Accessories
What to buy with the projector
A projector is a component rather than a product: on its own it makes an image on a wall and very little sound, from wherever it happens to be standing. Four purchases turn it into an installation, and comparing a projector price to a television price without them compares half a system to a whole one. The products picked below had an Amazon.com offer on October 25, 2026.
By Jean-Benoit Buisson
In brief
The four purchases that turn a projector into a working installation — a screen, a mount or a shelf, sound and a source — and the one that is not optional. Our picks: Akia Screens AK-NB103DH3 ($330), VEVOR Manual pull-down screen ($72), Hisense HS2100 ($130), Xiaomi TV Box S 3rd Gen ($105) — prices on Amazon.com on October 25, 2026.
1. A surface
The Akia Screens 103 in fixed frame ($330) gives flatness, a CineGrey 3D surface that rejects ceiling light, and a velvet border — the part people underestimate: it absorbs the overspill at the edge of the image and gives the eye a hard reference, which makes the picture look sharper. On a tighter budget, the VEVOR pull-down ($72) is a 72 in 4:3 roller with a pull cord.
2. Somewhere to put the machine
A shelf at the right height, or a ceiling mount. Our ceiling mount reviews are not published yet; whichever you choose, look for adjustment on three axes and a drop rated for the projector’s weight. A bracket with only two axes forces the third correction into the projector’s keystone, which crops and softens the picture.
3. A cable that reaches, and no longer
A certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable for 4K at 120 Hz, a certified Premium High Speed one for 4K at 60 Hz. Buy the shortest length that reaches: passive copper is reliable to about 10 ft at the highest bandwidth, and length causes more dropouts than brand does.
4. Sound
The Hisense HS2100 ($130) is the accessible answer: a 2.1 bar with a wireless subwoofer, Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual:X, and an HDMI cable in the box. Almost every projector’s built-in speaker is an afterthought in a chassis designed around a lens and a fan, and anything external is an improvement.
5. A source
The Xiaomi TV Box S 3rd Gen ($105) runs Google TV and states Dolby Vision and HDR10+. A projector’s own apps age with it; a box can be replaced on its own.
The order if the budget is tight
Surface, sound, source, mount. The first two change what you see and hear; the last two change how convenient it is.
Prices quoted in this text were read on October 25, 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.
What gets asked most
Which of these is genuinely not optional?
The surface and the sound. A projector on a bare wall with its own built-in speaker is a demonstration rather than a system, and both of those are cheaper to fix than any upgrade to the machine.
Do I need the ceiling mount straight away?
No. A table or a shelf establishes whether the geometry works before anything is drilled, and a stand is a legitimate permanent answer in a room that cannot be drilled at all.
What do I need immediately?
A long enough cable and something to mount or sit the projector on. Those two are the usual first frustrations.
Are the built-in speakers usable?
They exist to prove the unit works. Almost any external sound solution is a large improvement.
Do I need a streaming box?
Many projectors have limited or no smart features. Check what apps it actually has before assuming you do not.
What improves the picture most?
Blackout curtains, more than most accessories. Light control is routinely overlooked and does more than a purchase.
Ceiling mount or table?
Ceiling is tidier and permanent; a table is flexible and gets knocked. Each changes the cabling and the geometry.
What if I move it around?
A case and a stable surface. Knocks in transport gradually affect the optics and focus, which is what shortens a portable projector's useful life.
