 lumens
- Resolution: 1280×720
- Contrast: 5,000:1
Yaber V3 is a projector with a short throw of 0.98:1. The projector features 720P resolution and 6,000 lumens, whose projection image is clear and crisp.
The projector supports Bluetooth, and you can connect the projector to the speaker via Bluetooth. Regarding screen size, it can project at most 200 inches, providing an immersive viewing effect. With a small size, it is also suitable for outdoor use.
| Pros | Cons |
| Long lamp life Lower cost | Longer throw in the list |
ASUS P3B
- Price: $500
- Throw Ratio: 0.8:1
- Lamp Type: LED
- Lamp Life: 30,000 hours
- Brightness: 800 Lumens
- Resolution: 1280×800(WXGA)
- Contrast: 1,000:1
ASUS P3B has a short throw of 0.8:1, enabling users to project a bigger screen size in a small room. The projector adopts LED as the light source, which has a lamp life of 30,000 hours, meaning that you have no trouble with repeated lamp replacement.
The projector features a native resolution of 1280×800(WXGA) and 800 lumens, whose projection image is clear enough. It has a built-in 12,000mAh battery that provides up to 3 hours of projection time. In addition, it has a large memory of 32GB, and you can download videos at will.
| Pros | Cons |
| Long lamp life Built-in battery | Lower brightness |
Acer S1286H
- Price: $499
- Throw Ratio: 0.617:1
- Lamp Type: OSRAM bulb
- Lamp Life: 5,000 Hours
- Brightness: 3,500 ANSI Lumens
- Resolution: 1024 x 768
- Contrast: 20,000:1 (Dynamic)
Acer S1286H is a good option for a short throw projector under $500. With a throw ratio of 0.617:1, the projector is rated at 3,500 ANSI lumens, which can bring bright images under ambient light. With a large contrast of 20,000:1 and a native resolution of 1024 x 768, it projects crisp images with rich details.
The projector adopts an OSRAM bulb with a lamp of 5,000 hours, a little bit short than some LED projectors.
| Pros | Cons |
| High Brightness Short throw | Shorter lamp life |
ViewSonic PJD5350LS
- Price: $461
- Throw Ratio: 0.6:1
- Lamp Type: Metal Halide bulb
- Lamp Life: 4,000 hours
- Brightness: 3,200 ANSI Lumens
- Resolution: 1024×768 (XGA)
- Contrast: 20,000:1 (Dynamic)
ViewSonic PJD5350LS is a lamp-based projector, producing 3,200 ANSI lumens for the projection image. The projector has a resolution of 1024×768 (XGA) and contrast of 20,000:1, bringing vivid images.
It can project a max screen of 300 inches, providing a cinematic and immersive viewing experience.
| Pros | Cons |
| High brightness Giant screen | Short lamp life |
Conclusion
To conclude, the best short throw projectors under $500 are not sufficient on the market as the price of a short throw projector is much more expensive than common projectors.
Among the five short throw projectors, Yaber V3 is the best budget one. It is worthy to note that LED projectors have longer lamp life but lower brightness while lamp-based projectors have higher brightness but shorter lamp life. You can choose one according to your preference. If you have a higher budget of more than $2,000, you can get Ultra Short Throw laser projectors that have higher brightness and shorter throw.
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