Every projector is a product of compromise. Top-tier 4K projectors can deliver excellent detail and black levels, but usually lack a built-in sound system and cannot be easily moved around.

And outdoor projectors make their compromise clear more than any other projector category, as they must carefully handle the balance between convenience and performance.

With the FIFA World Cup in full swing, more people are looking for ways to watch the winning kick on a big screen from the comfort of their gardens. But no outdoor projector has ever offered the perfect delicate equilibrium between each aspect. I’ve tested my fair share of portable projectors so far and, although nothing has achieved the ideal balance yet, I'm always keeping my eye out for a model that could change all that

So what exactly does the perfect outdoor projector offer?

Portability

To take your projector into the garden and even on the road, it needs to be easy to carry around. Otherwise, you will end up lugging a heavy piece of kit around, which doesn’t make for a practical or fun alternative to watching on your TV screen.

We’ve seen some pretty neat designs in terms of portability that certainly tick this box. Take the Xgimi Mogo 4, for instance, which is a can-shaped projector that weighs just 1.3kg and is only 21cm tall.

You can pull out the main body from the sturdy plastic stand when you want to use it, and its small footprint makes it a great example of the portability I’m looking for in an outdoor projector.

There’s a remote that hangs from the stand that gives you access to the basic controls, such as volume and settings, if you don't want to rely on the larger remote that is also available. It is far from the only model to offer this kind of flexibility, but it's a great example of true portability in the category.

Most outdoor projectors these days also come with platforms such as Google TV, which give you access to the usual streaming suspects, including Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. That makes accessing your favourite TV shows and films simple, although some platforms lack World Cup essentials such as BBC iPlayer and ITVX. You can work around this by casting from another device, at least.

A long-lasting built-in battery

If a projector is small and portable, though, then it understandably must make some sacrifices in other areas. One of the biggest of these is the lack of a built-in battery. Many projectors claim to be portable but, if they don't have a battery, then you are limited to placing it where you can get access to the mains.

Some projectors let you connect a power bank to extend their battery life a little, but that depends on the model's capabilities.

And even if your projector offers a built-in battery, it is often only just enough to watch a few episodes. The Xgimi Vibe One is a small, compact model with a built-in battery, but the brand claims it offers a maximum of 1.2 hours of juice until you need to plug it in. That number is only if you are using the projector in the Eco mode, however. In Standard mode, the battery gave us just under an hour of AV action, which will only give you one half of a World Cup match.

In an ideal world, a projector's built-in battery would be able to last entire game or movie without conking out.

Bright, punchy picture

Of course, the picture needs to be a strong performer in various lighting environments. You might start watching a game at 5pm, where the sun is still blazing during these scorching summer months.

That means you need a projector that can deliver a punchy image that can withstand bright viewing conditions. So far, I have not come across a compact model that can deliver the perfect level of detail, black depth and colour.

Ultimately, that is one of the sacrifices that must be made for the projector to be portable and compact, as there is less room for more comprehensive features. If such a model existed that could expertly balance picture performance and size, it would have a prime spot in our test room.

Immersive sound

Finally, the perfect outdoor projector delivers engaging and precise sound that makes every viewing experience even more immersive.

The closest we have come to this dream is with the Nebula X1 – a 4K projector with a 2.1-channel configuration. We say in our review that the projector's "audio makes it stand out from the crowd, as it is rare we have found a projector that can pack such a punch in terms of bass."

Plus, vocals are clear and relatively emotive, delivering a rich overall sound. This is an outlier in the outdoor projector world, as most of the built-in speakers don't manage much dispersion of sound or punch.

The most recent projector to enter our test room promises to tick every one of these boxes (bar the built-in battery). The Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro claims to be the "world's first mobile theatre system", presenting as an all-in-one package on wheels. Yep, actual wheels. It features four detachable speakers to place around your space, a 4K picture that goes up to a claimed 3500 ANSI lumens of brightness, and a clever design.

We are yet to publish our full review but, suffice to say, the Nebula projector has not managed to claim the crown as the perfect outdoor model.

I never actually expect to find a perfect outdoor projector because – as I said at the start – all of them are a product of compromise. Still, I'm excited to see how close we can get.

MORE:

These are the best outdoor projectors

And here are the best projectors

Check out the best soundbars

If you have been looking for a way to bring the big-screen experience to your home, countless projectors and large TVs claim to deliver just that. And, with Amazon Prime Day now in full swing, plenty of different brands are offering tempting discounts across a range of products.

But which models will get you the best large screen, all while saving you some of your hard-earned cash? We have found two products to fit that particular bill – that will deliver an immersive screen size and have similar price tags. Each offers something different, but both can bring the big-screen experience to your home.

A super-sized TCL TV

First up, the gigantic 98-inch TCL C7K is a king-sized 4K TV at a jaw-droppingly low price. The five-star set would usually cost a respectable £2399, but Prime Day has seen this crash to a remarkable £1999 at Currys. Don’t get us wrong, that is still a lot of money. But for the sheer size and quality of the TV, this is a bargain price.

You get 3000 nits of brightness controlled with 2000 dimming zones, plus TCL’s Halo Control features, which aim to reduce the effect of backlight blooming. This is aided by an anti-glare film that reduces reflections.

It received a What Hi-Fi? Award last year, thanks to its spectacular brightness and colour, as well as its excellent gaming specifications. The dimensions of the TV alone are enough to blow your socks off, as we say in our review: “We’ve seen a few 98-100-inch TVs now, but the raw cinematic impact of seeing our favourite test movies and TV shows writ so large across our field of view never seems to grow old.”

The brightness is intense, especially at this size, with small HDR highlights looking every bit as dazzling as on pricier TVs. TCL’s Halo Control also does a stellar job of suppressing any unwanted blooms of light emerging.

In terms of sound, the TV offers a 6.2.2-channel system designed by Bang & Olufsen. It is detailed and clear, and never becomes overstated, harsh or brittle. It does, however, lack the levels of bass and immersion that a decent, dedicated Dolby Atmos soundbar would provide.

It’s very well equipped for gamers, with VRR, ALLM, and a 144Hz refresh rate. You get a full complement of HDR format support, but only two HDMI 2.1 ports.

Of course, a 98-inch screen will take up a fair bit of room in your home. If you don't have the space to accommodate, the option below might be a better fit for you.

And a more compact projector from BenQ

TCL’s super-sized TV is certainly a large beast to behold, but it is simply not a realistic addition to many people's homes. It measures 218cm wide, which is quite a challenge if you are working with a compact space. There is the option to wall-hang, but of course you need to have a wall capable of supporting its 55kg weight.

If that won’t work for you, there’s another way to get the big-screen experience. The BenQ W2720i is a 4K projector that holds the crown as the best mid-range model in our best projectors guide. The price for the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning projector has dropped from £1999 to £1799 at Richer Sounds, saving you a reasonable £200.

It offers a more compact option than the TCL C7K, as it measures 14 x 42 x 31cm (hwd) and weighs just 6.5kg. You can push the screen size up to a claimed 300 inches, which knocks the 98-inch TV out of the park.

When we reviewed the projector, we were met with a clean, detailed picture that still looked natural. We say in our review: “So crisp, detailed, pristine and full of texture and density are the W2720i’s pictures that they really do look 4K, even if pushed to prodigious image sizes.”

The Award-winner's connections go further than those of most projectors, by including three HDMIs, one of which provides ARC support for passing sound out to a connected AVR or soundbar, and one of which supports 4K/120Hz.

There are some limitations to consider with a projector compared with a TV. Any projector that costs less than £10,000 will struggle to produce deep black levels, especially compared with a Mini LED such as the C7K. The W2720i is still a great performer in this area when compared with rival projectors, but the TCL TV does a better job at recreating proper black depth.

You will also have to deal with a weaker picture performance in any sort of ambient light compared with a TV screen.

But the BenQ’s smaller footprint and impressive specifications may well suit your home cinema set-up better. It depends on which big-screen experience works best for you, but these stellar bargains on both products are worth looking into.

MORE:

These are the best projectors out there

Check out the best TVs we have reviewed

And this is our full review of the 98-inch TCL C7K

I love watching sport outside.

I think it's at least partly thanks to fond memories of watching football matches in pub gardens, cold beer in hand, sun on my back, perhaps a bowl of chips within arm's reach. Glorious.

These days, my pub garden visits are a little less frequent, so ahead of the World Cup I decided to try to bring the experience home. My plan was simple: set up a projector in the garden, fire up the BBQ and spend the summer watching football under the open sky.

What could possibly go wrong?

Quite a lot, as it turns out.

Before we begin, I should point out that while I've spent almost 20 years reviewing TVs, projectors and home cinema kit, I have exactly zero experience of building an outdoor cinema. I also approached this project with a level of wanton optimism that, in hindsight, was entirely unsupported by evidence.

Still, if nothing else, my mistakes might help you avoid making the same ones.

Mistake 1: assuming an indoor projector would work outside before dark

The first challenge was deciding what to use as a display.

The windows for three rooms of our house face the garden, which limits the available wall space. After some negotiations with my equally football-obsessed wife, it was agreed that a projector screen could temporarily be hung across the dining room windows.

A projector seemed the obvious answer. After all, I wanted the biggest image possible, and no TV I can afford stretches to 150 inches.

While a portable projector might seem the natural choice, most battery-powered models aren't especially bright and often won't last through an entire football match. Since I was going to need mains power anyway, I borrowed the Hisense M2 Pro from our review stockroom.

It's a five-star projector, it's relatively compact, and it supports both BBC iPlayer and ITVX – a surprisingly rare combination in projector land and an essential one for World Cup duty in the UK.

So far, so sensible.

Then came Friday evening. Canada versus Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kick-off at 8pm.

At around 6pm, I wheeled the projector into position using some spare sections of hi-fi rack, ran an extension cable across the garden and powered everything up.

And... nothing.

Well, not quite nothing. The projector was clearly producing light, but there was no discernible image on the screen.

I moved the projector closer.

Nothing.

Closer still.

Nothing.

Eventually, with the projector just inches from the screen, a tiny image emerged from the gloom.

At this point, I began to suspect that projecting onto a giant screen outdoors before sunset might not have been my finest idea.

To be clear, this wasn't blazing Mediterranean sunshine. It was an overcast British evening on the opposite side of the house to the sun. Yet even that proved too much for a projector rated at 1300 ANSI lumens.

The lesson? A projector that looks bright indoors can look surprisingly dim outside.

Mistake 2: buying the cheapest 150-inch screen I could find

Perhaps I should have mentioned the screen.

Wanting something easy to put up, take down and store, I ordered a portable 150-inch projector screen from Amazon for the princely sum of £36.

It had excellent reviews.

It also turned out to be little more than a stretchy white sheet with a black border.

In hindsight, perhaps "buy the cheapest giant screen available and hope for the best" wasn't the sort of rigorous testing methodology that has sustained my career for almost two decades.

The biggest problem, I think, was that the screen had no backing. I hadn't considered this when ordering, but once it was hanging in front of our dining room windows, I could immediately see the issue: light was passing straight through it.

Thankfully, the screen was at least easy to install. With the help of some included ropes, a couple of conveniently positioned hanging basket brackets and my long-suffering wife, it was up in a matter of minutes.

Unfortunately, being easy to hang is only one of the qualities you want in a projector screen.

Mistake 3: forgetting that darkness and warmth rarely arrive together in Britain

I left the projector running while I finished cremating dinner on the BBQ and hoped conditions would improve.

By the 8pm kick-off, the picture was technically watchable, but only just, so we ended up watching the first half indoors.

By half-time, though, it was a different story.

As darkness fell, the image suddenly looked pretty decent.

The projector had enough light output after all, but only when the sun stopped competing with it.

At this point, I was even able to move the M2 Pro further back, create a much larger image and enjoy a picture that was genuinely impressive considering the circumstances.

The projector automatically re-focused itself each time I moved it, too, which was very handy.

At last, I had the something approaching the outdoor football experience I'd been aiming for.

There was just one problem.

It was absolutely freezing – hence the blanket-covered child in the photo above.

After about 10 minutes, common sense prevailed and we headed back inside.

What I'd do differently

The good news is that most of the problems were self-inflicted.

For starters, I picked the wrong projector.

The Hisense M2 Pro is an excellent lifestyle projector that's plenty bright enough for indoor use. It was never designed for outdoor use, which is an entirely different challenge, and I should never have expected it to work in daylight, regardless of the overcast skies.

Clearly, something much brighter is required. Perhaps the 3500 ANSI lumen-rated BenQ TK705i or Nebula X1 Pro might fare better.

I also need a better screen. At the very least, one with a black backing to prevent light passing through it. An ambient light rejecting (ALR) screen would be better still, though those tend to cost considerably more and are often designed for permanent or semi-permanent installation, which isn't where I am with this project.

Finally, I hadn't considered comfort enough. The irony of outdoor football viewing in the UK is that the picture often improves just as the temperature drops to unpleasantly nippy levels.

So yes, this first attempt was largely a failure, and, at 10pm last night, I was ready to abandon the whole idea.

This morning, though, I found myself browsing projector screens again, and I'm already planning phase two, which will probably involve a better screen, a fire pit and the considerably brighter Nebula X1 Pro – which, handily, we currently have in for review.

If that doesn't work, I may have to accept that the answer isn't a projector at all, but an outdoor TV.

Unfortunately, outdoor TVs are eye-wateringly expensive, particularly at the sort of size I'm aiming for.

Which means there's every chance I'll end up exactly where I started: watching the World Cup indoors and wondering why I thought I knew better than the British weather.

MORE:

Here are the best outdoor projectors you can currently buy

And these are the best projectors in general

We've built an awesome playlist that features a local artist from every World Cup 2026 host city

If you want to watch movies on the big screen without forking out thousands for a TV bigger than 85 inches, a coffee table projector can be a tempting proposition. That’s because they can offer a large screen size paired with an easy-to-carry design that gives added flexibility.

The Soundcore Nebula P1 is the latest model to enter the villa, offering a portable build and boasting promising tech specifications. And there’s an intriguing sound addition that is a unique proposition when it comes to the coffee table projector market.

This audio offering makes this projector stand out from the crowd, but as we’ll see, it is ultimately let down in another key category.

Price

The Soundcore Nebula P1 launched at £700 / $800 / AU$1300, placing it in the mid-range lifestyle projector category. We have already seen some limited deals, which have dropped the price to around £595 in the UK, for example.

At a similar level is the Xgimi MoGo 4, a portable projector that is currently available for about £499 in the UK, although it launched at the slightly higher price of £509 / $499 / AU$1399. We gave this model a solid four stars for its punchy picture and compact design, and it features in our best portable projectors guide.

It’s worth noting that the MoGo 4 is not aiming at the same market as the Nebula model. The Xgimi projector has a built-in battery, unlike the Nebula P1, but it lacks separate speakers.

Design

Those separate speakers really make the P1 stand out from the crowd. The two wireless speakers sit on top of the projector and are secured by a magnetic connection and a cute lock switch on the projector’s body. You can charge the pair from here, or separately via their USB-C ports.

The speakers are lightweight and easy to carry, sporting a sleek grey finish with two rounded corners.

You can place them around your space “wherever you see fit”, as the brand claims when you are prompted to set them up. In our test room, we place the speakers on either side of the projector to achieve a degree of spaciousness and stereo separation, facing towards our seating.

There is no Dolby Atmos support, but they offer Dolby Audio to create 2.0-channel sound.

The projector itself feels practical and sturdy. There is a flexible cloth handle that makes it easy to carry around, especially as the complete package weighs only 2.4kg. You can tilt the body up to 130 degrees towards your screen or wall, and the body acts as a stand, which makes set-up simple.

The included remote control has a sleek, premium feel. You can use this to control power and volume, access auto-focus and streaming platform shortcuts.

Features

On the back of the projector, you will find an HDMI eARC port that supports up to 4K at 60Hz. You will also find a USB-A port and a 3.5mm aux jack if you want to connect your headphones.

As we mentioned, the P1 doesn’t have a built-in battery, but you can run it from a portable power supply via the USB-C port: Anker, Soundcore's parent company, sells specific chargers in a bundle on its website, or you can use a non-official one as long as it has a minimum power output of 100W.

Anker claims that its official 737 Power Bank delivers “one hour of continuous use” with the speakers attached to the body and the brightness set to full. That is, of course, not long enough for a full movie or even a football match, so we feel it’s best to think of the P1 as a compact mains-based projector, rather than a true portable one.

The P1 can output an image up to 180 inches in size, and it has a 1080p resolution and HDR10 support.

Nebula claims the projector can produce up to 650 ANSI lumens of brightness, which is brighter than its Xgimi MoGo 4 rival, which comes in at 450 ANSI lumens.

It also uses the Google TV operating system, giving you access to streaming apps such as Apple TV, Prime Video, Channel 4 and Netflix. There is no BBC iPlayer, although you can cast it from your phone as a workaround.

There is a range of smart features to help you get your picture looking straight. That includes auto-focus and auto-keystone, but you can also do this manually if you need to fine-tune. Once you have set up your projector, you can save settings into presets if you repeatedly use it in the same location.

You can also employ Nebula’s own “Vision Fit” tech to set up your screen. This is used via the Nebula Connect app, from which you take a photo of the surface where you’d like to project the image, and the projector will use it to optimise the results. It’s a neat idea in theory, but it is rather time-consuming, and we find ourselves sticking with the more traditional settings.

The app gives you much of the same functionality as the remote control, but you can also access more detailed picture and sound settings.

Picture

When we first switch on the P1 in the default 'Nebulamaster' picture setting in our dark test room, we are greeted with an overly vivid and unpleasant image. We kick off with Sinners on Blu-ray as Sammie drives up to his father’s church, where his movements look exaggerated and too smooth, so he bobs around in the car like a giddy child on a seesaw.

Once we change to Movie mode and turn the MEMC (Motion Estimation and Motion Compensation) setting to low, motion looks much more natural and lacks distracting judder. Sammie enters the frame with a little bit of a bounce, but feels more grounded than in the default setting.

We also knock the sharpness and saturation settings down a few notches. With these adjustments, the picture is much more balanced. In Sinners, as the sun peers out from the clouds at the start of an ominous morning, the projector delivers a relatively natural-looking image, but the colours lack the degree of pop required to deliver a genuinely punchy picture. Instead, you get a slightly flat overall look. The shining sun, for instance, lacks the vibrancy to break through the rest of the picture.

Switching to No Time To Die on Blu-ray, as Daniel Craig’s Bond has a near miss with an explosive device, his skin tone also lacks much natural warmth, instead looking a little pale and unnatural. His features look overetched as well (even with the projector’s Sharpness setting dropped down to zero), exaggerating wrinkles and bumps to a clearly unrealistic degree.

This is a wider issue with the P1 – especially when it comes to wide scenery shots. In the sweeping footage of the Italian town, the projector exaggerates the outlines of the trees and bricks in the buildings. This makes the image look too busy, and in fact means the whole picture verges on grainy instead of clean and clear.

Shadow detail is not the strongest, either. In Civil War, as the journalist protagonists recover from a traumatic event, young photographer Jessie sits with her legs hanging out of a parked van. It is hard to distinguish the interior from her dark hair in the shadows. There is a differentiation between the inside and the outside of the van, but it does not go as dark as rivals.

Despite its claimed 650 lumens, the P1's brightness is underwhelming and lacks the punch we expect. When we test the projector in a lit room, the P1 is still usable, but it isn't impressive, and it loses some shadow detail and colour.

We compare the Nebula model with the Xgimi MoGo 4. Both projectors accept movies in HDR, and the P1 is certainly the better performer in this format. It looks less overcooked compared with the MoGo 4, and keeps the image more balanced overall.

When we switch back to SDR content, the MoGo 4 delivers an image with both deeper blacks and punchier highlights, resulting in a more three-dimensional overall picture that immediately grabs the eye.

While the Nebula P1 offers a reasonably balanced picture and performs acceptably in brighter environments, its lack of punch and brightness holds it back, and in picture terms it can't match the cheaper MoGo 4.

Sound

The P1’s speakers, each powered by 10W of amplification, really are the stars of the show. They deliver clean, engaging sound that adds much-needed energy to movies and TV shows.

In Civil War, as an army chopper takes off, each swing of the rotor blade is portrayed with an impactful punch that elevates the tension of the scene. The wide soundfield is impressive, too; the chopper moves from one side of the screen to another, giving a real sense of breadth.

Dialogue is also clear and emotive. Vocals take centre stage, as they should, but not at the expense of the rest of the mix.

The performance of the speakers will depend at least somewhat on where you can put them in your space, especially if you are outside, and they’re certainly not on a par with the best dedicated Bluetooth speakers, but compared with the speaker systems of most portable and lifestyle projectors, they’re a massive improvement.

Verdict

With the best sound we have heard from a coffee table projector at this price, the Soundcore Nebula P1 certainly offers something new. And its clever, compact design makes for a practical and flexible proposition.

It's a shame the picture performance isn't at the same level, but if you don't mind sacrificing some quality there in the name of much better sound, this is a compelling choice.

SCORES

• Picture 3
• Sound 5
• Design 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Xgimi MoGo 4

Also consider the Hisense M2 Pro

Read our Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air review

Best projectors: the best options tested by our home cinema experts

It’s unmistakably another Leica: the Cine Compact 1 is marked out by its solid aluminium Bauhaus-style housing, while Leica starts bringing the glass right from the clear frontage and outer lens.

So this is projector number three from the Leica Smart Projection division, again leveraging the camera-maker’s special abilities with glass and lens manufacture. And the new model brings a new affordable entry point to the luxury line.

This is a smaller projector than the award-winning Leica Cine Play 1, and it is also far more affordable than either previous model at AU$2990. The Cine Play 1 is AU$5990, while the ultra-short-throw Cine 1 Cinema TV has recently been price-reduced in Australia from AU$13,990 to $7990.

This new sub-AU$3000 smart mini projector much resembles the larger Cine Play 1, but it is significantly smaller at 209 x 226 x 193mm, while promising output of up to 1700 lumens (the specs note this is in ‘Ultra’ mode, so standard use may be slightly lower) and to support projection sizes of up to 220 inches.

Inside the projector, Leica’s optical system includes a Leica Summicron zoom lens with aspherical elements, optimising the output of a 0.47-inch pico DMD and triple RGB lasers to promise pixel-shifted 4K images which further benefit from the secret sauce of the company’s proprietary LIO (Leica Image Optimization). Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are onboard to display such High Dynamic Range material to its maximum ability.

It has smart set-up features: zoom, autofocus, keystone correction and intelligent screen framing are set up automatically wherever you may choose to throw the image from the projector’s integrated “360° rotation system”, which Leica notes makes the projector a particularly straightforward solution for everyday use.

It has built-in sources as well as connections for external devices; crucially there is the VIDAA operating system onboard to access streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime, while we believe VIDAA now has all Australian catch-up services and Foxtel apps also running (we will check this when we review this projector in upcoming weeks).

The Leica Cine Compact 1 also has one HDMI input, which also has eARC so could be used to take streaming sound to an external audio system, should you wish to expand on the built-in stereo speaker system; there is no optical or analogue audio output available. There’s a USB-A slot, presumably for file replay, along with screen sharing via Wi-Fi, and audio streaming available via Bluetooth or Apple AirPlay.

One inclusion which may attract a particular sub-set of movie fans: there’s a 3D Mode here, compatible with DLP Link active shutter 3D glasses.

And while a screen is always best for best performance, Leica has optimised the Cine Compact 1 for real-world scenarios including projection on walls or ceilings, even in gardens or on terraces.

The mini projector comes with an eco-friendly transport case; there’s an optional Leica stand available, while the integrated tripod thread enables the projector to be mounted on the ceiling.

Leica is, of course, known to consumers primarily as a high-end camera maker, but in fact has multiple arms: it began in the German town of Wetzlar in the 1860s when a talented engineer called Ernst Leitz made initially telescopes and subsequently microscopes, before his son, Ernst Leitz II, famously committed the company to building Oskar Barnack’s revolutionary compact camera, with its idea of using 35mm cinema film, soon to become the standard for still photography.

So right from the offset, it was image quality which drove the company, and older readers may recall how Leitz/Leica home slide projectors were once the gold standard for home projection of still images (Leica’s first projector was released in 1926). So the company’s now three-strong smart projector range is extending their imaging expertise back into home projection after a few decades absence.

The Leica Cine Compact 1 will be available for demonstration in Leica Stores Sydney, Melbourne and Chadstone, and in authorised Leica Cine dealers.

• See all our Australian reviews from Sound+Image and Australian Hi-Fi magazines

American brand Roku has launched its first range of projectors in the UK: the Sharp H272 and the Aurzen D1R.

As their names suggest, the models are launching with two respective hardware partners to “combine advanced projection technology with Roku’s intuitive operating system”.

Richard Halton, Country Manager at Roku UK, claims the projectors are, “bringing the seamless streaming experience Roku users know and love to an exciting new form factor – making big-screen entertainment more accessible than ever”.

The 1080p projectors include Roku’s full app library, including Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Max. The two have also been designed to work when projecting the image onto a screen or wall (we highly recommend the former for the best picture quality).

The Sharp model claims to go up to 120 inches, while the Aurzen entry is a little smaller with a maximum screen size of 100 inches.

The Aurzen D1R is the brighter of the two, offering 280 ANSI lumens, compared to the Sharp H272’s 200 ANSI lumens. These are both on the lower end of the scale, so they will likely perform best in a dark room.

The D1R also has the on-paper edge when it comes to sound, offering two speakers driven by 5W of amplification, which beats the Sharp’s 3W offering. Both come with Dolby Audio, but, unsurprisingly for a budget model, there is no Dolby Atmos on the cards.

There are a few smart features included with both models, which should make setting them up a little easier. These include auto-keystone and auto-focus.

Bluetooth and HDMI connectivity are available, so you could pair wireless speakers, a soundbar, or a subwoofer for “an enhanced home theatre experience.”

You can also access Apple AirPlay support for streaming music, videos, photos, podcasts, and games from Apple devices.

Their designs look fairly similar, with both sporting a white rectangular body with rounded edges.

We don’t have pricing yet, but both will launch in June. With their brightness specifications and streaming offerings, Roku seem to have its sights set on the likes of the Xgimi Vibe One (£219 / $269 / AU$599) projector.

When we reviewed the Vibe One in our test room, we praised its compact design and natural-looking image, which ultimately earned it a solid four-star rating. We'll wait to see the projectors in our test room before giving a verdict, but they could be a strong entry in the budget projector market.

MORE:

Here are the best portable projectors

Check out the best projectors right now

These are the best scenes to test your Dolby Atmos system

Summer is upon us, which means many of us, myself included, have started the yearly ritual of garden maintenance. Weeding, battling that one belligerent fox who keeps scatting (not in the jazz sense) on the patio, and, of course, getting the outdoor cinema set up.

In my case, that involves pulling out one of our portable projectors, plus the Anker SOLIX C300X power bank and 70-inch, portable Xgimi screen that’s become an essential item in my camping pack, out of our eaves storage and getting them set up outside, under our parasol.

What can I say, my wife and I enjoy the occasional movie night under the stars when it's warm enough. And this year it’s particularly pressing as I’ve been informed that we’ve been volunteered by friends to host some watch parties during the World Cup. I don't even like kicky ball...

Yes, picture quality is hindered, especially if you’re watching during the day on a unit with a low peak brightness. But there’s still something magical about enjoying a film in your garden, with the pizza oven or BBQ offering a conveyor belt of snacks. Especially if, like us, you have a Lay-Z-Spa Boy hot tub to stew in while watching.

Editor’s note: Haloumi and slices of Fiorentina are infinitely superior to nachos and popcorn as film-binging snacks. Trust me, I’ve done the research. Just make sure to invest in a floating party tray if you plan to enjoy them in a hot tub. I’ve also done that research and can personally attest that pizza and bubbling, chlorinated hot water are not a good combination, especially if you’re the one who has to clean the tub.

But, if you want to truly enjoy the experience and, like me, are limited to a portable, battery-powered unit, I have one key tip: invest in a Bluetooth receiver with simultaneous dual-link support and a couple of pairs of decent wireless headphones (or earbuds).

Why do that when most portable projectors already have Bluetooth and a sound system built in? The answer's surprisingly simple: consideration for the people around me.

I’m a night owl, and my wife is a superhuman who just doesn’t need sleep. So we tend to enjoy sitting watching films in the garden, or when out camping, into the wee hours of the night. We also, as evidenced by my recent ode to Hokum, enjoy horror movies.

Which is great, but when you live in a Victorian terraced house in zone three London and have neighbours with young kids, having a speaker blasting out Friday The 13th at full volume at 11pm isn’t a smart move – especially if you’ve already accidentally scarred said kids during your last BBQ when a “friend” decided Gwar was a good choice of background music. Never let Gerald Lynch, from our sister site, Shortlist, near your Bluetooth speaker…

So, having the option to continue enjoying our films, without keeping the entire neighbourhood up, just by switching to our headphones or earbuds when it gets late, is a game-changer.

