Projectors have been around for almost decades, but it has only been recently that they’ve started to move out of offices and into living rooms. With the advent of home projectors, however, came the need for newer designs that make these utilitarian boxes fit with your interior design better. Some brands have indeed started to do that, but it takes more than just using glossy surfaces or wrapping the boxes with fabric-like materials. Ideally, you really have to think outside the box and adopt a design that barely looks like a typical home projector, like the new LG CineBeam Qube 4K that’s meant to look like a stylus art object when simply sitting on your table or shelf, whether or not you’re using it.
Smart home projectors have started to become more aware of how they need to blend in with the rest of your furniture or home decor. Some have tried to embrace more luxurious-looking materials that make the appliances look a little more stylish, but few can escape the traditional boxy shapes that projectors come in. Admittedly, it’s not that easy to break away from this form due to technical reasons, but that doesn’t mean you have to stick to the bulky horizontal design of most projectors.
The LG CineBeam Qube 4K is an example of a design that breaks from the mould while still sticking to the norm. It’s still a rectangular box and less a cube as its name might imply, but it stands upright rather than lying low. It’s also quite tiny, compared to your run-of-the-mill laser projectors, so it can discreetly stand beside your books on a shelf and get out of the way when you don’t need it. The point, however, is that you won’t have to put it away during those periods of rest because the CineBeam Qube is designed to look great even while just standing there.
The projector has a rather industrial aesthetic, with a metallic silver chassis and a black facade where the large lens lies smack in the middle. There is an odd lever structure wrapping around the back of the box, most likely a handle that lets you pick up the projector and move it around in style. Its beauty won’t appeal to everyone, but it will at least grab people’s attention the moment they see it.
Despite its small size, the LG CineBeam Qube claims to pack quite a punch, including 4K resolution and a maximum projection size of 120 inches. The 500 ANSI lumens brightness, however, means you’ll only use it indoors in a dark room. It’s a smart projector so you’ll have access to plenty of content, both from streaming services as well as connected devices. And when you’re not using it to watch shows, you can use its image-mapping function to display images and photos that add some life to your dark space.
Android TV 11 brings a wide range of sources and apps
CONS:
A bit bulky and heavy, but compact compared to most 4K projectors
Requires adequate distance from projection surface
RATINGS:
AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
EDITOR'S QUOTE:
With advanced smart features and Dolby Vision, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra not only pushes the envelope of what long throw projectors can do but also how elegant they can look.
With more and more people banishing TV sets from their homes, home projectors have become more popular and also more varied. There are plenty of designs available, differing in throw ratio and performance, to the point that choosing which one to invest in can become an overwhelming and daunting challenge. While short throw projectors are gaining popularity for their space-saving qualities, they’re hardly the perfect solution for all circumstances, especially considering their cost and noise. Long throw projectors, on the other hand, are powerful and convenient but still have plenty of room for growth. Fortunately, brands like XGIMI are continuously challenging the status quo to address those flaws, so we take the new XGIMI Horizon Ultra long throw projector for a spin to see what new experience it is putting in the middle of your home.
Although home projectors are becoming more common these days, many of them haven’t diverged that much from the designs of earlier models used in business and commercial settings. There are some that are finally trying to adapt to home interior designs, but there are still far and few in between. Right out of the box, you can already tell which category the XGIMI Horizon Ultra belongs to, bearing an exquisite and elegant design that reflects the attention to detail that the company paid in making its newest flagship.
The predominantly white box comes taller than your average projector, but that shape works to give it more presence in a room. Not that it needs to do that, given how its predominantly white body will easily make it stand out anywhere. Misty gold accents help further highlight the XGIMI Horizon Ultra’s luxurious character, making sure everyone understands that this is no mere consumer electronics product. To ensure visual consistency, even the adapter and cord that power the projector come in a white hue, unlike the predominantly black motif of most power bricks.
XGIMI didn’t just stop at painting the Horizon Ultra white, however. Taking a page from smart home speakers, it also layered fabrics on the projector’s sides, further enhancing its elegance and cementing its place in your home. It gives the projector an almost natural vibe despite its purely artificial construction. XGIMI also aimed for simplicity and minimalism, even hiding the projector lens behind an electrical sliding cover, making the Horizon Ultra a viable piece of decoration for any room. Considering how it will most likely stand in the middle of the room anyway, that’s definitely a much-needed feature.
