What 110 projectors tell us about throw distance
We analyzed throw ratio, brightness and price across 110 projectors from 16 brands. The data behind room-size and brightness myths, with citable numbers.
Across 110 projectors from 16 brands, the median throw ratio is 1.20 (range 0.16–2.12). 66% are standard/long-throw, 7% short-throw and 26% ultra-short-throw. For a 100-inch screen the throw distance ranges from 1.2 to 15.4 ft (median 8.7 ft), and 94% fit a room only 10 ft deep.
How projectors split by throw type
Most projectors are standard-throw — they need real room depth. Short- and ultra-short-throw models trade that for tight placement, but they’re still the minority of the market in our dataset.
| Throw type | Models | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra-short-throw (< 0.4) | 29 | 26% |
| Short throw (0.4–1.0) | 8 | 7% |
| Standard / long throw (> 1.0) | 73 | 66% |
Projector statistics 2026 — quotable numbers
Each figure below is computed live from the ThrowCalc dataset (110 projectors, 16 brands, 2026). Cite freely with a link.
- 26% of the 110 projectors tracked in 2026 are ultra-short-throw (throw ratio below 0.4).
- 62% of tracked projectors use a laser light source in 2026.
- 81% of tracked models are 4K-resolution, and 95% support HDR.
- The median brightness across 110 projectors is 2,600 lumens (range 230–5,800).
- The brightest projector tracked in 2026 is the JMGO N3 Ultimate at 5,800 lumens.
- Street prices span $379 (XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro) to $27,999 (Sony VPL-XW7000ES) across 106 priced models.
- The median throw ratio across all tracked projectors is 1.20.
- A 100-inch image needs between 1.2 and 15.4 ft of throw distance depending on the model; the median is 8.7 ft.
- 94% of tracked projectors can fill a 100-inch screen in a room only 10 ft deep.
- Ultra-short-throw projectors cost a median $1.22 per lumen — 65% more than standard-throw models at $0.74 per lumen.
- The median input lag among the 64 models with published figures is 17.9 ms.
Key findings
- The median throw ratio is 1.20, so a typical projector needs about its screen’s full width in distance — a 100-inch (87-inch-wide) screen sits roughly 8.7 ft back.
- 94% of projectors can fill a 100-inch screen from a room only 10 ft deep — placement is less of a constraint than people assume.
- Brightness spans 230–5,800 lumens (median 2,600); the brightest model we track is the JMGO N3 Ultimate at 5,800 lumens.
- Among models with a tracked price (106 of 110), street prices run from $379 (XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro) to $27,999 (Sony VPL-XW7000ES) — a wider spread than most categories.
The room-size myth
The common belief that projectors need a huge room is mostly wrong: at the median throw ratio of 1.20, a 100-inch screen needs about 8.7 ft of throw, and 94% of the projectors we analyzed manage a 100-inch image from 10 ft. The real placement question is throw type, not room length — pick a short- or ultra-short-throw model only if you genuinely can’t put the projector back a few feet.
Every figure is computed from our projector dataset. See how we source and compute the data on our methodology page. About →
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