Is an Ultra-Short-Throw Projector a Good Substitute for a Big-Screen TV?

Ultra-short-throw (UST) projectors are often marketed as TV replacements because they can deliver a massive image from a very short distance and have a footprint smaller than any TV. It’s hard not to be intrigued by the idea of swapping out a burdensome big-screen TV for a small box and still getting a 100-inch image. But the truth is, these are still projectors, and expensive ones at that. After testing four UST projectors at varying prices and performance levels, we’ve concluded that the vast majority of people are better off getting either a large TV or a traditional projector. You’ll either get better performance or spend less—oftentimes both.

If you’re not ready to take our word for it, let’s delve deeper into this increasingly popular category of projectors and explore the setup and usage challenges you may face, as well as what kind of performance you can expect from some of the top UST sellers.

What is an ultra-short-throw projector?

Using special lenses and mirrors, an ultra-short-throw projector can create a very large image on a screen or wall from a very short distance, so it fits in rooms where a traditional projector can’t. Most projectors require roughly 1 inch of distance from the wall for every inch of diagonal screen size. For a 100-inch image, you’ll need at least 8 to 10 feet between the screen and the projector. UST projectors can create the same size image just a foot or so away from the screen. They are designed to sit on a tabletop or shelf placed right near the wall, so you don’t have to mount them on the ceiling or find a convenient place behind your couch.

UST projectors are an extreme version of short-throw projectors. Traditional short-throw projectors like the one we recommend in our budget projector guide often look like big-lensed versions of their non-short-throw counterparts and are designed to fit the space in between UST and traditional projectors. If you imagine a traditional projector at the back of a room and a UST projector in the front next to the screen, a short-throw projector would be halfway between them. The exact distance varies, but generally a short-throw model is designed for placement on a coffee table between the couch and the wall or screen.

More affordable 1080p UST projectors, such as the Optoma GT5600, use DLP projection technology and a traditional lamp bulb to create the image, whereas more-expensive, 4K-friendly models, like the Epson LS500 or the Sony VPL-VZ1000ES, use LCD or LCoS technology and lasers as the light source. Companies such as Epson and Hisense also offer complete packages that pair their UST projectors with matching ambient-light-rejecting (ALR) screens, usually in a 100- or 120-inch size. These systems include everything you need to get up and running, taking the guesswork out of pairing a projector with a screen. (We discuss the importance of the screen below.)

Some UST models, like the LG HU85LA, even feature an integrated TV tuner and streaming platform just like a smart TV, so you don’t need to connect a separate source. And pretty much all of them have speakers built in, so you don’t have to connect an external sound system, either (though you may want to).

Setup considerations if you want to use a UST projector

While it seems UST projectors would be easier to set up and use than a traditional projector, the truth is a bit more complex. They are easier, but not exactly easy.

Placement is crucial—and unforgiving. Every UST projector comes with exact placement distances that you can’t change even slightly, so it’s vital to download the owner’s manual from the manufacturer’s website beforehand to verify the installation dimensions. To create, say, a 100-inch image, the projector must be an exact distance both from the wall or screen and below the height of the bottom of the screen. If you imagined placing the projector on top of your existing TV stand, that’s likely too high. The bottom of the image will be over a foot above the top of the stand, and the top of a 100-inch-diagonal image will be roughly 64 inches above that. Depending on the height of your TV stand, the top of the image might literally be on the ceiling. You can’t adjust this without reducing image quality.

Beyond the question of whether the image will fit on your wall or screen, there’s also the question of image height: Is the center of the screen now so high that you need to look up at the image? This could be as bad as mounting your TV too high, potentially causing neck strain and generally uncomfortable viewing, akin to sitting in the front row of a movie theater.

If you’re starting from scratch, installation might be a bit easier, since you can buy or build a stand that’s the necessary height. As you might imagine, that height needs to be fairly low. With most rooms and projectors, we’re talking less than 2 feet off the floor. If you have small children, this could be a problem for several reasons. The first is that the UST lens is on the top of the projector, practically begging for fingerprints or spills. Plus, many UST projectors use laser light sources because that technology is extremely bright and helps the projector create vibrant images. However, it’s bad for your eyes to look directly at any laser (the light reflected off the screen is fine). As such, the projectors have sensors that detect when you’re too close and turn off the laser. Anyone wandering nearby will cut the image, and wee ones might be able to get close enough and at an angle to see the bright kaleidoscope of colors—something to keep in mind.

Another setup consideration is that even slight misalignment of any of the projector’s corners can result in highly noticeable keystone issues, which is to say UST projectors are extremely susceptible to producing trapezoidal-shaped images. Most UST projectors have two or more adjustable feet to help you align the chassis with the wall, but they have far fewer manual lens adjustments (like lens shifting and zoom) than many similarly priced traditional projectors. Most of them do have electronic keystone adjustment, which digitally shifts the image to correct the shape, but this reduces the number of pixels used to create the image and thus reduces resolution and image clarity. It’s a shame to pay more for a 4K resolution, only to lose the benefits in order to set up the image properly.