Ergonomics
Unlike a handheld tool or mobile device, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra is not something that will see a lot of manual operation and holding. In fact, given its 11.5lb (5.2kg) weight, it’s not something you will want to hold a lot. It’s still portable in the sense that you can move it around the house and place it in an optimal position, but chances are, once you’ve found the perfect spot for it, it’s staying there for a very long period of time. That perfect spot would be determined not just by the desired distance from a wall or projection screen but, more importantly, by the availability of a wall socket. Thankfully, the projector’s auto keystone correction and other smart features make it possible to set it up at an angle from that projection target.
Using the XGIMI Horizon Ultra itself is as simple as its appearance would imply. The absence of physical buttons on the device itself presents a streamlined and unbroken appearance, but it also means you will be controlling the projector using a remote. The remote looks as luxurious as the projector, though we would have preferred if it followed the same white color scheme rather than a combination of black and sandblasted gray, almost like some brand’s minimalist remote control. The complete reliance on a remote control also means you have to be careful not to lose the accessory, which is often what happens with this kind of device. But since it does run Android TV 11 and uses Bluetooth, there might also be an option to use other wireless methods of controlling it, not plugging in a mouse and keyboard.
As for plugging in things, all the Horizon Ultra’s ports are at the back, making cable management a lot easier, depending on your setup. You only have one place to go to for connecting external devices, and only one side of the projector to hide from plain sight. All-in-all, XGIMI aimed for a simple and minimalist design that is both easy on the eyes as well as easy to use.
Performance
Of course, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra is more than just a piece of home decoration, and its real test is in its output. Compared to their short throw cousins, long throw projectors are often criticized for being easily affected by ambient light and obscured by objects and people nearby. XGIMI manages to address practically all these flaws, delivering a long throw projector that can deliver bright, color-accurate, and high-quality images under any condition.
The Horizon Ultra’s primary selling point is being the industry’s first 4K long throw projector that proudly bears Dolby Vision support, a feat that’s difficult to achieve on traditional display panels, let alone a long-throw projector. What this means in practice is that the XGIMI Horizon Ultra guarantees ultra-high brightness, an ultra-wide color gamut, ultra-high color accuracy, and ultra-high viewing comfort, in any setting, without compromise.
On a technological level, this is made possible by an innovative Dual Light engine that combines the best of both worlds of Laser and LED sources. Laser light is known for its brightness and color range but is criticized for tiring the eyes. LED, in contrast, is comfortable and power efficient but often lacks the brightness needed by long throw projectors. In the XGIMI Horizon Ultra, these two technologies complement each other and make up for the other’s weaknesses using a novel five-channel laser LED hybrid optical path to seamlessly combine these two sources into one breathtaking image that can reach up to 2300 ISO lumens of brightness, without color fringing, speckles, and other artifacts that ruin the visual immersion.
Image quality, however, won’t matter much if the projected image is distorted, misaligned, washed out by ambient light, or blocked. In the old days, it was up to the operator to make all the adjustments on the projector to have a straight rectangle on a wall or screen. Fortunately, those old days are long gone, and the Horizon Ultra offers the most intelligent automatic adjustment capabilities that let you just sit back and relax while the projector does the precision work. This Intelligent Screen Adaptation or ISA 3.0 can adjust almost all aspects of the projector to deliver the correct image, no matter the external environment.
It can, for example, adjust the brightness depending on the time of day or ambient light by adjusting the Iris and the optical zoom. The Horizon Ultra can even automatically adjust the colors so that your wall’s color doesn’t affect the image quality. Automatic keystone is no sweat either, so you can practically place the projector anywhere that’s convenient. And when it detects someone or something in front of it, Eye Protection kicks in to stop direct light beams from blinding your loved ones. You almost don’t even have to lift a finger except to select the videos you want, truly making it an effortless and enjoyable experience.
Sustainability
Like many consumer electronics, home projectors are filled with a combination of materials ranging from metal to glass to plastic. The XGIMI Horizon Ultra is not that different from the rest of the herd, but, to its credit, it does do a few things differently that deserve some applause, both in terms of aesthetics as well as sustainability.
While it doesn’t exactly exclude the use of plastics, using fabric masks at least reduced the reliance on synthetic materials to give the product a sense of style. More importantly, using eco-friendly PU leather gives the projector a sustainability angle that few of its peers can boast of. It doesn’t hurt that it also delivers a pleasant tactile experience by putting something that feels organic and soft to the touch on the surface of the projector, almost making you want to caress the device as often as you can.
Value
There are plenty of home projectors popping left and right these days, and even XGIMI has a roster of choices from both sides of the throw ratio fence. Choosing the right combination of performance and price is already difficult, but if you add requirements for aesthetics and convenience, the choice becomes even more difficult to make. Fortunately, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra seems to check all the right boxes, at least for people who don’t mind having a projector take up space somewhere in the room away from a wall. For those who prefer a tighter placement and can live with the cost and generated heat, a short throw projector might still be a better solution.
