W1070

There is no difference between a 4:3 projector and a 16:9 projector when they are digital. The pixels are put up filling up the available space, and can maintain the proper aspect ratio. So, if you feed a 16:9 projector a 4:3 image, it will appear as 4:3. A projector like the BenQ W1070, or similar with the proper inputs on it are the way to go. DLP with decent input lag times is a plus. BenQ maintained analog inputs on their projector up to the HT2050a. Their newest HT2060 ditched composite video and is HDMI only. Retro gaming is always a passion more than anything else as those games were definitely designed to be used with analog displays, so the same impact you get using a LCD monitor or TV, will be what happens when using a digital projector.

Rarely do projectors of quality go on a great sale on holidays. It's just not that common. These cheap models tend to be somewhat size limited because their brightness isn't that great. They can be fine at 100" to maybe 120" diagonal, but beyond that, their low brightness tends to be insufficient. Better quality projectors, like those using DLP technology, tend to cost more overall and not necessarily deliver better image quality or brightness compared to the single LCD options out there. One thing The Hook Up really doesn't stress enough is that single LCD projectors tend to come from a lot of no-name manufacturers and have very poor support. So, if you have an issue, you live with it. Period. If it breaks, good luck on the warranty. Some may help you out, others will not. Sucks to be you. Plenty of posts in this group from people turning to the Internet to solve their problem with the HY300 projector (or similar) because the manufacturer won't help them out. The single LCD models are likely to have better contrast, and will generally be brighter as is measured in the videos by The Hook Up. But, I wouldn't spend more than about $250 on any no-name single chip LCD projector. Instead, I'd go to the used market and get a BenQ W1070 (10+ years old now) which will likely last longer and be brighter. Or, some other 1080p home theater designed DLP projector of quality. Of course, those models use lamps, and may not be what you are after, but we haven't seen 1080p DLP projectors which are properly bright drop below $500 from what I've seen. None of the laser/led ones either. A shame really. The best looking projector, under $1,000, with outstanding build quality, good contrast, and solid brightness, is the BenQ HT2060. Which now has jumped above $1,200 for a new model in the USA. But, refurbs can be had for around $800. IMO, the way to go if you can swing it. [https://electronics.woot.com/offers/benq-ht2060-1080p-hdr-home-theater-led-projector-factory-reconditioned-2](https://electronics.woot.com/offers/benq-ht2060-1080p-hdr-home-theater-led-projector-factory-reconditioned-2)

If you haven't, look at this video and watch others on his site... [https://youtu.be/9QqnfJ0-I\_s?si=SasM42EBRqjIdztV](https://youtu.be/9QqnfJ0-I_s?si=SasM42EBRqjIdztV) The Hook Up covers various models at differing price points which is quite helpful. IMO, if you are going to spend only $300, you should spend under $100 or so and call it a day. Maybe $150. But, you are getting low end models as you are aware. You CAN game on them, but they just tend to be laggy. This video specifically covers models like the Nexigo PJ40 which actually DO have low input lag for gaming... [https://youtu.be/vHmy8sobWEc?si=mCODYmJJoKvHEbOQ](https://youtu.be/vHmy8sobWEc?si=mCODYmJJoKvHEbOQ) You have options. These aren't high quality, reliable options, but they are okay for what they are. Ideal for 100" or so gaming in a darkish room. Lights off in the room, and some lights over by the seating area isn't a horrible way to do things. Long term, a model like the W1070 or HT2050a from BenQ are REALLY god for entry level home theater and gaming. Low input lag, really solid performance. So, keep your eyes open for a deal out there.

With proper care, they are as reliable as most other brands out there like Samsung or LG. XGimi isn't a new company and has been pretty active for over 10 years now. JMGO is newer. Hisense is a MASSIVE company and is in the same league as Samsung when it comes to electronics. Samsung is #1, but Hisense is #2. So, yeah, they are a pretty solid company. That said, companies like Hisense and Samsung don't prioritize projectors in their business model. Companies like JMGO and XGimi do. So, we are seeing more advancement from the smaller brands than the larger ones. One of the absolute top tier companies is JVC, who people barely think about when it comes to electronics these days. But, in the world of projectors, JVC is pretty close to being the top dog. There are also brands consumers have never heard of like Christie Digital and Barco who often operate at the very high end.

