Not long ago, you may have thought of projectors as complicated, unreliable or expensive. In 2025, consumer perception began to take off. Companies like Anker and Valerion have made the projector eye-catching and immersive, helping to drive consumer interest and, ultimately, sales.
This shift has been several years in the making. LG helped kick off the Projector Renaissance back at CES 2018 when it introduced its unusual Hu80k cinebeam Hu80k that can offer a 150-pixel image. The following year at CES saw the debut of an Ultra Short (Ust) LASER projector that can create a large display while sitting just inches from your wall. Another technological improvement in the following years was the bright and long-lasting light bulbs that replaced the weak, fragile light bulbs.
The timing couldn’t be better for projector manufacturers. When Chiva closed the catalog in 2020, consumers were forced to entertain themselves at home. Many wanted something like the experience of movie theaters – both inside and out – and thus interest in projectors began to flow.
In 2025, Projectors really entered the zeitgeist thanks to two new products. The first was Anker’s nebula x1, a very limited home theater product that was updated this year. It comes with a ka-laser engine that allows 3,500 lumens of light – enough to see you through the day. It also uses liquid cooling to reduce annoying fan noise and offers accurate color image quality with Dolby Vision HDR support.
Best of all, it can be easily carried outside with a relaxing handle and used for movie nights under the stars. If you go with the Soundcore Nebula x1 Pro version that comes with large group speakers, you can expect even better sound quality. It looks and feels modern, unlike the plasticky models that are usually aimed at middle-class buyers.
However, the most interesting feature – new to a projector in this price range – is a motorized calibration lens that matches your screen or more. That allows consumers to set up the Nebula X1 themselves in minutes, not hours. That also makes it easy to move the projector around and use it elsewhere.
Varion
Another model that captured our imagination was the Valerion VisionMaster Max. This projector shares many features of the Nebula X1, such as Dolby Vision, triple Laser system and automatic setup. And it looks great, today’s product.
However, it has two other new features that made it more attractive. The first is the powerful IRIS with its advanced dark technology. That had reviewers impressed by its deep black levels that were comparable to projectors like JVC’s NZ8 that cost twice as much. Another technology called anti-rainbow technology, which removes most of the sides of the rain – cleaned from models that receive models that use TLPs DLPs DLPs. This solves a common complaint with central projectors.
At the same price as a good quality TV ($ 1,500 – $ 3,000), these models can bend the image twice. And to install one, you just need to put the projector in front of the screen, it is almost stubborn and hit “balance” to get the right image.
Both the X1 and VisionMaster Max were first announced on kickstarter and were the top two projectors ever sold on the site. Also, several project models, especially from Anker / Soundcore, appeared in Google gadget search trends. All of that is helping the rise of the Home Projector market to the point that, well, it is expected to be around 2030.
As people research these products, they may see other benefits. As well as movies, it is also good for games and sports, especially if you have a large group of people. In fact, they actually take up less room than the TV if both the projector and the screen are installed on the ceiling. And many models are portable, battery powered and light enough to use outside of groups and camping.
Steve Dent of Engadget
A prime example of a recent projector-turned-Engadge editor and cinema podcaster is Devindra Hardawar, who explained why he decided to make the leap. “I know big TVs are cheap, but they can’t reach the big screen size of 120-inch forovie altovie antra to throw a projector,” he said. “It makes what you’re watching really cinematic, and it’s not like I’m just staring at another screen.”
Even if projects gain some ground, they will not replace many people. Mid-Range Televisifsoff is still a little expensive at around $1,000. TVs are obviously not easy to install and very easy to use, as all projects require warm-up time. TVs are very bright, too: dimmed models put out at least 500 nits of light, compared to 200 to 300 Nits max for very bright projectors. However, even though the projector setup is less foolproof than before, you still need to purchase and install a screen for proper operation, which adds cost and complexity.
How much can Projectors improve? I think they will continue to get bolder, more colorful and easier to install. Another piece of technology that has the potential to reduce clutter and improve image quality is the splash screen. If that comes down in price enough, they can convince other consumers to use their TVs instead of projectors. It’s still too early to be a niche product, but for the comic who needs a theater experience, projectors are now a must.