Compared to other long throw projectors, the Horizon Ultra manages to address some of the biggest complaints, particularly with how environmental factors can affect performance. Bearing the Dolby Vision badge is no small feat, and it brings with it the promise of excellent picture quality, no matter the lighting situation. The projector looks incredible as well, clearly fitting the home rather than standing out like a sore thumb. It also comes with optical zoom for lossless scaling and sensory brightness enhancement, a feature that is usually only found in projectors costing $2,000 or more. But with a price tag of $1,699, it significantly undercuts other brands that promise the same performance with a higher figure and wrapped in a lackluster design.
Verdict
People’s lifestyles have changed drastically in the past several years alone. The Internet and streaming have replaced traditional cable subscriptions, and people have become more glued to their mobile devices to the point that large TVs have become less used and less practical to own. At the same time, however, people are also rediscovering the lost art of enjoying content together, whether it’s a film or a video game, gathering in a single physical location to share the energy and as well as the feels.
Home projectors try to bring the best of both worlds, providing freedom without completely locking people out from those social activities. As they become more common in homes, these entertainment devices also start to take on smarter designs that blend better with their surroundings. With its latest long throw projector, XGIMI is raising the bar not just in performance but also in design, acknowledging that projectors are no longer just a machine just for tech-savvy users but also for homeowners with aesthetic tastes and requirements. With Dolby Vision image quality, super-intelligent features that remove the grunt work from setting up the projector, and a wide variety of content sources from devices and the Internet, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra takes long throw projectors to the next level in providing an immersive entertainment experience, without the cord or even a TV.
In addition to cutting the cord, some people have even banished TVs from their living rooms. No, that doesn’t mean that they’ve given up on watching videos on a larger screen completely. Instead, they have embraced the flexibility and freedom offered by the modern generation of home projectors, some of them even promising a more portable way to enjoy visual content. The latter, unfortunately, make many compromises for the sake of cramming hardware into a small package, resulting in an underwhelming experience that leaves owners wishing they had gone big instead. It’s almost as if people are cursed to forever be confined to small screens on the go and big TVs at home. Fortunately, the dream of a truly portable and high-performance laser projector is finally coming true, with the NOMVDIC L500, perhaps the world’s smallest Triple Laser Projector, that breaks free not only from cables but also from the limits of a compact and portable device.
In order to keep their chassis compact, portable laser projectors settle for small and low-power lamps or LEDs that can’t match the quality of a bulkier machine. The NOMVDIC L500, however, solves that problem by employing not one, not even two, but three RGB lasers, one for each of the three primary colors to deliver a wider spectrum of vibrant colors that’s three times more than your typical laser projector. By supporting 100% of the BT.2020 color gamut, the NOMVDIC L500 brings life-like visuals and more, whether you’re in a dark room at night or in the living room during the day.
NOMVDIC RGB Laser Technology – The L500 performs an excellent JBMA 95% uniformity and high contrast, and has been optimized to reduce speckle, all of which contribute to ultimate viewing quality.
Rich Colors Bright and Dark – Guarantees not only vivid images but also exceptional high brightness equivalent to a TV which provides you consistent viewing experience regardless of the time of day.
Impeccable Images from Any Angle – With the Time of Flight (ToF) sensor, the L500 achieves automatic and instant focus 2 times faster than traditional auto focus, allowing you to enjoy sharp and crystal-clear images in just a second.
Capture Every Moment of Excitement – Incredibly smooth and fluid motion on your screen. Experience sports, racing, and action games like never before with the L500’s MEMC frame interpolation technique.
With a brightness of 650 ANSI lumens, the NOMVDIC L500 can stand head-to-head with bulkier and more expensive projectors, letting you enjoy the same lush colors even with the lights on. A laundry list of smart, automatic features also takes the drudgery out of setting up the projector. Automatic and instant focus takes only a second or so to adjust to a new location, while auto H/V keystone and four-corner adjustment make sure you’ll be viewing the correct angle, no matter where you place the projector. And with MEMC frame interpolation, you are guaranteed smooth and fluid motions no matter how fast the action is on screen.
Of course, the perfect movie binge isn’t just about the visuals, and the NOMVDIC L500 has all your bases covered here as well. Built-in 7W Harman Kardon speakers immerse you in quality audio to match the visuals, and an easy-to-use interface lets you breeze through content and settings without getting lost in the options. A backlit Bluetooth remote control saves you from fumbling in the dark, while a plethora of connection options, including lightning-fast 5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI, and USB lets you bring any kind of content source, from phones to hard drives to gaming consoles. Even better, you can also connect your favorite Bluetooth headphones for a more private moment with your favorite flicks.
