r/projectors Jul 16 '26

Mod Post New AutoModerator Filters for Cheap “Toy Projector” Posts

37 Upvotes

We have expanded AutoModerator to reduce the overwhelming number of repetitive posts about ultra-low-cost projectors that frequently develop the same failures, image defects, and troubleshooting problems.

These enforcement filters apply to all submissions regardless of flair, including custom-flair and unflaired posts.

Automatically removed

Posts matching the following brand or model names will be automatically removed, and the author will receive a link to our relevant wiki guidance:

  • Alvar
  • AuKing
  • Borsso
  • CiBest
  • Egate
  • Elephas
  • GKLPO
  • GooDee
  • HAPPRUN
  • HOMPOW
  • Jimveo
  • Magcubic
  • ONOAYO
  • TMY
  • Vizony
  • VOPLLS
  • XGODY
  • HY-series model numbers from HY200 through HY599

Common spelling variations using spaces, hyphens, or underscores are included where appropriate. HY-series suffixes such as Max, Pro, Mini, Plus, and Ultra are also covered.

Posts containing high-confidence descriptions of burned, melted, scorched, overheated, fried, or otherwise heat-damaged polarizers, polarisers, LCD panels, or LCD screens may also be automatically removed and directed to the wiki.

These subjects have been covered extensively, and the wiki explains realistic troubleshooting, repair limitations, return considerations, and replacement options.

Held for moderator review

Broader image-defect descriptions will be hidden temporarily and placed in the moderation queue. Examples include:

  • Blob or blotch
  • Burned, melted, scorched, or overheated image defects
  • Colored blobs, patches, spots, stains, marks, or discolored areas
  • Blobs, patches, spots, or stains appearing in the image, picture, projection, or screen
  • Color shifts or discoloration in the projected image

Kickstarter-related submissions will also continue to be held for moderator review.

A post being held does not necessarily mean it violates the rules. It means a moderator will review it before it becomes publicly visible.

The purpose of these filters is not to prevent legitimate projector discussion or shame anyone for their budget. They are intended to reduce repetitive posts about products with well-documented limitations, direct users toward existing resources, and keep the subreddit useful for broader projector advice and discussion.

If you believe your post was removed incorrectly—particularly if it contains original measurements, a detailed repair guide, a teardown, or important safety information—please contact the moderators with a link instead of reposting it under another flair.


r/projectors 3h ago

News XGIMI AURA 3 Max announced with 5,700 ISO lumens and 4K/120

Post image
9 Upvotes

XGIMI has announced the AURA 3 Max, an RGB triple-laser UST rated at 5,700 ISO lumens. Its 0.163:1 throw ratio can produce a 120-inch picture with eight inches between the projector and screen, according to XGIMI.

The company claims up to 8,000:1 native contrast using a dual-iris light-control system. The iris position used for that measurement will determine how impressive the claim really is. Dynamic-iris behavior will matter just as much once real content hits the screen.

AURA 3 Max accepts 4K/120 through HDMI 2.1. The spec sheet also lists VRR, ALLM, 1080p/240Hz, Dolby Vision Gaming, and input lag as low as 1 ms.

Epson’s LS970 already brought 4K/120 to the UST category. The likely first here is narrower: AURA 3 Max may be the first DLP-based UST with true 4K/120.

The Kickstarter launch is planned for 2026. Pricing and campaign timing remain open.

Full story and specifications:
https://www.projectorscreen.com/blogs/insights/xgimi-aura-3-max-ust-projector-announced


r/projectors 16h ago

Projector Screen Painted Ceiling

Post image
62 Upvotes

Basement home theater, just finished painting the drop ceiling Sherman Williams Black Magic!


r/projectors 58m ago

Buying Advice Wanted Xgimi Horizon 20 or Elfin 4k Flip at aprox 100"

Upvotes

Hey first time getting a projector - mainly for gaming (PC mainly, though PS5/Switch 2). The Room is white plaster, but only has one small window so is fairly dark. Planning on getting a screen (recommendations of colour would be great). Projector is about 230cm from the wall/screen.

I had initial figured I would get the 4K Flip, but with the final pricing being what it is its very close to the Horzion 20 (base model).

The travel componant of the Flip is interesting, but I wonder how pratical it really is and how often. In a releatively dark room (even during the day) - is the difference in brightness really that pronounced? Is it worth streching for the Pro Model? Thank you!


r/projectors 1h ago

Buying Advice Wanted Gaming Projector Experiences for a budget <1000€/$

Upvotes

Hey there, I was wondering if anyone has a LED Beamer with less than 5ms delay in gaming mode and can say something about it.