Finally, to get the best performance out of a UST projector, you need to mount a rigid screen on your wall (see below); the use of retractable, portable, and temporary screens isn’t ideal because of the finicky placement requirements we just described. This takes the installation beyond an “easy TV replacement,” especially if the main reason you’re considering a UST projector is because you don’t want to drill holes to mount a traditional projector on your ceiling—which, to be clear, is only one way to install a traditional projector. I’ve used projectors as my main display for years, none of which have been mounted on the ceiling.

Choosing the right screen is crucial

To get the most out of any projector, you need a screen. This is perhaps even more important with UST projectors, since it’s obvious that companies expect people to use them with the lights on. The purpose of any screen is to provide a uniformly smooth surface to reflect the light of a projector. Most screens are coated with materials that can focus more of this light back to where you sit, resulting in an even brighter image than with a non-treated surface. Figuring out the best screen to go with a UST projector is beyond the scope of this guide, as there are dozens of varieties. But we did test an ALR screen, which is specifically intended for use in a brighter room. The results were interesting and largely positive.

An ALR screen is designed to focus the light coming at you from the projector while simultaneously absorbing or reflecting all other light away from you. From certain angles, these screens appear almost black when there’s no image being projected on them.

We tested an ALR screen and a traditional matte-white screen side by side with the lights on and off, and there was a significant improvement in contrast ratio with the former. In instances where the image looked extremely washed out on the traditional screen, it was completely watchable with the ALR screen. So if you’re considering a UST projector, you should absolutely consider an ALR screen to go with it for the most “TV-like” experience.

That said, no projector or screen looks as good with the lights on as with the lights off. This is simple physics. Yes, a bright projector and an ALR screen can help, but the energy hitting the screen has to go somewhere, and a lot of that somewhere is your eyeballs. The image will look more washed out than it would in a dark room. If you expect to watch content during the day with the curtains open, you shouldn’t consider any projector. UST projectors and ALR screens aren’t magic—they’re just slightly better at functioning under bright conditions compared with traditional projectors.

It’s also important to keep in mind that, generally speaking, the benefits of using an ALR screen also apply to a traditional projector.

How well do UST projectors perform?

We tested four UST projectors to get an idea of performance across a range of prices. Our two big-picture takeaways (pun intended) are: 1) If you want the brightest UST projector to actually compete with a big-screen TV, be prepared to pay a lot more; and 2) Because of all the additional optics required to project a huge image near-vertically, these projectors’ contrast ratios take a hit compared with those of traditional projectors.

All the models we tested are HDR-capable projectors that support a 4K signal and use a laser light source, allowing for faster on/off functions and removing the need to buy replacement bulbs for a projector lamp. They all include onboard TV-streaming services, and the Hisense model even has a TV tuner to pull in over-the-air signals from an antenna (not included). Some come with a screen, and all have built-in speakers. In our testing we found that the speakers sounded a bit better than what you typically get from projector speakers, due in part to the larger cabinet sizes of these UST models. But don’t expect miracles. As with most TVs, you’re better off pairing the projector with a soundbar or external speakers. For that purpose, all the models we tested offer HDMI-ARC, plus some combination of analog, digital, and Bluetooth audio output.

Vava VA-LT002: At $2,800, Vava’s VA-LT002 DLP projector is one of the less expensive 4K laser UST projectors available right now, but it sacrifices light output to get to that lower price. It’s rated at 1,800 lumens of light output, which is about half as bright as the other projectors we tested; consequently, the Vava lacks overall punch, comparatively speaking. You can’t turn off the dynamic contrast option, which reduces the laser brightness with darker images. This happens fast enough that it’s not objectionable, but it speaks to the fact that the Vava has fewer picture adjustments overall than the other projectors we tried. Subjectively, its image contrast doesn’t look much different, so on the whole the picture quality isn’t bad. But its high point is definitely its lower cost. The VA-LT002 doesn’t come with a screen but is otherwise fully featured, with three HDMI ports (one with ARC), the Android 7.1 OS, analog and digital audio outputs, and Bluetooth.

