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Vava’s 4K ultra short-throw projector is $840 off at Amazon
It'll cost you 30 percent less than usual if you snap one up swiftly.
Vava's impressive 4K short-throw laser projector is $850 off at Amazon
Vava’s 4K UHD Ultra-Short Throw Laser is one of the better-reviewed models out there, having achieved an 84 score on Engadget, but it’s also a lot of money at $2,800. However, it’s now on sale at Amazon for $1,950, a significant $850, or 30 percent discount.
Optoma CinemaX P1 review: A stunning 4K projector with terrible apps
The shiniest new toys in AV land are the short-throw laser projectors you might have seen recently, particularly at CES. They're cool because they give you a huge, bright image for a fraction the price of a comparably sized 4K TV. At the same time, they're relatively easy to install compared to a ceiling-mounted projector because you can place them on a table just inches in front of the screen. I was curious to see how they compare with 4K TVs and regular projectors, so I got hold of Optoma's $3,700 CinemaX P1 paired with its $1,300, 100-inch ambient light-rejecting ALR101 screen. For that sum, I could project a huge 100-inch image for a fraction the price of a 100-inch TV. At the same time, it promised much greater brightness and sharpness than long-throw projectors, along with built-in media powers. On top of reviewing this projector, I'm also reviewing the whole idea of a short-throw laser projector, from installation to day-to-day usage. I discovered a lot of important info and caveats, so hopefully you can learn from my errors and understand how these products fare in the real world.
LG's Laser 4K doesn't need a lot of space for a big picture
LG isn't the first company bringing a 4K short-throw projector to CES and it inevitable will not be the last. What the company claims, however, is that with its subtle design and AI-powered voice control the CineBeam Laser 4K could realistically blend into a living room until you suddenly feel the need to watch a 90- or 120-inch display. Sure, you could always get a hideaway rolling OLED screen to do the same job, but even without revealing the price I'm going to assume this will be a cheaper option.
LG's Laser 4K beams a 120-inch picture from seven inches away
Just as surely as CES comes around, LG shows up with a laser projector to hopefully tempt you into ditching that TV. This year's attempt is another CineBeam model, and the Laser 4K is ready to compete with the likes of Hisense's home-theater-in-a-box projector and the ultra-expensive Sony projectors we've seen in past years. The HU85L doesn't list HDR support, but it has a "wide color gamut" and can project a 120-inch screen while placed just 7 inches away from a nearby wall, floor or ceiling, or a 90-inch screen from 2 inches away. There's no word on a price or release date, but it is, of course, equipped with the company's ThinQ AI for natural language voice control and a Magic remote with gesture control. With 2,500 lumens of brightness it's intended for use in more than just darkened home theater rooms, but we'll need to see it in Las Vegas to know how good it really is.
Hisense's $10,000 'Laser TV' is a true home cinema in box
Hisense announced a new theater system today -- the 100-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart Laser TV -- which is essentially a projector with speakers. The company says it uses movie theater technology to provide crisp, bright images that don't depend on the lighting in the room and Harman Kardon speakers to provide "room-filling sound with virtually no distortion."
Epson's ultra bright projector can hide in plain sight
While we're starting to get some crazy mixed reality tech using projectors, it's good to see companies haven't forgotten about good old-fashioned home cinema. Over the past year, manufacturers have been lining up to show off their little light emitters that pack big features. In June, Optoma unveiled its 4K projector, which at $2,000 is considerably cheaper than its rivals. Even Chinese behemoth Xiaomi is muscling in on the turf, promising a laser projector that uses the same system as movie theatres for less than $1,500. Not to be left behind, industry heavyweight Epson just unveiled its own thoroughbred. The company is touting the new Home Cinema LS100 as an "ultra short-throw" laser display. What that essentially means is you can park it just inches away from a wall, and it will still light it up with a 120-inch, full HD picture.
Sony's new 4K projectors: choose between 'cheap' or lasers
Sure we can spend all day at CES checking out ridiculously large UHD TVs, but if you want to max out your home theater then a projector is the only way to go. Luckily, Sony has two fresh choices here at CES 2015 if you can afford them. First up is its VPL-VW350ES, which qualifies as the value option by bringing its 4K capabilities for under $10,000 -- hardly cheap, but until now the cheapest option has been the $15,000 VPL-VW600ES. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the laser-powered VPL-GTZ1. We saw it last year as a part of the Life Space UX concept, but for the last few months, New York's well-heeled customers have been able to pick one up for just $50,000. Naturally, Sony brought two of them to CES, showing off their "ultra short-throw ability" to beam a 4K image on a wall from just a few inches away. Perhaps the perfect choice for someone with more money than space, we will sadly have to pass on taking either one home, for now.
