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Best Projector for Sports

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The only thing better than watching sports with friends is watching the game on the biggest screen possible. There is no better way to watch your favorite teams than on a projector screen. Picking the best projector for sports is a challenge. You need a projector that can handle all sorts of light conditions so you don’t miss a moment of the action. We found five projectors that are excellent for sports fans.

Best Projector for Sports 2022:

Optoma UHD35BenQ TH690STEpson 2250Optoma UHD50XOptoma UHD55
Resolution3840x21601920x10801920x10803840x21603840x2160
Contrast Ratio1,000,000:1500,000:170,000:1500,000:11,200,000:1
Brightness (Lumens)3,600 ANSI2,300 ANSI2,700 ANSI3,400 ANSI3,600 ANSI
Input lag4ms8.3msNo data25ms4ms
Throw Distance4.0' - 32.7'1.8' - 10.0'4.7' - 29.0'4.0' - 26.6'3.9' - 26.6'
Screen size33" - 300"30" - 200"30" - 300"34" - 303"34" - 302"
Internal Speakers10.0 Watts Mono5.0 Watts × 210.0 Watts Mono5.0 Watts Mono10.0 Watts Mono
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The following projectors are some of our current favorites for getting the game on a massive screen. They offer excellent performance and a variety of useful features. You’ll learn why each of these projectors is a good product so you can pick the best projector for watching your favorite sports.

Optoma UHD35

Optoma UHD35

The first product on our list is the ultra-capable Optoma UHD35. This projector provides 4k ultra-high definition images with 3,600 lumens. This is an ideal projector for medium size rooms and screens up to 300 inches when ambient light is controllable.

This is a perfect projector for watching sports. The image resolution provides vivid color and high contrast images. Live sports are lag-free and hesitation free from the fast 240Hz processor. Even at 4k UHD resolution, the response time is only 16 milliseconds.

When the big game is over, this projector becomes the most intense way to enjoy video gaming. It is compatible with the newest Sony PS5 and Microsoft XBox SeriesX consoles making going from watching sports to playing sports games effortless.

Pros

  • Very fast processor and excellent HDR images
  • Easy to set up and small enough to be portable
  • Long-throw lens is ideal for larger images in bigger rooms

Cons

  • Some buyers felt it was overpriced for the quality
  • There are some reports of defective and damaged products being sold by third-party vendors


BenQ TH690ST

BenQ TH690ST

BenQ builds some of our favorite projectors for smaller spaces, and the TH690ST is one of the company’s best designs for watching live sports. It combines a 4k output with low lag and intense colors to provide you with smooth and vivid images.

The TH690ST is an ideal choice for average and smaller rooms. Its short throw lens allows you to get up to a 100-inch big screen image from only 4.9-feet. That means you’ll get cinema-quality imagery even in a small seating area and it also makes for a perfect projector to hang from the ceiling.

Latency can be as low as 8.3ms when displaying an image with a 1080p resolution at 30 Hz, and has dedicated modes to enhance performance for console and PC gamers, an excellent option for sports fans who like to play video games.

Color consistency is excellent even in moderately lit environments thanks to the 84% DCI-P3 and 97% Rec.709 color coverage. A 4LED bulb provides 2,300 lumens to provide a crisp, clear image that is ideal for watching –or playing– games.

Pros

  • Short throw distance is ideal for average and smaller sized rooms
  • Excellent color detail for high resolution images

Cons

  • Not intended for brighter rooms
  • Lacks some details and features


Epson Home Cinema 2250

Epson Home Cinema 2250

This is a fantastic projector for the average home theater setup. It works best for smaller to medium sized rooms that can block out most ambient light. With 2,700 lumens on hand and the excellent 3-chip LCD system from Epson, this is a perfect home theater projector for watching the game.

Setting this projector up is fast and easy. It will create an image up to 200 inches on a diagonal and makes for one of the cleanest big screen projections below 100 inches that we have seen. The projector produces crisp blacks and vivid colors that are perfect for watching sports.

This projector is perfectly suited to the needs of most sports enthusiasts. It is compatible with voice assistants and can run Hulu, HBO, YouTube, and other popular streaming apps without an external device. For our more detailed review of the Epson 2250 projector click here.

Pros

  • Ideal for medium sized rooms
  • Excellent 4k image and fast response time makes watching live sports enjoyable

Cons

  • Not powerful enough for us in a living room for daytime games
  • Works best when size is limited to 60-80 inches


Optoma UHD50X

Optoma UHD50X
Optoma UHD50X

The Optoma UHD50X is an excellent choice for gamers and those who want to watch the game. In almost every way, this projector is identical to the Optoma UHD35. The lens allows for a longer throwing distance and a screen size up to 302-inches. That is a full two inches bigger than the UHD35.

