Best Ultra Short Throw Projector for a 100 to 150 Inch Picture

Usually about 7 to 13 inches for a 100 to 150 inch picture. The XGIMI MIRA throws 100 inches from 7.6 inches away (0.175:1 throw ratio), and AWOL lists 8.54 inches for 100 inches and 12.84 inches for 150 inches on the LTV-3000 Pro (0.25:1). Moving the projector closer makes the picture smaller.

Aim for 2,000 ISO or ANSI lumens or more for viewing with some room light, paired with an ALR screen. Projectors around 1,800 lumens work well in dim rooms and at night. Every doubling of screen area spreads the same light over twice the space, so a 150 inch picture looks dimmer than a 100 inch one from the same projector.

For daytime viewing, yes: an ALR screen made for UST projectors rejects light from above and reflects the steep upward beam back toward you. On a plain white wall the picture works in a dark room, but any bump in the wall shows because the beam hits it at a sharp angle. AWOL states the LTV-3000 Pro works best in darker rooms unless paired with an ALR screen.

A UST projector gives a 100 to 150 inch picture that folds away to a cabinet-sized box, which TVs that size cannot do. A TV is brighter and has deeper blacks in a sunny room. If you watch mostly at night or can control the light, a UST gets you a much larger picture.

Laser projector makers commonly rate the light source for 20,000 to 25,000 hours. At 4 hours of viewing a day, 20,000 hours is about 13.7 years. Unlike lamp projectors, there is no bulb to replace.

About 5 cents an hour for a projector that draws 300 W, at 17 cents per kWh. At that draw for 4 hours a day it uses 438 kWh a year, about $74. Check the wattage on the maker's spec sheet and your own electricity rate for an exact figure.

Both measure brightness averaged across the picture with similar test methods, so the numbers are roughly comparable. Be cautious of 'LED lumens' or 'light source lumens', which are not measured at the screen and run far higher. Compare projectors on ISO or ANSI figures only.

Some can. The AWOL VISION LTV-3000 Pro supports active 3D with active shutter glasses and a 3D Blu-ray source. Check the listing, since many UST models omit 3D.

Most do. The XGIMI MIRA has 36W of Harman Kardon sound and Google TV, and the Formovie Theater has two 15W speakers and Android TV 11. For a home theater, add a soundbar or receiver over HDMI eARC.

Triple laser projectors use separate red, green and blue lasers and can cover more of the BT.2020 color space; the XGIMI MIRA lists 110% and the AWOL LTV-3000 Pro lists 107%. Single laser models use a color wheel and phosphor, which narrows the color range. If color matters for movies, triple laser is the spec to look for.