Best Short Throw Projector in 2026: Nine Ranked on Stated Specs

Disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links that may earn Dupple a commission at no extra cost to you. Rankings follow the criteria in the methodology.

Updated November 4, 2026. Each vendor's US store or pricing page was read that day. Specs come from the same pages, and nothing here is tested hands-on.

JMGO's O2S Ultra ($2,299, in stock) leads the nine numbered short throw projectors as of November 2026, with a 0.16 ratio and 3600 ISO lumens. Hisense's PT1 ($1,999.99 on sale), XGIMI's AURA 2 (New) ($2,239 on sale) and Hisense's PX3-PRO ($2,499.99) follow on 9 points. AWOL Vision's LTV-3000 Pro ($1,699 on sale) is the lowest price read. ISO and ANSI lumens are never compared.

Dupple data: computed from the vendor pages read on November 4, 2026, the nine numbered picks sit between $1,699 and $2,999 on the price basis below, and all nine show a buy button or available product data. No sale printed an end date before November 7, 2026.

The nine at a glance

Ultra short throw means a stated ratio of 0.20 or lower; short throw means 0.21 to 0.99. Stock is as the vendor page showed it on the read day and does not change the order.

How the order is set

Both classes are ranked on one score, and the throw points separate them. A stated range that starts under 1.0 and runs above it, such as 0.9 to 1.5, fails the gate, because the ratio is not under 1.0 across the range.

Gates come first: a brightness figure with its unit, and one of three routes into the class. A stated throw ratio under 1.0 across the whole range counts. So does a model the vendor sells as a short or ultra short throw projector with no ratio stated, which is the scope rule for this page. The third route is an image size at a stated distance. A model with no stated ratio scores 0 on the throw points. A lumen figure with no unit scores 0 on brightness. Stock is printed, not gated.

The score, out of 10, uses stated figures only:

• Brightness, in its own unit (3 points). 3,000 or more ANSI or ISO lumens scores 3. 2,000 to 2,999 scores 2. Under 2,000 scores 1. No stated unit scores 0. Each unit is banded on its own.
• Throw ratio (2 points). 0.20 or lower scores 2. 0.21 to 0.99 scores 1.
• 4K (1 point). A stated 4K picture resolution on the vendor page.
• HDR formats (1 point). Dolby Vision among the HDR formats the vendor lists.
• Built-in system (1 point). A TV or Android-based operating system the vendor says is built in.
• US price (2 points). Under $3,000 scores 2. $3,000 to $3,999.99 scores 1. $4,000 or more scores 0.

The price basis is the product page price. Where a cart was readable it matched the page, and a cart-only automatic offer is mentioned beside the price, not ranked on. Formovie's US cart (us.formovie.com) matched the Theater Premium and Cinema Edge page prices. A sale is used only where the page prints it, and a sale ending before November 7, 2026 would rank on the struck price. None of the sales read printed an end date before that date. A figure that needs a discount code is not used. Ties go to the lower US price. At most two numbered picks per brand; a brand's other passing models sit below the ranking with their score and price.

Reference models and the gate check

Reference models: Hisense's PX3-PRO passes at 0.22, XGIMI's AURA 2 at 0.177, Formovie's Theater Premium at 0.21. Epson's LS800 shows a Discontinued label and no price, so it is not scored; the LS650 enters under the scope rule with throw points 0.

Image size and throw distance, as each vendor states them

A ratio gives a distance only with the image width: distance is the ratio times the width. The table keeps each vendor's own wording.

1. JMGO O2S Ultra: 3600 ISO lumens at a 0.16 ratio, $2,299 and in stock

$2,299 on JMGO's global store (global.jmgo.com, US dollars), product page read November 4, 2026, with Add to cart shown. The cart shows an automatic "O2S Ultra Limited Offer" of $100 off, which gives $2,199; that offer is mentioned here and not ranked on. JMGO states 3600 ISO lumens, a 0.16:1 throw ratio, a tri-color RGB laser light source, 4K resolution, Dolby Vision and HDR10, and built-in Google TV.

Pros: the shortest throw ratio of the nine, with Dolby Vision and Google TV in one unit.

Cons: the JMGO Impact link lands on JMGO's euro store, while the prices here come from the US-dollar global store.

Score: brightness 3, throw 2, 4K 1, Dolby Vision 1, Google TV 1, price 2, for 10 of 10.

Opens JMGO's store; the price there may change.