The same is true when camping. Even if there aren’t people right next to you, the slightest noise pollution can carry a surprisingly long way in the great outdoors, so it’s only fair to try and keep things reasonably contained once it gets late. Though even with headphones, I’d still avoid watching Evil Dead while actually camping in the woods. I’ve still not gotten over that experience after my wife caught me off-guard with an improvised real-world jump scare a few years ago.

I’ve not used enough receivers to say which is definitely best. But I’m currently rocking an AirFly Pro 2, which works a treat, for these purposes. Connect it to your beamer via the 3.5mm aux input, and it’ll connect two pairs of wireless cans with zero fuss, then offering aptX HD Adaptive streaming.

Sure, the audio’s not perfect, but considering what we watch while outdoors, it’s good enough and delivers the main thing I care about with an outdoor cinema – a fun night under the stars.

I can’t ask for more than that, really.

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BenQ is one of the busiest projector brands around, producing models of all shapes, sizes and prices.

The TK705i successfully finds another little twist to add to the current projector range by combining a solid picture performance with an aggressive price, built-in smarts and arguably BenQ’s cutest design to date.

Though as we’ll see, offering so much for its price tag hasn’t been a completely compromise-free process.

Price

At £1199 / $1799 / AU$2199, the TK705i sits towards the lower end of the lifestyle projector market – yet it has some promising specifications and features to its name. These include built-in Google smarts, 3000 lumens of claimed peak brightness, 4K HDR playback and an integrated sound system.

Key rivals in this space are the Award-winning Hisense M2 Pro, and the super-stylish Epson EF-72.

Design

The TK705i is the latest example of a rapidly expanding trend for roughly cubic projectors. Its take on this trend, though, is actually one of the most attractive to date.

Apparently inspired by dappled sunlight filtering through layered leaves (yes, really), the TK705i features a bluish-grey fabric front and sides finished in a nicely contrasting hard plastic grille with some interesting spots of solid smooth grey finish over clusters of the grille holes.

Rounded corners soften the projector’s presence to complete the living room-friendly feel, and you can attach its strikingly compact form to a mounting foot if you want to add rotating and tilting flexibility to its design charms. It’s even possible to use the projector inverted and tilted on a shelf if such positioning suits your room layout.

At which point we’re feeling pretty confident that our inadequate words really aren’t doing the TK705i’s prettiness justice, and refer you to the photographs accompanying this review.

The TK705i ships with a full-sized remote control featuring large, clearly labelled buttons in a sensible layout that makes its key mic, home screen, auto picture adaptation, YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video and Live TV buttons suitably prominent with an eye-catching white backing.

Features

The TK705i’s eye-catching design is built around a DLP optical system illuminated by LED lighting. It can play 4K sources and high dynamic range in the HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ formats, but not Dolby Vision. The 3000 lumens of claimed peak light output is reckoned to be capable of driving screens as big as 120 inches across.

The 4K support is achieved using Texas Instruments’ XPR pixel shifting technology rather than the sort of native 4K pixel counts you get with much more expensive projectors from Sony and JVC, but unlike other pixel-shift technologies, DLP’s approach has been deemed ‘true 4K’ by the Consumer Technology Association group in the US.

Connections on the TK705i comprise two HDMIs (one with eARC support for passing audio out to a soundbar or AVR), two USB-C ports, a 12V trigger port for powering up or down a motorised screen or curtains system, and a 3.5mm audio output. Plus, there’s wi-fi, of course, to support the projector’s built-in smart features.

The TK705i’s HDMIs don’t support 4K resolution at 120Hz. The best we could get was 4K/60Hz, in fact, complete with HDR resolution. No higher frame rates were showing as available, even if we lowered the resolution output from our Xbox Series X.

The projector does have a few helpful gaming features up its sleeve, though, including dedicated HDR RPG and FPS gaming modes designed to give the best experience for those sorts of games, and an impressively low standard input lag time in its Gaming mode of just 12.2ms.

While we didn’t find a way to achieve the 5ms of lag quoted as possible for the projector by BenQ, we did get it down to an extremely low 9.3ms by activating Gaming Boost mode. Note that this mode, however, turns off all of the image placement corrections you likely made during set-up – even the manual zoom function. So, unless you’re very lucky and the TK705i delivers a perfect image at just the right size and in just the right place in your living room with no corrective measures required, you’ll probably prefer to live with the extra 3ms of lag required to keep image set-up corrections intact.

Talking of set-up, the TK705i features a sophisticated Smart Image Adaptation system to help you get images appearing with the correct geometry and proportions with the minimum of manual intervention. This includes automatic 2D keystone adjustment, auto focus, automatic screen fit (provided your screen has a clearly defined border), auto obstacle avoidance that can shift pictures around objects that might sit between the projector and your screen, and automatic eye protection that turns the brightness down if you get your head too close to the lens.

There’s even an Auto Cinema Mode that can adapt the image’s tone and brightness based on analysis of both your wall colour and ambient light levels.

In the unlikely event that you still feel you need to fine-tune the image after the auto set-up features have done their thing, optical zoom, manual focus and digital image shift features are all provided in motorised form via the remote control.

The TK705i’s menus and smart features are delivered, as usual for BenQ, by the Google TV system. Which is mostly fine, except that the BBC iPlayer still refuses to play ball with it. Just about every other app is there, though, including the other key UK terrestrial broadcaster catch-up apps.

BenQ’s CinematicColor system for delivering ‘true to life’ colours is present and correct on the TK705i, and claims to be capable of covering 98 per cent of the Rec 709 standard dynamic range colour spectrum.

One final positive feature of note is the projector’s ability to run very quietly – as little as 24dB – for such a compact 3000-lumen-capable projector, even when showing HDR video.

Picture

While the TK705i’s pictures are unsurprisingly (given its price) not quite up there with the very best projectors in BenQ’s current range, they’re still enjoyable enough to make it look pretty good value.

The first thing that strikes us about the TK705i’s pictures is how bright they are. That 3000 lumens brightness claim feels slightly pessimistic, in fact, as the projector both punches through quite high levels of ambient light without its pictures feeling flat or washed out, and delivers intense, luminous-looking pictures in dark-room conditions.

The high brightness helps it deliver compelling HDR pictures by such affordable 4K projector standards, as well as allowing BenQ to provide a reasonable amount of flexibility over your preferred HDR ‘look’; in particular, how much the presentation favours brightness vs detail in bright areas.

Initially, we felt that the TK705i’s brightness seemed to be running slightly ahead of its colour performance, leaving tones feeling a little faded. A Dynamic Colour feature, though, does an excellent job of injecting more vibrancy into proceedings, resulting in a punchy, potent image with both SDR and HDR sources. This extra colour punch is delivered while retaining impressive levels of blend and tone subtlety, too.

No colour – not even skin tones – looks flat or plasticky under the Dynamic Colour regime, and while tones don’t look quite as uniformly natural and accurate as they do with BenQ’s finest projectors, no particular tones stand out too starkly from the rest.

In fact, it’s ultimately the balance and nuance the TK705i’s pictures retain despite their high brightness and Dynamic Colour vibrancy boost that most stands out against much of the competition at this level.

Motion looks clean and natural on the TK705i, even with 24p films, without any need to engage the motion processing options, and DLP projection’s rainbow effect issue, where red, green and blue stripes can flit over bright highlights, is controlled well enough not to become a serious distraction even to What Hi-Fi? team members who are particularly susceptible to seeing it.

There are a couple of areas, though, where the TK705i’s relative affordability shows through. First, its pictures aren’t quite as pin-sharp and detailed-looking as some of the best sub-£1500 projectors around. Pictures still look 4K, to be fair, regardless of whether you’re watching native 4K or HD sources, but they lack a little of that snap and crispness that we know DLP projectors are capable of (despite not using truly native 4K optical systems).

The biggest limitation of the TK705i, though, is its handling of dark scenes. While dark areas of mostly bright pictures look reasonably convincing and create a decent sense of contrast and depth, fully dark sequences look rather grey and flat as the projector struggles to resolve the sort of black levels movie fans love – and which BenQ is usually so good at producing.

Setting an Adaptive Luma feature to its Medium setting enhances the projector’s dynamic range and gives the image a bit more punch, which at least helps to hide the black level shortcomings – but it doesn’t completely solve the problem, and can cause some shadow detailing to go missing in the darkest corners.

To be fair, the TK705i’s black colour limitations are much less noticeable if you’re watching the projector in a non-blacked-out room – and relatively ‘lifestyle’ projectors such as the TK705i are much more likely to find themselves operating in ambient light than dedicated home cinema models. So, if your likely use case for a TK705i is going to be almost constant regular living room viewing, where removing all ambient light is pretty much impossible, its pictures could seriously work for you.

For a projector to bag that elusive fifth star, though, it needs to be able to adapt to serious movie nights a little better than the TK705i can.

Sound

Given that the TK705i’s cubic design is down at least in part to a desire to include decent integrated speakers, its sound performance comes as quite a disappointment.

Particularly troublesome is how bright and harsh high-pitched sound effects and voices are, especially at the sort of relatively high volumes many home cinema fans will want to push towards for movie nights.

Dense soundtrack moments also sound thin and sibilant at any sort of volume, and the tendency to exaggerate treble isn’t helped by the integrated 2 x 8W sound system’s bass limitations. The movie world’s deepest rumbles lack potency and presence relative to the rest of the sound presentation, can succumb to sort of whistling distortion at times, and can even just drop out of the sound presentation entirely when the going gets really deep.

The pity is that aside from the one-sided nature of the sound, there are signs of promise in the TK705i’s audio. Despite not being one of BenQ’s most powerful projector sound systems, for instance, it still manages to project elements of the sound beyond its bodywork, getting some value out of Dolby Atmos soundtracks and reducing the common projector sound sensation that what you’re hearing isn’t connected with the pictures across the room.

The harshness reduces substantially if you’re in a small enough room not to need the volume to be cranked high, too.

In the end, though, while the TK705i can get pretty loud and detailed for such a compact projector, that loudness just isn’t fun to listen to.

Verdict

The TK705i’s uniquely cute, living room-friendly design and bright, vibrant images will deservedly win it plenty of fans.

Rather lacklustre black levels for dark room viewing and a surprisingly bass-light and brittle sound system, though, mean that the TK705i ultimately falls short of becoming another five-star BenQ projector masterclass.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 2
• Features 4

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Read our BenQ W2700 review

Best projectors: the best options tested by our home cinema experts

No musician in recent memory innovated quite like Bowie. The master of reinvention, his looks were just as iconic as his songs, showing a deep understanding of the importance of image to a pop career. Not for nothing did he call one track Sound And Vision.

So it's fitting that Lightroom's new exhibition is a 360-degree immersive experience that's a treat for the eyes and ears alike.

I went down to check it out, and now I can finally see a good use for spatial audio.

Bowie in his own words

Part biography, part concert film, part career retrospective, David Bowie: You're Not Alone is split up into various thematic chapters (Curiosity, Spirituality etc) that run on a loop. The same technique was used in Lightroom's Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs show – it means that you can wander in whenever and not miss a thing, as long as you stay for the full hour duration.

Bowie himself is your guide, via voiceovers presumably cribbed from various interviews over the years. So you get his childhood in suburban Bromley, his time in Berlin, how he stumbled across "happy accidents" in the recording studio that led to some of his biggest hits, his feeling like an outsider, how he dealt with mainstream success, and more – all in his own words.

Sound And Vision

Visually, it's stunning. Bowie diehards will love the numerous close-ups, with every inch of his face rendered in excruciating detail thanks to the four-storey-high walls onto which images and footage are projected.

These are beamed from a ridiculous 28 Panasonic PT-RQ22K laser 3-chip DLP 4K projectors – 14 for the walls, and another 14 for the floor. This output is then stitched together to create the humungous visuals.

If you ever wanted to feel like Tom Thumb in a world of giant Bowies, this is your chance.

There's a lot of content to draw on, including rare performance footage, concert film, photography, Bowie's own drawings and paintings, lyrics, personal notes and audio recordings. Concert footage is filmed from within the crowd – with the scale of the place, and screaming fans projected onto the walls either side and behind you, it really makes you feel like you're watching Bowie live. At points, I had to stop myself from applauding. The only thing I've seen that gets closer to a real-life concert experience is ABBA Voyage, and that has a live band playing the songs.

The audio too, is top notch. As well as the crowd pleasers like Let's Dance and Ziggy Stardust, it includes plenty of lesser known tracks (I'm Afraid Of Americans was a new one on me), with each one newly reconfigured into spatial audio by Olivier and Tony award-winning sound designer Gareth Fry (who worked on the stage show Harry Potter & The Cursed Child and the touring exhibition David Bowie Is).

I could feel the bass rumbling through the bench seat on which I was perched, and the spatial sound is perfectly suited to the immersive nature of the show. The audio comes courtesy of Lightroom's permanent X1 Matrix Array sound system from Berlin-based audio company Holoplot. It's the first of its kind in the UK.

The space to shine

I've found spatial audio a little underwhelming so far. I've written before about how, when wearing headphones, it can cut off the sound to one side when you put your phone in your pocket – it's meant to make it sound like the sound is 'anchored' at a certain place, but it feels more like your headphones are broken.

But now, I can see a really compelling use case for it. And, ironically enough, I'm not alone. My colleague Harry McKerrell recently heard spatial audio in a dedicated recording studio, and was blown away. "The lesson here is that spatial audio can, in the right hands, be genuinely transformative," he wrote.

In my experience, we're a long way from hearing such a striking effect in home audio devices, but if you want to see what spatial audio is capable of, get yourself down to Lightroom in London's King's Cross for the full sound and vision experience.

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The best outdoor projectors are one thing, but how about one built into your car's headlights?

That's the promise of Huawei's XPixel tech, which it showed off at the recent Beijing Auto Show.

The tech underpinning it has been around for a few years already, but the newest version can display a full range of colours. Hence, it can render proper videos like movies and football matches. It can even project games like hopscotch for kids.

Its 'open-air cinema' mode can project whatever's playing on your in-car entertainment system onto a wall in front of the parked car.

The tech is set to debut in the Aito M9 SUV, and will come to other models like the Qijing GT7 and Luxeed V9.

While it may seem a little pointless, especially to anyone without a driveway and suitable projection surface, it could come in useful when recharging your electric car's battery during a long drive. Especially if you brought popcorn.

As for the picture quality, we're guessing it probably comes under "not fantastic". But it could well be preferable to watching on an in-car entertainment system. Just make sure you clean your windscreen first.

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I set up an average portable projector in my son's bedroom, and now I'm "the best dad ever"

Here are the best portable projectors you can buy

If you’re researching portable projectors, it’s very likely that you will have come upon offerings from the brand Xgimi.

The China-based company offers a range of products, from premium 4K projectors to the smaller portable models we are looking at here.

The Xgimi MoGo 4 is a small cylindrical model that has featured on our best portable projectors and best outdoor projectors guides since we reviewed it last year.

The Xgimi Vibe One, on the other hand, is the first product from Xgimi’s new budget-focused ‘Vibe’ sub-brand, which targets budget buyers even more than the MoGo 4.

We have pitted the pair head-to-head in our test room to see which is the best one for you to spend your money on.

Xgimi Vibe One vs Xgimi MoGo 4: price

Both of these Xgimis target the budget end of the projector market, of course, with affordability and portability their USPs.

The Vibe One is the cheaper option of the two, having launched at £219 / $269 / AU$599. It hit the shelves only late last year, but discounts are already available at various retailers, making it even more affordable.

Going for a slightly more premium audience, the MoGo 4 also boasts a slightly more premium price tag. It has an official price of £509 / $499 / AU$1399, but you can find it cheaper in the UK if you look around. We have often seen it drop to £399.

Despite this discount, the Vibe One still comes out on top in terms of pricing.

** Winner: Xgimi Vibe One **

Xgimi Vibe One vs Xgimi MoGo 4: build

Both projectors are compact and easy to carry, and you shouldn’t have an issue putting either in a bag to take it on the go.

They each weigh about the same, too, with the Vibe One coming in at 1.4kg and the MoGo 4 at 1.3kg. So there’s no need to worry about lugging around a bulky projector for a garden movie night.

The MoGo 4 is slightly more petite than the Vibe One, measuring 21 x 10 x 10 cm (hwd), which is about the same size as a large water bottle. The cheaper model is a little larger (31 x 12 x 14 cm), but it’s still easily portable – indeed, the Vibe One has a useful handle at the top which makes it even easier to carry around.

Both projectors are activated in the same way: you tilt the body up from the bottom to face your screen or wall (a screen is highly recommended for a better picture). The MoGo 4 offers an extra feature as the hard plastic on the side transforms into a nifty stand.

The Vibe One comes in two colour options: blue spark or cloud ash. You can also personalise your model with the included stickers, which should please kids or whimsical adults. The MoGo 4 is available in just one finish: silver with orange trimmings.

The projectors offer almost identical remote controls, which let you control volume, output, auto-focus, and the settings menu. There are also shortcuts for a few streaming services to speed up menu navigation.

The Vibe One’s remote does not have a backlight, but the MoGo 4’s does.

With the MoGo 4, there is an additional mini-remote that hangs from a rope on the side of the body. This remote keeps things extremely minimal with just controls for volume, a D-pad to navigate the menu and a back button.

While both models offer a solid and compact build, the MoGo 4 takes the prize here for its sturdy stand and more premium overall feel.

** Winner: Xgimi MoGo 4 **

Xgimi Vibe One vs Xgimi MoGo 4: features

Both the Vibe One and the MoGo 4 have a built-in battery, but this good news comes with a caveat: the models offer a claimed 1.2 hours and 2.5 hours of battery life, respectively.

And that is when they are in Eco mode, which dims the brightness in order to preserve energy. In our preferred Standard mode, that estimated figure reduces a fair bit. This is less of an issue for the MoGo 4, as it can be plugged into a power bank using the USB-C connection, but there is no such feature with the Vibe One.

On each model, you will find one HDMI port, although ARC is supported only with the MoGo 4. Bluetooth 5.1 is available with both Xgimi projectors.

Both models deliver a 1080p Full HD image. The Vibe One is claimed to offer up to a 150-inch picture, while the MoGo 4 offers slightly less at a claimed 120 inches. Xgimi says you can take the screen size up to 200 inches with the MoGo 4, but you won't be getting the best display quality available.

The MoGo 4 can go half as bright again as the Vibe One, with the projectors producing a claimed maximum brightness of 450 and 300 ISO Lumens, respectively. The MoGo 4, then, has a better chance at delivering a punchy picture in well-lit settings.

You also get access to the Google TV smart platform through both models. This includes the usual streaming suspects such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV. There is, however, no BBC iPlayer on the cards. There is the option to use Google Cast from a smart device, but it would be nice to have native app support.

From the remote control or settings menu, you can access the auto-focus and auto-keystone correction. This works pretty well in our test room to adjust to the space, although we find ourselves using the manual features to fine-tune.

There is a range of picture modes, but for each unit, we settle on Movie mode with a bit of further adjustment in the settings menu.

Thanks to its better battery life, the MoGo 4 takes this round as well.

** Winner: Xgimi MoGo 4 **

Xgimi Vibe One vs Xgimi MoGo 4: picture

Despite their small statures and budget price tags, both models are surprisingly cinematic performers with plenty to like.

The Xgimi MoGo 4 provides a punchy yet detailed picture. When watching Knives Out: A Glass Onion Mystery on Netflix, for example, we say in our review: “It, of course, does not have the detail of bigger, more expensive projectors such as the Nebula X1, but for such a small piece of kit, the MoGo 4 manages to portray a nicely balanced picture, with the branches of trees in the background appearing crisp.”

Colours are incredibly punchy as well, to the extent they sometimes verge towards being overexuberant. This is probably a decision Xgimi has made to compensate for when users are watching films outdoors, but it's certainly noticeable when viewing in a dark room.

When we switch to the Xgimi Vibe One, we don't find the colours to be too vivid. They are, rather, better balanced – which results in a surprisingly cinematic picture.

Projecting Alien: Romulus, the Vibe One shows off its abilities with dark scenes. As a ship floats through the depths of space, the projector presents the dark abyss with an impressively deep black by budget projector standards. Still, the MoGo 4 goes a fair bit darker and manages to dig out more subtlety in the levels of black during the same scene.

Motion handling is better done with the Vibe One. It makes movement feel more natural compared with the MoGo 4, which can smear slightly during fast-paced action.

The MoGo 4, as you would expect considering its higher lumen count, looks brighter and more vibrant than the Vibe One. The latter will be fine for a spot of sunny sport viewing, but expect to lose a fair bit of detail, especially when compared with its more expensive cousin, when watching in a well-lit environment.

While the Xgimi Vibe One nails the basics in terms of motion handling and natural colours, the MoGo 4 is the better performer overall with its brighter picture and deeper blacks.

** Winner: Xgimi MoGo 4 **

Xgimi Vibe One vs Xgimi MoGo 4: sound

Neither projector manages to blow us away in the audio department. The MoGo 4 features two 6W speakers, while the Vibe One offers two 3W speakers, with both built into their small bodies.

They struggle to push sound far enough to create an immersive audio experience, which results in a rather localised performance.

The MoGo 4 offers voices that are clear and reasonably crisp. It also delivers the upbeat soundtrack to Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, for example, with the right level of expression.

The Vibe One, on the other hand, has a harder time making voices audible. Continuing with Alien: Romulus, we say in our review: “As the android Andy and his human sister Rain rush through the bustling mining colony, their conversation gets muddled with radio chatter in the background, which makes it hard to decipher at points.”

And that’s in a quiet test room – it will be harder to hear during an outdoor viewing with a few guests.

With each model, we recommend investing in a Bluetooth speaker to get a clearer, louder audio experience. Still, the MoGo 4 is the more expressive and clear option, so it is the winner here.

** Winner: Xgimi MoGo 4 **

Xgimi Vibe One vs Xgimi MoGo 4: verdict

The Vibe One is the more affordable of the two projectors here, and its balanced yet detailed picture means it is the winner on a picture-performance-per-pound basis.

But the MoGo 4 delivers a more cinematic image with greater brightness and contrast, making it better suited to use in a bright room – or even outside.

On top of that, the Vibe One's disappointing battery life and inexplicable lack of support for USB-C battery packs mean it's much less practically portable than its more expensive sibling.

So, while the Vibe One's picture performance is very impressive for its low price, the MoGo 4 is worth stretching to for the even better picture quality and much greater practicality.

**Overall winner: Xgimi MoGo 4**

If you are looking for a 4K projector with a small footprint, you’ll be greeted with oodles of options with a simple Google search. Those range from entry-level models to premium products with eye-boggling price tags.

And there is a new entry to the 4K market from Chinese projector brand JMGO: the N3 Ultimate.

What has particularly piqued our interest in this model? Well, the brand claims it offers the “world’s first three-in-one integrated optical system”. That includes a four-way lens shift, wide-range optical zoom, and a smart gimbal, all wrapped into one product.

In theory, that should let you adjust the image’s placement without moving the projector itself in an effort to reduce the “traditional constraints of placement, angle, and setup complexity”.

The N3 Ultimate also has a memory function, which can recall different settings for different walls. It remembers the ideal screen size, image optimisation settings and your favoured streaming app depending on where you are projecting.

It supports Dolby Vision HDR and, in terms of sound, Dolby Audio is available for an “immersive viewing experience”. For gamers, there is a low latency of 1ms and a refresh rate of up to 240Hz with support for variable refresh rate.

We don't have the UK or Australian pricing yet, but in the US, the projector comes in at $2999 (around £2222 / AU$4185). That pits it against the Xgimi Horizon 20 Max, which comes in a little cheaper at £2599 / $2699 / AU$4950.

In our review, we gave the Xgimi 4K projector four stars for its strong, adaptive picture and tactile design. Its brightness levels also impressed, with a claimed peak brightness of 5700 ISO lumens. That’s one of the highest figures we have seen at this level, but the JMGO model is claimed to go slightly higher with 5800 ISO lumens.

We have yet to get the new model into our test room, but its high claimed brightness levels and smart adjustments could make it a strong competitor in the category.

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Here are the best projectors we recommend

Check out our review of the Xgimi Horizon 20 Max

And these are the best portable projectors

If you’ve got a few thousand pounds or dollars to spend on a premium projector for a dedicated home cinema room, you’re spoiled for choice.

The go-to recommendation is the native 4K Sony VPL-XW5000ES, but the BenQ W5850 and Epson EH-QB1000 are both strong, five-star alternatives.

But what if viewing in a bright room is important to you, either because your viewing room isn’t fully light-controlled, or simply because you enjoy some daytime movie, sports or gaming action?

In that case, you want a super-bright projector that can punch through the ambient light – and that’s where the Optoma UHZ78LV comes in.

While the aforementioned Sony, BenQ and Epson have claimed peak brightness levels of 2000, 2700 and 3300 lumens, respectively, Optoma is claiming a monstrous 5000 lumens for its new flagship model.

So is it a great bright-room projector? And can it also deliver an impeccable dark-room movie night?

Price

Those lumens don’t come cheap: the launch price of the Optoma UHZ78LV is a hefty £5999. That converts to $8100 in the US (where the projector isn’t due to be sold) and $11,300 in Australia (where pricing is still to be confirmed).

The benchmark at this level, the Sony VPL-XW5000ES, also launched for £5999 / $5998 / AU$9990, but thanks to heavy discounting, it can now be bought for significantly less: ‘just’ £4399 in the UK at the time of writing.

The BenQ W5850 and Epson EH-QB1000 launched for £4599 / $4999 / AU$8499 and £4799 / $7999 / AU$11,900, and both still command roughly those prices.

All of that, of course, means that the Optoma is really going to have to go some to justify its much higher price.

Design

The Optoma is a fairly utilitarian-looking projector. Its blocky, functional chassis looks serious and premium, but it’s not stylish in the way of the rivals mentioned above. That’s slightly ironic, given that this is designed to be used more often in everyday living spaces than most.

That said, aesthetics matter less here than they do with a TV. Many buyers will ceiling-mount the Optoma or otherwise position it out of sight, and in that context, its understated design is unlikely to be a dealbreaker.

And, in fact, the chunky styling disguises a relatively compact form. It’s smaller than you might expect for a projector with this brightness and noticeably more compact than the Sony VPL-XW5000ES. At 11.5kg, it’s also lighter than the Sony, which helps make installation that little bit easier.

The supplied remote is functional rather than elegant. It’s quite button-heavy, which can feel a little overwhelming at first, but it is sensibly laid out, and the central navigation/enter button is easy to locate by feel in a dark room. Jabbing that button (or any other, for that matter) activates the backlight, making further operation easy during movie nights.

Features

Specs-wise, the Optoma is something of a powerhouse – and much of that comes down to its triple RGB laser light source. This is still relatively rare at this level and gives the projector an on-paper advantage in both brightness and colour volume.

As flagged right at the start, that brightness is the headline figure: a claimed 5000 lumens. That’s a huge number for a home cinema projector, and it underpins the Optoma’s aim of delivering a punchy, watchable image even in rooms with significant ambient light.

The projector uses a single-chip DLP system with pixel shifting to deliver a 4K image. This approach rapidly shifts the image on screen to create the full 8.3 million pixels required for Ultra HD, and it is recognised by the Consumer Technology Association as meeting the criteria for 4K.

In practice, it’s a technology that can produce impressively sharp and detailed images – as this projector demonstrates – but it doesn’t typically deliver quite the same level of natural crispness and fine detail as a native 4K system such as that used by the Sony VPL-XW5000ES.

Optoma claims coverage of 98 per cent of the DCI-P3 colour space and 96 per cent of BT.2020, and crucially, this wide colour performance is achieved without the need for a brightness-sapping filter.

HDR support is comprehensive. The Optoma handles Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG, and that Dolby Vision support is particularly noteworthy, as it remains rare among projectors and proves, as we’ll get to, a genuine strength in use.

Connectivity is solid, too. There are three HDMI inputs – two HDMI 2.0 and one HDMI 2.1 – all of which support eARC/ARC. The HDMI 2.1 socket allows for 4K/120Hz gaming, which is backed up by a pair of low-latency modes.

Engaging Low Latency mode disables features such as PureMotion and PureLight, while Ultra Low Latency goes further, also switching off image adjustments including aspect ratio, digital zoom and geometric correction. Using our Leo Bodnar input lag tester (at 60Hz), we measured input lag at 34.9ms in Low Latency mode, and a very respectable 18.1ms in Ultra Low Latency.

When it comes to installation, the Optoma is pleasingly flexible. It offers motorised zoom, focus and lens shift, along with a 1.6x zoom and a 1.25:1–2:1 throw ratio, making it relatively easy to position in a variety of room layouts.

The PureEngine Ultra processing suite provides a range of enhancement options, covering elements such as colour, contrast and motion. As we’ll explain further down, these features are best used sparingly, but it’s good to have the flexibility there.