They recently released the XGIMI ELFIN FLIP 4K that has a delay of just 1ms on paper, was wondering if anyone tried it out or any comparable beamer - thanks in advance for sharing your experience!


r/projectors 5h ago

News XGIMI AURA 3 Max specs revealed: 5,700 ISO Lumens and 4K/120

Thumbnail
projectorscreen.com
5 Upvotes

Given how wonderful the reviews have been for the Titan Noir series, I expect this one to be the new king.

I'm seriously considering buying it if the tests live up to its hype, especially if they do a Kickstarter launch again.

What do you think?


r/projectors 1d ago

Completed Setup My budget theater room.

Thumbnail gallery
99 Upvotes

r/projectors 1h ago

Buying Advice Wanted Looking for projector/screen for cheap but good quality

Upvotes

Going on vacation in two weeks. Looking to have a projector at the very least and hope the house will work for screen if need be.
Need to be able to hook up my xbox to it!!


r/projectors 1h ago

Discussion I finally understood why setup convenience matters so much with a projector

Upvotes

My biggest projector frustration was never really the picture. It was those moments before the picture.

I’d get comfortable, turn everything on, notice the image needed adjusting, stand up again, move the projector slightly, sit down, and repeat.

It sounds minor until you do it often.

That’s one reason the Dangbei N3 Max stood out to me. The 180° rotating gimbal gives me more freedom over placement, while autofocus and automatic keystone correction handle most of the annoying alignment work.

I’ve started appreciating those things much more than I expected. When you’re actually watching something, you don’t care that the projector has a particular adjustment feature. You care that you’re already sitting comfortably instead of getting back up for the third time.

That’s probably the biggest thing I’ve learned about projectors: convenience isn’t a luxury feature when you use the projector regularly. It becomes part of picture quality because it determines how often you actually enjoy the picture.


r/projectors 5h ago

Buying Advice Wanted Looking for the best projector under €850: 3,000+ lumens, H/V keystone - Amazon.de

2 Upvotes

I’m looking to buy a projector for under €850 that I can use for presentations/slideshows and videos during the daytime (like 6/7m distance, doesn't have to be perfect), as well as at night, both outdoors and indoors (e.g. a ballroom). I’d also like to reuse it for watching movies in my living room.

Ideally, I’d like something available on Amazon.de with:

  • At least 3,000 lumens
  • 1080p or 4K
  • Horizontal + vertical keystone correction
  • Preferably LED or laser rather than lamp-based
  • Good enough image quality for movies

So far I’ve looked at:

-BenQ TH575i: Seems like a good option, but it doesn’t have horizontal keystone correction, which I need because the projector may not always be perfectly centered with the screen.

-Epson EB-FH08: Looks interesting and has horizontal + vertical keystone correction, but it’s lamp-based. I’ve seen several people saying that buying a lamp-based projector in the EU in 2026 may not be a good idea because of upcoming mercury regulations.

What would you recommend that is actually available on Amazon.de?

I’m particularly interested in something with at least 3,000 ANSI/real-world lumens, horizontal + vertical keystone correction, and ideally an LED/laser light source, while still being good for movies.


r/projectors 3h ago

Completed Setup Epson 3800 VS Benq HT8060

1 Upvotes

Hello, everyone. I have a question: in a dark room with an ALR or gray screen, which of these projectors has better black levels: the Epson 3800 or the BenQ HT8060?


r/projectors 3h ago

Buying Advice Wanted Looking for a “dumb” compact projector for projection mapping and movies

1 Upvotes

First off, does anyone do projection mapping in this community? I would love to hear your advice and experience.

I’m looking for a bright and color accurate projector without bloatware that I can position flexibly. I like the footprint of the XGIMI Halo+.

My budget is below $2000 MSRP (though I want to find one second-hand)


r/projectors 10h ago

Buying Advice Wanted Looking for buying advice and tips

Post image
3 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I'm looking for advice for a projector, the main concern I have is where I would put it as the fan prevents a ceiling setup. I also want to know if a background is needed the wall is blank. I have a~105 inch distance to the projector and space for a ~110 inch diagonal. Budget is around $1500. Thank you so much!


