The year 2021 may be described by some as a COVID recovery period for the projector industry as it watched industrial and educational customers come back after a year of lock-down, and saw consumer projector demand continue following 2020’s hurry-up-and-stay-home surge. For manufacturers, keeping products flowing through the factories and the ports presented unprecedented challenges thanks to ongoing parts and labor shortages.
Nonetheless, if you look at our 2021 list of ProjectorCentral Best of the Year Awards, culled from the 2020 and 2021 model year products we reviewed in the last 12 months, it’s clear that the lingering pandemic could not prevent the ever-onward march of technology and innovation. You’ll find several themes encapsulated in this year’s selections. On the commercial side of the business, perhaps the most notable trend was seen in manufacturers squeezing ever-more laser-driven lumens out of smaller boxes, particularly in the 6,000- to 10,000 lumen medium-to-large venue sector.
It was also a fascinating year for consumer projection. Manufacturers continued to embrace brighter, late-generation LED technology for more portables and lifestyle projectors designed to appeal to a broader audience. More notably, they released new laser projectors for both the high-end and, critically, mid-priced sectors of the home theater market.
Optoma UHZ50 Laser Gaming Projector
- Resolution: 3840×2160 DLP
- Brightness: 3000 ANSI Lumens
- Light Source: Laser
Optoma UHD35 Gaming Projector
- Resolution: 3840×2160 DLP
- Brightness: 3600 ANSI Lumens
- Light Source: Lamp
AAXA P6X LED Portable Projector
Resolution: 3840×2160 DLP
Resolution: 3000 ANSI Lumens
Light Source: Laser
XGIMI Aura Laser UST Projector
Resolution: 3840×2160 DLP
Resolution: 2400 ANSI Lumens
Light Source: Laser
ViewSonic PX701-4K
Resolution: UK UHD
Resolution: 3200 ANSI Lumens
Light Source: Lamp
Sony VPL-VW325ES SXRD Projector
Resolution: 4096×2160 SXRD
Resolution: 1500 ANSI Lumens
Light Source: Lamp
Sony VPL-GTZ380 SXRD Laser Projector
Resolution: 4096×2160 SXRD
Resolution: 10000 ANSI Lumens
Light Source: Laser
Panasonic PT-RCQ10 Laser Projector
Resolution: 3840×2160 DLP
Light Source: Laser
Panasonic PT-MZ880 Laser Projector
Resolution: 1920×1200 3LCD
Resolution: 8000 ANSI Lumens
Light Source: Laser
LG ProBeam BU60PST 4K Laser Projector
Resolution: 3840×2160 DLP
Resolution: 6000 ANSI Lumens
Light Source: Laser
LG CineBeam HU810PW Laser Projector
Resolution: 3840×2160 DLP
Resolution: 2700 ANSI Lumens
Light Source: Laser
JVC DLA-NZ7 D-ILA Laser Projector
Resolution: 8192 x 4320
Light Source: Laser
Hisense L9G TriChroma UST Laser Projector
Resolution: 3840×2160 DLP
Resolution: 3000 ANSI Lumens
Light Source: Laser
Fujifilm FP-Z8000 UST Laser Projector Review
Resolution: 1920×1200 DLP
Resolution: 8000 ANSI Lumens
Light Source: Laser
Epson Home Cinema 2250
Resolution: 3840×2160 DLP
Resolution: 3000 ANSI Lumens
Light Source: Laser
Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 Laser Projector
Resolution: 1920×1200 DLP
Light Source: Laser
BenQ V7050i UST Laser Projector
Resolution:3840×2160 DLP
Resolution: 2500 ANSI Lumens
Light Source: Laser
BenQ X1300i LED Gaming Projector
Resolution: 1920×1200 DLP
Light Source: 3000 ANSI Lumens
BenQ TK700STi Gaming Projector
Resolution: 3840×2160 DLP
Resolution: 3000 ANSI Lumens
Light Source: Lamp