Setting up a home entertainment centre doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The first step is to find the perfect home theatre projector for your set-up. Best Buy has many projectors to choose from and you can find reviews on specific models in our Plug-in blog. This time around I decided to let the ratings speak for themselves and have gathered a list of the five top projectors based on customer feedback and reviews.

Leverage the power of Best Buy’s website to help pick your home theatre projector. Here are some of the best projectors on the market based on feedback from satisfied Best Buy customers.

BenQ 1080p 3D Ready Home Theatre DLP Projector

Overall rating: 4.3 (13 ratings, 12 reviews)

The BenQ W1070 Home Entertainment Projector can take your home theatre to the next level. It’s high contrast and 2000 lumen brightness with 10,000:1 contrast ratio means exceptionally vivid colours and sharp definitions. Enjoy full HD and 3D content with no distortion from downscaling, compression or cross-talk from other nearby devices. The BenQ W1070 adapts easily to adapt to any room’s layout, size and ambient light levels in both day and night operating mode. It talks to your other devices while supporting multiple forms of 3D connectivity including HDMI, Blu-ray, 3D broadcasting, video games and NVIDIA 3DTV PC. Cool 3D glasses are included. Built-in speakers and easy setup seal the deal on this user-friendly experience. It even saves you money! The BenQ’s SmartEco technology saves 70% of lamp power consumption and gives you longer lamp life. You won’t be spending as much on replacement projector lamps.

Cody H  from Leduc, ABhad has this to say about the BenQ W1070 Home Entertainment Projector purchased in January 2014. 

 

Great projector for the money

I upgraded from a Epson LCD projector and like this DLP much more. The blacks and contrast are much better. Rainbows are not a problem, I used to have a old DLP rear projection set and could see rainbows but the tech in this new unit has eliminated them for me, (wife and kids can’t see any either). 3d works great with some VERY cheap 3D DLP glasses from sainsonic. Note that you don’t need to replace all your cables or equipment to watch 3D! My old Denon receiver only has HDMI 1.3, (not 3D compatible), but all you have to do is set it to 1080i not 1080p! 3d HSBS mkv files play perfectly in xbmc, just start the movie and select 3D mode on the projector.

Epson Home Cinema 3020 projector

Overall rating: 4.4 (10 ratings, 7 reviews)

Enjoy the big screen experience with the Epson Home Cinema 3020 projector. Full HD 1080p resolution with 2300 lumens of colour and white brightness brings Hollywood blockbusters, TV shows, and sporting events to your screen in eye-popping detail. The Epson 3020’s 3LCD, 3-chip technology projects brilliant images with true-to-life colour. Convert 2D to 3D easily or stay in 2D mode for the Split Screen option letting you watch two shows side by side from different sources. HDMI, Component Video, VGA, and USB inputs make it easy to connect your laptop, Blu-ray player, and other media players. Comes with two RF 3D Glasses.

Devin Price from Woodstock NB bought the Epson 3020 in March 2014 and left this review:

 

Amazing Projector

I couldn’t believe how awesome this machine is right out of the box. I read the reviews, but until you actually see it, it is hard to believe. I am totally impressed and this is the best projector I have bought, it is quiet and plays console games, uses dlna devices to stream media. The only downside that I feel isn’t stressed enough is that the usb port is only for pictures , not for external hdd. Great 2d to 3d conversion, Totally amazing picture even in action scenes. Very impressed. Oh and great size of pic for throw distance. Got about 140″ diagonal from 16 ft away. So far so good.

BenQ W1080ST DLP Projector

Overall rating: 5.0 (2 ratings, 2 reviews)

Enjoy a 1080p Full-HD home theater experience even in a smaller room with the BenQ W1080ST DLP Projector. Showcase Full-HD content in sharp, 1080p definition and enjoy Blu-ray, video games and HD broadcasting in beautiful, high-contrast quality without downscaling or compression. The BenQ W1080ST short throw lens means it deliver a big picture to a small room. Enjoy the flexibility of screen size ranging from 101 to 762 cm (40-300 inches) with a 180-degree viewing angle. Your picture is guaranteed to be clear and sharp with the 2,000 lumen brightness and 10,000:1 high contrast ratio. The BenQ W1080ST supports multiple forms of 3D – including HDMI, Blu-Ray, 3D broadcasting, video games and NVIDIA 3DTV PC connectivity.