I don't have any high pitched noise at all. The projector runs really quiet overall. I seriously have no idea if there has been any firmware update for RBE reduction, but I can tell you I just find RBE very hard to see on this one. Feels like an 8x or faster color wheel equivalent. I have to look for RBE, and even then, it's barely there. So, thumbs up to them on doing a great job. I see it way easier on my BenQ W1070, which I do find mildly irritating when watching a movie.

Magcubic is a cheap no-name Chinese company that sells extremely low end product. They are bought a lot, but also have a ton of issues. They are very dim, and not appropriate for any serious home theater. You REALLY want to check the videos over at [www.youtube.com/thehookup](http://www.youtube.com/thehookup) as he just put out a sub-$500 projector shootout. The Nexigo PJ40 was ranked best, with some other options in there. He also has done a similar shootout for sub-$100 projectors. Here's the deal: At this price point you are getting mostly no-name models which use single LCD panel technology that is prone to failure. Understand you aren't buying long term quality, and that's half the battle. Then you don't get brightness, or sharpness, or quiet operation. Whatever issues you have will rarely get any support from the manufacturer. The single LCD often doesn't get proper cooling and it (literally) burns up, or the from polarizer burns up. This appears as a brown spot in the image. I personally bought the Happrun H1 for about $70 on Amazon. It was inexpensive, and it is okay, at best. I hooked up a Amazon Fire TV Stick to it, and it showed an image. Yay. It filled my 110" diagonal screen with what was a usable, but dim image. The noise was significantly more than my branded higher end projector (JVC) and my used BenQ models (HT2050a, W1070) but the Happrun only put out about 1/10th the light output. Audio should generally be considered an afterthought on most projectors. Not all of them, but in general, audio isn't that good. A decent Bluetooth speaker is often a significant step up in audio quality.

Prioritizing actual dark room image quality, the Noir is the better choice. Prioritizing use with some lights on in the room and the quality that offers, then the Aetherion is the way to go. You get to choose one or the other. I'm a image quality guy, so I ordered the XGimi. (put a deposit down) I don't like the headaches that go with UST projectors such as perfectly flat screens being absolutely required. That alignment is a massive headache to get perfect. Dealing with center channel placement. Worrying about bumping into it. The expensive screen requirement for best possible ALR performance. In reality, you lose a fair bit of quality when you start turning lights on in a theater, but it's not like you are watching something unusable. It's TOTALLY fine to turn lights on in the room and you still have a very enjoyable image, with some lights on, especially for sports viewing. I took some photos of my old W1070 from BenQ on a 161" screen with some lights on in the room. The light closest to the screen I had pulled out, but other lights were on in the basement at the time... [W1070 With The Lights On - 161" Screen | AVS Forum](https://www.avsforum.com/threads/w1070-with-the-lights-on-161-screen.1720730/) If you are okay with a hit in image quality with the lights on and not having the same headaches that go with UST projectors, then I'd go with the XGimi. But, UST projectors do perform better in lit rooms.

I love my JVC, but on a budget, they are a tough purchase. Replacement lamps can cost as much as the projector is even worth. Also, their older models are super dim. I'd typically get a BenQ W1070 or HT2050 model instead. It will be brighter, and have a nice balance between quality and cost that makes more sense. But, if someone lucks into a RS46 or newer, with low lamp hours, at that price, it may be a good buy if they know the costs of lamps and if it breaks, there is no cheap way to send it in for repair.

I think you end up with a lot of used/refurb models at this price point which can be very good as a first projector. My pricing pretty much stops at $500 as the low point which can get you the JMGO N1S brand new, or the Nexigo Nova Mini. Which are both models that have won on The Hook Up (YouTube) as top shelf portable projectors. If I were spending $400 on something that 'may be okay, but uses a lamp', I think I'd find $100 more to get a projector that is twice as bright as the other new $400 models if at all possible. That said, there are some good lamp projectors that can be had used for that price and they are definitely worth consideration if you intend to install it in a fairly permanent solution with proper projector placement. Models that u/PlayStationPepe in the used/refurb section are far brighter than anything in the 'new' section that he listed. But, the used models are traditional projectors. No built in smart operating system. No built in streaming. Lousy built in speakers (generally speaking). But, relatively bright. Plenty of light for a 150" diagonal if you want to go that big in a dark room. Or, 120" with some ambient light in the room and still a super usable image. Add your own Firestick or PC for streaming Netflix.