It’s been a huge year for projectors so far, with high-end beamers from brands like LG, Samsung, BenQ, and more. But as we head halfway through 2024, it’s time to take a look at the changes we’ve seen in the projector market, as well as rumors and announcements for the second half of the year.
Projectors change. They used to be a niche TV alternative, but now they’re a serious replacement for any TV setup, whether you’re an avid movie buff with your own home theater and projection screen, or a camper looking for an easy way to watch movies. to watch.
And the 2024 model lineup shows that the traditional advantages of most projectors (flexibility, scalability, portability) are improving, while the common disadvantages (low brightness, limited blacks) are further away than ever.
Below is a quick look at the great projectors we’ve seen hit the market so far in 2024, as well as a taste of what could be yet to come.
Projectors in 2024: What were the biggest launches so far this year?
Our guide to the best portable projectors has had a serious shake-up for 2024. This year has seen a flood of excellent 4K projectors with a portable mindset – meaning customers don’t have to choose between flexibility and image quality – to the extent that back in January we wrote that it “could be the end of home cinema as we know it”.
We’ve spotted a second-generation Samsung Freestyle, an $800/£650 follow-up to the 2022 original that was already one of our favorite portable projectors. It brought improved support for cloud-based gaming services from Xbox and Nvidia, as well as the ability to install it in a ceiling lamp socket.
In our Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen review we noted that the brightness (230 lumens) and HD resolution leave a bit to be desired, but it’s still a fantastic option for anyone looking for a smart projector with a great interface, a 30-100 inch projection and the ability to easily move images.
But LG is the main player, having brought its exceptional CineBeam range to the portable market with the stylish CineBeam Q (above), which hits 4K resolution and 500 lumens of brightness, as well as the excellent webOS streaming platform of higher-end LG TVs. At $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,499 it’s more expensive than the more budget-friendly Samsung Freestyle , but with a rating of 4.5/5 in our LG CineBeam Q review , it’s well worth the upgrade.
And for those looking for a truly brilliant experience, the JMGO N1S Ultra 4K is yet another new portable projector featuring Ultra HD resolution and up to 3000 ANSI lumens, alongside a brilliantly compact design and a sturdy gimbal for tilting and rotating projection with pinpoint accuracy.
There are also many new developments for fixed position projectors. The produce blurry images and struggle with dark scenes.
In our XGIMI Horizon Ultra review, we praised the 2,300 lumens output, writing that “blacks are deep and HDR performance brilliant, with great clarity even in well-lit conditions.”
At $1,699 / £1,749 / AU$3,499, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra is still considerably cheaper than many of the premium projectors we test, and it’s proof that in 2024 even mid-range options can manage to be competitive on many of the key metrics.
Projectors in 2024: What launches can we expect for the rest of the year?
The notable absence from the 2024 projector lineup so far is Samsung’s The Premiere 8K, which was shown off at CES 2024 (and CES 2023 before that) but has yet to officially hit the market with no firm release date in sight.
This is the very first wireless 8K projector, for incredible images with 8K resolution, 4000 lumens and a projection of up to 150 inches with a wireless projector and ultra short-throw technology.
To send 8K video wirelessly to the projector you’ll need Samsung’s One Connect Box, but it does mean you can keep the extra hardware and cables out of sight during a cosy movie night. A built-in 8.2.2 channel Dolby Atmos sound system doesn’t hurt either, and marks a notable upgrade over the high-end Samsung Premiere LSP9T, which is currently the best 4K projector we’d recommend for sound quality.
As an alternative to the best 8K TVs, the upcoming Premiere 8K is an interesting proposition. While the present for projectors seems to lie in bringing high-end specs to portable models, the future (somewhat similarly) seems to lie in bringing wireless technology to the high-end – and the winners are almost certainly us.