Noise levels are impressively low, too. Optoma claims a maximum of 28dB, and in practice, the projector remains quiet and unobtrusive, even in its brightest modes. In most real-world scenarios, it will be effectively inaudible once your content starts playing.

Finally, the laser light source is rated for up to 30,000 hours of use, meaning there’s no need to worry about lamp replacements over the lifetime of the projector.

Picture

The Optoma makes an immediate impression with its sheer intensity. This is a seriously bright projector, and it uses that brightness to deliver a picture that’s bold, vibrant and consistently engaging – particularly in rooms that aren’t fully light-controlled.

Where many projectors start to look fairly washed out with ambient light in play, the Optoma is more than capable of punching through, maintaining strong colours and striking highlights that make it well-suited to everyday TV, sport and gaming, as well as movie nights.

That sense of dynamism is one of its defining traits. High-contrast scenes are delivered with real impact, with bright elements such as street lights, explosions and reflections cutting through darker backdrops with convincing force.

There’s also a pleasing sense of depth to large-scale images, giving action sequences and wide shots a tangible, almost three-dimensional quality. The battle for DC in our Civil War 4K Blu-ray, for example, looks particularly arresting, with blazing highlights and deep shadows combining to create a properly cinematic sense of scale.

Clarity is another strength. The Optoma produces a crisp, detailed image with plenty of fine texture on show, even in its more restrained modes. Skin textures, environmental detail and subtle lighting effects are all rendered cleanly, contributing to an image that feels sharp without immediately tipping into artificiality. Back to Civil War, you can clearly make out the sweat glistening on faces in harsh sunlight, while the dusty, sun-bleached landscapes retain plenty of fine detail.

In HDR, there are three main presets: HDR, Filmmaker Mode and IMAX Enhanced. Interestingly, their default settings are closer than you might expect, with the biggest differences coming from their colour tuning.

HDR is the most immediately striking, delivering maximum brightness and vibrancy, while Filmmaker Mode reins things in for a more balanced and controlled look. IMAX Enhanced goes further, offering a darker, slightly softer presentation that can initially seem subdued but proves surprisingly effective once your eyes adjust. It’s this mode that we settle on for HDR viewing in a dark room.

Even in its most restrained settings, though, the Optoma tends to favour a more expressive palette than strict neutrality. Colours are rich and often very appealing, but there’s a consistent sense of them being just a touch more saturated than they perhaps should be.

Skin tones in particular can carry a little extra warmth, which adds vibrancy but doesn’t always feel entirely authentic – something that’s noticeable in Blade Runner 2049, for example, where Luv’s typically porcelain complexion takes on a slightly warmer hue than expected in certain scenes.

That slightly over-enthusiastic approach extends to the overall balance. In a fully darkened room, the Optoma can feel just a fraction overcooked, even when dialled back. It’s not harsh or unpleasant – far from it – but there’s a sense that it’s always pushing for impact rather than settling into a completely natural, effortless delivery.

Switch to Dolby Vision, though, and things tighten up noticeably.

With Dolby Vision Dark selected, the Optoma adopts a more subtle and subdued colour balance, along with a more considered approach to contrast that better suits dark-room viewing.

Dolby Vision Bright adds a little extra punch without tipping things over the edge, and ends up being our preferred mode overall – even in a fully dark environment. Dolby Vision Cinema is the better option for use with ambient light, though you will want to disable the motion processing that’s enabled by default.

In these modes, the Optoma hits a sweet spot that proves slightly elusive elsewhere. It’s dynamic but balanced, punchy but controlled, and sharp without looking over-etched.

Even so, the Sony VPL-XW5000ES remains more flawlessly natural, particularly in the way it delivers fine detail, but the Optoma is a hugely enjoyable watch at its best.

Black levels and contrast are handled well, especially with the DynamicBlack system engaged. This adds useful depth to darker scenes while preserving highlight intensity, resulting in a picture that remains lively and engaging. Shadow detail is generally solid, and the projector avoids the kind of flatness that can affect less powerful models in mixed lighting conditions.

With SDR content, however, that balancing act becomes a little trickier. Cinema mode is overly bright and vivid for an authentic dark-room experience – though it works well with some ambient light – while Reference looks a bit cool and even slightly green.

With some tweaking, better results are possible: dropping Power to around 70 per cent, reducing Colour to 0 and disabling the PureEngine processing features produces a very enjoyable image.

Even then, though, there’s a lingering sense that the Optoma can’t quite resist leaning into the ol’ razzle-dazzle, with our Blu-ray of Logan taking on a sheen and vivaciousness that doesn’t entirely align with its gritty creative intent.

One trade-off for the Optoma’s single-chip DLP design is the presence of rainbow artefacts. These aren’t constant, but they do appear from time to time, particularly in high-contrast scenes where bright highlights sit against dark backgrounds.

In rare moments, they can become noticeable enough to distract, and more sensitive viewers will want to take this into account – for instance, bright light sources against dark skies can occasionally trigger fleeting flashes of colour.

Motion is handled well overall, though there are occasional hints of processing even with the motion processing features disabled. This can result in fleeting moments where movement looks slightly smoothed or less natural than expected. The effect is subtle and rare, but it does crop up often enough to be worth noting.

The PureEngine processing options, in general, are best used sparingly. Features such as PureColor and PureMotion tend to push the image too far, introducing an unnatural look. PureContrast can be useful in brighter rooms, though, where a little extra punch helps the image cut through ambient light.

Ultimately, the Optoma is a hugely engaging and versatile performer, particularly in rooms with some level of ambient light, where its brightness and colour vibrancy really come into their own. In a fully dark, dedicated cinema environment, it’s still very enjoyable, but its slightly heightened, more expressive presentation means it prioritises spectacle over absolute authenticity.

Verdict

The Optoma UHZ78LV is a projector with a very clear identity. It delivers a level of brightness and colour vibrancy that few rivals can match, and that makes it a superb choice for rooms where ambient light is part of the equation.

In those conditions, it’s hugely impressive. It produces a bold, dynamic and consistently engaging image that retains its punch where many projectors start to look flat or washed out.

Crucially, it also has a trump card in the form of Dolby Vision. With the right content, the Optoma finds a level of balance and authenticity that elevates it beyond its standard HDR performance, combining punch with control in a very satisfying way.

However, that performance isn’t consistent across all formats. With HDR10 and SDR content, the Optoma’s tendency towards vibrancy and impact can tip into slight exaggeration. This is most obvious in a fully dark room, where we argue that picture quality matters most.

It’s here that more traditional, dark-room home cinema-first projectors still have the edge. The Sony VPL-XW5000ES, in particular, delivers a more natural, balanced and ultimately more authentic image, with greater subtlety, more convincing motion and superior native 4K sharpness.

That leaves the Optoma as something of a specialist – but a very appealing one. It’s not the most faithful projector at this level, but it is one of the most flexible and, in the right environment, one of the most enjoyable.

So, if your priority is the most accurate performance in a fully dark home cinema, there are more accomplished alternatives. But if your viewing takes place in a room with at least some ambient light, or you want a projector that can double as a bright, punchy all-rounder for TV, sport and gaming, the Optoma UHZ78LV is an excellent choice.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Design 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony VPL-XW5000ES

Also consider the BenQ W5850

Read our Epson EH-QB1000 review

Best projectors: budget, 4K and ultra-short-throw

As the large-screen trend continues, many people are looking at investing in a projector, rather than the 100-inch-plus TVs on offer from the likes of Hisense, TCL and Samsung. And, to furnish that desire, we are seeing more ultra-short throw (UST) projectors hit the market than ever before.

Acer is the latest brand to jump on the trend with the catchily named PD1520Us projector. It boasts an affordable price tag and the capability to project a huge image without taking up much space.

Weighing just 740g, this UST projector seems to join Samsung’s The Premiere 5 and Optoma’s Photon Go projectors in this quirky new category of compact UST projectors.

It features an LED light source, with a claimed 2000 LED lumens of brightness, and a reported lifespan of 30,000 hours. Setup should also be easy, thanks to the auto focus and an auto 2D keystone feature for an easy setup.

Acer also touts wi-fi, Bluetooth, and screen-mirroring functionality built in, allowing users to beam content from a phone or tablet. There is also a smart platform built in, which supports Netflix and YouTube, although it appears to be a proprietary operating system rather than Google TV or Android TV.

Despite its small footprint, this projector can beam a 100-inch Full HD image onto your wall, and it needs to sit only a few centimetres from your wall, to do so according to Acer.

The company says that it has specifically designed this UST projector to be “light enough to move from the lounge to the bedroom”, and “for UK homes where space is at a premium”. The built-in battery, which Acer says is rated to last around two hours on a single charge, means it can even be used outside.

Acer also says that this projector has “4K support”, which we presume means that it can accept 4K signals, but outputs them in 1080p. We have reached out to Acer for confirmation.

Much as with the Samsung Premiere 5, you can change the orientation by standing the projector in an upright position to beam a 23-inch interactive surface onto a table, worktop, or even the floor.

Acer even has a variant that includes the same touch-screen-style interface, although that is being sold only through commercial channels currently.

Priced at £550/€650 (or £650/€700 for the Touch variant), the Acer PD1520Us sits below the Samsung and Optoma rivals mentioned above, making it a tempting choice for those looking for a UST on a budget.

MORE:

Read our full Optoma Photon Go review

As well as our Samsung The Premiere 5 review

And check out our picks for the best portable projectors

If you have just picked up your first portable projector or are considering taking the plunge, you may have a whole bunch of questions on how to perfect your garden movie nights.

Well, you are in luck. We have gathered the best tips and tricks to give you the best set-up and make the process as stress-free as possible. From simple setting-changes to extra add-ons, these are the elements worth considering before inviting all your mates round for the first screening.

If you are not sure which model to go for, we also have a handy guide to the best portable projectors and the best outdoor projectors available right now.

Invest in a projector screen

First up, getting a projector screen will give your portable projector the best chance of performing well. It may be tempting to set up your projector using a blank wall or a white sheet, but a dedicated screen will ultimately deliver better picture quality.

Which one you choose depends on your individual space, but the main aspect to consider is whether it is a screen with a higher gain, especially when you are watching outdoors.

A gain of 1.0 means the screen reflects all the light that shines on it, while higher numbers mean the image on the screen is brighter when viewed straight ahead – but will suffer at wider viewing angles.

You don't have to spend hundreds to find a screen that does the job, and using one will hugely boost your projector's performance compared with using a wall. If you need some extra help, we have a guide with everything you need to know about projector screens.

Don't use Eco mode

Portable projectors, especially budget models, tend not to offer the most dazzling brightness levels. Of course, every product is different and there are exceptions.

The Wanbo Vali 1, for instance, claims to deliver a maximum of 900 ANSI lumens of brightness. That's twice as much as our best current overall portable projector – the Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air, which offers up to 400 ANSI lumens of brightness.

Regardless of which model you are using, however, you are going to want to switch off the Eco mode if it is available. This feature is designed to reduce the energy consumption of a product by dimming the brightness levels.

While it could come in handy if you are trying to conserve the built-in battery, you should get punchier colours and deeper blacks by turning it off in the settings menu.

Remember a battery pack

Speaking of battery life, we recommend adding a separate battery pack to your shopping list. Portable projectors come with a built-in battery, but their runtime can be underwhelming – especially when you have turned off Eco mode.

The recently tested Xgimi Vibe One, for instance, offers a very specific 1.2 hours of battery life on Eco mode. But, when we watch a film on the projector with the Standard brightness setting, it lasts barely an hour. And, with no USB-C connectivity, there is no possibility to hook it up to a battery pack.

The good news is that plenty of other projector models do allow for this option, as they have a USB-C port. You can find a range easily online, and some brands offer battery packs in a bundle deal. The Xgimi offers a tripod stand-cum-battery pack for its MoGo 4 series, for example.

Add in a Bluetooth speaker

Finally, let's take a look at (or a listen to) your portable projector’s sound quality. We have tested countless portable projector models, and the vast majority have failed to dazzle in the audio department.

That is usually down to the compromise of having a small, compact build that leaves little room for a more comprehensive sound system.

That is where a Bluetooth speaker comes into the mix, as even a budget model can produce a better experience than the sound from the projector.

You may well already own a speaker that can be connected to the projector but, if you don't, there are plenty of options on the market. The dinky JBL Go 4, for example, received a dazzling five-star review from us for its cohesive sound, and it's currently available for just £30 in the UK.

MORE:

Check out the best portable projectors

Here is our review of the Xgimi MoGo 4

These are the best Bluetooth speakers

With summer finally on the horizon, outdoor movie nights are becoming increasingly tempting as the days get longer. And that calls for a portable projector that delivers a cinematic picture and has a built-in battery to watch movies and TV shows wherever you want.

The latest model in this market is the Xgimi Vibe One, a budget portable projector that is the cheapest we have had in our test room, with a price tag of £219 / $269 / AU$599.

This dinky 1080p projector would look right at home in the toy section of a supermarket, with two colour options in the form of blue spark or cloud ash.

It comes with a built-in battery which offers a maximum of 1.2 hours of life (more on that later), and can project an image up to 150 inches. But how does it perform when we put it through its paces in our test room? While there's a lot to like about the budget projector, two things hold it back from five-star greatness.

Detailed, natural-looking picture for the money

When we first got the budget projector into our test room, it is fair to say that our expectations were not sky high. But the Vibe One outperforms its affordable price tag.

After adjusting the contrast and sharpness levels on the projector's Movie mode, we are greeted with a balanced, easy-to-watch picture. Playing Civil War on Blu-ray, the projector digs up the smaller details in our protagonists’ faces despite the dark interior. We also say in our review: “Skin tones also appear balanced and natural, without fading into the background or looking over-vibrant.”

Surrounding the lead characters is a circle of trees, and the green of the leaves looks striking yet still balanced.

On top of that, motion looks smooth yet convincing with minimal judder, which lends scenes a sense of realism.

When watching as a xenomorph fossil drifts towards the camera in Alien: Romulus, the Vibe One also portrays a solid sense of three dimensionality thanks to the contrast between the black of the fossil and the ship’s interior.

All of that results in an enjoyable viewing experience that is a surprising delight considering its cost.

Goes surprisingly dark

It also delivers impressively dark blacks considering the money, which is particularly prevalent as we continue to test with Alien: Romulus, where an abandoned ship floats through the abyss of space.

There is a fair amount of subtlety in the different shades of black etched into the dark sky, and it captures that sense of a vast expanse, which is surprising for such a cheap model.

It can’t quite differentiate the darkest elements of the scene (the point at which the ship ends and space begins, for example), but it does well with such a challenging scene considering its price.

Of course, most people will not be using the projector in a windowless dark room, so we turned on the lights in our test room to see how it copes. Understandably, quite a bit of dark detail is lost but the bright colours still manage to punch through. This means it should be fine for a spot of sunny sport – just maybe steer clear of Christopher Nolan's back catalogue.

Compact build

One of the most important aspects of a portable projector is that its design is actually portable. And that is certainly the case with the Vibe One's light, easy-to-carry build.

It resembles a camping lantern more than a projector, with a sturdy carry handle on the top. Weighing just 1.4kg, the small model is about the same weight as a pineapple, and it should easily fit in a backpack if you are looking to take it on the road.

If you turn the projector on while the lamp is facing downwards, it transforms into a Bluetooth speaker. The base also illuminates in its ambient mode with eight colour options, which is a neat touch.

The model offers easy setup, too, with auto-keystone and auto focus both easily available through the settings menu. Plus, with Google TV built-in, you don't need to worry about taking an extra kit to watch movies or TV shows.

But there is one rather big fly in the ointment that we can't ignore...

Disappointing battery life

As we mentioned, the Vibe One claims to offer a maximum of 1.2 hours of battery life. And that number is attainable only if you are using the projector in the Eco mode.

In Standard mode, the battery gave us just less than an hour of AV action, which is barely enough for three episodes of The Simpsons, and will only give you one half of a World Cup match without being plugged into the mains.

This wouldn’t be too much of an issue if you were able to connect a battery pack, but there is no support for USB charging. Unfortunately, that makes the the Vibe One not as portable, in practice, as you would think at first glance.

If you can run a wire from the mains to your space then it won't be an issue, of course, but it's worth keeping in mind.

Tinny, localised sound quality

While the Vibe One surprises with its picture performance, the same cannot be said for its audio quality. The two built-in speakers, driven by 3 watts of amplification, don't manage to push sound much further than the projector's body, which results in a localised performance.

There is also a lack of bass to give exciting action scenes that much-needed injection of energy. We note in our review, for instance: “When watching Civil War, for example, the lack of punchy bass makes a landing helicopter sound more like a knife on a chopping board than a pounding piece of military hardware.”

Voices get lost in the mix at some points, too, so some dialogue is hard to make out. In Alien: Romulus, as the android Andy and his human sister Rain rush through the bustling mining colony, their conversation gets muddled with radio chatter in the background.

And that’s in a quiet test room; it would be even more difficult to hear in a busier setting.

This disappointing sound performance, along with the low battery life, means the Vibe One does not quite score five stars in our review. But its natural-looking picture and compact build achieve an admirable four stars overall, making it one of the best portable budget projectors we have tested.

If Xgimi can improve the audio and battery life in its next iteration, we could have a real winner on our hands.

MORE:

Here is our review of the Xgimi Vibe One

Check out the best projectors

And here is our review of the Xgimi MoGo 4

Looking out of the window first thing in the morning the past few days has brought a smile to my face. That's not because a clown school has been set up right outside, but because the sun has been shining through the cherry blossom trees still clinging to their flowers on my street.

And this beautiful weather comes with all sorts of exciting possibilities. Picnics in the park, leaving work to a still blue sky, and even watching movies outdoors with an affordable portable projector.

But that last option calls for a projector model that can balance two key features in its bid to deliver a practical yet cinematic experience.

We have tested a fair few budget models over the years, but none have quite managed to strike the correct balance. So what features make for the best projector experience?

First off, a projector can only call itself truly portable if it includes a built-in battery. Ideally, this would last at least two hours so you can watch an average World Cup match and enjoy the entirety of Barbie without the power conking out.

Unfortunately, most budget models struggle to reach this target. That is likely due to the compromise of having a compact build, which leaves less room for a more powerful battery.

Take, for instance, the Xgimi Vibe One (£219 / $269 / AU$479), which we gave an impressive four stars in our review. It sports a light, easy-to-carry build which weighs just 1.4kg. That's about the same as a pineapple.

Its convenient design, however, comes at the cost of its battery. The built-in battery offers a claimed specific maximum life of 1.2 hours, but this is on Eco mode, which dims the picture considerably.

In our preferred Standard brightness mode, it barely lasts an hour, which is not nearly enough time for a full sports match or even three episodes of Bob's Burgers.

This is more of an issue when you realise that there is no option to charge the projector with a separate power bank.

But what the Vibe One does deliver is a detailed, cinematic picture that outperforms its price tag. In our review, we note: "While expectations must be tempered at this level, the Vibe One does an impressive job of getting the basics right, resulting in a balanced, natural-looking picture".

It's an excellent picture performance from such an affordable model, but it is ultimately let down by its underwhelming battery life. We are yet to find a portable projector that manages to perfectly balance picture quality and battery, but the Vibe One certainly excels in one category and gives us hope for future entries.

MORE:

Here is our review of the Xgimi Vibe One

Check out the best portable projectors

And here is our review of the Xgimi MoGo 4

At last, the summer weather is finally peeking through the grey clouds after a gloomy winter.

And with that comes the opportunity for outdoor movie nights aplenty as the evenings get longer, making portable projectors a tempting proposition thanks to their small build and reasonable price tags.

The latest portable projector pushing its way to the front of the crowd is the Xgimi Vibe One, which would look right at home nestled in the toy section of a supermarket. But there is more to this dinky model than meets the eye, as it makes its mark far more impressively than we would expect from such a low-cost piece of kit.

Price

Few portable projector models come close to matching the Xgimi Vibe One’s price of £219 / $269 / AU$599. In fact, it is the cheapest that we have had in our test room.

The closest projector to this price point that we have tested is the Wanbo Vali 1 (£270 / $279 / AU$499), which achieved a solid four-star score for its balanced overall image. The Wanbo is more of a coffee table projector, though, with no built-in battery and a bigger/heavier design, so it isn’t aiming at the same market as the Vibe One.

The cheapest portable projector we recommend is the Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air, which launched at £550 / $600 / AU$1300. That leaves the Xgimi model in a league of its own.

Build

The Vibe One resembles a camping lantern more than a projector. It is very light, weighing just 1.4kg, which is about the same as a large pineapple. It’s much easier to carry around than a big fruit, though, thanks to the sturdy handle on the top.

You can get it in two colour options: cloud ash or blue spark. There’s also the option to add some pizazz thanks to a pack of included stickers, which are great fun for kids or whimsical adults.

To activate the projector, you tilt the body up from the bottom to face your screen or wall (a screen is highly recommended for a better picture).

If you turn the projector on while the lamp is facing downwards, it transforms into a Bluetooth speaker. The base also illuminates in its ambient mode with eight colour options, which is a neat touch.

Features

The projector offers three brightness modes: Standard, Performance and Eco. Performance is clearly the most intensive of the modes as the fan immediately goes into overdrive and the brightness slightly increases, whereas Eco dims the brightness to extend battery life. We find Standard offers the sweet spot between brightness levels.

The Vibe One features a built-in battery, which the company claims can deliver a very specific 1.2 hours of life. That number is only if you are using the projector in the Eco mode, however.

In Standard mode, the battery gave us just under an hour of AV action, which is barely enough for three episodes of The Simpsons, and will only give you one half of a World Cup match.

This wouldn’t be as much of an issue if there were the option to give the projector some juice via a power bank, but there is no support for USB charging. Ultimately, that means the Vibe One is not as portable as you might think, so definitely consider whether you have access to the mains in the spaces you want to use the projector.

The 1080p projector can also project an image up to 150 inches and claims to offer a maximum 250 ISO lumens of brightness. That figure might not look massive, but brightness figures all need to be taken with a pinch of salt. What matters is the actual performance.

On the body, you will find a USB as well as an HDMI, which allows you to hook up a Blu-ray player or games console. Google TV is built in, which means you can access streaming services such as Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.

There’s no BBC iPlayer and, although you can bypass this by using Google Cast, it would be nice to have native support. Channel 4 is not on the cards either, and when we try to use the casting feature with both Android and Apple devices, it doesn’t work.

Picture

We start our testing in a pitch-black room with the projector hooked up to an Oppo UDP-203 Blu-ray player to give it the best test. In terms of picture modes, you can choose between Movie, Game and Standard. We settle on Movie as the most cinematic of the choices, offering the warmest colours and best dark detail.

Playing Civil War on Blu-ray, the Xgimi delivers a punchy but slightly over-baked picture in the Movie mode’s default settings, but after adjusting the contrast and sharpness levels, we unearth a more natural image that portrays the green trees around an army staging post with more balanced, yet still striking, colours.

This naturalness is present in the rendering of faces, too. As the shaken journalists attempt to collect themselves in the car after a particularly traumatic experience, the projector digs up the smaller details in their faces despite the dark interior. Skin tones also appear balanced and natural, without fading into the background or looking over-vibrant.

The Vibe One continues to impress when we switch to some darker content. In the opening of Alien: Romulus, as a ship floats through the depths of space, the projector presents the dark abyss with an impressively deep black by budget projector standards.

It can’t quite differentiate the darkest elements of the scene (the point at which the ship ends and space begins, for example), but it does well with such a challenging scene considering its price.

Xgimi’s projector also creates a good sense of three-dimensionality as a xenomorph fossil drifts towards the camera, helped by the contrast between the black of the fossil and the ship’s interior.

The Vibe One’s motion handling is surprisingly natural as well. We switch to the scene in Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings where the titular character gets caught up in a bout of fisticuffs on the bus. As the vehicle swerves towards us, it moves with a smooth yet convincing movement that gives the scene a sense of realism.

Judging by the projector’s portable design and budget price, it seems likely that many users will be using the model in a more well-lit environment. So we turn on the lights in our test room to see how it copes. While a fair bit of dark detail is lost, the colours are still balanced and eye-catching.

Bright sunlight will inevitably cause the Vibe One more problems – it will be hard to enjoy a Christopher Nolan movie outdoors on a summer's day, for instance – but it will be fine for a spot of sunny sport, the short battery life notwithstanding.

Back to our windowless test room, and we put the Vibe One against the Wanbo Vali 1. The Vibe One is clearly the more detailed and colourful performer, and while the Wanbo skews brighter than the Xgimi, the Vibe One’s crisper, sharper edges and more insightful dark scenes make the Wanbo look a bit murky by comparison.

Ultimately, while expectations must be tempered at this level, the Vibe One does an impressive job of getting the basics right, resulting in a balanced, natural-looking picture that massively outperforms its price tag.

Sound

The Vibe One is not as strong a performer when it comes to audio, however, despite the apparent involvement of JBL in its sound system. That’s perhaps not particularly surprising, given that there are only two speakers driven by 3 watts of amplification built in.

While it can go reasonably loud considering its size, the Vibe One still struggles to make much of an impact even at maximum volume. When watching Civil War, for example, the lack of punchy bass makes a landing helicopter sound more like a knife on a chopping board than a pounding piece of military hardware.

The bigger issue, though, is that voices can get lost in the mix, so some dialogue is hard to make out. In Alien: Romulus, as the android Andy and his human sister Rain rush through the bustling mining colony, their conversation gets muddled with radio chatter in the background, which makes it hard to decipher at points. And that’s in a quiet test room, so it would prove even more difficult in a louder setting.

When voices are audible, they also sound somewhat tinny and artificial. In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, as Gamora and Peter Quill share a dance to Bring It On Home To Me by Sam Cooke, the relative lack of tonality in the characters’ voices and lack of bass detracts from the emotion of the scene.

The Wanbo delivers a louder audio performance with clearer voices, and outdoes the Xgimi in this area.

If you do buy the Vibe One, we recommend also adding a Bluetooth speaker for sound. Even something along the lines of the JBL Go 4 will be a significant upgrade for movies – as well as being an excellent little music speaker in its own right, of course.

Verdict

The Vibe One offers a detailed and cinematic picture for an impressively low price.

If it had better sound and a bigger battery (or USB power pack support), this could well be a five-star portable projector. Perhaps something to consider for the sequel, Xgimi…

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 3
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Xgimi Mogo 4

Also consider the Wanbo Vali 1

Read our Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air review

Best projectors: budget, 4K and ultra-short-throw

Xgimi’s latest bid to turn the world’s living rooms into cinemas is its most all-round spectacular projector yet.

The Horizon 20 Max’s eye-catching design is out to make light of the often complicated job of projector set-up.

Its retina-challenging claimed brightness of 5700 ISO lumens is out to cut through ambient light like a knife through butter.

Its claimed 20,000:1 contrast ratio is out to suggest the projector might actually be able to turn itself into a proper home cinema machine for movie nights.

And its claimed 110 per cent coverage of the AV world’s most extreme BT.2020 colour gamut is out to make it look locked and loaded for whatever video challenges the future might bring.

Exciting stuff indeed. Unless it’s all just hype, of course.

Price

The Horizon 20 Max’s price puts it in arguably the single most competitive projector space right now.

Around its level can be found all manner of weird and more or less wonderful serious home entertainment projectors, all keen to combine lifestyle convenience with genuine performance skills.

Key rivals, for instance, would be BenQ’s X3100i and the recently reviewed Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2, both of which back up their on-paper appeal with the real five-star performance deal.

Despite still being relatively new to the projector scene, though, Xgimi has already proved capable of staking a strong claim to even the most competitive projection turf, so we can’t see any reason why the Horizon 20 Max can’t also at least keep up with the Joneses. Especially given the sort of on-paper features and specifications it boasts.

Design

While projectors that join the Horizon 20 Max in adopting a roughly cubic shape are pretty common these days, Xgimi’s model still manages to stand out from the crowd for two main reasons.

First, it hangs its cubic form in a distinctive cradle stand, within which the projector can be effortlessly tilted up and down to get its pictures in the right place on your wall or, ideally, screen.

The hinge mechanism that makes this possible is outstanding, supporting the meaty projector body as if it’s no heavier than a handful of candy floss, while at the same time allowing you to adjust the projector’s angle of attack over clearly defined and well-calibrated steps.

The whole cradle rig can be rotated left or right on the unit’s circular base, too, with the rotating movement again impressing with how smooth and clean it is.

The other unusual feature of the Horizon 20 Max’s design is the leather-like texture of its ‘elephant grey’ finish. This soft finish creates an unusual combination of tactile warmth and premium quality that’s unique in even the Horizon 20 Max’s relatively design-led part of the projector market.

The Horizon 20 Max is joined by a crisp, button-lite remote control that combines a smooth metallic finish element for its bottom half and side/rear elements with a matte black-backed button section offset by a gleaming black metallic-looking navigation circle at its heart. The key buttons on the remote are helpfully backlit, too.

