No. 1 here · Best overall
AWOL Vision LuxVision
6,000 ISO lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.18:1 throw
$5,999Nov 13, 2026
9.6/10ExcellentBest UST projector and screen bundles
5 projectors sold with a matching screen by their maker; on Nov 13, 2026 one bundle cost less than its projector alone.
$5,999at AWOL Vision, Nov 13, 2026
Check price at AWOL
Projector + screen bundles: all 5 in order
No. 2 here · Best for movie nights
AWOL Vision Aetherion Max
3,300 ISO lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.2:1 throw
$3,999$4,499Nov 13, 2026
No. 3 here · Best price
AWOL Vision Aetherion Pro
2,600 ISO lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.2:1 throw
$3,499Nov 13, 2026
9.2/10Excellent
No. 4 here
AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro
2,000 ISO lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.25:1 throw
$1,699$2,999Nov 13, 2026
No. 5 here
NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII
2,400 lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.21:1 throw
$2,299.99Nov 13, 2026
8.5/10Very goodProjector + screen bundles: the 5 bundles, in detail
How this order is built
No. 1Best overall
AWOL Vision LuxVision
Best for a bright living room, a 120 to 150-inch picture and a console you play on.
- 6,000 ISO lumens claimed by AWOL: the brightest projector of the 15 we compare
- 4K at 120 Hz with VRR and ALLM, and a 1 ms input lag claim
- Optical lens shift, rare on an ultra short throw: alignment without shoving furniture
The catch: It is a week-old product at $5,999: very few owners have lived with it yet. AWOL's page gives no speaker wattage and no fan noise figure, and it does not name Netflix among the apps. At 35.1 lb and 24.3 inches wide, it needs a deep, sturdy console.
- Brightness
- 6,000 ISO lumens
- Light source
- RGB triple laser
- Throw ratio
- 0.18:1
- Input lag
- 1 ms (brand)
- Warranty
- 2-year
No. 2Best for movie nights
AWOL Vision Aetherion Max
Best for a mixed-use room where movies matter most and the lights are sometimes on.
- 6,000:1 native contrast, per AWOL: the highest stated figure under $5,000 on our list
- 3,300 ISO lumens with 110% of BT.2020, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced
- VRR, ALLM, three HDMI 2.1 ports and DisplayPort over USB-C
The catch: 4K tops out at 60 Hz here; the 120 Hz panel mode is reserved for the LuxVision. AWOL publishes no speaker wattage and no fan noise figure for the Max, and the "1 ms" input lag comes without a resolution. And buying the projector alone at $3,999 made no sense on the day we checked: the screen bundle was cheaper.
- Brightness
- 3,300 ISO lumens
- Light source
- RGB triple laser
- Throw ratio
- 0.2:1
- Input lag
- 1 ms (brand)
- Warranty
- 2-year
No. 3Best price
AWOL Vision Aetherion Pro
Best for a dim or dedicated room where contrast and color matter more than raw brightness.
- 6,000:1 native contrast, per AWOL, for $500 less than the Max
- 110% of BT.2020 with Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced
- VRR, ALLM and a 1 ms input lag claim; three HDMI 2.1 ports
The catch: 2,600 ISO lumens is a nighttime figure: fine on a 100 to 120-inch ALR screen in a dim room, thin in a sunny one. The screen in the same-price bundle is soft gray, and AWOL doesn't sell it as an ALR screen. As on the Max, there is no speaker wattage on the page and 4K stops at 60 Hz.
- Brightness
- 2,600 ISO lumens
- Light source
- RGB triple laser
- Throw ratio
- 0.2:1
- Input lag
- 1 ms (brand)
- Warranty
- 2-year
No. 4
AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro
Best for movie and 3D fans on a budget who watch after dark and want a big picture.
- RGB triple laser, 107% of BT.2020, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ for $1,699
- Input lag published at both resolutions: 15 ms at 4K/60, 8 ms at 1080p/120
- Active 3D, motorized focus, pictures from 80 to 150 inches
The catch: 2,000 ISO lumens is the lowest brightness on our list: this is an evening projector. The built-in system is Android 9.0, which is why AWOL adds a Fire TV stick on the product page. The throw ratio is 0.25:1, so it sits further from the wall than newer models, and the warranty is 12 months where rivals give 24.
- Brightness
- 2,000 ISO lumens
- Light source
- RGB triple laser
- Throw ratio
- 0.25:1
- Input lag
- 8 ms (brand)
- Warranty
- 1-year
No. 5
NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII
Best for dark-room movie fans and gamers who already own a streaming box.
