(Pocket-lint) – The cinema – we absolutely love it. The big-screen experience, popcorn, a crowd, you just can’t beat it. That said, what if you could? It’s becoming easier and easier to replicate that class of projection at home, especially if you’ve got a wall or projector screen big enough to use.

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That means you could turn your movie nights from small-screen situations to main events, and upgrade your home into a rival to your local multiplex.

Of course, you’ll need a projector for the job – preferably a future-proof model that can project at 4K resolution. We’ve taken a deep dive into the market to find you the best candidates for your home projection needs. We’ve also got a list of Full HD projectors if that’s more your price bracket. 

Our guide to the best 4K projector to buy today

Optoma

Optoma UHD40

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The key to Optoma’s success with this projector is its price – you simply won’t find 4K imaging this cheaply and with such quality reproduction anywhere else. In fact, as you’ll see, you could pay multiples of its price from other manufacturers. 

The UHD40 is a cracking projector with solid brightness and great colour, plus pinpoint detail. If you’re looking for a 4K projector and don’t have thousands to spend it’s a superb pick, although it lacks some of the portability and ease of use that others manage. 

Epson

Epson EH-TW9400

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This sleek projector from Epson might be a good chunk more expensive than the Optoma in top spot, but it’s still a good price when you survey the market more widely, given that you’re getting really good 4K video with HDR, and a really impressive contrast ratio. 

It uses pixel shifting to upscale to 4K, meaning that it can’t quite match the detail of more expensive models (like the Sony that’s up next), but it’s still a great option for most people’s needs. It’s really easy to use and adjust, too, which is an absolute must for home projection, and its remote is a dream. 

Sony

Sony VPL-VW270ES

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With native 4K and even 3D capabilities, Sony’s hugely expensive beast of a projector will have you feeling like a professional cinema owner before long. It offers a simply stunning picture, bright and sharp, and is one of the best ways to watch any video content at home.

That said, it’s also ferociously expensive, and surely outside of most people’s budgets. If you’ve got the money, though, and want to view movies at home in stunning quality blown up massively, there’s not much that can compete with Sony’s picture. 

LG

LG CineBeam HU80KS

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LG’s idea with the CineBeam is to make an all-in-one portable projector that can do it all, and it’s managed a really impressive feat along those lines. Simply place the tower where you want it to project, power it up and you’re away. It’s genuinely portable and easy to use, with really solid picture quality to go with it.

That convenience means it’s pretty expensive, though, and you aren’t exactly getting cinema quality sound from it, either, but we really like how it can seamlessly fit into your home, easily storing away when you’re not using it and coming out for movie nights. 

BenQ

BenQ W2700

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With extremely impressive 4K upscaling and HDR on board, this is a great option from BenQ if your top priority is the brightness of the picture – something that can take a little getting used to when you switch to projection from a TV. It cranks out fully 3,000 lumens to make for a super-bright picture, freeing you up to worry a bit less about dimming your room right down.

That’s a nice bonus, but you also get really solid picture quality – although that brightness does have a trade-off when it comes to shadow depth and blacks. Still, it’s a great projector at its price. 

Writing by Max Freeman-Mills.