Features

While the Horizon 20 Max’s design is flexible and innovative enough to be classed as a feature in itself, its attractions run much more than skin deep.

For starters, its triple-laser 4K DLP optical engine is claimed to be capable of blasting out a monumental 5700 ISO lumens of peak brightness. That’s one of the highest brightness figures we’ve seen from any projector, and it seems like it should be impossible from a projector as compact and affordable as the Horizon 20 Max.

Other big Horizon 20 Max numbers include a claimed 20,000:1 contrast ratio courtesy of the projector’s dynamic light control systems, claimed coverage of 110 per cent of the extreme BT.2020 colour spectrum (most HDR content is mastered in the much narrower DCI-P3 spectrum), and the claimed ability to satisfy a screen as big as 300 inches.

Gamers will be pleased to learn that the Horizon 20 Max can handle refresh rates all the way up to 240Hz. Those refresh rates can be variable, too, and unlike some rivals, the Horizon 20 Max can retain 4K and HDR when you’re gaming at 120Hz.

The Horizon 20 Max’s operating system is built around Google TV. This brings with it most of the world’s most popular streaming services, including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV, as well as most of the UK’s main terrestrial broadcaster catch-up services.

The only things missing are the BBC iPlayer, which hardly ever appears on Google-based products, and both the Freeview Play and Freely services.

It becomes apparent while exploring the Horizon 20 Max’s smart features that it impressively supports both the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ premium HDR formats. After years of projectors not supporting either of these formats, with their extra scene-by-scene HDR image information, we’ve now tested two in a row.

The Horizon 20 Max’s connections include a pair of HDMIs (one of which supports eARC for shipping sound through to a connected AVR or soundbar), two USB ports, an optical digital audio output, a 3.5mm audio line out, as well as the now pretty much obligatory Bluetooth and wi-fi streaming options.

The Horizon 20 Max’s attempts to make itself easy to set up and adapt to different room arrangements don’t stop at its unusual cradled design. It also offers motorised horizontal and vertical optical image shifting, and motorised zoom. All of which are delivered via outstandingly refined and smooth mechanisms. Plus, there’s auto keystone correction, intelligent obstacle avoidance and screen alignment systems, an autofocus system, and even the facility to adjust the projector’s colour to compensate for different wall colours.

The words 'Sound By Harman Kardon’ at the bottom right of a grilled area over the bottom half of the Horizon 20 Max’s fascia alert you to the presence of a potentially unusually powerful sound system by projector standards. This turns out to comprise a 2 x 12W speaker arrangement with DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Audio decoding – with the cubic design providing more room for sound to breathe than regular projector designs do.

Picture

The Horizon 20 Max is capable of being a seriously enjoyable watch across a surprisingly wide range of room conditions.

It’s great to discover, for starters, that Xgimi seems to have taken on board past criticisms that its projectors can be a little too interested in aggressive spectacle over the naturalism and balance that more serious AV fans desire. Basically, the Horizon 20 Max not only now provides easy-access presets that cater sensibly for both bright and dark room set-ups, but it’s clearly worked hard to make sure that its newly diverse range of preset options are actually quite thoughtfully calibrated.

There’s even a Filmmaker Mode on the Horizon 20 Max, in fact, designed to produce pictures that get as close as the projector can manage to the look of industry video mastering standards.

Unusually, though, the Horizon 20 Max only seems to let you access Filmmaker Mode if it’s triggered by a flag in the content you’re watching. There’s no manually selectable Filmmaker Mode in the list of different presets the projector lets you choose between. Which means, essentially, that while Filmmaker Mode may trigger with some streamed content, you can’t apply it to 4K Blu-rays given that no 4K Blu-rays, so far as we’re aware, have been mastered with the Filmmaker Mode flag embedded.

It’s fortunate, then, that the Movie preset that the Horizon 20 Max does provide is very effective, injecting a level of warmth, subtlety and balance into the image that old Xgimi would not have done so well.

Colours – even skin tones – look believable and balanced, and there’s enough subtlety in the rendering of the image’s colour tones to ensure that nothing looks plasticky, flat, garish or cartoonish. Nor is there any significant evidence of colour striping over colour blends.

This welcome new interest from Xgimi in creating a picture that’s built around immersion, balance and refinement is joined by outstanding sharpness, too. Truly native 4K projection still isn’t yet an option at the Horizon 20 Max’s price level, but the crispness and sense of detail and texture in this Xgimi’s pictures look at least 4K adjacent. Without, crucially, anything feeling over-sharpened.

While the Movie preset is an overall great option for watching movies and premium TV shows in a relatively dark or fully blacked-out room, viewing in such conditions does reveal slightly raised black tones during dark scenes. This issue is nothing like as bad as we might have expected from a projector with 5700 ISO lumens of claimed brightness in its locker, but there’s certainly a slightly greyer look to dark areas than we experienced with a well-set-up Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 – though that Valerion model doesn’t look quite as bright and punchy as the Horizon 20 Max.

The Xgimi’s brightness really is impressive. As well as helping images retain enjoyable punch and dynamism even in quite high levels of ambient light, this brightness is also put to excellent use by Xgimi’s dynamic tone mapping system in creating a genuine HDR ‘feel’ to the presentation of HDR sources. This includes some proper intensity in bright peaks, such as sunlight reflecting on metal or glass.

Having said all that, you shouldn’t expect to get anything like the Horizon 20 Max’s full claimed light output while still watching enjoyable pictures. This is because you can only access the projector’s full light output by switching the projector to a High Brightness picture preset which, while undoubtedly almost unbelievably bright, also does some very strange things to the image’s colours, leaving them looking washed out and excessively ‘cool’ in tone, to a degree that still looks off even in the relatively high levels of ambient light this setting is presumably designed to fight against.

Happily, though, the Standard or even Vivid presets are both fantastically punchy by projector standards if that’s the look you’re after, or you’re wanting to use the projector in ambient light without suffering such blue-dominated colour shifts. In fact, these two modes actually look extremely vibrant, giving you easy access to Xgimi’s fun, if occasionally OTT, vibrant side.

Xgimi’s new willingness to cater for a wide variety of image tastes is further expanded by the Horizon 20 Max’s ability to play Dolby Vision and HDR10+ content, and the addition of an IMAX Enhanced mode as another very watchable, if slightly more muted, film enthusiast’s alternative to the Movie mode.

Bright Dolby Vision scenes look particularly gorgeous in the Dolby Vision Dark setting – though even with Dolby’s extra help, dark scenes still look a little washed out.

While the Horizon 20 Max makes its biggest mark against the competition with HDR content, it is able to adapt its output very successfully to the much milder demands of SDR, retaining the necessary colour balance and refinement that AV fans look for with SDR playback.

The Xgimi’s brightness and vibrancy contribute to a seriously fun gaming performance that does substantially more justice than most projectors to the HDR graphics that pretty much all AAA games now deploy. No other projectors in the Horizon 20 Max’s class look crisper, brighter or more vibrant in their game modes, in fact. The projector’s 4K 120Hz HDR gaming support delivers a really responsive experience, too, backed up by input lag that measures just 11.1ms with 1080p/60Hz feeds.

Figuring out what gaming features the Horizon 20 Max supports does bring up our toughest battle with its bizarrely over-complicated picture set-up menus, though.

These menus contain an impressive number of tweaks and options, but some are confusingly named, and worse, there appear to be some seriously complex and typically unexplained inter-relationships between some of them. Choosing one option can cause another to become greyed out and inaccessible, for example, and you’re not even always clear about whether a particular feature is actually working or not.

When it comes to gaming, there’s a Game setting in the basic presets section – but this doesn’t introduce any sort of low-latency features. In fact, the lag if you just choose this option is well over 100ms – far too high for a responsive gaming experience.

It turns out that you need to manually select a separate Game option buried deep in the All Settings/Display Settings sub menu, and then additionally select a Boost option within that Game submenu before lag gets down to the 11.1ms figure noted above.

Even weirder, if you turn the Boost mode on, but then turn the ‘secondary’ Game mode off, the Boost mode remains active, even if you’re no longer playing a game. Thankfully, the projector does tend to remind you that Boost mode is active, but then you have to remember how to navigate the tortuous route back to the option that switches it off.

Another issue is that some of the Horizon 20 Max’s picture adjustments are very unrefined, only making coarse, extreme changes to the image when much finer levels of adjustment are needed.

So complex and ‘raw’ are the Horizon 20 Max’s settings, in fact, that we suggest you pretty much just stick with the two or three picture presets you like the most for different light levels rather than getting involved with much fine-tuning. The only exception to this 'leave well alone’ advice, aside from the low lag situation for gamers, concerns the projector’s motion processing. The default setting of this MEMC feature turns films into over-smooth soap operas in its default setting with most picture presets, so you should switch it into its relatively gentle Real Cinema mode, or just turn motion processing off entirely.

Aside from its slightly grey black levels and brain-bending picture set-up options, the one other issue we have with the Horizon 20 Max’s pictures is the rainbow effect. The distracting tell-tale stripes of red, green and blue flit over the image consistently enough to become at least a low-level distraction to most viewers – never mind those people who are particularly prone to seeing this common DLP issue.

Sound

The Horizon 20 Max’s built-in sound system is impressive in many ways. Bass, in particular, is much more present, deep and free of distortions than it is on the vast majority of integrated projector sound systems. The sound also projects forward from the projector very handily, and spreads out rapidly in the process, achieving that very rare projector sound system feat of making its sound appear at least vaguely connected to its pictures.

The integrated speakers are powerful enough to get pretty loud without starting to distort, too, and consistently manage to shift smoothly through a good few gears when playing action scenes without starting to sound muddy or constrained. Especially with low-end sounds kicking in so enthusiastically.

The speakers are sensitive enough to portray plenty of subtle details from busy film soundtracks, too, while the projector’s sound processing manages to place location effects with likeable accuracy. Dialogue remains locked at the heart of the soundstage, though, as it should. In fact, dialogue can go a little far in this respect at times, to the point where it can start to sound a little trapped inside the projector’s belly, especially with male voices.

The only other issue with the Horizon 20 Max’s sound is that the very deepest extended bass rumbles can sound a bit coarse and unrefined compared with the rest of the audio profile. Though the speakers seldom if ever lose their integrity to such an extent that they flat out distort or crackle.

Verdict

There’s a ton of stuff to like about the Horizon 20 Max. Its design is cool, tactile and user-friendly; its feature count for movie fans and gamers is long and useful, and its pictures are fundamentally strong and adapt well to a much wider range of room set-ups than the vast majority of other projectors can.

Dark scenes can look a touch grey if you fancy a serious dark room movie night, though, and the rainbow effect can be hard to ignore. Its set-up menus are bizarrely inscrutable at times, too.

With some impressive sonics to keep its generally good pictures company, though, in the end, the Horizon 20 Max is impossible not to like.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the BenQ x3100i

Also consider the Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2

Read our Hisense C1 review

Best projectors: budget, 4K and ultra-short-throw

While it’s only been around for the blink of an eye by AV standards, having started out in ultra-modern fashion on Kickstarter in 2024, Valerion has already come a long way.

It was officially announced as the premium ‘sub-brand’ of slightly longer-in-the-tooth projector brand AWOL Vision in May 2025, and it’s now already onto its second generation of products.

That second generation of products includes the first Valerion model to ever grace our review pages: the VisionMaster Pro 2.

With a grand name like VisionMaster Pro, a gleaming design that feels like it could go ten rounds with a Sherman Tank and still look catwalk-ready, and not one but two genuine performance boosting updates recently tucked under its belt, Valerion’s latest projector certainly isn’t shy about coming forward.

But can such a nascent brand really hold its own with the best the projector establishment has to offer?

Price

Considering Valerion is positioned as a premium sub-brand of AWOL Vision, the VisionMaster Pro 2’s £2019 / $2999 / AU$4999 price really doesn’t seem unreasonable.

That’s especially true when you consider that this is a projector which, as we’ll see, is packed with convenience and performance-enhancing features, and sports one of the most eye-catching designs the projector world has to offer.

The sort of premium coffee table space the VisionMaster Pro 2 at least looks like it’s designed to fit into, though, is a crowded one these days, with other roughly cube-shaped models such as BenQ’s similarly priced X3100i and Hisense’s much more affordable C1 already setting a high design and performance bar.

Design

Aside from its now quite common cubic shape (usually adopted to accommodate a decent sound system and some extra cooling room to help keep fan noise down), the VisionMaster Pro 2 looks truly unique.

Its top and left/right edges are particularly eye-catching, adorned as they are in a distinctive, deeply ribbed finish where the outer end of each rib features gleaming silvery metal.

The ribbing combines with the fact that the VisionMaster Pro 2 is exceptionally heavy by projector standards to make it a tricky beast to pick up and move.

With the gleaming ribbed sides offset glamorously by beautifully smooth, polished, mirrored glass front and back panels, though, this really is a projector design to admire. Even if your tastes might normally lean towards something more conservative.

The metallic theme continues with the VisionMaster Pro 2’s remote control, which is wrapped very fetchingly across its bottom third, around its edges and over the navigation buttons by a beautifully premium-feeling brushed metal finish.

This is offset handsomely by a matte black backdrop for the remote’s buttons, which are both backlit and helpfully arranged for the most part.

Features

The VisionMaster Pro 2 packs a handy bag of tricks inside its compact but weighty form. At its heart lies a triple (RGB) laser lighting system feeding into a 4K-capable DLP optical set-up, capable of pumping out a claimed 3000 ISO lumens of light.

That’s a pretty promising brightness figure in our humble opinion, with experience suggesting it has the potential to handily straddle the tricky line between being bright enough to punch through a degree of ambient light, but also not so bright that there’s little to no chance of the projector being able to deliver any decent black levels and contrast.

In fact, Valerion claims a very respectable 15,000:1 contrast ratio for the Pro 2 with the projector running in its most contrast-friendly settings (more on these later).

Remarkably, the VisionMaster Pro 2 is claimed to be capable of covering 110 per cent of the AV world’s most extreme BT2020 colour gamut (well beyond the DCI-P3 range used for most real-world HDR content mastering), and impressively, it’s capable of playing both the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ premium HDR formats.

Projectors able to handle even one of these premium formats are still relatively rare, so the Pro 2’s ability to handle both – essentially meaning the projector can play the best version of any content it’s presented with – feels like a real luxury.

It’s equipped with a Filmmaker Mode setting for quick access to relatively accuracy-based pictures (though we feel its Movie preset actually delivers the most rewarding results in dark room settings).

Also, its IMAX Enhanced certification shows the Valerion been deemed capable of doing justice to the relatively noiseless and screen-filling IMAX Enhanced mastering system.

Finally, ISF certification proves that it has all the tools a professional calibrator needs to optimise the projector to your specific room conditions.

Gamers will be pleased to hear that the VisionMaster Pro 2 can support 240Hz frame rates, at which speed it can render images in just 4ms. HDMI ports one and two can also cope with 4K/120Hz signals with HDR, though the third HDMI tops out at 1080p/120Hz if you want to retain HDR.

Note, though, that as with some TVs, even the two full HDMI 2.1 ports only take in high frame rates with HDR and 4K resolution if you manually select the specific HDMI’s Enhanced Pro option via the projector’s Input menu options.

There’s support for ultra-wide gaming formats (32:9 and 21:9) if you’re playing a PC title that supports such ratios, and you can call up an overlaid crosshair in the centre of the screen to help your aim.

This latter feature is especially useful when you’re dealing with images as big as the 300 inches the VisionMaster Pro 2 claims to have enough edge-to-edge sharpness to successfully deliver. The only gaming disappointment is the lack of any VRR support.

Smart features are handled by a built-in Google TV system. This gives you access to most of the key streaming and UK broadcaster catch-up apps, including Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, Disney+, Apple TV, Channel 4, My5 and ITVX. Though, as usual with Google TV, the BBC iPlayer is notably absent.

There is, though, support for AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Miracast, Google Home, Apple HomeKit and Alexa, with near- and far-field Google Assistant voice control also available.

While the VisionMaster Pro 2 might have designs on being a fairly serious home cinema projector, it can still adapt easily to a range of potential living room set-up situations thanks to auto image size, auto keystone correction and auto focus options, along with manual backup adjustments where required.

The auto size feature is backed up by an unusually generous 0.9x-1.5x level of optical zoom.

Picture

The first thing we should say here is that the way our time with the VisionMaster Pro 2 played out meant that we actually got to see it both before and after it received not one but two firmware updates that seriously improved picture performance in multiple ways.

So, before we get into how a fully updated Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 performs, we recommend that you check if your Pro 2 is running the latest software.

If your model’s DLP firmware version (found in the About/Upgrade section of the Settings/System menu) says it’s in the 7x series, it needs to be upgraded to version 79 – a process that can only be done using a USB storage stick.

If your projector’s DLP firmware is in the 83 series, you don’t need the DLP firmware update.

Once you’re confident your DLP firmware is correct, check that your projector is running firmware version P1215, and if it isn’t, you should be able to get it via manually instigating an over-the-air update. Full details on both update processes can be found in the support area of Valerion’s website.

The DLP update is designed to reduce the projector’s susceptibility to DLP’s projection’s rainbow effect issue, where stripes of red, green and blue can flit around in your peripheral vision or over standout bright objects. And it’s fair to say its effects are pretty transformational.

So much so that the Pro 2’s rainbow effect goes from being consistently and obviously distracting enough to cost the image a full performance mark, to occurring so mildly and rarely that it seldom bothers us at all. It hasn’t completely gone, to be clear, but it really is way, way less of a nuisance.

The P1215 firmware, meanwhile, delivers two other extremely welcome performance enhancements, first by unlocking the ability to adjust the projector’s laser output for the Dolby Vision Dark mode, and second by enhancing the projector’s Dynamic Tone Mapping system for optimising HDR sources to the projector’s capabilities.

The Enhanced Black Level feature for automatically optimising the projector’s laser output to suit each scene you’re watching is pretty essential to getting the most all-round watchable images on the VisionMaster Pro 2.

Being able to apply it on its Low setting to the Dolby Vision Dark mode results in some of the best images we’ve seen on a projector even close to this price level. Black levels go from OK to excellent, without costing much brightness or colour vibrancy at all.

The ‘Low’ Enhanced Black Level setting has a helpful impact on regular HDR10 content, too, transforming images from good if slightly grey in dark scenes, to really cinematic, contrast-rich affairs that wouldn’t look out of place on a much more expensive dedicated home theatre projector.

Making the Enhanced Black Level feature’s impact all the better is that it improves black depth while causing precious little subtle shading detail to become lost in the darkness.

Though if you do feel that dark areas have started looking a touch hollow with the Enhanced Black Level feature engaged, a thoughtfully designed Shadow Detail Enhancement feature is able to do a great job of marginally raising the black level floor when subtle details are present without impacting the overall brightness level.

In a perfect world, more of the Pro 2’s picture presets might have been more effectively set up out of the box, rather than needing manual adjustment. It’s true, too, that achieving the most accurate images using the Filmmaker Mode requires the Enhanced Black Level feature to be turned off, resulting in a slightly flat-looking image.

It’s hard to complain too much about the odd preset foible, though, when Valerion has not only provided fairly straightforward and logical tools for enhancing its images in all the right ways, but has actually delivered those tools with a degree of sensitivity, subtlety and image understanding that’s rare indeed in the ‘lifestyle’ projection world.

Joining the Pro 2’s impressive brightness and contrast is a seriously impressive colour range. This extends comfortably out to the furthest reaches of even the most aggressive HDR masters in our 4K Blu-ray collection, but at the same time, the colour processing uses that range at least as much for delivering subtle shading differences as aggressively vibrant spectacle.

The result is an exceptionally punchy image, but one that doesn’t feel cartoonish or flat. Especially as Valerion’s latest firmware update for the projector seems to have introduced better control over how light combines with colour, causing less clipping of detail in the brightest areas and a better all-round balance of tones across HDR scenes.

The VisionMaster Pro 2 delivers 4K sources with a level of pixel density and sharpness that gets mighty close to native 4K in appearance, despite the projector not having a genuine 4K DLP Digital Mirror Device count.

It even manages to keep that sharpness more or less intact when there’s motion and camera panning to handle, thanks to an unusually effective ‘Film’ motion processing option. This massages away the heaviest judder effects without making the results look unnaturally fluid or generating unwanted and distracting processing side effects.

Even after receiving its latest firmware updates and plying it with a few judicious picture setting tweaks, the VisionMaster Pro 2’s images aren’t entirely niggle free.

We’ve already mentioned that faint traces of the rainbow effect remain. Also, though, bright shots can be affected by a slight glimmering effect of the sort we’d normally associate (at a much stronger level) with watching a bright projector on a high-gain screen.

And, while using the ‘Low’ Enhanced Black Level mode is for us borderline essential to getting the best picture quality from the VisionMaster Pro 2, it can occasionally cause slight brightness instability – and the High Enhanced Black Level option pushes this issue to really quite unpleasant levels. The ‘Clear’ motion processing option applied by default to many of the Pro 2’s presets also causes all sorts of distracting issues.

Finally, while gaming on the VisionMaster Pro 2 is enjoyable and responsive enough at 120Hz frame rates, it feels a little laggy with 60Hz titles. Input lag measures 34.3ms with 1080p/60Hz feeds, which isn’t actually bad. But the real-world 60Hz gaming experience just doesn’t quite feel as responsive and fluid as we’d like.

With any projector, though, especially any projector that wants to have a serious stab at HDR content, there are always going to be picture performance trade-offs.

And the simple fact is that the trade-offs that an updated and mildly tweaked VisionMaster Pro 2 requires you to swallow feel like pretty small beer against all the good stuff Valerion’s projector can do.

Sound

The VisionMaster Pro 2’s integrated 2 x 12W speakers sound much better than most integrated projector speaker systems.

For starters, they have enough power and projection behind them to create at least a sense of a dome of sound existing beyond the projector’s physical bodywork.

Most location effects in a sophisticated movie mix appear fairly accurately placed within this sound dome, too, and the simple fact that the audio can escape the projector’s bodywork helps it sound a bit more attached to the projector’s distant pictures than usual.

Perhaps even more impressive is the depth of bass the Pro 2’s speakers can reach without succumbing to crackling, buzzing or dropouts.

This gives soundtracks a properly cinematic feel you barely ever get with integrated projector sound systems – especially as this impressive low frequency foundation is maintained even during loud, dense action scene moments without the rest of the mix sounding overwhelmed or thin.

There’s even a genuine sense of impact with movie staples such as punches or gunfire.

In a perfect world, the highest treble would sound a little more rounded and smooth, and voices would sound a bit more open and project better from the Valerion’s bodywork.

But the fact that we’re even able to pick out such specific audio issues rather than just being overwhelmed by the general mediocrity most projector audio systems serve up actually proves how much better the VisionMaster Pro 2 sounds than most of its peers.

Verdict

Valerion is, on paper, still a novice brand, and the Kickstarter-plus-major-firmware-updates journey of its VisionMaster Pro 2 projector is unusual to say the least.

It turns out, though, that neither of these apparent challenges has managed to stop the Pro 2 from both becoming a (literally) shining star of the mid-range lifestyle projector scene, and putting Valerion firmly on the home entertainment map.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the BenQ x3100i

Also consider the Hisense C1

Read our Epson EF-72 review

Our pick of the best projectors you can buy for every budget

Epson has announced the launch of its Lifestudio Flex Special Lux Edition EF-73, which builds upon the four-star EF-72 projector with a new, premium look and a couple of new features.

It retains the overall shape of the Lifestudio Flex, and it seems to deliver much of what that projector had to offer in the picture and sound space, too.

It still produces a 4K image up to 150 inches via Epson's Triple Core Engine light source, which is its term for a 3LCD laser system.

Furthermore, it retains the claimed 1000-lumen peak brightness, HDR10 and HLG compatibility, and an auto-calibration system that includes Epson's Auto Focus, Auto Keystone, Auto Screen Fit, and Auto Obstacle Avoidance systems.

Sound-wise, the EF-73 appears to retain the 10W built-in sound system tuned by Bose, which we found to be a bit safe-sounding in our full EF-72 review.

More power output would've been appreciated, but Bluetooth 5.2 is still on board if you wish to connect this projector to a wireless speaker for improved audio output.

Google TV is also built in for onboard streaming duties, meaning you don't have to sacrifice the single HDMI socket for a streaming device.

What really sets this new Special Lux Edition apart is the upgraded build. It now comes in a Night Black colourway, which includes premium materials such as "tempered glass, suede, and anodised gold", according to Epson.

Furthermore, the top panel of the stand base now doubles as a wireless charger for your smartphone, which is a nice touch as Epson continues to bill this as being right at home on a bedside table.

As such, the rather nifty ambient lighting feature that we were fond of on the EF-72 also returns, making this an ideal bedroom lamp, too.

Finally, Epson will launch its Projection Studio app next month, with which the EF-73 is compatible.

This will let you control the projector from your phone, beam photos onto your wall with ease, and there's even an option to connect multiple phones to the projector at once to allow for interactive elements.

The Lifestudio Flex Special Lux Edition will launch in April of this year, and the Projection Studio app will launch the following month. We have reached out to Epson for pricing information.

MORE:

Check out our full Epson EF-72 review

As well as our picks for the best projectors

And our best portable projectors

Taiwanese projector brand Optoma has announced its new flagship home cinema projector – the UHZ78LV.

The 4K triple-laser DLP projector aims to deliver “premium large-screen performance in both dedicated theatre rooms and modern spaces”, according to the company.

The projector boasts a claimed 5000 lumens of brightness and can project an image from 80 inches all the way up to 300 inches.

Optoma hopes this brightness will help provide cinematic scale, vibrant colour accuracy and strong contrast performance, even in environments with ambient light.

Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced are all offered with the new model, while connectivity includes HDMI 2.1 and eARC support for Dolby Atmos passthrough to external sound systems.

Optoma’s PureEngine Ultra system is available with the 4K model, too. This includes colour calibration by Optoma’s in-house image experts, contrast and detail enhancements, and an array of settings that let you customise many of the most critical picture-quality elements.

The projector also offers some nifty flexibility options, including a motorised 1.6x zoom, lens shift and 360-degree projection capability.

The Optoma UHZ78LV will be available beginning March 2026 for £5999.99. which means it will be in direct competition with the Sony VPL-XW5000ES.

The Award-winning Sony laser projector scored five stars in our review, impressing with its detailed 4K native picture and excellent black levels.

Also in this ballpark is the Epson EH-QB1000, another five-star model that blew us away with its bright, colourful, HDR pictures.

We will let you know how this new Optoma model shapes up against these rivals once we put it through its paces in our test room.

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These are the best projectors

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For years, I’ve lamented my inability to fit a 100-plus-inch screen into my tiny Victorian terraced house, much to the anger of two key groups.

The first is a very small, but vocal community of Australian readers who have repeatedly told me to “just build a bigger house”.

I’m not going to even get into the semantics of how a journalist’s stipend and the realities of London real estate make that a rather ridiculous solution.

The second, infinitely more reasonable, group usually asks if I’ve considered an ultra-short-throw (UST) projector. And I have a lot of respect for the suggestion.

For non-techies, UST is a category of projector that companies, led by Hisense and its Laser TV and Laser Cinema lines, have been trying to sell as a valid, at times superior, alternative to traditional TVs for quite some time.

And look, on paper there’s plenty to get excited about. They offer a big screen, 100-plus-inch viewing experience that doesn’t require a cavernous amount of space and can be discreetly placed in any lounge without completely dominating its fengshui. Plonk them right next to the surface you want to project onto, and boom, you have a giant home cinema experience. At least that’s the idea.

And I will fully admit, I have been tempted many times over to take advantage of their perks. But, despite more time spent in our testing rooms reviewing them than I care to count, rewatching our standard suite of test discs, over and over and over again, it wasn’t until last year that one successfully made its way into my house.

And there were two big reasons for my reticence. The first is a simple one; they’re a faff to set up. Many models have supposed “auto calibration” modes, which are meant to adjust the projected image to fit onto the screen, or wall, if you’re a philistine. But to date, I’m yet to find one that works off the bat, and almost always have to do fiddly manual corrections to get them up and running.

The second, more serious point, is to do with their picture quality, specifically their black levels. As I said in a previous opinion piece, there are inherent reasons a projector, UST or otherwise, can’t match the perfect black levels of the LG C2 OLED set up in my lounge – the main one being they make an image by projecting light over an area, where OLEDs charge individual pixels on a panel.

But, USTs have a record for being particularly guilty of one of two sins. First, attempting to overcome their naturally imperfect blacks by boosting the contrast to extreme levels, creating the illusion of deeper blacks at the expense of dark detail. The second is ignoring the problem entirely, letting dark scenes retain detail, but look distinctly grey as a result.

And for years, I’ve argued I’d rather have a smaller screen with better picture quality, and forego a UST because of these annoyances.

With that in mind, you probably think I’m about to say I changed my mind and welcomed a UST into my home because I found a model that fixed these issues, but that’s not the case.