Just as the Internet and streaming services have freed us from cables and expensive subscription bundles, we no longer have to be tethered to a single large screen in the house whenever we want to escape into a world of action, drama, or fantasy. With the NOMVDIC L500’s innovative triple RGB lasers, you can now enjoy life-like visuals, high-quality audio, and hundreds of content, in any room, whatever the time of day.
Modern life has become surrounded and dependent on consumer electronics, from the appliances we use day in and day out to the smartphone that almost never leave our hands. While these products bring convenience to our lives, they often come at the cost of the planet’s health, especially when we buy them left and right without considering where and how they are made. Fortunately, manufacturers are taking note and have started producing more eco-friendly options for consumers. In the midst of a new batch of computers and accessories, Acer is expanding its green Vero family with a 15-inch laptop and a brand-new laser projector to offer a more sustainable way to work, play, and enjoy life.
Designer: Acer
Acer Aspire Vero 15 Laptop
Although desktop computers still have a spot in the market, especially in gaming, most people prefer to have a laptop that they can bring with them outside or even just around the house. There is an almost overwhelming amount of models available across dozens of brands, making it difficult to pick one to buy. If you’re the type to be conscious of the impact of your purchases on the environment, then the new Acer Aspire Vero 15 AV15-53P is something you should look into.
Although it still has the conventional parts found in all laptops, the Aspire Vero 15 boasts a more eco-conscious design that brings the amount of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics used in the chassis from 30% to 40%. This chassis is also made with 30% fewer carbon emissions and doesn’t use paint for its eye-catching appearance. The laptop is also made to have an extended life thanks to standardized screws that simplify repairs and recycling when the inevitable happens.
Breaking misconceptions about products that use recycled materials, the Aspire Vero 15 doesn’t skimp on performance with a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 processor, a spacious 15.6-inch Full HD screen, up to 16GB of memory, and up to 1TB of M.2 SSD storage. The Acer Aspire Vero 15 AV15-53P launches in June with a starting price of just $699.99.
Acer Vero Projector
There are many people these days who have replaced their TVs with home projectors for ultimate flexibility. This growing segment of consumer electronics represents an opportunity to start on the right foot with more sustainable practices from the get-go. There are plenty of areas where things can be improved, and Acer’s newest laser projector focuses on not only reducing energy consumption but also reducing your electricity bill.
The Acer Vero PL3510ATV projector touts an advanced laser-light projection system that promises 48% less power consumption thanks to the use of super laser phosphor illumination technology. Despite that lower figure, it still manages to put out a bright 4,800 ANSI lumens projection and sharp Full HD resolution. The mercury-free projector also uses 50% PCR plastic in its chassis to further reduce its overall impact on the environment.
In addition to its sustainability bragging rights, the Vero PL3510ATV projector also has some smart chops with 2D keystone and four-corner correction that automatically adjusts the projection to any viewing surface. In addition to directly connecting video sources, the projector also comes with an Android TV dongle for an even wider selection of things to watch or play. The Acer Vero PL3510ATV projector will be available only in EMEA markets starting in September for 1,399 EUR ($1,540).
Effective auto keystone correction, focus, and obstacle detection
Impressive image quality and brightness
Wallet-friendly price tag compared to equivalent 4K projectors
CONS:
Tall box design requires more vertical space allowance
No USB-C port
No Google Play Support
RATINGS:
AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
EDITOR'S QUOTE:
Packing high-end features in an attractive box with an alluring price tag, the Dangbei Mars Pro easily outshines its rivals in the 4K laser projector space.
While many people had cut the cord when it came to TV subscriptions, some have even completely cut out TVs from their living rooms. Of course, that doesn’t mean they no longer watch things on screens larger than their phones and laptops, just that they have chosen to embrace the more flexible and liberating setup of having a home projector instead. There are some compromises to be made, particularly when it comes to the projected image’s brightness and price. As you might expect, the better the performance, the higher the price tag. There are, however, exceptions to that rule, but it isn’t easy to spot them at a glance. The Dangbei Mars Pro easily catches your attention, though, so we took it for a test drive to check if it’s really worth more than what its price tag would seem to suggest.
Right off the bat, you could already tell that the Dangbei Mars Pro isn’t your run-of-the-mill laser projector. Where even the most stylish of its kind come in short rectangular boxes, the Mars Pro arrives in a more cubical shape. This does mean you will have to take into account its height when setting it up, but that shouldn’t be too much of an issue since it isn’t a short-throw projector. You will most likely set it up somewhere in the middle of the room, whether on a table or hanging from the ceiling.