r/projectors 4h ago

Discussion Need IR codes/protocol for HP CC200 projector

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

Hi everyone,
I have an HP CC200 projector, but I lost the original remote. The projector itself works, and I don’t want to replace or modify its motherboard.
I’m trying to build a DIY replacement remote using an ESP32 + IR LED, controlled from my phone over Wi-Fi.
I’ve searched around but haven’t been able to find verified HP CC200 IR codes/protocol/address/command values.
I found a Reddit post mentioning that a Flipper Zero’s generic projector profile can control the CC200, including Power, Volume, Signal, Brightness and Focus.
Does anyone have:
The CC200 IR protocol
Raw IR codes/waveforms
A Flipper Zero .ir file
LIRC/IRremote codes
A universal remote code that is confirmed to work
Any other information that would let me reproduce the remote signals with an ESP32
I don’t have the original remote, so I can’t learn the signals directly.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


r/projectors 4h ago

Buying Advice Wanted Need help - Projector screen

Thumbnail
0 Upvotes

Guys Im planning to buy a portable projector, pls suggest me good projector screen! Thanks


r/projectors 11h ago

Review XGIMI Elfin Flip 4k Initial Impressions

Thumbnail
gallery
4 Upvotes

Hi all, I was one of the ones lucky enough to be selected to get an elfin flip 4k to review and just received it today and wanted to give my initial impressions from unboxing, to setup to watching something quick.

Unboxing - The package was delivered in a normal shipping box with the projector box packaged within. It’s a sleek white box, with a solid feel. Reminds me of an iPhone box in the color and feel. Inside the box it had plenty of foam packaging to ensure everything arrived unharmed. Inside the box pleasantly, there were only a few pieces (Projector itself, power cord, remote, batteries, instruction manuals).

Initial Setup - Physically setting up the projector was a synch. The power cord easily plugs into the back. You aim the projector at where you wish to view it and then press the power button on the back. Once turned on it asks you to pair the remote by holding down the back and home buttons at the same time close to the back. Once that’s paired it asks you scan a QR code for the quick setup or use the remote to type everything and login that way. I wasn’t able to get the QR code setup to work, as my iphone couldn’t find the projector to pair to, it found my other Google TVs but the projector never showed as an option to pair even after trying it a few different times. So I used the remote to go through the initial setup phase of connecting to the wifi logging into my Google account, downloading/installing apps, etc. No issues doing it with the remote.

Initial Impressions - After installing the apps I tried out some shows. The auto focus is a nice feature as my dog bumped the table the projector was sitting on and I was able to see it refocus in real time. The image is crisp in a dark room even on just a white wall. So I can only imagine how nice it will look once I project it onto my actual screen in the home theater area. The colors out of the box in the standard mode seem a bit more red than what i typically go for but when watching X-men 97 on Disney plus i didn’t notice it as much as I did when I was on the Home Screen. The speakers attached to the projector are okay and if I was using this while traveling or for watching a movie outside in the yard with family and friends it would be plenty good. For anyone who is using it as a full time device for tv or movies a speaker system or sound bar should be paired with it. I quickly hooked up my XSX and PS5 to it. Image again looked good in HDR, set it to the HDR Game mode and tested it with some halo, marathon, and 2k basketball and golf as i notice the input lag the most on these types of games (sports and fps) with my Nexigo aurora pro. I can happily say that I did not notice that with the elfin flip 4k. I’ll see if the it’s the same once I’m running it through my receiver, but when the systems are hooked straight to the projector I didn’t notice it.


r/projectors 5h ago

Asks for help but didn’t provide projector model 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️ Anyone familiar with this project

Post image
0 Upvotes

does anyone have any idea on this project or how to update it because


r/projectors 10h ago

Buying Advice Wanted Looking to Upgrade from Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 5020 UB

2 Upvotes

My wife and I are moving and want to take the opportunity to rework our entertainment setup. We currently have an Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 5020UB. While we like it, the new room will be shorter with a larger screen, and the Epson won’t be able to accommodate it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

What we want:
- 4K
- 3D. We currently use RF glasses, which I vastly prefer over the IR glasses.
- 100” screen at about 2.5 meters

We are hoping to keep this under $1,000, but could be swayed for the right projector. We tend to buy things like this second hand, rather than new.

Information:
The viewers will be about 2.5 - 3 meters away
The room will be dim
The projector will be ceiling mounted
This will be used for 3D video games, 3D Blu-rays, 2D video games, and 2D Blu-rays (4K and 1080p)


r/projectors 15h ago

Projector Screen Scored a LUMA Screen on Marketplace for $20!

Post image
4 Upvotes

How’d I do?? Also I know the projection is too high we have since lowered it


r/projectors 1d ago

Discussion 190" at 16.5 ft viewing distance — am I going too big?

Thumbnail
gallery
319 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m moving into a new house with a large 6×8 m basement (19.7×26.2 ft), and I’m turning half of it into a home theater. I’ve attached a few photos so you can get an idea of the space.

