However, if you want an easy and flexible entry into home cinema, it’s OK to start with a new smart portable projector. While generally limited to native 720p and thus not capable of the super-detailed projection of their 4K peers, good models provide the same smart features. And they cost a lot less, plus there’s no setup needed, nor do they require lots of space to get the most usage out of. When we say portable we mean it. These projectors weigh less than a laptop and can go pretty much anywhere. One evening you’re enjoying a movie in the living room, then in the backyard. That’s a lot of flexibility. If you’re not exclusively focused on resolution, then a portable will likely sate your appetite for big screen movie fun. With perfectly adequate brightness, quality portable projectors make up for their lack of pixels with eminent versatility, and they still deliver huge image formats for a fraction of the cost of either big TVs or cinematic projectors.
In the interest of full disclosure, we also tried Godzilla vs. Kong on a 720p HD portable projector, using the same 100” screen. The overall experience was very cinematic due to the sheer size of the screen, but of course the detail level was reduced compared to our 4K HDR projector viewing. Even so, there was no denying the cool factor of having a device so small showcase an image that big, all while not sacrificing a single smart TV function or feature. The interface was snappy, and every app worked great. Godzilla vs. Kong was meant to be seen in 4K HDR, but other apps are very well-suited to a portable projector, for example YouTube.