IRL: Three weeks with Philips' Screeneo projector
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. You'd never mistake me for an A/V geek, since I'm far more interested in what's on TV than how it gets to me. That said, I always felt like I was missing out on being able to try out projectors since they required a complex ceiling mounting process and needed me to know about things like lumen counts, aperture correction and blooming. That's why, when I first clamped eyes on Philips' Screeneo, I thought this was my chance to right that wrong.
Sanyo PLC-WL2503 ultra-short-throw projector does built-in interactivity a tad cheaper
The Sanyo PLC-WL2503 isn't the first whiteboard-less whiteboard solution we've seen -- in fact multi-surface projector interaction dates back at least as far as 2007. As for a projector with built-in interactive capabilities, well, Epson's BrightLink 450Wi has been on the job since last year, albeit at a much higher price: the Epson projector costs $2,200 while this Sanyo comes in at about $500 less. Both tout short-range projection: the BrightLink provides 80-inch displays from two feet, while the PLC-WL2503 requires at least 34 inches to do the same. They pack identical WXGA 1280x800 resolution and 2500 lumens of brightness, and they both use IR pens to communicate with front-facing cameras built into the projector for multi-surface interactivity. Really, the only thing separating these two on paper is price. If the BrightLink is just too rich for your blood, and you can wait a little while longer, the Sanyo PLC-WL2503 can have you writing on walls by the end of January.
Sanyo brings short-focus projector into the third dimension, may never look back
Sanyo's been a relatively large player in the short-focus / short-throw projector game for awhile now, so frankly, this was inevitable. As everyone (and their third cousin, in fact) races to jump on the three-dee bandwagon, the aforesaid company has just pumped out its first 3D short-focus PJ. The PDG-DWL2500J doesn't boast the most amazing of specs -- the native resolution sits at just WXGA -- but it can project a 3D image from a distance as short as 2.4 centimeters. It also touts a maximum projection size of 110 inches, and it can be installed vertically or horizontally depending on your mood. There's also an HDMI socket, Ethernet port, 16:10 aspect ratio, 2,500 lumens of brightness, a single 10-watt speaker and a price tag that'll probably make you spit out your morning coffee. Word on the street has it that this one will launch next month in Japan for ¥450,000, and if that $4,868 conversion follows it stateside, you can bet only a handful will be lined up to drag one home. %Gallery-93207%
Dell debuts wireless, 3D-capable S300w short-throw projector
Sure, we may one day all simply carry pico projector-equipped phones and ditch any other sort of display, but until then, there's still a place for projectors like Dell's new S300w model. Designed mostly with presentations in mind, the projector can produce a 90-inch, 720p image from a distance of three feet (or 60-inches from two feet), and it packs both built-in wireless capabilities and a so-called "Plug-and-Show via USB" feature for some added flexibility. You'll also get Crestron RoomView Express software bundled with the projector for remote operation and monitoring, and some decent enough all around specs, including 2200 ANSI lumens of brightness, a 2,400:1 contrast ratio and, of course, 3D capability (though not out of the box) -- all for $999.
Prototype Sanyo projector throws up 1080p at near point-blank range
Sanyo's had a knack for pumping out short-throw projectors, but its latest prototype unquestionably takes the cake. Debuting without so much as a model name, this here DLP beamer -- which, at 93- x 20- x 25-inches, easily doubles as a bench -- throws up a 100-inch 1080p image with just 24-inches of space between it and the wall. Better still, that can scale up to 150-inches by adding just another foot of breathing room -- and just to remind you, we're talking full 1,920 x 1,080 resolution here. Sanyo also tossed in 7,000 lumens of brightness, though mum's the word when it comes to price or nearness to production.[Via AkihabaraNews]
Chief offers up WPA wall mount for short-throw projectors
For anyone paying attention, they'd realize that short-throw projectors are all the rage right now. Thankfully, there's a wall mount manufacturer out there lookin' out for those digging in. Beginning this month, proud short-throw PJ owners can pick up a WPA Wall Mount from Chief that enables their beamer to be shifted up to 11-inches on its built-in track, and there's even integrated roll adjustments, post-installation extension adjustments, and quick projector connect / disconnect features. Reportedly, mounts will be available for Hitachi, Sanyo and Toshiba units, but a custom or universal version will also be up for grabs. Mum's the word on pricing at the moment, but feel free to bug your local installer if you're anxious for more details.