No, I just decided to make a go of it out of necessity. I just turned one of the spare rooms into a study/”man cave” and didn’t fancy the idea of lugging a TV up three flights of stairs, the dimensions of which mean even a 55-inch set would have required my wife and me to re-enact an iconic scene in Friends, involving the word “pivot!”

Yes, I welcomed a Hisense PX3 into my cave because I’m lazy and no longer convinced my middle-aged back would survive the ordeal of getting a heavy TV all the way up the stairs into my converted attic. And you know what, I regret nothing.

I love OLEDs and the perfect blacks they bring, and the PX3 definitely suffers from both of the typical UST flaws I outlined above, but since taking the plunge, the charms of a 100-plus-inch viewing experience have grown on me. So much so that I’ve started favouring it as my go-to option over the C2 in some instances – including the impromptu bad movie nights I have with friends every few months.

With a four person sofa in the same room and a JBL Bar 1300 Dolby Atmos soundbar system handling sound, the home cinema experience just feels more fun when the group and I decide to watch every Leprechaun film we can find back to back, or indulge in a cult classic (most recently Phantom Of The Paradise) over a few beers and a takeout, to blow off steam.

No, the picture isn’t as good as an OLED, yes, I have a royal faff whenever someone knocks the cabinet it’s on and I have to adjust the settings again. But the extra real estate and experience of using a projector just adds a piece of cinema magic you can’t replicate with a standard-sized TV, period.

Sitting in a group, laughing our hearts out after a hard week, watching (spoiler warning) the random environment scientist wandering the plains at the end of Birdemic reveal “it was global warming all along”, is just more fun. Trust me. I’ve done the research…

Which means, hand on heart, I have to admit I was at least partially wrong and will concede to the sea of readers who’ve disagreed with me over the size vs quality debate. While I still maintain there’s a baseline I won’t go below for picture quality, and I will watch movies I care about on an OLED by choice, size does matter more than I previously thought, at least for me personally.

Truthfully, I am as happy as a pig in mud having the PX3 in my home for more casual, movie nights, or the odd Six Nations game, where the source doesn’t necessarily need ultimate quality to be enjoyable (trust me, most of the B-movies we watch look wonderfully budget, no matter what you watch them on).

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If you have a casual glance through the mountain of projectors on the market right now, you might be put off by the number of models that break into the thousands when it comes to cost.

That explains why we have seen a rise in affordable projectors in the past few years to bring the big-screen experience to more people.

One of the most recent additions to this growing arena is the Wanbo Vali 1 – a 1080p coffee table projector that will cost you an eye-poppingly reasonable £270 / $279 / AU$499. Consider that its image size can go up to 180 inches, and that's a lot of screen for your money.

Few models in our test room have come close to this price. The Xgimi MoGo 4, which launched at £509 / $499 / AU$1399, is the next most affordable projector we have recently tested. It currently holds the title as the best model for portability in our best portable projectors guide.

It comes with Android TV built-in, so you can access a range of streaming services such as Disney+, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

We must admit that we didn’t have the highest hopes for the Wanbo's picture quality at this price. But this plucky upstart managed to deliver an impressive four-star performance.

Why did it perform so well? Let’s take a closer look.

Balanced, natural picture performance

To achieve the best image performance, we set the picture settings to the Warm pre-set and reduce sharpness from 50 to 30 to avoid the default over-sharpened look.

That done, the Wanbo Vali 1 gives us a balanced, pleasant overall image that is a delight, especially considering its low price.

We say in our review, when watching Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes on Disney+: “As our ape protagonists swing through the green undergrowth and out into the open trees, the projector portrays a surprisingly balanced image that neither jumps out as overly vibrant nor dull.”

On top of that, the Wanbo performs very well with motion handling. It portrays movement with a natural smoothness and very little judder, which is a rarity at this price point – even more expensive projectors frequently struggle in this area.

We also find that, after reducing the sharpness levels, the Vali 1 can deliver a “pleasingly clean and composed image that makes for easy viewing without overly sharp edges.” For less than £300 / $500 / AU$1400, that's more than we were hoping for.

Practical design

The Wanbo also has a practical design that makes it easier to take your movie experience on the go, although it's worth noting that there is no built-in battery so you will need to rely on an external power source.

Attached to the white plastic body is a handy stand that sits fairly nicely on our coffee table.

You can also tilt the body up to 200 degrees, so the image can be projected onto a screen, ceiling or the wall (we strongly recommend investing in a screen to get the best picture quality from the hardware).

While it's not as stylish as the more lifestyle-centred Epson EF-72, the Wanbo Vali 1 stands strong as a practical model that should blend in seamlessly to your viewing experience.

But far from perfection

Despite all of these positives, the Wanbo 1 is not the perfect projector. In terms of picture performance, the model plays it safe with the darkness of the image by not attempting to portray black extremes.

This becomes particularly obvious during scenes that should have more dark detail; you cannot make out much beyond a vague greyness, and finer aspects are overlooked.

The projector's sound performance doesn’t blow us away, either. The two 6W speakers struggle to push the sound very far and it sounds somewhat locked to the body of the projector as a result.

At this price, though, these kinds of compromises should be expected. This is a projector that nails what it wanted to achieve by offering a 180-inch screen experience with a surprisingly cinematic image.

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Here's our review of the Wanbo Vali 1

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While premium projector models appeal to hardcore cinephiles with cash to splash, an appetite for more affordable coffee table models has grown over the last decade.

After all, they offer a way for viewers to experience their favourite content on a large screen without breaking the bank. And, unlike a massive TV, they can be packed away when not in use.

One of the latest to enter our test rooms is from the relatively young Chinese brand Wanbo, which immediately has us humming Mambo No.5 by Lou Bega.

The Vali 1 is one of the least expensive projectors we have reviewed, so our expectations are not exactly sky high.

What a joy it is, then, to discover that while the Wanbo Vali 1 might not come with a little bit of Sandra in the sun, it does far outperform its price tag.

Price

As established, the Wanbo Vali 1 is impressively affordable, coming in at just £270 / $279 / AU$499.

Few models in our test room have come close to this price. The Xgimi MoGo 4, which launched at £509 / $499 / AU$1399, is the next most affordable projector we've recently tested and currently holds the title as the best model for portability in our best portable projectors guide.

We gave this entry four stars, praising its sharp picture and easy setup. It’s quite a different type of projector from the Wanbo, though, with this more expensive price tag and the inclusion of a built-in battery.

Build

The friendly-looking Wanbo resembles the love child of Wall-E and EVE with its white, rounded body and large single lens. At the front, a neat black frame circles the projector’s ‘face’.

Attached to the body is a handy stand that sits fairly nicely on our coffee table. You can tilt the body up to 200 degrees, so the image can be projected onto a screen, ceiling or the wall (we strongly recommend investing in a screen to get the best picture quality from the hardware).

It’s worth noting that when the body is tilted even a little, the top corners of the image get a little blurry. The less you angle it, the more consistently sharp the image will be.

Because of this, we give it the best chance by placing it behind us, a little above head height. We are well aware, however, that most people will not be able to position it like this, and so will have to accept some of that corner blurring. Keep in mind that, at such a low price, this kind of compromise is to be expected.

The remote is a simple affair, featuring a tactile D-pad near the top. There are a good number of shortcuts available as well, including quick access to picture settings, the home menu and a range of different streaming platforms.

In terms of connectivity, there is a single HDMI, USB and a 3.5mm aux input situated at the back of the body.

Features

The Vali 1 comes with Android TV 11 built in, trailing a long way behind the most recent version, which is currently Android 16.

Netflix is pre-installed, with Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube also available. For UK users, BBC iPlayer and Channel 4 are nowhere to be found, which is a shame considering we suspect most people will rely on the smart platform rather than plug in a source such as a Blu-ray player.

Setting up the projector is made easier with a range of smart calibration features, including auto-focus, auto-screen fit and keystone correction.

The focus and zoom can’t be adjusted very well without interfering with each other, which is a bit of a pain when trying to fine-tune your position. But if you just click ‘auto screen alignment’ in the settings menu, set-up is completed fairly quickly without too much manual fiddling.

The projector image can go as large as 180 inches, which should more than please those looking for the big screen experience.

It won’t come as a surprise that there is no 4K on the cards with this model, and the LED projector only offers 1080p resolution.

One of the boldest claims from Wanbo is that the Vali 1 can produce 900 ANSI lumens of brightness, which the brand says delivers “vivid and vibrant visuals even in brightly lit daytime rooms".

That’s significantly brighter than many more expensive rivals. The Epson EF-12 trumps it with a claimed 1000 ANSI Lumens, but it costs more than triple the price of the plucky Wanbo.

As ever, though, numbers such as these should be largely ignored in favour of real-world testing.

The built-in audio system features a 2 x 6W sound system, but you can alternatively output sound to a wireless speaker via Bluetooth.

It’s worth noting that the Vali 1 is not a portable projector. It’s light and compact enough to be easily moved between rooms, but there’s no built-in battery, so it isn’t the best option for camping trips or garden cinema sessions.

Picture

We want to open this section by saying that this projector is far from perfect, and there are a lot of flaws (which we will come to). But, considering its incredibly cheap price tag, we find ourselves pretty impressed by the plucky Wanbo Vali 1’s overall performance.

We start by adjusting the projector’s picture setting to User and turning the colour temperature to Warm, which we find delivers the most balanced yet cinematic image. We also knock the sharpness down from 50 to 30 to avoid the default over-sharpened look.

Next, we fire up Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes on Disney+. During the opening minutes, as our ape protagonists swing through the green undergrowth and out into the open trees, the projector portrays a surprisingly balanced image that neither jumps out as overly vibrant nor dull.

It has a reasonable sense of depth to the image, too; you can feel the stomach-swirling drop as the eagle soars miles above ground.

The projector continues to surprise when it comes to motion handling. When watching Mad Max: Fury Road on Blu-ray, a crowd of ferocious vehicles zooms across the Australian desert. The Wanbo portrays these movements with a natural smoothness and very little judder.

Thanks to our adjustment of the sharpness levels, the Vali 1 also delivers a pleasingly clean and composed image that makes for easy viewing without overly sharp edges.

As mentioned, the Vai 1 is not without its faults. Wanbo is playing it safe with the darkness of the image by not attempting to portray black extremes. This becomes particularly prevalent during scenes that should have more dark detail, as you cannot make out much beyond a vague greyness and finer aspects are overlooked.

The projector does not go very bright either, despite the bold 900-lumens claims, and scenes lack the dazzling light aspects we see in more expensive rivals. As Tom Hardy’s Mad Max leaps from the edge of a red cliff to a dangling chain against the backdrop of the blue sky, for example, the Wanbo struggles to portray the extreme brightness of the scene.

That’s a potential problem for people not using this product in a pitch-black room, which we suspect will be most.

We also encounter some issues when streaming in our test room. When watching Avatar: The Way Of Water on Disney+, the image for the first minute is incredibly juddery, with the frame rate erratic and the sound cutting out at points.

This fixes itself in time, but it’s quite tedious to have to sit through, and it’s not a problem we have with the other projectors connected to the same network at the same time.

Still, while the Vali 1's picture has its flaws and limitations, they must be viewed in the context of its price. Overall, it delivers a fairly accurate, balanced and crowd-pleasing experience.

Sound

The audio is unfortunately a little less unexpectedly impressive than the picture.

There is a limited range of sound settings, but we opt for User mode, which offers the most spacious surround sound without being as overzealous as Movie mode.

Starting with the positives, voices are clear for the most part. When watching Thunderbolts on Blu-ray, we can make out every word of dialogue as David Harbour’s Red Guardian rescues the rag-tag team from the desert. There’s also a fair amount of tonal expression in the vocals, which allows for a decent amount of distinction between characters’ voices.

The two speakers struggle to push the sound very far, though, and it sounds somewhat locked to the body of the projector as a result.

Volume is limited, too. We find that we have to turn the volume to maximum to feel any sort of impact, and anything below that is made almost inaudible when there are other noises in the room.

There’s also a limited dynamic range that removes some of the excitement from what we are watching. Explosions and fight scenes lack a change in gear between tense quiet and floor-shaking volume, so these moments feel quite flat. This isn’t helped by both the treble and the bass being rounded off at more extreme moments, so there’s no deep bass or tinkling trebles to be heard.

As this projector will most likely not be used in a silent room, we recommend connecting a cheap and cheerful speaker, either via Bluetooth or the projector’s 3.5mm socket.

Verdict

The Wando Vali 1 is not going to attract hardcore home cinema lovers but, at this budget price, that was never the market it was aiming for.

Instead, it’s a perfectly pleasant model that offers a 180-inch screen experience with a surprisingly cinematic image. If you don’t want to spend more than £300 for your big-screen movie experience, this is a good option.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 3
• Features 3

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Best projectors: budget, 4K and ultra-short-throw

Epson has announced the latest addition to its Lifestudio projector range – and it's a departure from the stylish EF-72 that we reviewed last year.

The Lifestudio Grand EH-LS970 is the brand's new flagship ultra-short-throw (UST) projector that instead hopes to steal the spotlight from Hisense. It certainly has the credentials to do so on paper. It replaces the EH‑LS800, a projector we reviewed at four stars back in 2024.

The EH-LS970 boasts a “Real 4K UHD” resolution, according to Epson, featuring 8.3 million pixels and a maximum screen size of up to 150 inches.

It uses a 3LCD laser light source, which Epson boldly claims features “no rainbow effect”; we'll have to verify that ourselves when this new beamer lands in our home-cinema testing room.

Furthermore, that light source can reportedly deliver a staggering 4000 lumens of brightness, which is 1000 lumens more than the Hisense PX3-Pro's claimed maximum. You needn't worry about changing that light source, either: it reportedly boasts a 20,000-hour life span.

While that is an impressive picture specification on paper, Epson is also collaborating with a big name in the audio space to help it sound as good as it looks. The EH-LS970 features a Bose-engineered sound system with support for Dolby Audio.

Epson is leveraging an AI-backed picture-processing engine, and Google TV is on board, providing a wide range of streaming apps, including Netflix and Disney Plus.

Epson is even touting a handful of quality-of-life features, including “whisper-quiet operation” with a claimed fan noise of just 29 dB, or 18 dB in the projector's quiet mode. Gamers are also well catered for, with ALLM support and a reported input lag of under 20ms.

This all comes packed into a stylish chassis that aligns with the other lifestyle-leaning Lifestudio projectors in Epson's range.

It features a claimed throw ratio of 0.16–0.4:1, meaning you can achieve the full 150-inch picture by placing the EH-LS970 merely centimetres away from the wall (Epson has, unfortunately, not specified just how many centimetres so, again, we shall have to wait for a test sample to come in to confirm precise numbers).

Pricing for Epson's new UST projector is yet to be revealed; it is, though, expected to hit shop shelves in April of this year.

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Read our full Epson EF-72 review

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CES, one of the biggest tech events of the year, is officially underway and has already yielded a lot of exciting announcements in the world of AV.

And one of the most tantalising comes with the release of Samsung's newest portable projector model – The Freestyle+. This is, as you may have guessed, the successor to Samsung's The Freestyle, which leapt onto the scene in 2023.

This older model was a strong performer when we had it in our test room, offering a bright picture as well as a compact design. Its below-par black levels and high price (it launched at £999 / $900 / AU$1299) held it back from five-star greatness, but there's the possibility of even greater success with its successor.

Samsung is sticking with The Freestyle's cute design, which is good news considering we rated its flexible build highly in our review. It is doubling the brightness of the older model, though, reaching a claimed brightness of 430 ISO lumens.

The company is also adding plenty of AI capabilities to the 1080p model, including the Vision AI Companion to enable "more natural, conversational interaction with on-screen content."

The technology includes 3D Auto Keystone that corrects distortion when projecting onto uneven surfaces, Real-Time Focus which continuously adjusts focus as the projector moves, and Wall Calibration which analyses the colour of the projection surface.

That's all clearly a step forward from the older model's offerings, but there's a feature that I would have loved to see integrated into the new product that doesn't appear to be on the cards – a built-in battery.

Considering the projector's compact body, the inclusion of a battery would make the model even more appealing for those looking to take movies on the go to make it truly portable.

Other models on the market have managed to successfully balance a small, compact body with the ability to hold an in-built battery. Take the four-star Xgimi MoGo 4, for example. It offers a compact build with a rotatable body about the size of a large flask while still making space for a battery that offers up to 2.5 hours of life. It also launched at £509 / $499 / AU$1039, making it a tempting option for movie lovers on a budget.

The older Freestyle model can be connected to a battery pack that the base sits on that allows you to use The Freestyle anywhere you like, even if there’s no plug socket nearby. That comes at an extra cost, however, and adds more parts to consider when on the move.

There's no word on the price tag of the new Freestyle model, but the competitive pricing of models such as the MoGo 4 and the model's more comprehensive portable offerings could have already put the Samsung projector on the back foot.

We have yet to see the projector in action, but stay tuned to hear how Samsung's latest projector performs.

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Xgimi has been releasing projectors as quickly as an overcaffeinated mascot with a t-shirt cannon pulls the trigger at an American football match.

Over the past 12 months, we've seen everything from premium home cinema companions (namely the Titan and Horizon 20 Max models) to compact, yet affordable, entries, such as the Vibe One appear.

And the company has announced another model will join the gang at CES – the Titan Noir Max – which it is calling "[its] most cinematic and accessible pro projector yet."

This follows on from Xgimi’s Titan projector that was announced late last year, but Xgimi says this flagship model boasts, “precision-tuned optics [to] bring out the kind of depth, contrast, and colour nuance once reserved for post-production studios.”

With the Titan Noir Max, the China-based brand adds that the 4K model is employing the “most advanced dynamic IRIS system to date” with a native contrast of 10,000:1. It claims this new lens will grant better control of dark areas and highlights, offering a holistically more immersive experience.

We don’t know how much the Titan Noir Max will set you back, and there's no word on its connectivity or gaming specifications. We've reached out to Xgimi for details on this, and will update as soon as we learn more. But it seems to be aiming for the market between the Titan (which is available for £3499 / $3999 / around AU$5945) and the Horizon 20 Max (costing £2599 / $2999 / around AU$5225).

That would put it in direct competition with the Epson EH-LS9000, which we gave a dazzling five stars when we had it in our test room. The 4K projector launched at £2999 / $3999 / AU$7299, blowing us away with its crisp, punchy and three-dimensional picture quality. That's certainly going to take some beating from Xgimi.

It's also up against Hisense's newest laser projector entry – the Hisense XR10. We are yet to get our hands on this model, but it's boasting some pretty competitive specifications, including the brand's latest LPU 3.0 Digital Laser Engine, a "fully upgraded chipset", and a staggering claimed peak brightness of 6000 ANSI lumens.

Stay tuned to see how the new models compare...

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These are the best portable projectors on the market

Samsung has announced The Freestyle+, the Korean company's latest portable projector.

As the name suggests, The Freestyle+ is the successor to The Freestyle, Samsung's imaginative and flexible portable projector.

The Freestyle+ will retain the compact design of its predecessor, but adds new AI capabilities and increases the brightness.

Front and centre of these new AI capabilities is AI OptiScreen, an AI-powered screen optimisation technology that automatically adjusts the picture for different surfaces and environments.

The technology includes 3D Auto Keystone that corrects distortion when projecting onto uneven surfaces, Real-Time Focus which continuously adjusts focus as the projector moves, and Wall Calibration which analyses the colour of the projection surface.

The Freestyle+ promises instant point and play functionality, allowing you to quickly start watching wherever you choose to set up the projector.

Other new features include a claimed brightness of 430 ISO lumens, twice as bright as the previous Freestyle, and Vision AI Companion, which promises "more natural, conversational interaction with on-screen content".

Those already in the Samsung ecosystem can rejoice, as newly added Q-Symphony support allows the projector to work in sync with compatible Samsung soundbars.

The Freestyle+ will launch in the UK in the first half of the year, though there's no word on pricing just yet.

The original Freestyle launched at £999 / $900 / AU$1299, while the second generation came in cheaper at £899 / $800/ AU$1299.

We may well hear more in the coming days, as the Freestyle+ will be showcased at CES 2026, which gets started on Sunday 4th January.

Samsung is one of a number of brands to make CES announcements early – Hisense also unveiled two new 4K laser projectors, while Samsung revealed one of its most important TVs for 2026.

We'll be on the ground at CES, so be sure to check out our coverage for hands-on first impressions of the sound and vision products that matter.

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Read our full The Freestyle review

As well as our The Freestyle (2nd Gen) review

And check out our picks for the best projectors

CES is still a couple of weeks away, and yet the announcements continue to arrive early. This time it's Hisense, which has made a big announcement ahead of the Las Vegas-based technology convention, and it's great news for projector fans.

The Chinese AV company has announced "the next chapter" in its laser projector story, in the form of the XR10 and PX4-Pro. The former acts as a traditional 4K home cinema projector, whereas the other builds on an established, and Award-winning, ultra-short throw design which proved to be very successful for the brand with the PX3-Pro.

Starting with the XR10, Hisense is positioning this as "a first-of-its-kind laser projector built for cinephiles who want the big-screen theatre experience without sacrificing design". We can see the design appeal, as it features a unique-looking translucent design, with a big, bold lens positioned in the centre of a champagne-gold enclosure; classy.

It's packed full of Hisense's latest laser technology, including the brand's latest LPU 3.0 Digital Laser Engine, a "fully upgraded chipset", and a pure RGB triple laser light source, which can reportedly deliver a staggering peak brightness of 6000 ANSI lumens.

Hisense is also drawing attention to its 16 all-glass lens system, which reportedly provides better light transmittance and temperature stability, resulting in minimised light loss and purer colours.

This is also the first projector that we've seen to include a liquid cooling system, which reportedly improves heat dissipation. Worried about mixing liquid with a delicate projector? We are, too, but Hisense ensures us that "the leak-resistant design ensures consistent performance over time".

Hisense is also touting an optical zoom range of 0.84x to 2.0x, with a minimum screen size of 65 inches, and a huge maximum screen size of 300 inches. Furthermore, lens correction is handled by "the industry’s first 4-camera + dual TOF intelligent sensing solution, combined with smart AI Auto Adjustments". Vertical and horizontal lens shift is also supported for more versatility when it comes to placement.

Moving on to the PX4-Pro, this is a successor to a home cinema testing room favourite. The PX3-Pro took home a five-star review back in November 2024, so our expectations are high with this upgraded model.

This ultra-short-throw projector can deliver an image up to 200 inches, and it features a higher claimed peak brightness of 3500 ANSI lumens, up from 3000 ANSI lumens on the PX3-Pro.

It also sports double the contrast ratio of its predecessor, with a claimed 6000:1 achieved via the new IRIS lens system. Hisense promises "immersive visuals with vibrant colour and crystal-clear detail" for gaming and movies alike, and a sleek, modern design that should appease the interior design-conscious.

We're still awaiting information regarding pricing and availability for these new models. Hisense has confirmed that the XR10 and PX4-Pro will both be showcased at the brand's stand at CES 2026.

We'll be on the ground at the show, so stay posted for our hands-on impressions of these projectors.

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Read our full Hisense PX3-Pro review

As well as our Hisense M2-Pro review

And check out our picks for the best projectors

The Sony VPL-XW5000ES has been the projector to beat in this price range since 2022. Thanks to its native 4K pictures, impressive black levels and overall excellent processing, the VPL-XW5000ES has proudly worn its crown unrivalled.

Until now. The BenQ W5850 is one of the contenders to the throne, offering plenty of benefits such as a short-throw lens and perfectly judged colours.

Both projectors have a similar price, and after some rigorous testing the What Hi-Fi? team awarded each projector the full five stars.

The question now is: which of these projectors is a better buy for your hard-earned cash? There’s only one way to find out… a What Hi-Fi? versus! We put the two head to head to find out which one comes on top.

BenQ W5850 vs Sony VPL-XW5000ES: price

The Sony XW5000ES is officially priced at £5999 / $5998 / AUS$9990, which at the time of its launch made it the world’s cheapest truly native 4K laser projector.

The Sony projector, however, can now often be found on sale for as low as £3999 / $4998 / AU$8990.

The BenQ W5850 is much newer than the Sony, so it still generally costs its full price of £4599 / $4999 / AU$8499.

In other words, on current pricing, the Sony is cheaper in the UK, the BenQ is cheaper in Australia, and the two models are essentially the same price in the US. It feels only right, then, that this round goes down as a draw.

** Winner: Draw **

BenQ W5850 vs Sony VPL-XW5000ES: build & design

The BenQ W5850 is a fair bit wider than the Sony VPL-XW5000ES, coming in at 53cm compared with the VPL-XW5000ES’ 46cm. However, the BenQ projector is also a lot slimmer (15cm vs 20cm) and a lot less deep (39cm vs 47cm).

The XW5000ES has a more pronounced roof-like angled top edge, while the W5850 has a smoother, angled top.

It should also be noted that the W5850 comes with the lens packaged separately, requiring you to insert it yourself. This may put some off, but could be an exciting experience for home cinema fans. Those fans will also likely appreciate the BenQ’s included ‘Individual Calibration Report’, which features graphs and measurements produced in the factory after manual calibration by a BenQ technician.

It’s a close one, but these extra touches and the swoopier design swing things in the BenQ’s favour.

** Winner: BenQ W5850 **

BenQ W5850 vs Sony VPL-XW5000ES: Features

The most notable feature of the BenQ W5850 (given it’s the way in which it differs from the preceding W5800) is its 16-element lens with a throw ratio of 1.0-1.6.

Essentially, this means the W5850 can produce a 180-inch image from a distance of roughly four metres – an exceptionally short distance for a dedicated home cinema projector.

For comparison, the Sony VPL-XW5000ES has a throw ratio of 1:1.38-2.21 and would need around 6.7m for a 180-inch image. The W5850, then, will probably be the better choice for smaller rooms.

The W5850 is also easier to set up, thanks to motorised focus, zoom and shift controls. The XW5000ES’s manual lens adjustments requires physical rotations around the lens, which is a little imprecise for a premium projector.

The W5850 boasts a higher brightness, with a rating of 2700 lumens compared with the 2000-lumen peak brightness rating of the VPL-XW5000ES. Neither projector will struggle when used in a dark room as intended, but the W5850 should, in theory, be brighter and punchier – and potentially better-suited to a mixed-use room with some ambient lighting.

When we get to resolution, the VPL-XW5000ES starts to score some major brownie points. Both projectors boast a 4K resolution, but the W5850 uses DLP XPR technology to achieve the 8.3million pixels the Consumer Technology Association requires to certify a projector as 4K. The VPL-XW5000ES, on the other hand, is full-on native 4K.

BenQ claims that the W5850 can reproduce 100 per cent of the digital cinema world’s DCI-P3 colour spectrum, just pipping Sony’s claim that the VPL-XW5000ES can reach 95 per cent.

The W5850 also wins on HDR support with HDR10+ dynamic tone mapping alongside standard HDR10 and HLG, while the VPL-XW5000ES is restricted to only the last two.

When it comes to connections, however, both are similarly middling, with two HDMI sockets each. Neither projector supports the 4K/120Hz signals now available from the PS5, Xbox Series X and top-end PCs, so serious gamers might want to consider the Epson EH-LS9000 instead.

Other than the native 4K picture, however, one of the big selling points of the VPL-XW5000ES is Sony’s X1 Ultimate processing.

The X1 Ultimate platform adds a whole host of features. In addition to the enhanced upscaling, clarity-boosting Reality Creation, and key Dynamic HDR Enhancer features inherited from the older X1 for Projector processor in the 2021 VW290ES, it introduces digital contrast optimisation, object-based HDR remastering, and object-based resolution enhancement.

Altogether, this processor can break images down into different elements rather than treat the whole image the same way, which should result in pictures looking more three-dimensional and natural. Perhaps the most important part of this processing is the Dynamic HDR Enhancer, which can pick out bright highlights and increase their intensity without changing other elements of the picture.

Other exciting features of the VPL-XW5000ES include an IMAX Enhanced mode and 0.61-inch SXRD chips that should enhance contrast, colour accuracy and colour graduations.

The BenQ W5850 has a number of notable wins over the Sony VPL-XW5000ES when it comes to features, such as a higher brightness rating, HDR10+ support and a throw ratio that can work in smaller rooms.

But the Sony projector’s native 4K support, along with myriad benefits that come as part of the brand’s processing, give the XW5000ES an edge that is hard to overcome in this price range. The BenQ W5850’s features will surely appeal to certain setups, but we’ve got to give this win to the XW5000ES.

** Winner: Sony VPL-XW5000ES**

BenQ W5850 vs Sony VPL-XW5000ES: picture

Any set-up and feature shortcomings, however, are quickly forgotten when you actually watch these projectors.

As long as you stay in Filmmaker Mode for the most natural performance, we find the BenQ W850 to be a beautifully authentic, true to the cinema experience. The picture is still crisp and punchy, with a winning combination of three-dimensional depth and contrasty pop.

