Quick Answer: The Vivitek HK2288 (around $1,999) is the only Vivitek model worth buying for home theater right now — a native 4K pixel-shifting DLP projector at 2,000 lumens and 100,000:1 contrast, per ProjectorCentral’s own spec database. The catch most searchers miss: Vivitek, the projection brand owned by Taiwan’s Delta Electronics (founded 1971), now sells mostly business and large-venue projectors, and several of the top Amazon results for “Vivitek projector” are old refurbished stock — including the Qumi Q5 pocket projector, discontinued in February 2017, still listed as “Renewed” almost nine years later.
Vivitek turns up across this site’s own accessory guides — our best projector 3D glasses roundup lists it as one of the DLP-Link brands those glasses sync with, and our best Elephas projector guide name-checks it the same way — but it’s never had its own dedicated page. Here’s what’s actually current.
Vivitek, by the numbers
- Vivitek is a Delta Electronics brand, not an independent company. Delta, a Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer founded in 1971, builds Vivitek’s projectors with R&D in Taiwan and manufacturing in China, per Delta’s own corporate materials — the same ownership structure behind Vivitek’s 15-plus years in DLP projection.
- The Qumi Q5 pocket projector was discontinued in February 2017 — nearly nine years ago — yet “Renewed” and refurbished listings for it still actively sell on Amazon and Best Buy today, and it’s one of the models that surfaces when searching the brand name.
- The HK2288, Vivitek’s current home-theater flagship, lists at $1,999 with 2,000 lumens and 100,000:1 contrast, per ProjectorCentral’s spec database — though street pricing has dipped as low as $1,499 at times.
- Most of Vivitek’s current 41-model lineup, per ProjectorCentral’s database, targets business and large-venue use, not dedicated home theater — the HK2288 is effectively the only model built specifically for a living room or media room.
Our top picks at a glance
| Projector | Best for | Resolution | Brightness | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vivitek HK2288 | Best overall (home theater) | Native 4K (pixel-shift) | 2,000 lm | ~$1,999 | ★★★★☆ |
| Vivitek DH3660Z | Best 1080p alternative | 1920x1080 | N/A (lamp-based) | ~$2,195 | ★★★☆ |
| Vivitek DU775Z-UST | Best ultra short throw | 1920x1200 (WUXGA) | N/A | ~$3,900 | ★★★☆ |
| Vivitek Qumi Q5 (refurb) | Skip unless dirt cheap | 1280x800 (WXGA) | 500 lm | Discontinued 2017 | ★★☆☆ |
1. Vivitek HK2288 — Best Overall
Vivitek HK2288
- Native 4K UHD via a 2716x1528 pixel-shifting DLP chip with an RGBRGB 6-segment color wheel, per ProjectorCentral's spec sheet.
- 2,000 lumens brightest mode, 100,000:1 full on/off contrast, and HDR support.
- 310W UHP lamp rated for 3,000 hours at full power or 5,000 hours in Eco mode, with a 3-year warranty.
- Manual 1.5:1 zoom lens with modest vertical lens shift, three HDMI inputs, and a 10W speaker system.
A projector needs something to play — Prime includes Prime Video, and you can try it free for 30 days to pair with movie night on the HK2288.
The HK2288 is Vivitek’s one genuine home-theater flagship — real 4K via pixel-shifting, real HDR, and a 3-year warranty that beats most budget Amazon-brand projectors. Reviewers have noted the factory color calibration leans cool/blue out of the box and benefits from professional calibration, so budget for that if picture accuracy matters to you. For how it stacks up against other native-4K options across every brand, see our best 4K projector guide.
2. Vivitek DH3660Z — Best 1080p Alternative
Vivitek DH3660Z
- Native 1920x1080 Full HD lamp-based DLP panel, per ProjectorCentral's current production listing.
- Priced above the 4K HK2288 despite the lower resolution — the premium here is in brightness and optics for larger installed rooms, not pixel count.
- Lamp-based light source rather than laser or LED, which means a lamp-replacement cost down the line.
The DH3660Z is a strange case: it costs more than the native-4K HK2288 while topping out at 1080p. It only makes sense if your room specifically needs the DH3660Z’s brightness or lens options over the HK2288’s — for most home-theater buyers, the HK2288 is the better spend. For the full field of 1080p models across brands, see our best 1080p projector guide.
3. Vivitek DU775Z-UST — Best Ultra Short Throw
Vivitek DU775Z-UST
- Native WUXGA (1920x1200) panel with ultra-short-throw optics, per ProjectorCentral's spec listing.
- Nearly double the price of the HK2288 for a lower resolution — the premium pays for UST placement (inches from the wall) rather than image quality.
- Built for installs where a standard throw distance isn't available — a media console close to the screen wall, for example.
Only choose the DU775Z-UST if you genuinely can’t place a projector the normal 8-12 feet from your screen — UST optics are the entire reason for its price jump over the HK2288, not image quality. For the much larger field of laser-TV-style UST options from BenQ, Epson, Hisense, and others, see our best ultra short throw projector guide.
What to skip: old refurbished Vivitek stock
Vivitek Qumi Q5 and similar business-class refurbs (D859, D862, D519, D555WH)
- The Qumi Q5 pocket projector was discontinued in February 2017 — current "Renewed" listings are selling roughly nine-year-old discontinued stock.
- The D859/D862/D519/D555WH are older XGA/WXGA business and education projectors (1024x768 or 1280x800), not home-theater models, and several are also sold as "Renewed."
- None of these carry current firmware support or a comparable warranty to the in-production HK2288.
These are the listings that make “Vivitek projector” searches look thinner than the brand actually is — they rank well on Amazon because they’ve been selling for years, not because they’re a good buy today. If the price difference versus a new budget projector isn’t dramatic, skip them. For solid current options at a low price point instead, see our best projector under 200 guide.
Vivitek facts worth knowing before you buy
- Vivitek is a Delta Electronics brand — Delta, founded in Taiwan in 1971, designs Vivitek’s projectors in-house with manufacturing in China, not a licensed third party wearing the name.
- The current Vivitek catalog leans heavily business/large-venue — of the 41 models ProjectorCentral tracks, the HK2288 is effectively the only one built and marketed specifically for home theater.
- Several top Amazon results for the brand are old refurbished stock, including a pocket projector discontinued in 2017 — check the model name against ProjectorCentral’s database before assuming a listing is current.
- Resolution and price don’t track together across the lineup — the 1080p DH3660Z and WUXGA DU775Z-UST both cost more than the native-4K HK2288, because their premiums pay for brightness/optics and UST placement, not pixel count.
The bottom line
For home theater, the Vivitek HK2288 (~$1,999) is the only model worth buying new — real native 4K, HDR, and a 3-year warranty, with the caveat that it benefits from a professional color calibration out of the box. The DH3660Z and DU775Z-UST are narrower niche picks for specific brightness or placement needs, not default upgrades. And whatever you do, check the model name of any “Vivitek projector” listing against a current spec sheet before buying — several of the brand’s most-seen Amazon results are refurbished units from a decade ago. For the full home-theater field across every brand, see our best home theater projector pillar guide, and for more brand-specific roundups, see our best BenQ projector and best Optoma projector guides.