Epson launches ultra-short throw EMP-400W / EMP-400We projectors
Before long, you won't be bragging about how many inches your projector can throw out. Oh no, you'll be boasting about how many LEGOs you can slide between the lens and the wall. Joining the quickly evolving short throw revolution is Epson's latest duo (each requires 2.1-feet to throw 60-inches), which both feature a native 1,280 x 800 resolution, 500:1 contrast ratio, automatic 4:3 / 16:10 / 16:9 detection and resizing, a ten-watt built-in speaker, VGA (x2), S-Video and composite inputs and an Ethernet port to boot. From what we can gather, the only differences in the EMP-400We are the additional security features (those pesky kids...), a longer warranty and a bundled wall mounting bracket. All in all, we'd opt for the £999 ($1,956) EMP-400W -- unless, of course, you've got a room / house full of mischievous youngsters, in which case we suppose it's worth a few extra hundred pounds to rest easy protect your investment. [Via AboutProjectors]
Toshiba's "short-throw" TDP-EW25U projector still requires three feet
It's amazing what a breakthrough does for perception (and competition), eh? Shortly after taking a look at the impressive PLC-XL50 from Sanyo, Toshiba has announced an "extreme short projection" offering of its own. This one, however, requires three whole feet in order to toss up a 60-inch image, which seems sort of ridiculous compared to the three inches needed by the aforementioned Sanyo. To its credit, the TDP-EW25U does boast a higher resolution (1,280 x 800), and it also features a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, DLP technology, 2,600 ANSI lumens, USB / RS-232 ports, integrated 802.11b/g WiFi, VGA, a built-in mono speaker and jacks for audio input. You'll also find password protection and a bundled remote, which may or may not push you to throw down $2,369 to claim one as your own.[Via AboutProjectors]
Hands-on with Sanyo's short-throw PLC-XL50 projector
Make no mistake, the whole "only 3-inches needed for a 80-inch image" bit got us pretty jazzed up, so we couldn't skip the opportunity to take a look at the PLC-XL50 all setup and proving itself at CES. Sure, crawling all up under the table to get a closer look was heavily frowned upon, but it was totally worth it. Peep the pics below! %Gallery-13111%
Sanyo shipping PLC-XL50 short-throw projector
Sure, Sanyo's PLC-XL50 only features a 1,024 x 768 resolution, 2,000 lumens and a 4:3 aspect ratio, but all of that matters quite a bit less once you realize that it can beam out an 80-inch image with just 3-inches of space. You heard right kiddos, this thing only needs three tiny inches to totally take over your wall, and subsequently, the mounting options here are nearly endless. Additionally, it sports a built-in mono speaker, VGA input / output, audio in / out and a price tag of $3,295. Quite the premium for the short-throw goodness, eh?[Via VisualApex]
3M's DMS800 short-throw projector-cum-alien probe
Here we have it, the black mamba of short-throw projectors: 3M's DMS800. The 0.7-inch DLP projector mounts to the wall yet throws a 1,280 x 1,024 image with a 1,300:1 contrast in sizes ranging from 50 to 85 inches thanks to that long, telescoping neck which can extend up to 4.2-feet. Inputs are available for DVI-I, D-Sub 15 RGB, component, composite and S-Video sources. You can even combine the built-in Ethernet with an optional, external sensor and you've got yourself a digital white board to share on the network. The entire kit will set you back ¥715,000 (about $6,292) as of today in Japan. Still confused? Click through for a sample installation.[Via Impress]
Alien Tech's portable short-throw projector on the horizon
Short-throw projectors are (thankfully) growing to be quite popular these days, but we've yet to see one designed more like a rocket and less like a block. Nevertheless, Alien Tech's LCD video projector manages to do just that, and while we'll admit that it seems more suited for a child's (very sweet) play room than a sophisticated AV setup, you can always paint it black and give it some cover if you're not so keen on the looks. Currently, the device has yet to be completely finalized, but it's slated to weigh 3.3-pounds, deliver an "optimal image" while just 80-inches from your screen / wall, offer a not-so-astounding 960 x 240 resolution (saywha?), and sport built-in RCA inputs and speakers to boot. Thankfully, this low-res PJ won't be demanding a large chunk of change, as the estimated asking price sits at just £149.99 ($308).