Despite its budget price tag, the Mars Pro immediately impresses with its design and build quality. The box is mostly made from metal, with a serving of black piano glass on the top and on the front. Dangbei covers these surfaces with a plastic sheet for protection, but there are holes for the laser light and front sensors to have an unobscured path. The sides and back of the projector are littered with holes, both for ventilation and speaker output. The ports are all lined up neatly on the back for easy access, leaving no unnecessary visual breaks on other sides.
All-in-all, the Dangbei Mars Pro definitely stands up there with more expensive projectors when it comes to visual charm. The glossy surfaces and small ventilation holes give it a more refined flair compared to the typical slats and obviously plastic chassis of more expensive options. The Mars Pro already wins in this department, but, fortunately, it isn’t just a pretty face either.
Ergonomics
Unlike a mobile device or laptop, you won’t be handling projectors directly that often. In fact, you might not want to do that with the Mars Pro anyway, at least not regularly. Coming at around 10 lbs, it isn’t exactly the lightest in its group, so you’ll seldom want to carry it around the room. Its weight is also something critical to consider if you plan to hang it from the ceiling or place it on top of a tripod mount.
As mentioned, you won’t be interacting directly with the projector anyway. Aside from the ports on the back, the only other interactive element is the touch-sensitive power button on the top. This isn’t a typical push button, so there’s no need to press hard on it. The area is clearly indicated by a light halo that gives it a futuristic vibe. The center of this circle also has a sensor that detects the amount of ambient light in the room to automatically adjust the projector’s brightness.
All other controls for the projector will be done through the included remote control, which is a bit of a mixed bag. It is simple enough to use with very few buttons, though there are additional buttons for mouse mode and a quick menu on the side. The build quality, however, is so-so. While the projector is mostly made of metal and glass, its remote is a completely plastic affair. That might be for the best, considering how often you’re likely to drop it, but it does sharply contrast with the premium quality of the Mars Pro.
Performance
Where this Dangbei projector really shines, almost literally, is in its projected image. Using ALPD or Advanced Laser Phosphor Display technology, the projector boasts a brightness of 3200 ANSI lumens, which is a maximum brightness that only more expensive projectors can even promise. It also supports native 4K UHD resolution and HDR10+ as well as HLG, putting it on par with many TVs. The question is whether it can rival a 4K TV in practice. The answer is a resounding yes and then some.
The Mars Pro’s output is bright, crisp, and vibrant, especially in dark settings. Admittedly, it will struggle when there’s direct sunlight, but that’s also on par with pricier projectors. The projector supports a plethora of technologies and features that can be used for different types of content, like MEMC smoothing or even 3D, though the latter is a hit-or-miss kind of thing. It also has a Game Mode that reduces latency down to 20ms, but more discerning gamers might not be too satisfied with actual performance. Bottom line, the projector performs admirably, especially under controlled lighting, which might come as a shock if you consider how much more affordable it is compared to equivalent 4K projectors.
The premium experience doesn’t stop at image quality, though. The Dangbei Mars Pro has a couple of intelligent features that almost make it work like magic, automatically adjusting its settings depending on the situation. Autofocus is pretty much a given these days, but automatic keystone correction definitely upgrades the experience so that you don’t have to worry about the angle of the projector against a wall or screen. There’s also obstacle avoidance, where it shrinks the projected display to avoid lamps, vases, or other furniture. If it detects that there’s something directly in front of or near the lens, it will reduce the brightness to avoid hurting your eyes. All of these work automatically like magic, though you might have to do some fine-tuning if the focus or keystone is still a bit off for your tastes.
Like any projector, the Mars Pro generates heat, so it has both vents and fans to keep things cool. Cool air is sucked into the right side of the box while the hot air is pushed out from the left, something you might want to keep in mind when considering where to place the projector. Fortunately, the Mars Pro’s fans never get loud during its operation, and it definitely doesn’t overpower the built-in speakers. The only time the fans become very audible is when you turn on Auto Dust Cleaning mode, where it runs at full blast to get those particles out.
The Mars Pro boasts two 10W speakers with Dolby Digital Plus and DTS Studio Surround. That’s enough power to fill a small room, and the audio quality doesn’t get distorted even at higher volumes. While the speakers are good enough for most cases, it does lack a bit of substance that audiophiles will be looking for. Fortunately, you can remedy that by connecting your favorite sound system, but the built-in speakers will do well in a pinch.