As you’d hope from the bespoke calibration, colours are beautifully judged. A screening of No Time To Die shows Matera’s dusty ground to be baked by the sun but never oversaturated, while Bond’s skin is warm and vibrant without veering into a nuclear colour territory. It’s the W850’s greatest strength, though the VPL-XW5000ES isn’t exactly lacking with its Triluminos colour system delivering beautifully balanced, exceptionally nuanced and totally natural colours across the board.

Moving to sci-fi, though, and we can start to see areas where the Sony VPL-XW5000ES has a clear advantage. The deep space opening of Alien: Romulus is clearly far more black on the Sony, leaving the W5850 looking a bit grey in comparison. While the black depth can be improved by reducing the BenQ’s laser brightness, this dulls the image a bit too much for our taste, whereas the Sony blends the contrast extremes more effectively.

Motion is also better on the Sony, with the BenQ producing undeniably more blur and judder. Even the Low setting in BenQ's motion processing makes everything look unnaturally sharp and smooth, so it’s a shame that a more subtle option is not available.

The VPL-XW5000ES, on the other hand, benefits immensely from the X1 Ultimate processor. The default True Cinema mode was described in our Sony VPL-XW5000ES review as “hands down the most effective, cinematic out of the box motion setting you’ll find on any projector”, massaging away distractions without the dreaded soap opera effect.

We also found that it took some tinkering to get HD SDR content looking right on the W5850. We were, though, eventually rewarded with a lovely picture that was the right mix between warm and dynamic.

The Sony XW5000ES’s picture quality, however, is apparent straight out of the box. Indeed, it redefined projector expectations at its price when released.

The X1 Ultimate processor also proves to be phenomenally effective. The Dynamic HDR Enhancer, as long as it’s set to medium, adds extra oomph to bright highlights in HDR images, giving them a boost without messing up the rest of the picture. It’s one of the biggest advantages of the XW5000ES.

Any major shifts in the laser output also take place ‘between cuts’ rather than mid-shot, so you shouldn’t be distracted by any sudden brightness ‘jumps’ or flickering.

As a native 4K projector, the XW5000ES also has the BenQ beat when it comes to sharpness. Images are detailed, dense, three-dimensional and crisp, and provide a solidity that the BenQ and other rivals simply can’t match.

The biggest weakness of the XW5000ES, however is very dark shots/scenes that contain extremely bright highlights. In these scenes, a little black crush can occur, and the Sony projectors’ usually excellent black levels become noticeably more raised – though these scenes are admittedly extremely rare.

The BenQ W5850 has some of the most beautifully judged colours you’ll find at this price, as well as a punchy Filmmaker mode and a lovely SDR image, after some tweaking. However, it simply can’t compete with the Sony VPL-XW5000ES, which outclasses the W5850 in black depth, sharpnes and motion handling.

Quite simply, the VPL-XW5000ES does the fundamentals better than the W5850 and any other projectors at this price, with the one-two punch of native 4K projection technology and Sony’s processing setting a barrier that is proving insurmountable to overcome.

** Winner: Sony VPL-XW5000ES**

BenQ W5850 vs Sony VPL-XW5000ES: verdict

The BenQ W5850 is a very worthy five-star projector and has finally provided the Sony VPL-XW5000ES with some meaningful competition. That short-throw lens could be a game-changer for those lacking in space, and we are big fans of the manual lens attachment and Individual Calibration Report.

This factory calibration has paid off, with warm, rich and authentically cinematic colours. HDR performance is punchy without sacrificing realism, and, after a little tweaking, SDR content is dynamic, natural and satisfyingly warm.

However, the W5850 struggles with black levels and motion handling – two areas where the Sony VPL-XW5000ES excels.

Ultimately, the W5850 is one of the many projectors to stumble at the hurdle that is the Sony VPL-XW5000ES.

Despite launching back in 2022, the Sony remains the class leader in this price range. And, of course, it’s now even better value thanks to several price drops.

It may well remain the class leader for several more years, thanks to its winning combination of native 4K projection technology and Sony’s X1 Ultimate Processing.

The end result is an image that looks cleaner, deeper and more three-dimensional than that from the W5850, and despite the Sony having a lower brightness, HDR movies look wonderfully natural and effortlessly cinematic thanks to impeccable contrast.

It might have had a worthy challenger, but the Sony VPL-XW5000ES retains its crown.

** Overall winner: Sony VPL-XW5000ES**

MORE:

Also consider the Epson EH-QB1000

Read our BenQ W5800 review

Best projectors: budget, 4K and ultra-short-throw

With Christmas on the horizon, chances are you’ve been thinking about what you’d like to get the special people in your life. You might have even thought about what you’d like them to get you, too. Maybe a new pair of wireless headphones, a music streamer, or even an OLED TV? Or, maybe you’re not sure yet.

As lovers of hi-fi and AV equipment, the What Hi-Fi? team’s Christmas wishlist is littered with equipment falling into the aforementioned categories along with physical media to help us better enjoy our existing gear.

So, if you’re finding yourself stuck for ideas on what to get people, or even what you’d like for yourself, hopefully our Christmas wishlist can provide some inspiration. Check it out below.

Arcane: Series 2 SteelBook

Words by Robyn Quick

SteelBooks, a premium collectable case for a Blu-ray or 4K disc, can be a divisive subject for many AV fans. For some, the idea of forking out extra for the same movie or TV show you can get from a standard 4K Blu-ray is pointless. But, others see it as a worthwhile purchase to celebrate your favourite content and keep it for decades to come.

As you may have guessed, I sit in the second camp. So, I could barely contain my excitement when I saw that the second season of Arcane has finally got a 4K SteelBook release, complete with custom artwork on the cover. It costs a whopping £50, but that hasn’t stopped me from putting it at the top of my Christmas wishlist. A person can dream, right?

The series was released on Netflix last year and, if you haven’t watched the show, I can only urge you to do so. It’s packed with jaw-droppingly beautiful animation from start to finish, all while set in a dystopian, steampunk-inspired world that will suck you in from the first frame.

Buy Arcane Season 2 SteelBook at HMV

LG C5 (OLED55C5)

Words by Joe Svetlik

I’ve needed a new TV for a while now, but the situation is getting ever more pressing. My current model is pushing 12 years old, which is about 96 in TV years. To make matters worse, I recently had a new TV cabinet made. Which is great, but it just throws the crapness of my current TV into even sharper relief.

That’s why I’ve added the 55-inch LG C5 to my Christmas wishlist.

Now I think it would fit in my alcove, but I have to be careful. A friend on our road recently bought a 55-inch TV, and despite careful measuring, it is just that bit too big, meaning it has to sit at a slight diagonal at all times. He would have replaced it with a more sensibly sized model, as his wife suggested, but in his words, he was being “a bit of a child about it.”

Why the C5? It won a What Hi-Fi? Award for its rich, punchy, crisp image and peerless feature set. And for me, 55 inches is the perfect size – cinematic without dominating the room. Providing it fits.

Joe Hisaishi – Princess Mononoke (Symphonic Suite) on vinyl

Words by Alastair Stevenson

Regular readers have likely figured out I am a bit of an anime fan. One that’s especially fond of Studio Ghibli titles. This year alone, I went to see the London stage production of Spirited Away and to the BFI to check out the 4K remastered version of Princess Mononoke on the big screen.

The latter was a particular highlight, with the work done to its audio reminding me quite how beautiful the music, as well as iconic artwork, is for Ghibli movies. So much so that there’s one specific record at the top of my wishlist for Santa this year – Joe Hisaishi’s Princess Mononoke (Symphonic Suite).

Though the original soundtrack vinyl is great, I’ve always been a big fan of the Symphonic Suite version, which saw composer Joe Hisaishi re-arrange it for a full orchestra. The result is a captivating listen that captures the film’s evocative, thought-provoking, but ultimately hopeful and sympathetic tone.

This makes it a fantastic listen from start to finish and one I’ve been wanting to own on vinyl all year. Here’s hoping Santa’s listening and didn’t spot the “incident” on Denmark Street that I was 100 per cent not responsible for in March…

Buy Joe Hisaishi – Princess Mononoke (Symphonic Suite) on vinyl at Amazon

Vince Guaraldi Trio – A Charlie Brown Christmas on vinyl

Words by Kashfia Kabir

Vince Guaraldi Trio’s soundtrack to the 1965 special A Charlie Brown Christmas is up there with The Muppets Christmas Carol as encapsulating a kind of magic that transcends all time, ages and trends.

The whimsical yet sometimes muted jazz compositions match the Peanuts TV special beautifully, capturing the melancholy mood of Charlie Brown as he grapples with finding the true meaning of Christmas, while his friends mock and ridicule him, until, eventually, you get that lovely combination of friendship, kindness and warmth.

There are compositions in this album that are now synonymous with both Christmas and Peanuts (such as the bouncy, upbeat Linus and Lucy), while Skating is a personal favourite that fills you up with childhood joy and the feeling that everything will be okay. I’ve been eyeing up the Craft Recordings vinyl reissue (ideally gold foil package) for ages.

Buy Vince Guaraldi Trio – A Charlie Brown Christmas on vinyl at Drift Records

LEGO Retro Radio

Words by Harry McKerrell

If, like me, you’re at the stage of life where you’ve got various nieces and nephews running all over the place during the festive period, you’re probably going to be gifting quite a lot of LEGO this year, especially once your pint-sized relatives reach the stage where they’re not in danger of just trying to eat the blocks.

That’s all well and good, but who’s buying the LEGO for me? Millennium Falcons and pirate ships are a bit off-brand (still cool, though), so how about a retro radio instead? Inspired by the transistor designs of the 1970s, complete with that classic horizontal tuner, the radio is capable of making a few actual noises – though I’d predict that it probably looks a lot better than it sounds.

Buy LEGO Retro Radio at Lego.com

WiiM Pro Plus

Words by James Cook

In my experience, when listening to music socially, most people nowadays want the convenience of a wireless connection to a speaker and a music streaming application so everyone can queue up songs. And whilst I think it’s a shame that many have never listened to a vinyl record in full on a proper hi-fi system, there are merits to this, provided it doesn’t sacrifice too much sound quality.

For too long, I’ve been using a Lightning-to-RCA lead to connect my iPhone directly to my integrated amplifier for catering to social gatherings, so sound quality has, inevitably, suffered. That’s where the WiiM Pro Plus comes in.

This five-star, affordable music streamer is detailed, expressive and organised, and will slot nicely into my existing hi-fi setup without breaking the bank. It’s got a plethora of streaming options to choose from too, so I can enjoy convenient and collaborative listening without sacrificing so much sound quality – perfect for when I’m entertaining friends or family, or even those rare occasions when I can’t be bothered to stick a record on the turntable!

If you’re planning to do anything similar over the Christmas period, I’d recommend giving it a look yourself.

Technics EAH-AZ100

Words by Lewis Empson

I started 2025 with a flying visit to CES, the annual consumer tech trade show, with Panasonic, where the Japanese tech giant announced a new pair of wireless earbuds alongside its latest batch of five-star OLED TVs.

The Technics EAH-AZ100 immediately caught my attention; at the time I had a pair of EAH-AZ60M2 buds constantly lodged in my ears, so I was already a fan of the company’s work.

After a quick demo at Panasonic's launch event, and a follow up listening session back in the UK using our very own review pair, I was completely sold on these incredible sounding earbuds, and I’ve been pining after a pair ever since.

Their clean and spacious sound is befitting of a What Hi-Fi? Award, and I especially appreciated how expressive and punchy these buds sounded, meaning they perfectly suited my preferred music genres of alternative and pop.

I can’t forget to mention the “excellent noise cancelling", which would also make the AZ100 a perfect companion for my noisy morning commute.

These premium buds are at the top of my wish list, especially in that dashing new Midnight Blue finish.

Sony Bravia Projector 7

Words by Daniel Furn

As one of the newer members of the What Hi-Fi? editorial team, I was lucky enough to sit in on our reviewers’ extensive testing process during one of my first weeks here. The test I witnessed was none other than the five-star Sony Bravia Projector 7, which proved to be both a blessing and a curse.

A blessing because the Bravia Projector 7 boasts incredible depth, superb contrast control and is quite simply a joy to watch. And a curse? Going back to my home TV, itself a very capable OLED, feels a lot less cinematic in comparison.

I realise that with a starting price of £6999, this very much falls under the “wish” part of a wishlist. But if Santa Claus decides he’s feeling particularly generous, then to have the rich, balanced, and detailed image of the Sony Bravia Projector 7 would very much be a Christmas miracle. Maybe if I’m particularly good next year?

PlayStation 5 Pro

Words by Tom Parsons

Look, I don’t need a PS5 Pro. Of all of the ‘Pro’ PlayStation consoles in history, it feels like the least essential, even to someone as graphics-obsessed as I am, but just knowing there’s a better version of the PS5 out there with slightly smoother, slightly shinier visuals is enough to nag at me.

There’s another thing at play here, too. My good lady wife has, at the age of [redacted], suddenly taken up gaming. She’s recently smashed through Ghost of Tsushima and The Last Of Us Part 1, and is about halfway through The Last Of Us Part 2. She’s got her eyes on The Witcher 3 next, and I know first-hand what a long, obsession-inducing game that is.

In other words, my current PS5 is in high demand these days, and it looks set to get worse, so it might be time to treat myself to a second one. And if I’m going to get a second PS5, it might as well be the best one that’s available, right? It is Christmas after all.

Buy PlayStation 5 Pro at Amazon

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X

Words by Andy Madden

As someone who spends a lot of their working time tethered to a laptop, I’m always on the lookout for a quality pair of headphones to make the time pass by. Of course, the best wireless headphones deliver convenience and quality, but when I’m at my desk, I don’t mind a wire or two getting in the way.

This is why I’ve been using the Beyerdynamic DT900 Pro X on and off for the past few years. I’ve been plugging these cans directly into my MacBook Pro, and given I’m only using them with Amazon Music, I don’t really need to plug them into an external DAC, which helps to keep the wire count to a minimum.

So you can imagine the look on my face when I first read our Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X review. These headphones succeed the pair I’m using and manage to take performance forward in a number of areas, all the while remaining as comfy as your favourite pair of slippers.

I also don’t mind the fact that the Beyerdynamics are an open-back design. While I’m working solo, nobody is being annoyed by the headphones leaking my favourite tunes. It’s just something you might want to bear in mind if you add them to your wishlist.

It’s going to be a simple case of swapping out the old with the new, and I’d urge anyone looking for a simple and hugely effective way of boosting their own desktop audio to take a closer look at these classy over-ears.

MORE:

All I want for Christmas is this record-breaking demo tape that sold for $50,000 at auction

Goodbye, 2025! Check out 7 of our favourite test tracks of the year

I saw 75 films this year – these are my 5 best and 5 worst movies of 2025

A big year ahead? 6 pairs of wireless headphones and earbuds I'd love to see in 2026

If you are looking for a way to get the big screen movie experience wherever you want, you should probably consider a portable projector.

In the last few years we have seen a huge improvement when it comes to their picture and sound performance.

On top of that, most models now come with a built-in streaming platform so you don't even need to worry about connecting an external source.

But which ones are worth your time? With Christmas approaching and a selection of Black Friday bargains still hanging around, there are a deals on a variety of different models to choose from.

The Anker Nebula Capsule 3, for instance, has dropped down to £300 at Amazon, which is its lowest price yet.

This model certainly looks tempting at first glance, boasting an extremely light and portable build that weighs just 950g. The 1080p projector is capable of reaching a claimed screen size of 120 inches, and it carries a fulsome Google TV smart platform.

But when we had this model in our test room, we weren't blown away by its picture performance. It is limited to 200 lumens of peak brightness, which impacts the punchiness and excitement of the image.

We said in our review: "The brightest peaks of HDR sources lack detail too, as the projector ‘clips’ out subtle shading in such areas."

This also means that the projector is best enjoyed in a darker room, which might not always be available when on the move.

This slightly underwhelming performance resulted in a three-star rating.

Lucky for you, we have spotted a four-star projector that is also enjoying an impressive discount at the moment.

The Xgimi MoGo 4, a can-shaped portable projector, is available for £399 at Amazon. That lops £110 off its original price, making it a great option for movie lovers who want a flexible projector for big-screen pictures.

The 1080p Xgimi MoGo 4 manages to deliver a colourful and engaging image, despite its size and price.

Its ultra-portable design has a handy feature – twist the body and the hard plastic on the side transforms into a stand. And tt only weighs 1.3kg, which makes it easy to transport.

The Xgimi also includes Google TV built-in, with access to Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video and more, as well as the ability to cast video from your smartphone.

There's a built-in battery that offers up to 2.5 hours of charge, but this depends on your picture and brightness settings.

With a saving of £110 on this easy-to-carry Xgimi projector, this could be a great way to bring the cinema experience to your living room.

MORE:

Here's our review of the Xgimi MoGo 4

These are the best portable projectors

And check out the best outdoor projectors

While it might not look like it, the BenQ W5850 projector is a rather unusual beast.

In most ways, it is identical to the excellent W5800, but there’s one major difference: the lens.

The W5850 features a shorter-throw lens, making it possible to get a bigger image in a smaller room – even, potentially, from a coffee table (though there are reasons against using it as such, which we’ll get to).

But a lens is such a vital part of a projector, the obvious question is whether the performance has changed along with the flexibility.

Price

The BenQ W5850 is officially priced at £4599 / $4999 / AU$8499. That’s roughly (exactly, in the UK) what the W5800 launched for, though the older model can be bought for less while stocks last.

This is a very competitive area of the projector market, over which the Sony VPL-XW5000ES looms large. Sony’s four-time What Hi-Fi? Award-winner is officially priced at £5999 / $5998 / AU$9990, but it can now be bought for the same (or even less) money than the BenQ W5850.

The Epson EH-QB1000 is seriously worth considering, too, at least in the UK, where it costs £4799. The US and Australia prices of $7999 and AU$11,900, respectively, make it slightly less appealing.

Design

The BenQ is a large projector, but it wears its size well.

At 53cm, it's quite a lot wider than the Sony VPL-XW5000ES (46cm), but it’s also slimmer and much less deep. The dimensions and swoopy lines of the chassis make it look svelte and elegant, and from a distance at least, the gold ring around the lens cavity looks like a classy touch.

It really is a cavity, too. The projector arrives with the lens packaged separately. You need to line it up, insert it gently, and twist to click it into place. Some people might be put off by such things, but if you’re a nerd about home cinema, there’s something lovely and tactile about this little touch.

Equally pleasing is the gold-embossed envelope that’s found nestled at the top of the projector’s packaging and contains the ‘Individual Calibration Report’. This features graphs and measurements of the specific projector you’ve bought, produced in the factory after manual calibration by a BenQ technician.

The projector’s remote is really rather nice, too. It admittedly feels a little less premium than it looks, and it’s a little on the large side, but the buttons are sensibly laid out, clearly labelled (Epson, in particular, should take note here) and have a nice, soft feel. They’re backlit, too.

Features

The key, unique feature of the BenQ W5850 is its new lens. Where the W5800 has a 14-element lens with a 1.52-2.45 throw ratio, the W5850 has a 16-element lens with a much shorter throw ratio of 1.0-1.6.

The upshot of this is that the new model can produce a 180-inch image from a distance of roughly 4 metres, making it a better fit for small rooms where a very large picture is still required.

Set-up is still an absolute doddle, with the motorised focus, zoom and shift controls combining with that shorter throw ratio to make it very easy to fit the beamed picture to your screen.

As with the W5800, the W5850’s brightness is rated to ‘just’ 2700 lumens, but it’s worth noting several things here.

First, while the easy set-up and throw ratio might suggest flexible, coffee table-like use, this is very much a projector designed primarily for permanent set-up in a dedicated, light controlled home cinema, in which 2700 should be plenty.

Second, the multiple What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Sony VPL-XW5000ES is the class-leader, despite its 2000-lumen peak brightness.

And third, the BenQ W5800 proved to be plenty bright and punchy, so there’s little reason to think the W5850 won’t fare similarly.

Brightness is also just one element of a projector’s performance, of course, and the BenQ W5850 also boasts a 4K resolution. Admittedly, this isn’t quite native 4K in the manner of the Sony VPL-XW5000ES, but it is the CTA-approved version of 4K that is produced by DLP, rather than the ‘pixel-shift’ 4K of LCD models such as the Epson EH-QB1000.

As it does with the W5800, BenQ claims that the W5850 is able to reproduce 100 per cent of the so-called DCI-P3 colour spectrum, and without the need for a brightness-hampering filter.

HDR support is strong, too, with the HDR10+ dynamic tone mapping format supported alongside standard HDR10 and HLG.

Physical connections are fine, but unspectacular. There are two HDMI sockets, but neither supports 4K/120Hz signals. VRR and ALLM are, predictably, off the menu, too. All told, this is a much less appealing gaming projector than the Epson EH-QB1000 in particular.

Finally, as you would expect, given the home cinema focus, the W5850 lacks speakers and a smart platform – the expectation is that you will provide these via other components.

Picture

When watching an HDR movie, you have just two picture presets to choose from; HDR10 and Filmmaker Mode.

HDR10 is the projector at its most dynamic, but it’s also a little over-brightened and over-sharpened, which adds a touch of unnaturalism to the performance.

The Filmmaker Mode is much better, and while there are lots of picture settings that you can dig into if you so wish, we feel little reason to deviate from the preset’s defaults, which deliver a beautifully authentic, true-to-the-cinema experience complete with those lovely, calibrated colours.

Even without the added sharpness and brightness of the HDR10 preset, this is a beautifully crisp and punchy picture, with a winning combination of three-dimensional depth and contrasty pop.

Playing No Time To Die on 4K Blu-ray, the cliff-embedded city of Matera is resplendent in the background as Bond makes his way to Vesper’s resting place, with the projector doing an excellent job of defining the edges where the cluttered, squashed-together buildings built into the cliffside meet.

Colours are as beautifully judged as you’d hope from the bespoke calibration, with the dusty ground and ornate tombs baked by the warm sun but never looking oversaturated.

Bond’s skin, too, is tanned and vibrant, but thankfully a long way short of the slightly nuclear colour that less well-judged display devices often veer into, and his vibrant blue shirt stands out just as it should against his tan suit.

The detail in his face is superb but not forced. Freckles, pores and small scars are all visible, as are individual strands of hair, but there’s no sense of over-sharpening, and there’s lovely texture to his suit, which, close-up, looks almost like very fine corduroy. Does Bond really wear cord suits? This projector suggests that he does.

Great though it is with the mid-light action of No Time To Die, the BenQ W5850 is less comfortable with Alien: Romulus, the deep space opening of which is clearly less black than from the Sony VPL-XW5000ES.

The BenQ is a bit grey in comparison, and while you can improve back depth by reducing the laser brightness, doing so dulls the image just a little too much for our taste. Ultimately, the Sony blends the contrast extremes more effectively.

Sony’s projector also beats the BenQ where motion is concerned. The BenQ isn’t bad in this regard, but there’s undeniably more blur and judder to the slow progress of the science vessel at the start of the movie and the panning shots we see later.

This motion can be tightened up by activating BenQ's motion processing, but even the Low setting is too processed, making everything look unnaturally sharp and smooth. It’s a shame there’s not a much subtler option available.

Dropping down to The Nice Guys in HD and SDR, we find that we have to do some work to get a satisfying picture performance.

We find that Bright Cinema is the only preset that provides a satisfying cinematic warmth, with both the Filmmaker Mode and Cinema preset looking peculiarly cool.

But Bright Cinema is also too sharp, and – you guessed it – too bright. Our approach is to go with this preset and drop Sharpness, Pixel Enhancer 4K, and the Local Contrast Enhancer to 0 or Off, and change the Gamma Selection from ‘BenQ’ to the Filmmaker Mode’s 2.4.

You can, of course, come at it from the other way, adding warmth to the unsharpened Filmmaker Mode preset.

Whichever way you approach it, your effort is rewarded with a lovely picture – warm but dynamic, colourful but natural, crisp but controlled. It really is a delight, with only very rare scenes illustrating the slight lack of black depth.

Verdict

The BenQ W5850 is an excellent projector. The performance is very similar to that of the W5800, but the new lens adds flexibility and seems to create an even crisper image.

Sony’s Award-winning VPL-XW5000ES remains the benchmark at this level, primarily thanks to its deeper blacks and superior processing, but the W5850’s beautiful warmth and richness make it a delight to watch and live with.

An excellent alternative option, then, and a worthy recipient of five stars.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Build 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony VPL-XW5000ES

Also consider the Epson EH-QB1000

Read our BenQ W5800 review

Best projectors: budget, 4K and ultra-short-throw

When all else fails, you can always rely on some seriously huge Black Friday projector deals to crop up during the savings event. We've seen huge savings on Sony, Epson and Xgimi projectors already; however, this Hisense deal might just take the proverbial cake.

The PL2, an Award-winning ultra-short throw projector designed to replace your TV, is currently just £959 at Currys, making it less than half price. We reviewed it at £1999, so this jaw dropping £1040 saving is a sight to behold.

Capable of beaming an image up to 150 inches onto your projector screen or, in a pinch, your wall, the PL2 offers up a feast of impressive picture and sound credentials.

This UST utilises Hisense's X-Fusion Laser Technology, which is capable of producing a bright 2700 lumen image, with punchy and vibrant colours to match. Despite this, we considered the PL2 to be balanced and consistent in our full review, and the 4K resolution means details are sharp.

Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are both supported, which is appreciated as many projectors include neither, and Dolby Atmos is featured via the 30W speaker system, as well as via HDMI eARC.

Better still, Hisense includes its comprehensive Vidaa streaming platform on board, meaning you won't need to plug anything into the PL2 if streaming is your preferred method of watching.

The only area where the PL2 lags slightly behind is its gaming specifications. HDMI 2.1 is technically on board, but the projector can only reach 60Hz at 4K, or 120Hz at 1080p.

There is also an included game mode, which is automatically applied when the projector detects a signal from a gaming source. Ultimately, at this price, we find that small gaming-related setback to be far from a dealbreaker.

At its launch price of £1999, we already considered this projector to offer huge value for money. However, at just £959 – a discount of £1040 – this becomes one of the best value home cinema deals of the year.

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• LG C5 55-inch: lowest-ever price at Richer Sounds
• JBL soundbar: now better than half price
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• Sony headphones: now just £29
• Stereo amplifier: Cambridge Audio now £299
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

Black Friday proper might not be until this Friday, but the Black Friday sales have been live for ages now.

That means that some of the very best projectors are already down to their lowest-ever prices.

• Check out all of the Black Friday deals at Amazon
• Richer Sounds Black Friday event: huge savings on TVs and projectors
• Sevenoaks Black Friday deals: save up to £2700 on TVs
• Peter Tyson: save hundreds on a new AV receiver

I've been testing projectors ever since I joined What Hi-Fi? way back in 2007, and I firmly believe 2025 is one of the best we've ever had for home cinema projector quality.

The quality has been so high that I and the rest of the What Hi-Fi? reviews team had a very hard (but admittedly fun) time choosing our 2025 projector Award-winners.

But, after days of testing in our dedicated home cinema room, we managed to whittle the competition down to six awesome winners.

And, amazingly, every one of those winners has been discounted for Black Friday – by thousands of pounds in a couple of cases.

So, if you're in the market for a projector this Black Friday, simply scroll down to find the best model for you at the absolute lowest possible price – and scroll right down to the bottom of the page to find my wildcard choice, which I heartily recommend you also consider.

Today's best Black Friday projector deals

• Hisense M2 Pro: was £1299, now £854 at Amazon
• Hisense PL2: was £1999, now £1199 at Richer Sounds
• BenQ W2720i: was £1999, now £1599 at Richer Sounds
• Epson EH-LS9000: was £2999, now £2899 at Sevenoaks
• Sony VPL-XW5000ES: was £5999, now £3999 at Peter Tyson
• Sony Bravia Projector 8: was £15,999, now £11,999 at Richer Sounds

The wildcard:

• TCL 98C7K: was £2399, now £1899 at Richer Sounds

Hisense M2 Pro

The Hisense M2 Pro is a seriously impressive little projector. For something this compact and portable, the image quality is way better than you’d expect.

It uses a triple-laser light source, which gives it punchy colours and a really clean, vibrant look without things feeling overcooked. Skin tones stay natural, reds don’t go nuclear, and there’s a nice bit of depth to the image.

As you would expect at this level, the Hisense isn't native 4K, but uses pixel shifting to deliver a perceptual 4K image. It works really well – from a normal seating distance, it looks plenty sharp and crisp enough.

Brightness is another strong point. With up to 1300 lumens, the M2 Pro holds up surprisingly well in rooms that aren’t pitch black. You obviously get the best contrast in low lighting, but it doesn’t completely collapse if there’s some ambient light around.

HDR performance is good too, and the projector supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ on top of the usual HDR10 and HLG.

Black levels aren’t OLED-deep, but for a projector this size, they’re respectable. Contrast is good enough to give movies a nice cinematic feel, especially on a proper screen.