It features the identical chipset and capabilities as the newer UHD35 including true 4k UHD resolution, a blazing fast 240Hz rate, and insanely low response times that provide the kind of smooth, lifelike quality you demand for big screen TV.

The technology of these projectors from Optoma makes them ideal for sports watching. The first thing you notice when watching a game on this projector is the amazing levels of detail. While this one has a lower contrast than UHD35, it still provides a much better image detail than any of the Epson projectors.

Pros

  • Perfect for watching live sports due to low lag and fast response
  • Excellent 3D-quality image

Cons

  • More expensive than the better UHD35


Optoma UHD55

Optoma UHD55

The Optoma UHD55 is one of the top projectors on the market for watching movies and streaming content, but it also makes for an excellent option for sports fans. The UHD55 uses pixel-shifting technology to produce a 4k image from an otherwise non-4k chipset, so your favorite team will be more vivid, sharp, and clear.

PureMotion technology takes the game up to the next level by virtually eliminating blur to create smoother and more lifelike fast-action sequences, like during sports matches. The contrast ratio of 1.2 million-to-1 ensures optimal shadow colors and deep blacks that further bring your favorite game into focus.

Sports fans don’t just watch live sports, and the ability to use one of two HDMI 2.0 ports to connect a Chromecast or Fire Stick makes it easy to watch highlights, stream sports talk programs, and find teams and sports you didn’t even know about.

Pros

  • Ideal for watching movies with the capability to stand up to industry-leading sports-watching projectors
  • Easy alignment system ensures that you don’t waste time trying to get the image centered

Cons

  • May require some ambient light control to get the best image


Product Buying Guide

Choosing the perfect projector for your entertainment area will depend on several factors. The most important thing to consider is the amount of ambient light in the room you want to use. To put it simply, the brighter the room, the brighter the projector needs to be capable of in order to get a good image. No one wants to watch a Sunday afternoon game on a practically white screen.

How to Determine How Bright You Need

Most rooms will work perfectly well for night games, but you will need to consider the space you plan to use for watching sports during the daytime. You should see how many windows are in the room and how much daylight the room has. If the room you want to use happens to be a well-lit space, you may want to consider using shading or blackout curtains when you use the projector.

Dedicated rooms with no windows will have no problem projecting a sports game on a big screen from a 1,000 lumen projector. Rooms with moderate light, such as those with heavy curtains should select a projector rated at 1,500 lumens. A 3,000 lumen projector is appropriate for rooms with lots of natural light.

While it may seem like a good idea to buy the highest lumen projector you can afford, you will want to consider balancing the lumens appropriately for the room. Too many lumens will create a washed out image because the projector won’t be able to accurately produce colors.

Determining Your Screen Size

Most projectors are capable of projecting an 80-inch image. Projectors over 3,000 lumens can project larger images. When you are selecting a projector, you will want to consider the largest screen size you want to create. The type of projector you buy will depend on the size you choose.

For a tremendous screen, you will need a projector that has both high resolution and high lumens. The trade-off is that you will not be able to create as good of an image on a small screen as a less powerful projector may.

Resolution

There are many different ways for manufacturers to advertise products and resolution is one of the terms in use. These are the meanings of the most common terms:

  • Resolution: This term indicates the sharpness of an image and is described by the number of pixels running horizontally and vertically.
  • HD: This resolution is also called 720p and indicates the image has around 720 horizontal pixels.
  • Full HD: This resolution is also called 1080P or 1080I. Resolution is 1920×1080 pixels.
  • 4k: This resolution refers to several aspect ratios. The most common is 3840×2160.

You will want the highest resolution you can find. The current standard is 4k UHD and anything less is not worth the money. In the future, we will see 8k resolution projectors, but those are not widely available today.

Lamp Bulb Replacement

Unike your television, a projector uses some form of illumination. Both lamps and LEDs are available with varying lifespans. When you select a projector, it is a good idea to look at the cost of the light bulb replacement. Some products use specialized bulbs that are expensive. Projectors running at higher resolutions will burn bulbs faster. Manufacturers tend to advertise bulb life when running the projector in the lowest quality mode to enhance bulb life.

Conclusion

Selecting the perfect projector for watching the big game is easy. This list breaks down the best projectors for sports and makes it easy for you to decide which one is the best for you. Now you can sit back with friends and be immersed in the game.

For even more dramatic action, you may consider upgrading your home theater system. Today’s systems provide an easy way to add hyper-realistic audio and 3D surround sound to the most popular projector systems. You won’t believe how life-like watching the action of your favorite sports teams can be when you have a home theater projector system with surround sound.