2. Hisense PT1 4K UST: $1,999.99 on Hisense's own US store, in stock, the lowest Hisense ultra short throw read

$1,999.99 on Hisense's own US store, struck through at $2,999.99, read November 4, 2026. The cart shows the same price, and the page prints no end date. Hisense states 2500 ANSI lumens, a 0.2 throw ratio, 4K UHD at 60 Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG, and Google TV. Hisense's Where To Buy widget lists no Best Buy row for this model, so no Best Buy price or button is used.

Pros: the lowest-priced Hisense ultra short throw read, with Dolby Vision and Google TV.

Cons: 2500 ANSI lumens is under the PX3-PRO's 3000, so a lit room needs a darker wall or a screen choice.

Score: brightness 2, throw 2, 4K 1, Dolby Vision 1, Google TV 1, price 2, for 9 of 10.

Hisense's PT1 page on its US store, read November 4, 2026.

3. XGIMI AURA 2 (New): $2,239 on sale, in stock, a 0.177 ratio with 4K

$2,239 on sale, struck through at $2,699, on XGIMI's US store (us.xgimi.com), read November 4, 2026, with Add to Cart shown. The page is titled "4K UST Laser Projector with Dolby Vision" and lists 3840 by 2160 pixels. XGIMI states 2300 ISO lumens, a 0.177:1 ultra short throw ratio, Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced, HDR10 and HLG, and Google TV with licensed Netflix.

Pros: a stated 0.177 ratio, 4K, and Dolby Vision with HDR10, in stock on the read day.

Cons: the brightness is ISO, so it does not compare directly with the ANSI picks.

Score: brightness 2, throw 2, 4K 1, Dolby Vision 1, Google TV 1, price 2, for 9 of 10.

XGIMI's AURA 2 (New) page on its US store, read November 4, 2026.

4. Hisense PX3-PRO: 3000 ANSI lumens at $2,499.99, in stock on Hisense's store

$2,499.99 on Hisense's own US store, struck through at $3,499.99, with Add to cart and the cart at the same price, read November 4, 2026. Hisense's Where To Buy widget on its US product page lists a Best Buy row at $2,499.99 with the seller available. Best Buy's search card, read November 4, 2026, shows "See price in cart" and "Unavailable", so the PX3-PRO ranks on Hisense's own US store price of $2,499.99, with the cart at the same price. Hisense states 3000 ANSI lumens, 3000:1 contrast, a 0.22 throw ratio, a picture up to 150 inches "from a few inches away from the screen", 4K UHD, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG, and Google TV.

Pros: 3000 ANSI lumens, Dolby Vision and Google TV, in stock on Hisense's store.

Cons: the Best Buy button leads to a listing whose card shows "See price in cart" on the read day, so the price there may differ from Hisense's store.

Score: brightness 3, throw 1, 4K 1, Dolby Vision 1, Google TV 1, price 2, for 9 of 10. The tie with the XGIMI goes to the lower price.

Hisense PX3-PRO at Best Buy. Opens Best Buy; the price there may change.

5. AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro: $1,699 on sale, the lowest price read, order now

$1,699 on sale, struck through at $2,999, for the projector alone on AWOL Vision's US store, read November 4, 2026. The page prints Order Now with estimated delivery from November 14 to 19. No end date for the price appears on the page read. AWOL states 2000 ISO lumens, a 0.25 throw ratio, 4K UHD at 3840 by 2160, 2500:1 contrast, Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and Android 9.0.

Pros: the lowest price read on the list, with a delivery window printed.

Cons: 0.25 is the longest single stated ratio among the ultra short picks, tied with the Premiere 7 in the box, so the projector sits further back. AWOL's page calls it a 4K ultra short throw, but its own 0.25 ratio falls in the short throw class used here.

Score: brightness 2, throw 1, 4K 1, Dolby Vision 1, built-in system 1, price 2, for 8 of 10.

AWOL Vision's LTV-3000 Pro page, read November 4, 2026.

6. BenQ TK710STi: 3200 ANSI lumens at a 0.69 to 0.83 ratio, $1,999 and in stock

$1,999 total on BenQ's US buy page, read November 4, 2026, with Add to Cart shown. The spec page states a throw ratio of 0.69 to 0.83, 3200 ANSI lumens, 4K UHD (3840 by 2160) and a laser light source. BenQ shows "Android TV Built-in System" and "Powered by Google-licensed Android TV", delivered by the QS02 dongle in the box, so the built-in system point applies. The buy page's out-of-stock wording is a hidden template and was not treated as the product's status.

One pick with the TK710ST: BenQ's TK710ST states the same 0.69 to 0.83 ratio, 3200 ANSI lumens and 4K, without the Android TV dongle. It is $1,899 with Notify Me on BenQ's US page, read the same day, so the two count as one pick and the STi ranks.

