Best budget projectors for movie nights in the UK for 2023

As we head into the colder, darker months in the UK, it’s the perfect time to nail down your home cinema set up with one of these top affordable movie projectors.

Allow us to set the scene: you’re surrounded by your favourite snacks and are in a duvet cocoon. You’ve lined up Netflix’s best new flicks, and are plugging in your projector, aimed perfectly at the wall. Who wouldn’t want to watch your favourite films or TV on a much bigger scale? Imagine the Christmas movie viewing party possibilities.

Or, for a chilled solo night in, you can string up a few fairy lights alongside your projected film of choice, creating a cute self-care den. What could be better? Because let’s face it, our television (and/or laptop) just isn’t really cutting it anymore. A bit like setting up your own cinema, an at-home projector allows you to watch your TV and films on a much bigger scale, as the image is projected onto a large wall or canvas.

Just want the top budget projector picks? Here they are:

Before you invest in a home projector, there are some things you need to consider:

• The resolution: you can get everything from cheaper HD-ready 720p projectors to cutting-edge HDR displays, so figure out how often you’re going to use yours and what you’re actually after
• The picture quality, or contrast ratio: this looks at how well the projector will recreate blacks and whites. The bigger the ratio, the better the performance (e.g. 400,000:1 is very good, 2,000:1 means the image will look murky)
• The brightness of the projector: This is rated in ANSI lumens, with home projector set ups usually landing somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 lumens
• The throw distance – aka, how far away from the wall or screen do you need to place your projector, which obviously impacts how much space you have.
• Streaming service features – Some of the newer projector offerings have the ability to link up to your streaming services from the device, meaning you can seamlessly use the likes of Netflix and Disney+.

Once you’ve got all that in hand, you’re good to go with choosing the best one for you! Scroll through for some projector options for every budget.