BenQ V7050i: Of the UST projectors we looked at, the $3,300 BenQ V7050i had one of the more clever designs. It features retractable measuring tools that help you position the projector at the correct distance from the wall or screen, and the motorized top panel slides open to reveal the lens, like the roof of a fancy sports stadium. This 4K DLP projector has a rated light output of 2,500 lumens. In terms of performance, in our testing it was brighter than the Vava, almost as bright as the Hisense L9G, and a little less bright than the Epson LS500. The V7050i had the best native contrast ratio of the bunch, so its image had a bit more depth and deeper blacks—though its contrast was not as good as that of BenQ’s own far cheaper, standard-throw HT2050A, our favorite budget projector. As far as UST projectors go, however, the V7050i is a solid performer with a relatively decent price. While it does not come with a screen, it does have an Android TV adapter, two HDMI outputs (one with ARC), and a digital audio output.

Hisense L9G: A curvaceous DLP projector rated at 3,000 lumens, the Hisense L9G is one of the quieter UST options we looked at, though you’ll still hear the fans from your couch. The L9G had the best and most accurate color of the bunch. Overall the image is detailed and punchy. I noticed some slight speckle, a side effect sometimes seen with laser projection that looks like a slight sparkly texture to bright colors. It’s not a dealbreaker, and it’s only barely visible from couch distance. This can be exacerbated by an ALR screen’s own texture, however. The L9G was just a little brighter than the BenQ, but it has a lower contrast ratio that’s roughly the same as the Epson LS500’s. When viewed side by side, the picture looks more washed out than the BenQ’s but not as bright as the Epson’s, though in both cases it’s fairly close. The L9G’s main strength is its excellent color reproduction, which lets it create a very compelling image. Overall it looks good, but it’s quite expensive: As of this writing, the L9G is available with a 100-inch ALR screen for about $4,300 or a 120-inch ALR screen for about $4,600. It runs the Android TV OS, has three HDMI inputs (one with eARC), and supports analog, digital, and Bluetooth audio output.

Epson LS500: One of the more expensive UST projection systems, the LS500 can be purchased with either a 100-inch or 120-inch screen for $5,000 or $6,000, respectively. It was the brightest projector we tested, with a claimed light output of 4,000 lumens. Like the majority of Epson projectors, it uses three LCD chips to create its image. Unlike the sleek single-box designs of most UST projectors, the LS500 has a little hat on top that holds the wide-angle lens. Performance-wise, the LS500 looks similar to other recent Epson projectors I’ve tested in its ability to deliver an exceptionally bright, colorful image. But the contrast ratio is far lower than what I’ve measured on those traditional Epson projectors. For example, I recently reviewed the Epson Home Cinema LS11000 for CNET, which also uses a laser light source. While the LS500 is a bit brighter, it has less than half the contrast ratio. There is some light bleed on the bottom of the image from the lens, but that’s common with UST projectors. It’s fairly noisy in full-brightness mode, as are most of its competitors. Overall, the image quality is fine for UST projectors, but the LS500’s biggest strength is its exceptional light output. It runs on Android TV via an included dongle, features three HDMI inputs (one with ARC), and has an analog audio output.

Epson also sells the less expensive LS300, a 1080p model with a slightly lower claimed light output of 3,600 lumens. As of this writing, supply-chain issues are limiting the availability of both the LS500 and the LS300.

Why we don’t recommend UST projectors for most people

The short answer is this: If you really want a big-screen image (100 inches or larger) and have the space in your room to use a traditional projector, you’ll get better performance for far less money compared with a UST projector. Check out our guides to the best budget projector and the best projector for a living room for some of our brighter recommendations. The setup required isn’t that much more difficult. If you don’t want to mount one on your ceiling, many projectors can be placed on a shelf or stand behind a sofa. You still need a screen, but you can pick from a wider variety of options, including less conspicuous pull-down or portable models.

Sure, there are some situations in which a UST projector would work better. Perhaps your ceiling is too high, the depth of the room is too short, or you live in a rental where drilling into the walls and ceiling is forbidden. In those cases—or if most of your viewing is during the day—you should just get a 4K TV. All big-screen TVs are brighter than any projector, look better with the lights on, and in most cases actually create a better image overall than a similarly priced projector.

For the kind of money you’d spend on a UST projector, you can get a massive television. If your room is too narrow for a traditional projector and you can’t mount a regular short-throw projector, you’re probably sitting close enough to the screen that an 80-inch TV will look enormous. True, this isn’t the 100-plus inches you get with a projector, but an 80- to 85-inch TV is pretty huge and costs less than the better UST projectors we tried. You could get a 77-inch OLED for even less money, which will get you some of the best picture quality on the market, hands down.

For the record, we are big fans of projectors. I’ve used a projector as my main “TV” for nearly 20 years. But they aren’t, and never will be, as easy to use and live with as a TV. Even with the brightest projector and an ambient-light-rejecting screen, image quality will suffer during the day or with the lights on. If you watch TV and movies mostly at night and don’t mind keeping the lights low or off, a projection system can be a great everyday solution. But UST projectors simply cost too much without delivering a clear benefit in return.

This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser.