4:3 (Standard) Home Theater Projectors

The Bottom Line: Priced less than a midsize flat-screen LCD TV, BenQ's MP512 ST DLP projector is a solid, affordable option for people who want a big screen for casual use or gaming.

Specs: DLP projector, 800 x 600, 2200 ANSI lumens, 2500:1, 4.9 lbs, 10 in x 8.4 in x 3.5 in

The Bottom Line: Packed with intense brightness, an abundant feature set, and a minuscule price tag, the Dell 1200MP is ideal for business presentations on a tight budget, but it could face competition from higher-resolution XGA projectors.

Specs: DLP projector, 800 x 600, 2000 ANSI lumens, 2100:1, 4.9 lbs, 9.9 in x 8.4 in x 4 in

The Bottom Line: Able to match the brightness, image quality, and feature sets of much more expensive models, the Dell 2400MP resets the bar for what you can expect from a mainstream budget projector.

Specs: DLP projector, 1024 x 768, 3000 ANSI lumens, 2100:1, HDTV, 5.5 lbs, 10.8 in x 8.3 in x 4 in

The Bottom Line: The Toshiba TDP-T95U seems to define the midpoint of the XGA projector market. There are brighter, lighter, and cheaper models around, but none boast the same combination of price, brightness, and features.

Specs: DLP projector, 1024 x 768, 2200 ANSI lumens, 2000:1, HDTV, 6.4 lbs, 11.8 in x 8.6 in x 3.9 in

The Bottom Line: The HP mp3320 delivers one of the best bargains on the market in terms of brightness, but other budget projectors offer more features and better overall performance.

Specs: DLP projector, 1024 x 768, 2400 ANSI lumens, 2000:1, HDTV, 3.7 lbs, 9.9 in x 8.3 in x 2.8 in

The Bottom Line: Packed with features and able to blast more than 2,000 lumens of light in a large conference room, the Epson PowerLite 765c is worth the money if you want big projector power in a small package.

Specs: LCD projector, 1024 x 768, 2500 ANSI lumens, 400:1, 4 lbs, 10.8 in x 7.6 in x 2.7 in

The Bottom Line: Despite its less-than-optimal brightness and buggy software, the feature-packed HP mp3135w comes about as close as you can to a one-size-fits-all LAN projector.

Specs: DLP projector, 1024 x 768, 1800 ANSI lumens, 2000:1, HDTV, 4 lbs, 9 in x 7.8 in x 2.9 in

The Bottom Line: The Sony VPL-PX41 projector features built-in networking and excellent video capabilities, but it is expensive and otherwise undistinguished.

Specs: LCD projector, 1024 x 768, 3500 ANSI lumens, 700:1, DTV, HDTV, 17.2 lbs, 16.5 in x 12.4 in x 4.9 in

The Bottom Line: It's not the brightest in its class, nor does it have the most-extensive networking features. But the inexpensive Hitachi CP-X443 is a good all-round performer with excellent color.

Specs: LCD projector, 1024 x 768, 2700 ANSI lumens, 400:1, HDTV, 8.4 lbs, 13.2 in x 10.4 in x 3.7 in

The Bottom Line: The Dell 5100MP projects a bright, high-resolution image and lets IT administrators monitor it from afar, but it can't put network images onscreen.

Specs: DLP projector, 1400 x 1050, 3300 ANSI lumens, 2500:1, HDTV, 8.2 lbs, 13 in x 10.3 in x 4.5 in