Basically, if your priority is getting a sharp, colourful, cinematic image without needing a full home cinema setup, the M2 Pro absolutely delivers, and it's amazing value with this Black Friday deal.

Hisense PL2

If it's an ultra-short-throw projector you're after, the Hisense PL2 is the model to get.

Because this is a UST projector, it sits just inches from your wall, yet it can produce a massive, 150-inch image.

Visually, the PL2 impresses big time. With 2700 ANSI lumens of brightness, it’s bold and punchy – even when there's ambient light in the room.

Colours feel natural, not overcooked, and the dark-detail handling is really good: shadows in moody scenes still reveal texture, making it feel quite cinematic. There’s excellent HDR support too — Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ are all in there.

Contrast is quoted at 3,000:1, so blacks don’t disappear completely, but for a UST projector, they’re pretty respectable. You do need to tweak the picture a little – the out-of-the-box settings aren’t perfect – but once you dial it in, the image looks consistently balanced and cinematic.

All in all, if you want a high-quality, big-screen feel without the hassle of mounting a projector far away, the PL2 nails it – especially for movie fans.

BenQ W2720i

The BenQ W2720i puts picture quality front and centre. Using a 4-LED light source and pixel-shifted 4K DLP tech, it produces a sharp, detailed image with a level of control that’s hugely impressive for the money.

Black levels are particularly strong for a DLP projector, helped along by BenQ’s dynamic dimming system.

Dark scenes keep their depth without losing fine detail, so you don’t get that flat or washed-out look that cheaper projectors often suffer from. There’s a real sense of contrast and punch, especially in a dark room.

Colour performance is another highlight. With excellent coverage of Rec.709 and very good DCI-P3 support, colours look natural and balanced – skin tones are spot-on, and bright scenes never feel overcooked.

At 2500 ANSI lumens, it’s bright enough for a bit of ambient light, but like most projectors, it really shines when the lights are down. HDR (in the HDR10 and HLG formats) adds extra depth and highlight detail, without tipping into harshness.

If you want a clean, cinematic image with accuracy and polish, rather than loads of gimmicks, the W2720i is a very easy projector to recommend.

Epson EH-LS9000

The Epson EH-LS9000 is one of those projectors that immediately feels like a step up into proper home-cinema territory. Using a 3LCD laser engine with pixel-shifted 4K, it delivers a big, bold image that looks clean, detailed and effortlessly cinematic on large screens.

Sharpness is excellent, and there’s a real sense of depth and dimensionality to the picture that makes films feel more immersive.

Colours are a particular strong point: they’re rich and vibrant without tipping into artificial territory, and skin tones look natural and consistent. Motion is handled smoothly, too, with fast action staying clear and controlled rather than smeared.

In darker scenes, the LS9000 shows plenty of subtle shadow detail, which helps give films a layered, three-dimensional look. Black levels aren’t OLED-deep, of course – they can look more dark grey than truly black – but contrast is still strong overall, and the image retains plenty of punch and dynamic range.

It’s also impressively bright, so highlights have real impact, and it holds its own even on larger screens or in rooms that aren’t completely pitch black.

All in all, this is a really polished, confident performer that prioritises cinematic picture quality over gimmicks, and it does so with style.

Sony VPL-XW5000ES

The Sony VPL‑XW5000ES is a real milestone projector – it’s Sony’s most affordable native 4K laser projector, yet it punches way above its weight. And even after several years on sale, it's still the absolute best performance-per-pound projector you can buy.

The 0.61-inch SXRD chip delivers full 3840×2160 resolution without relying on pixel-shifting tricks, producing an image that’s sharp, layered, and effortlessly cinematic.

Sony’s X1 Ultimate processing adds refinement: the Dynamic HDR Enhancer boosts brightness in highlights without flattening the rest of the scene, while Reality Creation sharpens detail naturally.

Colour performance is excellent too – the Triluminos Pro engine gives rich, controlled tones and renders skin tones beautifully.

Contrast is strong, with deep, rich blacks that give films plenty of punch, and while the 2000-lumen laser source might not sound super-bright on paper, it delivers HDR highlights that really pop, making the picture feel dynamic and immersive.

Setup requires a bit of patience since zoom, focus, and lens shift are fully manual, and it doesn’t support Dolby Vision or HDR10+. Even so, the VPL‑XW5000ES is an absolute stunner at its full price of £5999, let alone this discounted price of £3999.

Sony Bravia Projector 8

The Sony Bravia Projector 8 takes everything that impressed about the XW5000ES and pushes it further.

It’s still a native 4K model with SXRD panels, but it’s brighter, with deeper contrast and even more punchy HDR highlights. Colours are rich and accurate, and skin tones remain natural even in vivid scenes.

Blacks feel weightier, too, while shadow detail is more visible, and the picture overall has a bit more “wow” factor – films look cinematic in a way that really makes the extra spend feel justified.

The lens keeps the edges sharp on huge images, so you don’t lose detail even across a 150-inch or larger screen.

Motion handling is excellent, and for gamers, it’s a big step up thanks to HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 4K/120Hz and ALLM.

Put simply, while the XW5000ES nails native 4K on a standard setup, the Bravia Projector 8 is a worthy step up for those with even more premium systems – brighter, more cinematic, and ready to dominate a dedicated home cinema room.

The wildcard choice: TCL 98C7K

And the wildcard? That would be the 98-inch TCL C7K. Yes, it's a TV rather than a projector – that's what makes it a wildcard.

If you're looking at a projector because you want a roughly 100-inch display at home, I really think that it's also worth considering this TV.

For less than £2000, this TCL offers a 98-inch screen with higher brightness, deeper blacks and better contrast than any of the projectors above. It's got better gaming specs, too, and a better smart platform.

Sure, it lacks that almost indefinable charm that you get with a projector, but it makes up for that in so many ways.

I'm not saying you definitely should buy this 98-inch TCL TV instead of a projector – I'm just saying it's worthy of some thought.

More of today's best Black Friday deals

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Wine, beer and spirits: save up to 34% on drinks

With Black Friday deals no doubt flooding your search results, there are seemingly endless deals on heaps of home cinema kit. If you have been keeping your eye out for a portable projector, for instance, you may have come across deals on the Optoma Photon Go.

This ultra-short-throw projector is available for £699 at Richer Sounds, making it £200 cheaper than its original price. When we had it in our test room, we liked its easy to use design, which makes it easy to move between spaces.

Its picture quality didn’t impress as much, though. The overall image has a dull look that doesn’t manage to engage us as much as we have come to expect from rivals. That all earned it a three-star rating in our review.

But all is not lost! There is a model that offers a more cinematic and punchy picture performance – and it costs half as much as the Optoma projector. The Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air may be small, but its compact design should not be underestimated. You can snag it for £360 at Amazon, lopping £190 off the original price.

With a detailed picture and decent feature offerings, this Anker model is a great option at this price.

So what makes the Nebula Mars 3 Air such a good option? While the projector may have only a 1080p resolution, it's still more than capable of delivering a reasonably impressive big picture.

We say in our review: “Despite the projector using (like all portable models) a fairly small lens aperture, every pixel and texture of a good HD source is faithfully rendered, adding up to a really dense, smooth, cinematic finish to the picture with little evidence of visible pixel structure.”

It offers a claimed brightness of up to 400 ANSI lumens, which gives the image a sharp and detailed look, considering its size and price.

For sound, the Mars 3 Air has built-in speakers that we said were “pretty potent ones by portable projector standards, actually, in that they’re capable of delivering Dolby Audio with 2 x 8W of power.”

It has a built-in Google TV operating system that's packed with all the popular video streaming apps, including Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Disney+. It also has an HDMI input, a USB port and Bluetooth for connecting other sources.

With its sleek portable design, the projector is easy to carry around if you want to take your movies on the go. There is a built-in battery which lasts up to 2.5 hours, according to Anker, but this depends on how bright you set your picture and how loud you run your speakers.

If all that sounds up your street, we recommend snagging this deal on a top-performing portable projector this Black Friday, with £190 off at Amazon.

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

Black Friday is upon us. Yes, even though it’s a Thursday and a week before the day traditionally happens, Amazon and numerous other retailers have decided today is the day to start the event in earnest.

And while that gives me a severe sense of ennui, as a professional shiny things chaser oathbound to find the best prices possible for you, our ever awesome readers, it means I must once again dust off my deal hunting cap and brave the digital wilds to find them.

Thankfully, as you’ll know if you’ve been following our Black Friday deals live blog, as a ray of sunshine, there are at least a few good deals to be had, even this early in the event.

But, as is always the case there are also a number of discounts you would do well to steer clear of.

And sadly this year, one of them is on a product that, until mere months ago, was one of my most used pieces of home cinema hardware – the Xgimi Halo+.

The dinky portable projector I've used to host many an impromptu movie night when travelling is available for £359 on Amazon. That's a seemingly solid 40 per cent saving on its regular price.

But I can't recommend the deal, despite the Halo+'s noble service, powering more outdoor movie night adventures (as evidenced by the dent in my unit’s side), than I care to count, as there is a newer, better, option available for only £40 more right now.

Specifically, the four-star Xgimi MoGo 4, which is available on Amazon for just £399 right now (save £110).

Why this model in particular you ask? Because it’s better: plain and simple. I’ve used both side by side and the MoGo 4 is simply the better option, and one of the best you’ll get at this price. Hence its ongoing place in our best portable projectors guide.

Despite both being 1080p, the MoGo is brighter and, though far from perfect, offers better contrast, not suffering from black crush during dark scenes as much as the Halo+.

Its design is also more portable. Though both have in-built batteries, the MoGo 4 has a hinged stand design, making it easier to set up on the fly than the Halo+, which only has a clip at its bottom that lets you slightly raise its projection angle.

But, most importantly, it has Google TV. This may sound small, but Halo+'s use of Android TV and lack of a Netflix license is one of the most annoying things about it.

Having used it during trips and as the centre of an impromptu pop up cinema to entertain the sprogs, sod’s law always rings true and most people want to watch something that’s on Netflix – which requires a Chromecast or other streamer to work on the Halo+.

Faff is the arch enemy of all portable projectors, given their focus on offering easy to set up, on-the-go entertainment.

Which is why, though you’ll likely see the Halo+ front and centre on Amazon’s homepage and Black Friday home cinema deals section right now, I’d strongly suggest opting for the MoGo 4 over it.

Trust me. You’ll be better off.

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

On the distant horizon, an amorphous shape is slowly approaching. It holds a simple sign with the words "Black Friday deals" written on the front. Following behind is an army of products vying for your attention, tooting their horns and waving colourful flags.

Lucky for you, though, we can see through the noise and know which ones are worth your time during the Black Friday season.

Take the Nebula X1, for example, a 4K projector that impressed in our test room with its rich audio performance as well as a vibrant picture.

It's currently available for £2199 / $2999, placing it firmly in the premium end of the coffee table projector market.

While we are yet to see it drop to a proper bargain this deals season, I'm optimistic that the price tag will go down once Black Friday is in full swing. After all, the lowest it has dropped to in the past is an impressive £1800 which shaved £399 off its original price.

So what makes the Nebula X1 such a worthwhile model? First off, its audio quality is genuinely impressive considering the device's form factor, to the extent that we dubbed it "class-leading" in our full review.

Projectors often don't deliver particularly immersive or rich sound, so it is a breath of fresh air to find a model that provides a full-bodied performance through its 2.1 speaker system. We note in our review: “The Nebula X1’s audio makes it stand out from the crowd, as it is rare we have found a projector that can pack such a punch in terms of bass.”

In terms of picture performance, there's a lot to like as well. It presents an overall colourful image with enough depth to create an immersive, cinematic experience.

There is a fair amount of rainbow effect at times, which is when you catch glimpses of coloured light out of the corner of your eye, is slightly more noticeable with the Nebula than with some rivals including the BenQ X3100i.

Still, the Nebula reaches impressively deep black levels while boasting a claimed 3500 ANSI lumens of brightness to deliver a punchy overall image.

For your streaming needs, the X1 features the Google TV platform with Netflix built in. You can choose to download all the usual suspects, including Channel 4, Disney+, YouTube, Apple TV+, Netflix, ITVX and Amazon Prime Video. BBC iPlayer is not available, though you can at least cast it to the projector from your phone as a workaround if you are desperate.

It also offers an easy setup experience, with Nebula's AI Spatial Adaptation auto setup that includes real-time autofocus, keystone correction, ambient light adaptation, and wall colour adaptation.

All of this resulted in a four-star rating from us, making it a strong performer in the coffee table projector category. I'll certainly be keeping my eye on its price this Black Friday in hopes that a few hundred bucks can be shaved off its current price tag.

MORE:

Here's the full Nebula X1 review

These are the best projectors right now

Check out the best portable projectors

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

Most of us have dreamed of setting up a proper home cinema. I mean who wouldn’t want to experience the joy of watching a movie from the comfort of your own home, in your favourite chair with a full-fat long-throw projector and multi-speaker 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos surround sound system?

But if you’re like me and many others, actually making that happen is surprisingly difficult. I detailed the problems I had trying to fit a proper surround sound system into my spare room and lounge earlier this year.

Cliff Notes: I never even made it to measuring throw distance for the Sony VPL-XW5000ES I had been eying up. Short of inventing Tardis interdimensional space expanding technology, even the speakers I would have wanted for a set-up justifying the projector wouldn’t sensibly fit in the space.

But, after helping review more projectors than I care to count as a part of this year’s What Hi-Fi? Awards home-cinema battle royale, I have some good news for all my fellow movie fans. There are alternatives that help bridge the gap between a full-fat home cinema and basic TV setup.

This year, the team and I spotted two cost- and space-efficient projectors that, while not as magical as what you’d get with a set-up like the ones detailed in our Absolute Cinema column, are still wonderfully engaging and fun.

And I’m expecting both to get pretty hefty discounts over Black Friday 2025. Which is why I recommend keeping an eye on them.

Here’s what you need to know.

The Hisense M2 Pro – an ideal starting point

First up is the Hisense M2 Pro, which is our current Award-winner in the best projector under £1500 category.

It’s one of the latest “coffee table” projectors to hit the market. This is a compelling new form of projector that has been gaining in popularity in recent years thanks to its focus on ease of use.

The units aim to offer a simple “home cinema in a box” experience featuring support for streaming apps, powerful auto correction, short throw distances and baked-in sound systems.

I was involved in reviewing the M2 Pro, and I can confirm that, while the experience isn’t “full fat”, the unit is the best entry point to home cinema I’ve seen this year.

Thanks to its hinge design and intuitive operating system, you can get the tiny unit set up and playing movies within minutes of taking it out of the box.

But, most importantly, it offers a surprisingly mature experience. Unlike rivals, this projector accepts the inherent shortcomings of its form factor and hardware and focuses on consistency.

For example, rather than fall victim to the temptation of trying to make up for its naturally imperfect black level by raising the contrast (resulting in a loss of detail), the unit does the best it can with what it has.

This means that, while its image is noticeably greyer than a more expensive long-throw unit, detail is maintained and the image is holistically better as a result.

The same is true of its stereo speaker system, which never pushes itself too hard. Instead it accepts that it can’t match a proper speaker setup and instead limits itself to operate within its parameters. This means that while it sounds a little thin, it is free of distortion and remains suitably composed, and doesn't distract you from what's playing out on screen.

As we say in our review:

“The Hisense M2 Pro isn’t perfect. But by focusing on making all the right compromises and delivering a consistent, balanced home movie experience, it gets more right than it does wrong. This adds up to make it one of the best coffee-table projectors on the market. Offering solid picture quality, excellent app support and a wonderfully easy set-up process, it ticks all the right boxes for its target market.”

On top of that, I expect the unit to continue dropping in price. Since we reviewed it, the M2 Pro has slowly started enjoying hefty discounts, dropping to as little as £949 right now at select stores.

Based on my experience covering Hisense and past Black Friday shopping events, I have a strong inkling that its price will drop even further in the coming weeks.

Which is why I strongly recommend that buyers who are looking for an easy to use, great-value projector that can be easily stored away, should keep a keen eye on the Hisense M2 Pro this deals season.

The Hisense PL2 – a big screen experience, for those short on space

The Hisense PL2 is the best ultra-short-throw (UST) projector on the market right now. As the name suggests, this is a category of projector designed to be placed incredibly close to a wall.

The PL2 can throw up an image of between 80 and 150-inches from as little as a foot away from the screen – or wall if you’re a philistine.

That makes it a fantastic option for any buyer who wants a discreet unit that doesn’t dominate a room’s feng shui, or one who is short on space but still wants a big-screen home-cinema experience. I fall into the latter camp and use a Hisense PX3 UST in my home study/hobby room for this reason.

Why the PL2 specifically? For very similar reasons to the M2 Pro. For starters, the PL2 is already great value, retailing for less than £1500 right now. More importantly, it offers a consistent, mature picture that is missing on many rival USTs.

Rather than go for “oomph” and crank contrast or colour volumes to eye-catching but horribly artificial levels, the PL2 focuses on uniformity. Which makes it a great performer that makes it easy to focus on what you’re watching, not what the projector is doing.

It also features a Dolby Atmos sound system built in, with upward firing drivers. This is good enough for casual viewing – though I recommend investing in a soundbar system and taking advantage of its eARC connection if you want the best results. Even the entry level Hisense AX5125H will offer better audio.

As we say in our review:

“Hisense’s focus on delivering a balanced picture that accepts the shortcomings inherent to a UST lets the PL2 offer a consistent, controlled picture that never distracts from what’s playing on screen. This, plus its competitive price and advanced features, help the PL2 punch well above its weight and make it an easy recommendation for any movie fan on the hunt for a UST projector.”

If the massive price drops we saw during last year’s Black Friday sale on its predecessor, the PL1, are anything to go by, I’d suggest that any home cinema fan short on space should keep an eye on the PL2 this month. I’m expecting similar discounts to appear over the next few weeks.

If I’m right you may well be able to grab the Award-winning Hisense PL2 for as little as £1200 – a hefty £800 saving on its launch price.

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
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2025 has been a vintage year for projectors.

We’ve had Sony’s super-premium Bravia Projector 8 taking on (and ultimately defeating) the awesome JVC DLA-NZ800; the slightly less premium Bravia Projector 7 bringing Sony’s most advanced picture tech to a more accessible level; and we’ve looked at next-gen portable and coffee table models, from the Xgimi MoGo 4 to the Hisense M2 Pro and Anker Nebula X1.

But the brand that has really impressed (and surprised) me the most is Epson.

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While Epson has fared exceptionally well in the fairly recent past, with its EH-TW7100 and EH-TW9400 models having won a combined 10 What Hi-Fi? Awards between 2019 and 2024, the transition to laser lighting and new form factors, such as UST and coffee-table designs, has proved a challenge.

Of the nine new Epson projectors we reviewed between 2021 and the end of 2024, just one received a 5-star rating – the EH-LS12000.

This year, though, the brand has launched two five-star projectors, and one of those has essentially redefined expectations in its price category.

Traditional home cinema designs meet next-gen laser lighting

Those two new five-star stunners are the EH-QB1000 and EH-LS9000, and it’s perhaps unsurprising that they are both closely related to the EH-LS12000 mentioned above.

The QB1000 takes the LS12000’s excellent performance and elevates it. So much so that Epson places it in another class, hence the ‘QB’ rather than ‘LS’ product code.

This so-called ‘Pro’ model has awesome brightness (a claimed 3300 lumens at its peak) and Epson’s more advanced picture processing. And the result is a projector that is capable of taking advantage of HDR content in a way that very few rivals can match.

It also makes it a particularly strong model for mixed-use rooms, where its superior brightness can punch very effectively through ambient light – though I like to think that if you’re spending this sort of money on a projector, it’s for a room that can be blacked out for serious movie-watching.

As brilliant as the QB1000 is, it isn’t quite the very best projector available at its level. That’s because its £4799 / $7999 / AU$11,900 price puts it up against some really serious competition, including, most notably, the imposing Sony VPL-XW5000ES.

But while the Epson QB1000 isn’t quite able to topple Sony’s multi-Award-winner, which produces deeper blacks and leverages Sony’s legendary picture processing to deliver movies with even greater detail and sharpness, it’s an excellent alternative and superbly talented in its own right.

A performance-per-pound champ

But it’s the EH-LS9000 that has really rocked my world this year.

It’s not as good as either the QB1000 or LS12000, but by offering a surprisingly large percentage of the performance of both, while coming in at a much lower price of £2999 / $3999 / AU$7299, it frankly stuffs the competition at its level.

Even during the midst of our Awards testing – our busiest period of the whole year – senior staff writer Lewis Empson and I took extra time out of our day to spend more time with the LS9000, feeding it more of our favourite test scenes and hooking up a PS5 for a spot of super-punchy Ratchet & Clank action.

As reviewers, we of course love spending time with the very best, most premium products out there – it’s one of the greatest perks of the job. But being wowed by a device that costs surprisingly less than expected is a real joy, too.

That’s why it’s Epson, rather than the usual Sony or JVC, that is the projector brand that has most impressed me in 2025.

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If you're not sure which one to buy, check out our Epson EH-LS9000 vs EH-QB1000 comparison

In the last few years, we have seen the coffee table projector market skyrocket.

The appeal is obvious: these models can deliver huge cinematic thrills in your living room, but can also be tucked away in a cupboard when not in use.

With smart platforms and speakers built in, they're essentially complete home cinemas in neat little boxes.

Here, we have two of the latest and greatest 4K models side-by-side for direct comparison.

The Epson EF-72 is one of the most stylish models we've seen, and is designed to provide “flexible and immersive entertainment that’s ideal for any space”, according to the company.

The Hisense M2 Pro is perhaps sporting a more divisive design, but it's smaller than the Epson and is, says Hisense, capable of delivering "depth and nuance like no other".

Those are bold statements from both competitors, but how do they actually perform? We've tested both models side by side in our dedicated AV test room, so we can tell you which one comes out on top. Let's get cracking...

Epson EF-72 vs Hisense M2 Pro: price

The Hisense M2 Pro launched for £1299 / $1299 / AU$2495, but it's now widely available for a much lower £949 / $1000 / AU$1595.

The Epson EF-72, on the other hand, launched for the lower price of £1150 / $1000 (it's not available in Australia) but hasn't been discounted quite as heavily. Current pricing is £999 / $950.

That places both of the projectors firmly in the premium coffee table projector market, so they come with high expectations.

Given that the Hisense is the slightly more affordable projector in the UK and the Epson is marginally cheaper in the US, we're calling this round a draw.

**Winner: Draw**

Epson EF-72 vs Hisense M2 Pro: design

Epson's projector really stands out from the crowd, leaning into the lifestyle element of the category.

Sporting a sturdy stand and base, the projector has a trendy Scandinavian feel, with a wooden top and cloth fabric wrapped around the body.

The underside features funky coloured lighting, with users able to select a range of different ambient light modes by pressing their hands to the top – nice if you don't want to watch movies in pitch blackness or are using the projector as a Bluetooth speaker or simple mood light.

You can tilt the EF-72 upwards 90 degrees and downwards by 15 degrees, so you can display content on the ceiling, floor or at an angle.

The Hisense M2 Pro takes a different approach, offering a design not unlike something out of a sci-fi movie. Its silver cube-shaped body is supported by a flat base that can be tilted a full 360 degrees.

You can also mount this model on the wall or ceiling, or use the base to position it on a table.

With the Hisense weighing in at 3.9kg and the Epson at 4kg (about the same as a bowling ball), both models are relatively light and easy to move around. It's worth noting, though, that neither projector has a built-in battery, so they can't be considered fully portable.

The M2 Pro's remote has a premium feel with a sleek finish, a responsive D-pad and various streaming shortcuts. The Epson's black remote is more plain and plasticky, but it's perfectly usable and has a similar layout to that of the Hisense.

The Epson has a throw ratio of 1.20:1, whereas the Hisense offers 1.0 to 1.3 via the flexible zoom feature. This means you can get a larger image from a shorter distance.

Despite the Hisense's more flexible throw ratio options, the Epson takes the crown this time for its luxurious feel and unique design.

**Winner: Epson EF-72**

Epson EF-72 vs Hisense M2 Pro: features

So what features do these projectors offer?

First off, both the Hisense and Epson models feature Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as a USB port. The two projectors also have a single HDMI input that doubles as an eARC connection.

While both projectors are presented as 4K models, neither has a native 4K resolution. Instead, both employ pixel shifting technology to deliver a 4K effect.

This is entirely expected at this level, and pixel shifting is capable of delivering excellent results when used effectively.

The Epson and the Hisense models both support HLG and HDR10, but the M2 Pro goes beyond this to include HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

Both the EF-72 and M2 Pro have built-in smart platforms: the former features Google TV, while the latter has Hisense's own VIDAA system.

In each case, you get access to the apps of the biggest streaming services, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV, but the Hisense also offers the BBC iPlayer app in the UK, whereas the Epson does not.

Neither of the projectors supports Dolby Atmos but the Hisense does support DTS Virtual X, which the brand says delivers "distortion-free, immersive sound".

In terms of screen size, Epson claims the EF-72 can go up to 150 inches whereas the Hisense model can supposedly reach up to 200 inches. It claims to go brighter as well, quoting 1300 lumens of brightness, where the Epson can offer up to 1000 lumens.

The Hisense's more advanced HDR support and brightness levels pip the Epson to the post here.

**Winner: Hisense M2 Pro**

Epson EF-72 vs Hisense M2 Pro: picture quality

Now for the main attraction.

The Epson offers a perfectly likeable, colourful picture that is easy to live with.

When watching Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, we say: "The colours with this disc look pleasingly punchy and warm, while still being nicely balanced. Flaming torches held by the apes look fierce and vivid against the dark background, and the green of the leaves in the forest later on appears earthy and natural."

Its motion handling is smooth and, for the most part, still maintains the sense of natural movement, making for distraction-free viewing.

But the Hisense M2 Pro simply offers a crisper, punchier image that the Epson cannot match.

The contrast is excellently controlled and, when watching Civil War, we find that "tracer bullets across the night sky look fantastic, retaining a precisely controlled burn".

In terms of motion handling, the Hisense also matches the Epson by offering a smooth but authentic sense of movement.

The Hisense model delivers impressive black levels, too, and without crushing shadow detail.

It's this combination of deeper blacks and brighter highlights that ultimately gives the Hisense M2 Pro the win in this round.

As pleasant as the Epson EF-72 is, it's hard to escape the feeling that it's playing things a little safe. There's nothing strictly wrong with that, but the Hisense adds dynamism without adding any obvious deficiencies, so it's all gain with no pain.

**Winner: Hisense M2 Pro**

Epson EF-72 vs Hisense M2 Pro: sound

Neither the Hisense nor the Epson deliver jaw-dropping audio quality, but we frankly wouldn't really expect them to.

Epson once again plays things a bit safe, with the EF-72's single 10W speaker delivering a "rather flat and uninteresting" sound, despite the 'Sound by Bose' label.

It does manage to portray voices well by keeping them warm and balanced, all with a reasonable amount of bass to portray the emotion of each scene. But the sound remains quite localised and struggles to create much of a sense of immersion.

The Hisense M2 Pro's two 10W speakers, meanwhile, offer reasonable separation between dialogue and background noise, and provide some sense of directionality.

But its low end is a little too weak and it can suffer from sibilance and distortion during more demanding scenes.

While the Hisense offers a better overall sound than the Epson, neither can deliver movie soundtracks with anything like the scale necessary to do justice to the epic images, so in both cases, we recommend adding a dedicated sound system.

**Winner: Hisense M2 Pro**

Epson EF-72 vs Hisense M2 Pro: verdict

There's a lot to like about the Epson EF-72. With its charming living room-friendly design and warm, cinematic picture, it is a welcome addition to the coffee table projector category.

But the Hisense M2 Pro trumps it in terms of image quality, most significantly by delivering brighter highlights and deeper blacks, resulting in a punchier and more solid-looking picture.

Add the better sound quality and slightly lower price (in the UK at least), and you have a fairly straightforward decision.

**Overall winner: Hisense M2 Pro**

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The Epson EH-LS9000 made quite the splash when it was released in September 2025, returning Epson to the serious home cinema market after its recent dalliance with coffee table models, and finally releasing a replacement for its multi-Award-winning EH-TW9400.

After rigorous, comparative testing, we gave the Epson EH-LS9000 a full five-star rating, as well as a coveted What Hi-Fi? Award.

But, given that we also raved about its even more premium sibling, the EH-QB1000, only a year earlier, you might be wondering what the key differences are – and whether the more expensive projector is worth the extra money.

As members of Epson’s family of 4K laser projectors, the two models do have a lot in common – but there are a few notable differences, and not just in price.

We’ll compare the two below to help you make the best decision for the all-important projector in your home cinema.

Epson EH-LS9000 vs EH-QB1000: price

There’s a pretty clear winner when it comes to price. The EH-LS9000 is the ‘entry-level’ model in Epson’s 4K laser projector lineup, with a price of £2999 / $3999 / AU$7299.