Nitin from Winnipeg, MB bought the BenQ W1080ST for a family home entertainment centre and was pleased to report it was a great buy:

 

Unbelievably amazing

Had an eye on this projector after a long research; and found bought it during a weekend deal; delivered within 4 days.. Thank you BestBuy. The projector setup was like 5 minutes, and at short throw Full HD display… this projector has started my “dream” home theater setup in basement. I have set it up for 110″ display at distance of 7 feet using ceiling mount with provision to increase display size if need arises. The projector display has options to place it straight on table, or mount on ceiling. 3D display is amazing. We get the best 3D experience with the pluged in 3D bluray player. Cable modem plugged into the other HDMI port lets us enjoy movies in HD on a large screen. Cant get enough of this projector. Simply love it.

I found the inbuilt 10W speaker below par as compared my Samsung 3D LED; but it is not bad to start with. I plan to add a home theater audio setup pretty soon now.

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 720p 3LCD Home Theatre Projector

Overall rating: 4.4 (5 ratings, 5 reviews)

You won’t have to leave the comfort of your own home to enjoy blockbuster movies and sporting events on the big screen woth the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 720p 3LCD Home Theatre Projector. This Epson Home Cinema HD projector brings all the action to your screen with an easy, stress-free setup. Deep, rich colours and sharp details will become your viewing norm with the Epson 720p thanks to the 3000 lumens of colour brightness and white brightness. Built in colour modes mean no fiddling around before playing that larger-than-life video game. The Epson 720p projects up to 762 cm (300inches) on virtually any wall or screen. The built in speakers deliver all the sound you’ll need for viewing.

JW from London, ON bought the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 720p to match his home screen and was very happy with how it worked out:

 

Great for price

Bought this for my 120″ screen, works great! The 3000 lumens bulb is bright in almost any room, and cheaper to replace the bulb than the DLP models. With ECO mode this projector gives you approx.6000 hours of bulb life. The HD 16:9 widescreen is main reason why I purchased this unit and for the price, yes it’s only 720p however it suits me just fine, however I wish it had more than 1 HDMI slot… the 1.2x optical zoom, automatic vertical keystone, and horizontal correction are great and I especially like the “quick corner” function to adjust the screen size perfectly. The fan is pretty quiet, not very loud at all. Has built in speaker but for home use I would presume most would use a home theatre sound system which is easy to hook up to. For the price of this and HD projector, I’m satisfied, very good projector for under 1000

Epson Home Cinema 2030 projector

Overall rating: 3.7 (6 ratings, 5 reviews)

Cheer on your favourite team, watch movies, or play the hottest games with Epson Home Cinema 2030 projector. It can project up to 762 cm (300inches) on any wall or screen for a viewing experience that seems larger than life. The 2000 lumens of colour brightness and white brightness ensures images are rich and brilliant.

The Epson 2030 projector is also highly portable weighing just 2.9 km (6.4 pounds); the integrated speaker also gives you flexibility to move your entertainment system around. Two HDMI ports make it easy to connect to a variety of HD sources and it supports all MHL-enabled devices. A great compact projector.

  Scott from Toronto, ON enjoyed watching 3D movies with his Epson 2030 projector:

 

Awesome 3D movies

Great unit. Great 3d performance and good for use as a day to day super big screen tv.

Tech tIp: Also be sure to buy an authentic projector lamp for your projector — whatever the make and model. These OEM lamps are guaranteed to keep your projector working while generics can damage the sensitive optics. Consider is a good investment.

I hope this helps you choose your projector for your new home theatre!

Shelagh McNally
I’ve been covering technology since 1992 and I’ve seen a lot of technology come and go. I enjoy following the trends, spotting the winners and losers and teaching consumers how to get the best products and services for their needs. My work has been published in the National Post, Reader's Digest.com, Yahoo, Miami Herald and other North American publications and websites.