PowerLite Home Cinema 5020UBe

1080p Epson and Panasonic LCD projectors from ~2008-2013 are an excellent value used. Great colors and contrast. The bulbs are cheap, and if you drop in a fresh one, you can get enough brightness for SDR content (50-75 nits). For Epson, the models to watch are the 6500UB, 8500UB, 8700UB, 5020UB, and 5030UB. For Panasonic, the models to watch are the PT-AE3000, PT-AE4000, PT-AE7000U, and PT‑AE8000U

Ouch, some pretty severe downvotes out the gate. I didn't downvote you, but I get why it happened. Your expectations for how much half-decent projection costs and how it preforms are pretty far off from the real situation. That's alright, but it would help to come back to reality. First, "smart" projectors in this price range are almost all crap. The **Nexigo PJ40** is the best amongst these, but that still doesn't mean it is good: https://www.amazon.com/NexiGo-PJ40-Pro-Projector-Enhancement/dp/B0FFP3RG53/ Feel free to buy it from Amazon, try it out, and return it when you realize it's not for you. I'm not saying this to make fun of you. It's a dead serious suggestion. There's a ton of people who are exactly like you: You want a compact, cheap, all-in-one solution. They see a ton of them on Amazon. Certainly, one of them must be decent, right? All the nerds on Reddit making blanket statements that they are all terrible are just being elitist, right? It helps to see for yourself and actually understand. As I said, just because the Nexigo PJ40 is the best of these doesn't mean it's actually good enough. You might end up deciding differently, and if that's the case, then great. I'm happy for you. As far as what my actual recommendation is, it would be to just continue borrowing that projector from the library for the rare occasions when you actually use it. Realistically, in a living room environment with a lot of light, you're going to use a projector way less than you think. But if you did want to buy a projector for a few hundred dollars, then my other actual recommendation would be to buy a used one. Ideally, something like an **old Epson 5020UB or 5030UB** for $300-500. And then count on spending another $100 on a new bulb for it. And these are not "smart" projectors (which is a good thing in my book), so count on spending another ~$30 on basic streaming box like the [Oon 4K Plus](https://www.walmart.com/ip/ONN-4K-PLUS/15557424949). So all in, it will cost about double of what you wanted to spend. But that really is the entry level for getting a good 1080p SDR home theater experience with projection.

I bought the $60 dollar one and it was reasonable for watching low stakes entertainment. It crapped out 3 days into it. I bought a used $200 Epson 1080p 3D capable one and haven’t regretted it. (dont remember the model)

The PT-AE4000 was a *great* projector in its day, and that’s why it still impresses people — especially in a dark room. For $60–$200, I’d say it’s a solid deal **if** the lamp hours are low or recently replaced. At the higher end ($300–$400), I’d personally start looking at slightly newer Epson UB models instead. Just keep in mind it’s a \~15-year-old projector: brightness is modest by today’s standards, parts are aging, and replacement lamps can cost as much as the projector itself. Totally fine for movies in a light-controlled room, less ideal if there’s ambient light. As for wall vs screen — a white wall *works*, but even a cheap fixed-frame or pull-down screen will noticeably improve contrast and uniformity. You don’t need ALR at this budget, just a basic matte white screen will be a big step up. If you’re open to alternatives, used Epson 6500UB/8500UB/8700UB or later Panasonic AE models are worth a look. New cheap projectors may be brighter on paper, but image quality usually isn’t comparable.