Best Projectors Under 100 for 2023? Best. Smart. Quality

In this section, we are going to inform you about various aspects and features of a projector. Some of which are essential and needed for a projector to work, while some others are additionally added as bonus features and cost money. It’s important to look at these guides and think about what you need to make out of a projector, and decide whether it's worth the money or not.

1. Chip types

The most important thing in a projector is nothing else but the projecting chip. The chip includes the core parts of a projector, where the lighting process happens. There are three main types of chips that are widely being sold on the market: DLP, LCD, LED. While DLP is currently considered the best overall projecting technology at the time, the chip type doesn’t mean for affordable devices.

The two remaining types operate in two different ways: while the LCD tries to produce white light and then filter it using RGB (red, green, blue) panels, LED shines directly the color using Light Emitting Diodes. Here comes the difference: LCD produces much brighter and richer colors, but due to the absorption of heat in the panels, LCD projectors are often hot and less durable; LED, on the other hand, could not have the brightness and the far throwing range of the LCD.

2. Brightness

The next technical specification you need to care about projectors is the brightness. The brightness determines how bright the image would come out of the chip. While the brightness is usually modifiable, buying the brightness you need for a price you can afford is the best.

The average projector brightness is usually measured at about 1700-2000 lumens, which suggests that the lower values, 1000-1200 lumen would be not enough in a room full of lights. ALthough there are many models that can go way over this 2000 range, it should be too bright if you bought one.

3. Contrast ratio

The brightness as we said, is how bright the image is compared to the outside world; the contrast ratio is how bright a part of the image is compared to the others. In other words, contrast ratio represents the difference among the brightness of pixels, the darkest to the brightest.

The higher contrast ratio is, the more vivid of the picture we’re getting. The greatest contrast ratio might be as high as 2000000:1, and under $100, we should be expecting the contrast ratio under 1000:1.

4. Screen throw

Screen throw is the distance between the projector and the screen surface. If you remember something from high school physics, the long the distance is, the bigger the picture, but the darker the image. Therefore, most projectors feature a recommendation in the screen throw for a certain image size. Before buying a projector, try to think about the situations you’re gonna use the projector and choose the best screen throw you can afford.

5. Portability

For schools and big conference rooms, portability doesn’t seem like a real need or problem; however, for small companies, home theaters, where projectors need to be moved regularly, portability is important. The portability doesn’t just depend on the likings of the manufacturers but the technology of the projectors.

Among three types of projectors, LED projectors are the small ones. They don’t need complicated panels and filters to function; therefore, some LED projectors can be as small as being able to fit in your palm. LCD projectors, on the other hand, have to cope with the problem of heat distribution, requiring more space, thus reducing portability.

Projectors and TVs are often compared to the other, and projectors are winning their games in the field they fight. Projectors are flexible, portable, power-saving, and far more price-competitive or affordable than TVs. We have introduced some of the best projectors that are priced under $100, and the results produced are beautiful. We have also provided you with all the latest information about the projector market, so be sure to consult the article before buying the projector for your entertainment needs.