- 4,000:1 native contrast, per NexiGo: the highest stated figure under $3,000 on our list, tied with JMGO
- Input lag published twice: 4.2 ms at 1080p/240 Hz, 17.6 ms at 4K/60
- Dolby Vision and HDR10+ with 107% of BT.2020
The catch: NexiGo's page doesn't name a built-in smart TV platform; its own video guide shows how to add a Fire TV stick. The warranty is 1 year unless you buy an extension, the return window isn't on the product page, and shipping is calculated at checkout. Brightness is 2,400 lumens, with no ISO or ANSI label.
- Brightness
- 2,400 lumens
- Light source
- RGB triple laser
- Throw ratio
- 0.21:1
- Input lag
- 4.2 ms (brand)
- Warranty
- 1-year
All 5, side by side
Open the comparison tool5 projectors in this table: scroll sideways to see them all
| Projector | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brightness (brand) | 6,000 ISO lumens | 3,300 ISO lumens | 2,600 ISO lumens | 2,000 ISO lumens | 2,400 lumens |
| Light source | RGB triple laser | RGB triple laser | RGB triple laser | RGB triple laser | RGB triple laser |
| Throw ratio | 0.18:1 | 0.2:1 | 0.2:1 | 0.25:1 | 0.21:1 |
| Native contrast | 10,000:1 | 6,000:1 | 6,000:1 | 2,500:1 | 4,000:1 |
| HDR formats | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced | Dolby Vision, HDR10+ | Dolby Vision, HDR10+ |
| Lowest input lag | 1 ms (brand) | 1 ms (brand) | 1 ms (brand) | 8 ms (brand) | 4.2 ms (brand) |
| Smart TV | Google TV | Google TV | Google TV | Android 9.0 | Not stated |
| Warranty | 2-year | 2-year | 2-year | 1-year | 1-year |
| Where to buy | Check price at AWOL | Check price at AWOL | Check price at AWOL | Check price at AWOL | Check price at NexiGo |
✓ marks the best figure of the row. "Not stated" means the brand doesn't publish it. Each projector keeps its one overall score; this page only changes the order. Prices checked November 13, 2026.
What to know before you choose
The screen is the purchase people forget, then regret. An ultra short throw hits the screen from below at a steep angle, so it needs a perfectly flat surface, and in a lit room an ALR screen built for that angle. Buying the two together from the same brand has real advantages: the sizes match, one company answers for the result, and at Black Friday the bundle is sometimes cheaper than the parts.
That is literally the case with the AWOL Aetherion Max: on November 13, 2026 AWOL sold it with a 120 or 132-inch Cinematic ALR screen for $3,799, $200 less than the projector alone. The LuxVision came with a floor-rising or Fresnel ALR screen at the projector's own $5,999. The cheapest ALR package was the NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII with a 100-inch Fresnel screen at $2,499.99. This page ranks the projectors whose makers sell such a bundle, in the order of their overall score; the bundle price and the kind of screen are in the table and in each review. Check what kind of screen you are getting: "soft gray" and "matte white" are not ALR.
How this ranking is weighted
Every projector keeps its overall score from the public formula. For this page we re-order the eligible projectors with the "Overall" weights: price 20%, brightness 20%, picture 20%, gaming 10%, and the rest for the other 3 criteria. The full table is on the methodology page.
Head-to-heads between projectors of this list: AWOL Vision Aetherion Max vs AWOL Vision Aetherion Pro.
Other rankings: best ultra short throw projector, best ust projector for bright room, best ust projector for gaming, best ust projector under 2000, best laser tv, best ust projector for home theater.
By Owen Whitaker, editor, home theater projectors · updated November 13, 2026
Guides that go with this ranking
All guides
Projector + screen bundles: questions buyers ask
More answers in our guidesIs it cheaper to buy a UST projector with a screen?
Often, at sale time. On November 13, 2026 the AWOL Aetherion Max cost $3,799 with a 120-inch ALR screen and $3,999 without. Compare the bundle with the projector-only price on the day you buy.
What screen comes in these bundles?
It varies: lenticular or Fresnel ALR fixed frames, motorized floor-rising ALR screens, and in the Aetherion Pro's same-price bundle a soft gray screen that isn't sold as ALR. We name the type for each bundle.
Which is the cheapest UST projector and ALR screen bundle?
Among the brands we compare, the NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII with a 100-inch Cinematic Fresnel screen: $2,499.99 on November 13, 2026.
Fixed frame or floor-rising screen?
A fixed frame hangs like a big picture and costs less. A floor-rising screen rolls up from a housing on the floor and disappears when off; it usually costs more and needs floor space in front of the wall. See our ALR screen guide.