Pros: the highest ANSI figure of the nine, a whole stated range under 1.0, and Android TV in the box.

Cons: no Dolby Vision is listed, and its 0.69 to 0.83 ratio needs more distance from the wall than the ultra short picks.

Score: brightness 3, throw 1 (0.69 to 0.83), 4K 1, Dolby Vision 0, built-in system 1, price 2, for 8 of 10.

BenQ's buy page, read November 4, 2026.

7. Formovie Theater Premium: $2,999 on Formovie's US store, struck $3,999

$2,999 on Formovie's US store (us.formovie.com), struck through at $3,999, read November 4, 2026, with Add to cart and no end date printed. A cart read the same day charged $2,999.00. Formovie's global store at www.formovie.com shows other prices, so the US store is used. Formovie states 2200 ISO lumens, a 0.21:1 ultra short throw ratio, 4K UHD up to 150 inches, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ decoding, HDR10 and HLG, and Google TV with native Netflix.

Pros: Google TV with Netflix built in, Dolby Vision, and a price under $3,000 on the product page.

Cons: its 0.21 ratio sits just outside the 0.20 band, so it earns 1 of the 2 throw points.

Score: brightness 2, throw 1, 4K 1, Dolby Vision 1, Google TV 1, price 2 at $2,999, for 8 of 10.

Formovie's Theater Premium page on its US store, read November 4, 2026.

8. Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS650: $1,799.99 on Epson's store, 3600 ISO white lumens, ratio not stated

$1,799.99 at Our Price on Epson's US store, with Add to Cart shown, read November 4, 2026, under Epson's Ultra Short Throw category. Epson states 3,600 ISO white lumens (footnoted to ISO 21118), 4K PRO-UHD with pixel shift, Android TV, and a display size up to 120 inches. No throw ratio is printed.

Pros: the second-lowest price of the nine, with Android TV built in and a stated 3,600 ISO white figure.

Cons: no throw ratio is stated, so the throw points are 0 and the page ties for the lowest score of the nine. Dolby Vision is not listed.

Score: brightness 3, throw 0 (ratio not stated), 4K 1, Dolby Vision 0, built-in system 1, price 2, for 7 of 10.

Epson's LS650 page on its US store, read November 4, 2026.

9. Formovie Cinema Edge: $1,899 on sale, 2100 ISO lumens at 0.23 with Google TV

$1,899 on Formovie's US store (us.formovie.com), struck through at $2,599, read November 4, 2026, with Add to cart; a cart read the same day charged $1,899.00. Formovie sells it as a "4K UST Laser Projector Featuring Google TV" and states 2100 ISO lumens. Its spec table gives a 0.23:1 ratio, 4K UHD, HDR10 and HLG, and Google TV with Netflix.

Pros: the lowest Formovie price, with Google TV and Netflix built in.

Cons: no Dolby Vision is listed, unlike the Theater Premium. It ties the Epson LS650 at 7 and ranks below it on a price higher by $99.01.

Score: brightness 2, throw 1, 4K 1, Dolby Vision 0, built-in system 1, price 2, for 7 of 10.

Formovie's Cinema Edge page, read November 4, 2026.

Also worth a look, outside the numbered list

These pass the gate with a score but sit below the ranking, because of the two-per-brand cap or the nine-pick limit. The Samsung Premiere 7 and 9 and the AWOL Aetherion Pro fall below the nine-pick limit.