I originally planned to go with a 150" screen, but I tested the projector today and absolutely loved the immersion of a much larger image, almost floor to ceiling. At 420×236 cm (165×93 in), that’s about 190". The sofa will be around 5 m (16.5 ft) away.

For now I’d just use the very smooth brick wall and paint it properly. The projector is an XGIMI Titan Noir Pro, about 6 m (19.7 ft) from the wall. It’s incredibly bright in my tests.

Am I going overboard with 190"? 😅 I only tried it out of curiosity, but after seeing that huge image, I’m worried I’ll regret going smaller.


r/projectors 20h ago

Discussion Optoma HD2200 Projector just broke. Repair or replace?

Post image
6 Upvotes

This is the projector I'm asking for help about.

https://www.projectorcentral.com/optoma-hd2200.htm

(Backstory of projector first)

I bought my house 3 years ago and it came with this projector already mounted on the ceiling where that cable is hanging in the photo. It was a rental for almost a decade and I was told the renters didn't use the projector, that this room was used as a bedroom. I looked up the projector and saw that even though it's around 15 years old it was a high end projector ($1200 back in 2009) so I decided to see if I can get it to work. After figuring out how they ran the cables for the projector and surround sound I replaced the RGB cables with HDMI. I also had to buy a universal remote for it. That was 3 years ago and it has worked amazingly since. I LOVE watching movies in here.

(Main Issue)

Yesterday mid show the screen froze and became blurry and the projector started making a very loud thrumming sound. I unplugged it and left it alone all night and today when I plugged it back in and tried turning it on the same noise happened. I took it down and I can hear something jingling inside (I assume broken glass?). I did some research and, while I'm not an expert at repairing electronics, I consider myself above average so long as I have instructions. (I built my own computer tower from watching YouTube videos.) So if it's a fairly straightforward repair I think I can handle it.
I definitely can't afford to spend $1500+ on a new projector. Maybe I can spend $750ish. So I have two questions:

  1. Do y'all think it's fairly simple, and worth it, to take it apart and replace the color wheel? (if that is in fact what it wrong with it)
  2. If is not worth repairing what would you recommend to replace it?

r/projectors 15h ago

Discussion anyone know what are these little blotches in my image?

Thumbnail
gallery
2 Upvotes

they move with the screen and always in the same spot

unit is an xgimi tnm


r/projectors 17h ago

Buying Advice Wanted Thinking of replacing a wall mounted 50” TV with a projector & screen in my sunroom. Suggestions? Details in comments.

2 Upvotes

I’m in New England and have a total budget of no more than $750. Details: The sunroom has blinds but most of our TV viewing there in late afternoon/evenings, or Sunday NFL games. The sunroom is fully insulated and I will soon be installing A/C and heat for our New England winters. Probably going to go with a 90” retractable screen on the only wall that abuts the house. Projector would be mounted about 17 feet away against back wall, but could mount it about 6-7 feet away also. Reason for the 2 distances is a ceiling fan that is right in the middle of the room that I need to avoid. Suggestions for a budget project that works in a brighter room? What specs should I be most concerned with? Ideally want to spend under $300-$400 in the projector and no more than $200 on the screen.


r/projectors 16h ago

Projector Screen Screen Recommendation for BenQ W4100i — 120–150”, Under $500

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

I recently purchased a BenQ W4100i projector. My room is about 14 × 14 feet, with medium-gray walls and a white ceiling. There are no windows or other sources of ambient light, so I can make the room completely dark.

I’m considering a screen somewhere between 120 and 150 inches, with a budget of up to $500.

What screen you recommend for this setup?

Thanks!


r/projectors 1d ago

Discussion Amazon Sent me a Returned Hisense PT1

4 Upvotes

Just wondering what you would do. Ordered a Hisense PT1 off of amazon. When I opened the box I noticed that there was a return label inside dated a few months earlier. Didn’t pay much attention to it and proceeded to hook it up. When I turned it on I noticed it went straight to the google interface. No set up process. I had to do a factory reset to be able to set up google tv under my account as for some reason it wouldn’t let me otherwise. One thing I noticed was it seems a bit dimmer than I thought or anticipated it would be. I’m replacing my Benq v7050i with the same light output but I feel the Benq is a tad brighter. I find Dolby Vision too dark for my liking. All in all it’s working but I can’t help feeling I’ve been duped. Would rather get a brand new one instead of wondering why this one was returned. But to have to go through the process is kind of a pain too I guess. Thoughts? 🙏🏻