Things get a bit less ideal when it comes to the system running on the projector, which is a very old, customized Android 9 version. The Mars Pro definitely has the hardware to run more sophisticated software with its quad-core MT9669 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage, but Dangbei opted to favor a more simplified user experience. It does have the basic apps and streaming services pre-installed, but you’ll have to scour the Internet for anything that’s not available on Dangbei’s app store. There’s no Google Play, of course, though it might be possible to install it manually. Of course, you can plug in any other content source, including a Google TV dongle, if you so wish. The only limitation in its selection of ports is USB-C, which is a little bit disappointing in this time and age.
Sustainability
The Dangbei Mars Pro projector is your typical consumer electronics product, which basically means it has your typical components that hurt the environment in the long run. It does score a little better thanks to its use of a metal chassis rather instead of plastic. There are glass parts as well, but the plastic covering on these nullifies that advantage.
In terms of longevity, Dangbei only gives a one-year warranty off the bat, but you might have options to buy additional years depending on where you’re buying it from. Laser projectors are admittedly short-lived products, even with the advertised 25,000 hours of lamp life. Sadly, they aren’t trivial to repair either, especially if the product is coming from another region of the world. Parts and services will be a big consideration for those who are a bit more conscious of how much use they want to squeeze out of a projector.
Value
If it hasn’t been that clear yet, the Dangbei Mars Pro 4K projector is right up there with other 4K projectors. The 3200 lumens brightness, intelligent correction and configuration options, and overall performance all mark it as a premium product. The kicker is that it isn’t priced like one, selling for only $1,699 (or $1,799 from Amazon).
Admittedly, that’s a large figure, but only if you take it in isolation. A “regular” 4K laser projector with the same feature set or performance easily costs almost double that amount. Conversely, projectors with that price tag often have too many compromises, especially in terms of picture quality. You’ll also have to consider that 4K UHD TVs cost just as much, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find one that will be able to cover the same 100-inch maximum space as this projector can.
Verdict
Choosing consumer electronics is often a case of choosing compromises, whether it’s in performance, quality, or price. Rarely will you find a gem that hits all three with very little compromise. When one does pop up, it’s not hard to understand why the Internet would be abuzz about something so rare and almost unbelievable. The Dangbei Mars Pro 4 Laser Projector is definitely one such rare creature. Not only does it deliver on its promises, it actually looks good doing so, making that price tag so much sweeter for anyone planning a TV-free entertainment setup at home.
An ultra-short-throw tri-color laser projector, 4K resolution, 100-inch screen size, with 4 Dynaudio-tuned electromagnetic speakers with a 50W overall audio output… The JMGO U2 is the closest thing to having a movie theater in your house. It’s even 3D compatible, and all you need are JMGO’s 3D glasses and you’ve got yourself a cinema in your living room.
The ultra-short-throw projector sits just mere inches away from the wall (it needs less than 10-inches of clearance from your wall) and can project a stunning screen measuring 100-inches diagonally. The projected image measures at 3,840 x 2,160 with a refresh rate of 60Hz and the JMGO U2 uses a three-color laser that outputs simultaneous RGB light sources, supporting 114 percent of the BT.2020 color standard for the promise of incredibly rich, vivid color reproduction. The U2 comes with HDR10 on board, providing a richer contrast to your media, and even MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation) technology that helps deal with blurs during fast-paced movies or in sports. The projector can also push out media at 3,600 ANSI lumens of brightness (when used with the JMGO ALR Screen), allowing you to watch movies, videos, episodes, and matches without needing a completely dark room. An auto-brightness feature inside the U2 kicks in to tweak the brightness based on external light, so you don’t have to fiddle with manual controls or go draw the curtains.
The U2 comes at the heels of JMGO’s debut projector which begins shipping shortly. The O1 Pro, which launched earlier this year, was co-engineered with Leica and was 4K compatible. The U2, on the other hand, boasts Ultra-HD projection, and even gives the speakers an upgrade, allowing you to have the movie-theater experience at home.
Everything’s packed in an incredibly slick design that sits like a high-end gadget on your credenza. The U2 is an audio-visual treat, looking like a slick, silver sculpture when non-operational, and coming alive with light and sound when you switch it on. The projector’s sleek body sports a metallic finish that’s punctuated by the two inverted-cone electromagnetic speakers that emerge from the sides, giving the U2 a wonderful Apple-meets-Bang-and-Olufsen aesthetic that’s hard to ignore.