• Hisense PX4 Pro, 9 of 10, $3,999.99 at Best Buy, read November 4, 2026. Hisense's store shows Add to cart at $3,999.99 on sale (struck $4,499.99). The Best Buy row of Hisense's widget shows $3,999.99 as available. 0.2 ratio, 3500 ANSI lumens, 4K UHD, Dolby Vision, VIDAA OS. Hisense PX4 Pro at Best Buy. Opens Best Buy; the price there may change.
• Hisense L9Q, 8 of 10, $4,499.99 on sale. Struck at $6,499.99 on Hisense's US store, with Add to cart shown. 0.18 ratio, 5000 ANSI lumens, 4K UHD, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Google TV.
• Hisense L9Q Pro, 8 of 10, $6,499.99. Add to cart on Hisense's US store. 0.18 ratio, 5500 ANSI lumens, Google TV, Dolby Vision.
• AWOL Vision Aetherion Max, 6 of 10, $3,999 on sale, struck $4,499. Available on the product data. 0.2 series ratio, 3300 ISO lumens. No 4K figure is printed on its page, so that point is 0.
• AWOL Vision LuxVision 4K 120Hz UST, 6 of 10 on its stated $5,999 base price. 0.18:1 ratio, 6000 ISO lumens, 4K UHD. The page sells a $100 deposit toward a bundle, not an in-stock purchase.
• Not scored. Epson LS800: epson.com shows a Discontinued label beside the title, and no price is rendered. LG HU715QW (0.22 ratio, 2500 ANSI lumens, 4K UHD; the product data shows no price, and out of stock). Optoma Photon Go ML1080UST (0.18 ratio, 1080p, Google TV; no price on the rendered page).
• Samsung The Premiere 7, 7 of 10, $2,999.99, notify me. 0.25 ratio, 2500 ISO lumens, single laser, HDR10+, Tizen. Below the nine-pick limit on the lower-price tie-break.
• Formovie THEATER, 7 of 10, $2,199 on sale, struck $3,199. Add to cart on Formovie's US store. 0.23 ratio, 1800 ISO lumens, 4K, Dolby Vision, Android TV 11.0. Formovie's third model; it ties the Cinema Edge at 7 and costs more.
• Samsung The Premiere 9, 7 of 10, $5,999.99, notify me. 0.189 ratio, 3450 ISO lumens, triple laser, HDR10+, Tizen. Below the nine-pick limit.
• AWOL Vision Aetherion Pro, 6 of 10, $3,499 order now. 0.2 series ratio, 2600 ISO lumens, 4K RGB laser UST. Below the nine-pick limit, and AWOL's second pick.
• Excluded at the gate. Valerion Max, Pro 2 and Pro (0.9 to 1.5); Hisense C2 Pro, C3 Pro, XR10 and M2 Pro; JMGO N3 Ultimate, N3 4K, IRIS Ultra and IRIS Ultra Max (zoom lens models) and the 1.2:1 N1S and PicoPlay models; XGIMI Horizon 30 Pro and Elfin Flip Laser; Epson Grand and Grand Plus and LG HU810PW (no ratio stated).
• Not yet checked. Dangbei, Anker Nebula (domain did not resolve), and the Hisense C3 base and Ultra. XGIMI's first-generation AURA and the AURA 2 show as unavailable, and its refurbished units are not new.

Recurring costs over 12 and 24 months

None of the nine numbered pages states a required plan or subscription, so the 12 and 24 month totals equal the device price. Screens and mounts are an extra cost this page does not price.

Dupple data: computed from the vendor prices read on November 4, 2026, with no plan or subscription in the total.

FAQ

What is the difference between an ultra short throw and a short throw projector?

An ultra short throw is stated at 0.20 or lower, so the lens sits a few inches from the wall. A short throw is stated from 0.21 to 0.99 and needs more distance.

Can ISO and ANSI lumens be compared?

Not directly. ANSI and ISO follow different measurement standards, so this page bands each unit on its own.

Why is a Hisense model I know not numbered?

Hisense has five models that pass the gate, and the two-per-brand cap allows two numbered picks. The others sit in the box with their scores and prices.

Do I need a special screen?

Not always. Hisense's L9Q Pro page recommends an ALR or CLR screen for lit rooms.

Methodology

Figures come from each vendor's own US store or pricing page, read on November 4, 2026. Unreadable models are listed as not read, not estimated. Hisense's Best Buy price comes from the Where To Buy widget on hisense.com/us/en. Best Buy's search card read on November 4, 2026 shows "See price in cart" for the PX3-PRO, so PX3-PRO ranks on Hisense's own US store price. Ties go to the lower price. At most two numbered picks per brand. No paid placement decides the order.

Sources

All pages read November 4, 2026: JMGO global store (global.jmgo.com, O2S Ultra); Hisense (PT1, PX3-PRO widget page, PX4 Pro widget page); XGIMI (AURA 2 (New)); Samsung (Premiere 7, Premiere 9); AWOL Vision (LTV-3000 Pro, Aetherion Pro); Formovie (Theater Premium); Epson (LS650, LS800); BenQ (TK710STi); Best Buy (PX4 Pro). Gate-only: Hisense C2 Pro, C3 Pro, XR10, M2 Pro; Valerion VisionMaster Max; LG HU715QW; Optoma Photon Go ML1080UST.

Related reading

For a smaller projector that moves between rooms, see the best portable projector guide. For a larger screen in a dedicated room, see the best home theater projector guide. For a desk screen, see the best portable monitor for a laptop.

Prices and stock change without notice. Check the vendor's page before you buy.