There’s nothing like watching your favorite films in a dark room on a massive screen. For that authentic movie theater experience at home, you’ll need a projector (and a popcorn maker).

You used to have to shell out tens of thousands of dollars to get an excellent projected experience, but you can now get a massive, beautiful picture for less than the cost of a flagship TV. Projectors are also much more portable and easier to set up than they were before. And if you have space, there are excellent pocket-size and short-throw models that make lawn-side movie nights as easy as finding an extension cord and a level chair to set them on. Below are our favorite models, and a couple of screens to pair with them.

Working on a total home-theater overhaul? Be sure to check out our Best Soundbars and Best 4K Streaming Devices buying guides.

Updated September 2021: We’ve added the LG HU810PW and Kodak Luma 400, as well as a section with tips and tricks for newbies!

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