The speakers on the U2 are co-created with Dynaudio, a Danish loudspeaker company that develops its own studio-grade audio drivers. The U2 is the culmination of a 3-year audio partnership with Dynaudio, and is their 6th product SKU. Outfitted with 4 electromagnetic speakers, the U2 utilizes Omnidirectional Stereo Compensation Technology to create a full surround that has rich bass notes and sharp highs. Moreover, a 2400cc ultra-large sound cavity helps create that room-filling sound you often associate with movie theaters, within a product that’s about as large as 3 laptops stacked above one another. To ensure that all you hear is audio coming from the U2’s speakers, its fans were designed to operate at less than 28 decibels of noise, making the U2 one of the quietest projectors on the market. The speakers are even certified by both Dolby Audio and DTS-HD, as a mark of their quality and capabilities.
The U2 operates on JMGO’s Luna OS for a smart TV-like experience. A MediaTek processor powers the projector, with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. On the back, an abundance of ports lets you connect up to 2 HDMI devices (laptops, set-top boxes like the Roku or Apple TV, Chromecasts, gaming consoles, etc), a USB-A port, an ethernet port for seamless streaming, and if you’ve got yourself a better audio system, a 3.5mm audio-out lets you hook the U2 to a better speaker system. The USB port comes pretty handy if you want to watch 3D content off a pen drive or hard drive (which most streaming services don’t provide), although you’ll need to purchase JMGO’s $19 3D-viewing glasses to watch any media. The U2 obviously has WiFi and Bluetooth compatibility too, ensuring that your credenza isn’t flooded with wires, cables, and other peripherals. Moreover, the U2 comes with safeguards for easy viewing too. A low blue-light mode adjusts the image for improved viewing comfort, and if anyone steps too close to the projector, a proximity sensor detects the presence and the U2 warns you to not stare directly at the projector’s bright light-source.
Auto-brightness adjustment.
Motion Estimation and Motion Compensation (MEMC) technology is used to smooth out images.
The JMGO U2’s Luna OS provides an easy-to-use interface that makes browsing and interacting intuitive and simple. Running on Android TV’s open-source code, Luna OS lets you download all your favorite streaming apps, or you can hook up your Roku to the U2 and enjoy all your content. Wireless casting lets you beam content from your laptops, smartphones, and tablets (it even supports Airplay, for iOS and MacOS devices). Inside the box, the U2 comes with a power cable and a remote to control the projector. The 4K tri-color laser projector’s running a 30% discount on Indiegogo, with a price of $2099 (all those features don’t come cheap), and for an extra $529, JMGO even throws in a special ALR projector screen that helps you get the best experience out of your U2. JMGO even offers a one-year international warranty for U2 from the date of delivery, with the ability to extend the warranty for a small price. The U2 begins shipping internationally this month (October 2021).
I’ll be honest, in the one and a half years that movie theaters remained shut, I haven’t missed them. For the most part, every Warner Bros. movie in the coming year will simultaneously release in theaters as well as on streaming apps, and chances are Disney plans on doing the same thing, so you’re really not missing out on much… except the overpriced popcorn and noisy moviegoers. The only real gap in my at-home streaming experience is the fact that I don’t have a projector of my own, although if you’re like me, the VAVA Chroma makes a compelling case. The short-throw projector uses triple-laser technology to transform your wall into a massive 4K UHD display measuring over 120 inches diagonally, and dual 30W Harman Kardon speakers inside the projector fill your room with booming audio.
All you need is a microwave, some Orville Redenbacher, and comfy chairs and you’ve got your own at-home movie theater. The best bit? Built-in Alexa allows you to choose your movie, play/pause/rewind, and switch to the football match using just your voice… and unlike in movie theaters, nobody will shush you when you do.
Place it just 7.2” from the wall for a stunning 100” projection.
VAVA makes a few really compelling arguments on behalf of its cutting-edge projector. For its compact size, the VAVA Chroma can project a display that measures anywhere between 80 inches to 150 inches diagonally. While most projectors require a dedicated spot and careful placement and orientation, the Chroma is an ultra short-throw projector and can directly be placed against a blank wall, while it projects an image upwards onto the wall. As far as the image itself goes, the Chroma uses the world’s most advanced ALPD® 4.0 laser technology and a Red, Green, Blue Plus triple laser light source to produce a sharper 4K UHD image with HDR10, up to 106% Rec. 2020 color range, exceeding the color range of top movie theater projectors.
Projects immaculate detail and true 4K UHD resolution.
Uses ALPD® 4.0 phosphor fluorescent technology and 3 channel laser light source. It is 30% more powerful than ALPD® 3.0, which is still being used in the best movie theaters in the world.
Delivers 106% Rec.2020 which means it has a higher level of color accuracy than what you see in movie theaters.
The projector connects to your WiFi network and runs Android TV, supporting every single streaming app you’d find on your Android phone, tablet, or Chromecast, and even comes with three HDMI and one USB input just in case you want to hook up other devices like your laptop, set-top box, or even your PlayStation or Xbox. Two 30W Harman Kardon speakers on the inside fire rich, balanced audio towards the viewers for an immersive experience, and if that somehow isn’t enough, 3.5mm audio inputs and Bluetooth connectivity allow you to hook up your existing speakers to the VAVA Chroma.
While the smart projector does come with its own remote, it’s operable via voice too, thanks to built-in Alexa. Supporting integration with the rest of your smart home appliances, you could potentially just use voice commands to tell Alexa to dim the lights and switch on the AC, ask your AmazonBasics microwave to make you popcorn, and tell your VAVA Chroma to play Season 5 of Money Heist. After all that, do you really need to go to a movie theater anymore?!
Packing a fair bit of a punch, the VAVA Chroma doesn’t come cheap, but it is running a 50% discount on its Indiegogo launch day. While its retail price sits at $5698, it costs $2799 with the discount — which for a 4K ultra short throw triple laser projector with a 150” massive display and 60W Harman Kardon speakers, sounds like a pretty sweet deal if you ask me.
Like many, chess was one of the hobbies I took up mid-pandemic. Half the battle of chess is learning and remembering the directions and formations each piece is allowed to move, once that’s squared away, strategy can be weaved into your game. I never got that far, but the new chess set Illuminis designed by Bülent Ünal might do the trick. It’s a chess set that enacts visual pointers on the actual board for kids new to the game who want to learn the rules, but it’s tailored for anyone who’s taking up the new hobby.
Familiarly decorated almost like miniature orange and black minions, the chess pieces look inviting for kids, with a gleaming outer coat and round bodies and heads. Setting his chessboard apart from the rest, Ünal’s chess pieces’ faces have been replaced with protruding circular projectors that look similar to antique scuba diving helmets. The minuscule projectors work by illuminating the squares on the chessboard where each piece is allowed to move, allowing kids and learners of chess alike to understand the rules of chess accurately and quickly. The visual indicators that come equipped with Ünal’s pieces merge technology with the antique chess board to give the game a modern edge, fit for today’s younger, more technologically perceptive generations. The bottom of each chess piece also comes outfitted with battery slots for fast and accessible charging and longer game time.
Chess is a game of skill, memory, and discipline. While it takes determination and patience to develop your own strategy, Ünal’s Illuminis chessboard might help streamline the beginner’s learning process and harness the memory and skill it takes to become tactical at the game of chess.
Designer: Bülent Ünal
Dressed in gleaming orange and black outer coats, the chess pieces have an undeniable personality that will speak to kids and beginners alike.
The pieces’ projectors indicate the different squares on the board each piece is allowed to move.
Underneath each chess piece, batteries can be inserted into slots for quick and easy charging.
Each chess piece has its own distinct personality to hone in on the character’s elements (i.e.; knight, queen, king, rook, and bishop).
LG is well-known for its short-throw CineBeam projectors, but it also builds standard long-throw models, too. To wit, the company just unveiled the CineBeam HU810P 4K laser projector with some interesting features. To start with, it can pump out 2,70...
As a movie-lover who also lives in a small apartment, I have limited space (and funds) for a TV monitor. I have been browsing through options for portable projectors because, in addition to bringing the charm of a drive-in movie, it would fit more easily into my cramped lifestyle. When I saw the Beak laser projector, I was intrigued by its sleeker, cylinder design, as it was such a departure from the boxy-silhouette I expected from similar products.
As the name suggests, the Beak projector from FUFU pulls design inspiration from birds, particularly the toucan, which can neatly tuck its head and long beak against its neck. This is not a new concept: many technological devices draw from animal traits and physicality. In this case, the toucan’s beak helped improve the usability and convenience of the projector. In original designs, the projector’s “skull” needed to fully rotate, which is why the creators settled on the curved shape. However, the projector also needed a mirror so that the refracted image could show right-side-up on the ground. This need for a mirror became the inspiration for the Beak projector’s shape.
I appreciate this design choice as someone who would want a product that was as compact as possible. The Beak projector does not look smaller than comparable devices. In fact, I could probably find other projectors with similar dimensions and weight. The key difference though is that the Beak’s narrow, tall frame makes it easier to store. I could keep it on the corner of my desk or nightstand, and it wouldn’t take up as much surface area as a typical box-shaped projector. Intriguing design + innovative inspiration makes this projector a must-have for your needs!