That’s still a substantial amount of money for most people, of course, but it’s a lot less than the cost of the EH-QB1000, which comes in at £4999 / $7999 / AU$11,900.

That’s a £2000 / $4000 / AU$4601 price difference.

Bear in mind, however, that both these projectors were rated five stars for their respective launch prices, and the extra cost of the EH-QB1000 is made up for in extra features and improved picture quality, as you’ll see below.

So whichever one you go for, you can sleep easy knowing you’re getting value for your money.

** Winner: Epson EH-LS9000 **

Epson EH-LS9000 vs EH-QB1000: build & design

As far as appearances go, the EH-LS9000 and EH-QB1000 are less brothers, and more near-identical twins. Both projectors have the same beefy dimensions of 19 x 52 x 45cm, and both are available in either a white or black finish.

The only discernible difference between the two is that the LS9000 sports a black ring around the lens, while the QB1000’s ring is gold. The QB1000 is very slightly heavier, too, by just 100g.

Both projectors are definitely on the bigger scale of home cinema projectors, designed for permanent placement, preferably in a dedicated home cinema space.

Both have a motorised lens cover too, preventing dust and damage when closed, but also giving a satisfying whir every time you turn the projector on or off.

From the outside, the EH-LS9000 and EH-QB1000 are almost indistinguishable – it’s what is under the hood that’s going to make the difference.

** Winner: Draw **

Epson EH-LS9000 vs EH-QB1000: features

Neither projector has a native 4K resolution – both achieve their 4K delivery through pixel shifting. In this technique, the projector overlays two 1080p images to create a higher-resolution image, roughly equivalent to 4K.

While this might sound disappointing on paper, we’ve been impressed by the sharpness and detail of pixel shifting time and time again – it’s proved to be an effective way to get a 4K experience at a lower price than is charged for native 4K projectors.

The most obvious spec difference between the EH-LS9000 and EH-QB1000 is in brightness. While the LS9000 can reach a very respectable claimed brightness of 2200 lumens, the QB1000 goes all the way up to 3300 lumens.

This is not to say that the EH-LS9000 is overly dark – it’s far from the lowest brightness we’ve seen on a home cinema projector and will be more than sufficient in a dark room (or, even better, a blacked-out home theatre) – it’s more that the EH-QB1000 is unusually bright for a home cinema projector.

The QB1000’s extra-high brightness is of a level usually seen in living room projectors that have to punch through ambient light, and that might be a benefit to those looking for a model to use in a mixed-use room. It also suggests that the QB1000 may be able to squeeze more out of the HDR signals that both it and the LS9000 are able to handle.

This is further backed up by Epson’s claim that the EH-QB1000 has a dynamic contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1 – a huge figure close to that of OLED TVs. For comparison, the EH-LS9000 has a claimed contrast ratio of 2,500,000:1. Most content won’t get anywhere near the EH-QB1000’s levels of contrast, though, so pay more attention to our real-world testing impressions below.

Talking of HDR, both support the standard HDR10 and HLG formats, as well as the more advanced HDR10+.

4K Frame Interpolation and Super Resolution are also featured on both, designed to smooth motion and sharpen the image respectively.

Gamers rejoice – home cinema projectors are starting to truly embrace gaming. Both the EH-LS9000 and EH-QB1000 include two HDMI ports capable of handling 4K/120Hz signals, so hardcore gamers should get a silky smooth experience with compatible games.

As part of the same family, both projectors unsurprisingly have similar features – but the more premium EH-QB1000 boasts a higher brightness and contrast, as well as the potentially useful Scene Adaptive Gamma feature.

** Winner: Epson EH-QB1000**

Epson EH-LS9000 vs EH-QB1000: picture

The good news is that both projectors come out all guns blazing and look fantastic.

Surprisingly, the Vivid preset worked best on the EH-LS9000. As we said in our review, “it produces a picture with quite exceptional vibrancy and three-dimensionality without making things look forced.”

A screening of Thunderbolts reveals awesome solidity and depth to the picture, with a notably sharp and detailed presentation.

Colours are both vivid and natural, and the shading is excellent, while a switch to Blade Runner 2049 proves the projector to be adept at handling tricky panning shots with plenty of naturalism.

The LS9000’s one weakness is a relative lack of black depth, with a lighter grey taking over shots that would ideally be brilliant black.

Switching to the EH-QB1000, the impact of the higher brightness is immediately apparent.

As we said in our review: “The QB1000 manages to imbue HDR images with way more brightness than most projectors manage. As well as selling the life-like benefits of HDR more successfully than the vast majority of projectors we’ve tested, this brightness also feeds into an exhilarating colour performance that manages to maintain fantastic levels of vibrancy and richness.”

While the QB1000 doesn’t deliver blacks quite as deep as some projectors (most notably JVC’s D-ILA models), they are much deeper and more impactful than those from the LS9000, and that’s particularly impressive when you consider the additional brightness it also offers. There’s excellent detail in these dark shadows and bright highlights, too.

The QB1000’s dynamic contrast feature is clearly having an effect here, adapting light output to optimise brightness or black levels without being distracting.

Our only niggle in regards to the QB1000’s performance is its picture presets. The Vivid mode is in most ways our favourite, delivering often astounding brightness, punch and dynamism, but it also occasionally produces colour banding and can look a little forced in extreme high-contrast situations.

The Cinema preset fixes these issues, but also somewhat subdues some of the projector's greatest strengths in regard to brightness and contrast.

Ultimately, we decide to switch between these picture modes on a per-movie basis, but it would be nice if Epson had provided a Goldilocks preset that combined the best elements of each.

You can tell the two projectors are from the same family, and in terms of sharpness, detail and colours, they’re remarkably similar.

But the QB1000’s additional brightness and black depth make quite a difference, and result in an altogether punchier, more dynamic picture.

If you can comfortably stretch to the QB1000, it’s certainly worth it, but by offering most of that core picture quality at a much lower price, we’re giving this round to the LS9000.

** Winner: Epson EH-LS9000**

Epson EH-LS9000 vs EH-QB1000: verdict

It might be tempting to give the win to the Epson EH-QB1000, as it is a great choice for those after a bright, mixed-use projector, and the extra nits do sell the benefits of HDR far better than most models we’ve tested.

But we review on a performance-per-pound basis, and it’s hard to ignore that the upgrades over the EH-LS9000 come with a very significant additional cost.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that, great though it is, the QB1000 isn't quite the best projector in its price range: if you’re looking to spend £5000 on a projector, we recommend the Award-winning Sony XW5000ES for its native 4K support and exceptional X1 Ultimate processing.

The LS9000, however, is easily the best projector at its price point, which is why it just won a What Hi-Fi? Award.

While it lacks the brightness and black depth of its QB1000 sibling, the LS9000 still delivers the core picture quality of its more premium sibling at a much lower price.

If you've got deep pockets and a strong desire for the extra brightness, the QB1000 is an excellent choice, but once value is taken into account, the LS9000 is the winner of this all-Epson head-to-head.

** Overall winner: Epson EH-LS9000**

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The Sony Bravia Projector 7’s journey to UK shelves has been fraught with drama and uncertainty.

In fact, it wasn’t long ago that we had resigned ourselves to never seeing the latest edition of Sony’s legendary laser projector series light up our AV testing room.

Thankfully, after a period in which Sony briefly pulled out of selling projectors in the UK and Europe at all, the Japanese brand announced that the issue had been resolved, and sales of the Award-winning VPL-XW5000ES, Bravia Projector 8 and Bravia Projector 9 resumed.

With that triumphant return, Sony chose to also launch in the UK the Bravia 7 Projector (also known as the VPL-XW5100ES), which we have plugged into our reference home cinema system today.

Thank heavens it all worked out, because this is a sublime home cinema projector.

Price

At £6999 / $10,000 / AU$13,999, it’s hard to believe that, within the context of Sony’s premium home cinema lineup, this is considered to be a mid-range model.

It sits above the VPL-XW5000ES (which has just celebrated its fourth year as a What Hi-Fi? Award-winner), which launched at £5999 / $5998 / AU$9990, but can now be found for less.

It sits far below the Bravia Projector 8 (£15,999 / $15,999 / AU$21,999 ), though, and it’s less than half the price of the mind-bogglingly expensive (but also incredibly accomplished) Bravia Projector 9 (£27,999 / $31,999).

Build

If the Bravia Projector 7 looks familiar to you, it’s likely because you either own, or have read our reviews of, the VPL-XW5000ES, VPL-XW7000ES, Bravia Projector 8 or Bravia Projector 9.

Sony has mastered stretching a chassis design to fit a multitude of different models. Still, we don’t mind that so much, as a serious home cinema projector such as this will usually be tucked out of sight in a dark home cinema screening room.

Besides, this is still quite a sharp design. Its elongated hexagonal shape when viewed head-on is pleasant enough, with the top panel meeting at a central apex that frames the lens quite nicely.

It’s a fairly substantial unit, measuring 20 x 46 x 47cm (hwd), though it’s surprisingly light at just 13kg, which should be a blessing for those going the ceiling-mount route.

We have the black model in for testing, but we’ve seen the white version in the flesh and it’s equally handsome. Just bear in mind that the white one won’t blend into a dark home cinema room quite so effectively.

The Bravia Projector 7 sports a side-mounted interface panel with plenty of connections, and there’s a sneaky hidden door on the top of the unit that pops open to reveal the manual lens controls — we’ll touch on both of those aspects below.

Sony is also using the same remote as the rest of its lineup. It’s functional, has a handy selection of picture mode shortcuts and a button to take you directly to the test pattern, which makes set-up slightly easier.

While the remote is backlit, you do have to push a button to activate it, which can be a bit fiddly when trying to operate the projector in the dark. At this price, a motion-activated backlight would have been nice.

Features

Sony’s entire home cinema projector range uses the company's SXRD projection technology, and the Bravia Projector 7 is no different. This is Sony’s version of Liquid Crystal on Sillicone (LCoS) — a technology also used by its rival JVC under the D-ILA branding.

The Bravia Projector 7 sports three 4K chips, which output the full 3840 x 2160 resolution natively and without the need for pixel shifting.

Sony claims that the Bravia 7 can hit a brightness of 2200 lumens from its laser diode light system, and the projector also supports HDR in the HDR10 and HLG formats. Considering that JVC features HDR10+ support, and many cheaper models now feature Dolby Vision, we would have liked to have seen Sony follow suit.

The inclusion of Sony’s XR Processor (which the ‘entry-level’ VPL-XW5000ES doesn’t have) brings with it a variety of picture features adapted from the brand’s TV range.

This includes Sony’s excellent Reality Creation system, which draws out enhanced depth and detail from the picture, as well as its XR Dynamic Tone Mapping, XR Deep Black, XR Triluminos Pro (colour enhancing), XR Clear Image and Motionflow picture processing features. Anyone with a Sony TV should feel right at home when it comes to honing the settings of this projector.

Speaking of settings, there is a wide range of picture presets available on the Bravia 7. Cinema Film 1 and Cinema Film 2 headline with an approach that balances cinematic authenticity with some added punch courtesy of some of the picture processing features mentioned above.

Reference will be the choice for those who value the director’s intent above all else, while the Game preset will, unsurprisingly, appeal to gamers thanks to its more vivid colours and quicker response time (Sony quotes an input lag of just 12ms in 4K/120Hz, which is supported by both of the HDMI 2.1 ports).

Sony has also included a TV and Bright TV picture option for those who wish to use this projector in a more conventional living room set-up, or as their primary screen for day-to-day use. As the name suggests, it makes the projector’s picture appear more TV-like, with a punchier output that makes it appropriate to use in environments with challenging ambient lighting.

One area where we wish Sony had pushed the boat out more is the image correction system.

It does include a fairly easy-to-control keystone correction system, which does make set-up slightly easier. However, unlike the Bravia Projector 8, all of the lens controls, including focus, shift (vertical and horizontal) and zoom, are controlled by manually twisting the rings surrounding the lens, or by rolling the dials under the top-mounted trap door.

This can make set-up feel needlessly fiddly, and it takes longer to dial the picture in on this projector than its motorised-lens-touting counterparts.

This is mostly due to the fact that you can’t really get “up close and personal” with the picture and tweak settings at the same time if you’re setting this beamer up by yourself.

It’s disappointing that Sony has chosen to stick with manual lens controls at this price, especially when the considerably cheaper Epson LS9000 sports a fully motorised system.

All that being said, we manage to get the projector into position with relatively little stress and manage to get it to fill our 100-inch screen comfortably.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the Bravia Projector 7 is a picture-only affair, as there are no built-in speakers, nor is there any sort of smart system. That’s to be expected with this class of projectors, as you’ll realistically be plugging the Bravia 7 into an AVR and surround sound package, and hopefully feeding it high-quality discs via one of the best 4K Blu-ray players too.

Picture

Considering Sony’s prior achievements, it should come as no surprise that the Bravia 7 is another class-leading projector.

We have the VPL-XW5000ES on hand as a reference model, and have attached the (sadly discontinued) Oppo UDP-203 via the Marantz Cinema 30 AVR to play our favourite 4K reference discs. We also have the Award-winning KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 system plugged in, but that’s more for our enjoyment — who wants to watch movies in silence?

We gravitate towards Cinema Film 2 as our preferred picture preset, as it balances punch and accuracy in equal measure. Reference is also a good choice for those looking for a slightly more subdued picture, but it can withhold some of the brightness and richness of colours as a result.

Starting with Civil War, we’re swiftly struck by how balanced and sharp the Bravia 7’s picture is. The solidity and depth of the image are superb, which should come as no surprise, as we know that Sony has practically mastered contrast with its other projectors.

An establishing aerial shot highlights the immediate strengths of this projector, as the sunset is treated to a stunning gradient of yellows, oranges, reds and blues. The terrain appears to stretch on forever, aided by the Bravia 7’s expert handling of contrast, which establishes a convincing depth-of-field effect.

Playing the forest fire scene, there is a degree of greyishness to the blacks that’s unfortunately more or less unavoidable in the realm of projectors, but it’s by no means distracting, and we consider the performance to be plenty deep and dark enough by projector standards.

Besides, we’re quickly distracted from the slight lack of black by the mesmerisingly rich, glowing flames that lap at the trees, and the floating embers that sparkle against the shadowy backdrop. The gradation of yellow at the heart of the flames to orange at the edges, paired with the accurate and intense burst of brightness, means we can practically feel the heat emanating from the fire.

As the scene progresses to Lee and Jessie having a heart-to-heart in a boatshed, we find a veritable feast of upgrades that this projector offers over the VPL-XW5000ES.

Most prominent is the greatly improved handling of the Reality Creation feature, which looks both sharp and natural on the Bravia 7. The XW5000ES, by comparison, can look slightly forced and over-etched, resulting in dense foliage looking too bold, and the skin texture of Kirsten Dunst’s face appearing over-sharpened.

This is a testament to the proficiency of the XR Processor, with the Bravia 7 putting the additional power to good use.

That’s also felt with how the Bravia 7 handles motion. The projector performs flawlessly, with jets soaring overhead and helicopters swooping in a smooth and judder-free, yet utterly natural fashion.

We continue our testing with Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps and are met with an equally impressive picture. The blue of the titular heroes’ suits pops with a vibrant hue that doesn’t verge into looking overdone, and skin tones are handled with a natural, considered approach that never looks overcooked.

As the Silver Surfer descends onto Times Square, the pinpoint highlights of a helicopter search light reflecting from her chrome skin are delivered with excellent accuracy and intensity. Likewise, the Human Torch’s fiery form contrasts nicely with the night sky, as clothing and facial details are retained even in his glowing “flame-on” mode.

Rounding things out with Pan, the high-brightness content doesn’t pop in the same way that a similarly priced QD-OLED or Primary RGB Tandem OLED TV might, but it’s plenty punchy by projector standards and the gradation of colours within the floating bubbles is delivered beautifully.

There is some detail lost in the brightest aspect of the picture, such as the clouds around the sun, but it’s still a crisp, uniform and deeply engaging image that continues to show us immense three-dimensionality and image solidity thanks to that superb contrast control.

Verdict

Our picture testing points us to one obvious conclusion: the Bravia Projector 7 is an excellent home cinema projector. It’s a worthwhile step up over the VPL-XW5000ES, as it adds a touch of sophistication afforded by the XR Processor.

If you’re looking to step up to a projector that delivers an even more cinematic image with more balanced colours, even better contrast, and extra subtlety, then the Bravia Projector 7 is certainly worth the upgrade – providing your budget allows.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Features 4
• Build 4

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Read our review of the Sony VPL-XW5000ES

Also consider the Epson QB1000

Read our Sony Bravia Projector 8 review

Best projectors: budget, 4K and ultra-short-throw

Black Friday may not have started, but there are already some TV and AV discounts popping up across various retailers.

One we spotted was on the Samsung The Premiere 5 projector, which has gone from £1999 down to £1799 at Richer Sounds. When we had it in our test room, we enjoyed its direct sound and built-in Tizen OS streaming system.

But we were disappointed by its dull picture performance which "lacks detail and impact". Plus, the HDR doesn't always work which is quite a drawback. That meant that it ultimately received a three-star review from us.

You don't need to worry, though. We have found an even better bargain on a five-star home cinema projector that is ideal for movie lovers. The Epson EH-TW7100 has dropped from £1599 down to £1249 at Richer Sounds, saving you an impressive £350.

When we had the Epson model in our test room, we praised its balanced colour palette, as well as its excellent contrast handling. You don't need to spend unnecessary time fiddling around to get the right settings, either, as all the preset modes are very well judged from the off.

In our review while watching Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we say: "The scene is bright, the colours natural and the clouds carefully shaded, all making for an inviting image with a believable sense of dimension."

In fact, we liked it so much that it received a What Hi-Fi? Award last year.

Image-wise, you'll be able to project a 100 inch screen projected from distances between 2.95 and 4.77m. The unit can also be ceiling, rear rack or desktop mounted.

While there's a lot to love about the EH-TW1700, it's the Bluetooth for audio-out to a soundbar or wireless speakers that is one of the most impressive features, as well sufficient HDMI and USB connectivity.

If you're looking for a home cinema projector that will offer cinematic picture and good connectivity options, this is a great find especially at this low price.

MORE:

Here's our full review of the Epson EH-TW7100

And check out our thoughts on the Samsung The Premiere 5

These are the best portable projectors right now

It has been an exceptional year for projectors.

We have been inundated with new models over the last 12 months, with new brands and old hands alike producing projectors in increasingly varied shapes and styles.

Even those models that look like typical home cinema projectors are now frequently bringing with them hitherto unobtainable specs, particularly in terms of brightness, HDR support and gaming features – and they’re bringing them down to more affordable levels.

We considered over 30 new projectors for this year’s What Hi-Fi? Awards, and the standard was higher than ever before, which made it incredibly hard to pick our six winners.

It’s testament to the rate of progress that of these six, five are first-time winners.

Before we get to the winners, you might be wondering what happened to our Award for 'best portable projector'.

While we have tested some interesting portable projectors this year, we simply haven’t found one that we deem Awards-worthy.

We have, though, found a ‘coffee table’ projector that we deem to be very worthy indeed.

Convenience and quality combined

That coffee table projector is the Hisense M2 Pro, a compact block of sci-fi style that produces huge, bright and vibrant images.

Its lack of a battery means it’s not what we would call properly portable, but it is small and light enough to be easily moved between rooms and hidden away in a cupboard when it’s not needed, which is great for flexibility.

The comprehensive smart platform (a rarity among even so-called ‘smart’ projectors) and decent sound make it a really convenient home cinema in a box.

On its way to victory, the M2 Pro defeated several new rivals and three incumbent winners – the BenQ W1800 and X3100i, and the Epson EH-TW7100. Very impressive indeed.

Hisense vs Hisense in the battle of the USTs

There was less competition in the UST category this year, with Xgimi the only brand to mount a noteworthy challenge against Hisense – a challenge that was fairly easily shrugged off.

Ultimately, it came down to which Hisense model offered the best performance per pound.

After much comparative testing and deliberation, we decided that model is the entry-level PL2, which is simply brilliant value for money.

If it’s an ultra-short-throw model you’re after, the Hisense PL2 is absolutely the one to buy.

A winning hybrid

Before we abandon flexibility entirely in favour of hefty, super-serious home cinema models, take a look at our next winner, the BenQ W2720i.

While it doesn’t have the super-stylish design that we’re now coming to expect from coffee table projectors, it will work as such while also being perfectly suited to permanent placement if preferred.

This hybrid approach thankfully doesn’t compromise picture quality, unlike many of its rivals.

Instead, it makes for an awesome all-rounder that is unbeatable at its price – something that became clear when we compared it against rivals including the Hisense C2 Ultra (review coming soon) and BenQ’s own X3100i.

Serious cinematic quality hits a new price point

Now we get to those super-serious home cinema models.

Epson’s latest 4K laser projector range has gone three-for-three, with the EH-QB1000, EH-LS12000 and EH-LS9000 all having received five-star ratings in our reviews.

In the end, it’s the most affordable model, the EH-LS9000, that gets an Award. It offers the core picture quality of its more premium siblings at a much more accessible price, and that makes it a cut above everything else in its class.

The EH-QB1000 was also close to getting an Award, but in the end, it couldn’t quite trump the incumbent Sony VPL-XW5000ES.

That’s now four years on the bounce that the XW5000ES has been a What Hi-Fi? Awards winner.

It had to fend off the BenQ W5850 (review coming soon), and we compared it to its newer, more premium sibling, the Sony Bravia Projector 7 (another review that's coming soon). Ultimately, the veteran XW5000ES is still the best performance-per-pound option.

Another Sony takes the super-premium projector crown

Finally, at the very top of the Award-winning projector tree, we find another Sony model – the Bravia Projector 8.

It was the tightest of tight calls between this Sony model and JVC’s similarly-priced DLA-NZ800 but, after much deliberation, our team of expert reviewers gave the nod to the Bravia Projector 8 on account of its mesmerising contrast and detail.

So, those are our six Award-winning projectors. The question now is which one will also be crowned the Product of the Year at our glitzy Awards ceremony on 13th November. Stay tuned to find out.

MORE:

See every What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 winner here

And here is the complete list of the best projectors you can buy right now

Projector brand Optoma has announced its newest 4K home cinema offering, the UHZ58LV.

It says the dual-laser projector is designed to “deliver breath-taking visuals, vibrant colour fidelity, and unmatched reliability” to turn a space into a “cinematic masterpiece.”

Offering a claimed 3000 lumens of brightness and HDR10+ support, Optoma promises the two laser diodes provide a “richer, more immersive visual experience,” than rivals.

For purists the unit features a Filmmaker Mode, which which turns off all superfluous processing in a bid to deliver an accurate, "as the director intended" experience.

Optoma also says you can also turn on Day and Night modes to suit different lighting environments.

In terms of sound, there is one built-in 15W speaker that offers “rich, immersive” audio for movies.

When it comes to setup, the UHZ58LV has a selection of “effortless” installation options including vertical lens shift and four-corner correction.

For gamers, the 4K projector offers ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and an input lag of 4ms to give "a gaming advantage when it comes to all types of action play."

It’s set to launch at around £2000 in the UK, with no word yet on US or Australian availability. At that price, the Optoma is up against very stiff competition.

The Award-winning BenQ X3100i, for example, hugely impressed during testing. We enjoyed its sharp picture performance, as well as its responsive yet immersive gaming experience.

Although it launched at the slightly higher price of £2099 / $2399 / AU$3599, you can now regularly find it at a discounted price of around £1949 in the UK.

We are yet to get the 4K Optoma projector in our test room, so stay tuned to see whether it can overtake the BenQ model as our recommended projector in its class.

MORE:

Here's our full review of the BenQ X3100i

Check out the best projectors you can get

And these are the best outdoor projectors

China-based brand Xgimi has launched its latest portable projector, the Vibe One, along with a new sub-brand.

The Vibe is being pitched as an affordable, portable option for people looking for a big screen movie watching experience that won't break the bank.

Apollo Zhong, chairman at Xgimi, comments: “With Vibe One, we’re giving users a product that’s simple, fun, and dependable, while still carrying the design DNA XGIMI is known for.”

Featuring auto-keystone and auto-focus, the 1080p projector’s stand can tilt up to 160 degrees making it, in theory, easy to setup on the fly.

It also has a compact design akin to a camping lantern with a carry handle on the top. The only slight concern is that the Vibe One only offers up to 1.2 hours video or four hours music playback according to the company. So, if you're looking to watch any of Martin Scorsese's library of work you'll need a battery pack or mains connection.

In terms of sound, there are two 3W speakers featuring Sound by JBL for “rich, room-filling audio” that doubles as a Bluetooth speaker. As you'd expect for a projector this class, Dolby Atmos is not included.

The Vibe One uses Google TV with built-in Netflix support, plus the usual streaming suspects. That includes Amazon Prime Video, ITVX and Disney+.

It also includes eight Ambient Light Mode colours to help set a "vibe" when using it. You can get the projector in two different finishes: Cloud Ash and Blue Spark (featuring a yellow handle and blue base).

The projector will cost £219 in the UK and $269 in the US on 5 November, although for the latter there is a reduced early bird price of $199 if you pre-order.

Even compared to a similar model from the brand, the Xgimi MoGo 4, that is quite a low price and puts the Vibe One in the entry-level portable projector category.

When we reviewed the MoGo 4 (which launched at £509 / $499 / AU$1399), we rated it four stars for its punchy picture and easy-to-use design.

It certainly seems that Xgimi have continued its legacy with the compact build, but we will have to see how this cheaper projector fares when it comes to its picture.

MORE:

Here's our review of the Xgimi MoGo 4

These are the best portable projectors

And check out the best projectors right now

We've just revealed the full list of What Hi-Fi? Award winners, and it includes a fresh cohort of new five-star projectors.

One of the new entries to our Awards list is the Hisense M2 Pro, a compact coffee table-style projector that delivers a big, punchy, and detailed picture, greatly exceeding expectations based on its small footprint.

We've bestowed it an Award based on its launch price of £1299; however, we're already seeing some substantial discounts, which makes it an even better option.

In fact, you can snap it up for just £999 at Amazon right now, saving you hundreds of pounds on this top-notch projector.

The Hisense M2 Pro packs a lot into a small and stylish package. It features a 4K image (up to a whopping 200 inches) with support for HDR in the HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG formats.

We approved of its punchy, yet balanced, colours in our full review, as well as how it never attempts to push past its capabilities; instead opting to deliver a consistent and immersive picture within its means.

Elsewhere, you'll find Hisense's full Vidaa smart system built in, meaning you can access your favourite streaming services without having to plug anything in. That's especially good news considering that the M2 Pro only features one HDMI socket, which is its only notable flaw.

It even has a fairly basic 10W 2.0 channel speaker system built in, which we actually think is pretty good by projector standards.

When set to the Theatre mode, we find that it produces a surprisingly open and clear sound that will certainly make do for occasional use, though you'll be pleased to hear that the HDMI socket does support eARC.

All of this comes in a charming, compact design that's designed to be tucked away when not in use, and Hisense even kindly provides a carrying case to keep it protected when stored away or on the go.

Amazon's £300 saving makes this likeable little projector even more compelling, so don't miss this deal if you're looking to score this Award-winner at a discounted price.

MORE:

Read our full Hisense M2 Pro review

Check out all of the 2025 What Hi-Fi? Award winners

And here are the best projectors in 2025

It’s officially What Hi-Fi? Awards season, which means we have seen a huge variety of different products passing through our test rooms these past few months.

There has been a sea of TVs, speakers and headphones to get through; but one of the categories that has really taken us by surprise is the coffee table projector market. It has historically proven difficult to find a contender that produced a cinematic image while not costing the earth.

But this year has produced an impressive collection of worthwhile projectors in this category, including Epson’s EF-72. It promises to provide “a cost-effective, portable, high brightness and high image quality projection experience for the modern household.”

The RGB LED projector claims to offer up to 1000 lumens of brightness, and a screen size of 150 inches (measured diagonally). In terms of streaming, the EF-72 is powered by Google TV which includes access to most of the usual streaming suspects including Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

It will set you back £1150 / $1000 (around AU$2845), placing it firmly in the premium coffee table projector category.

But what did I actually learn from my days of testing out this projector with my colleagues? I won't spoil the full review but I can say there’s certainly a lot to like about the EF-72. It is, though, far from perfect.

Without further ado, read on to find out what we liked about the Epson EF-72 as well as what we were not too keen on.

Like: warm, balanced picture performance

If you’re spending your hard-earned cash on a projector, you obviously want the picture performance to be worth your time. And the Epson EF-72 ticks a lot of boxes in this category.

After a bit of tinkering with the picture settings, we find the image looks detailed and cinematic.

While watching Dune: Part Two on 4K Blu-ray for example, we say in our review that “the projector does a good job of capturing the warmth of the scene while still keeping her skin tone natural right down to her subtle freckles.”

There’s plenty of warmth to the image, too. This becomes clear with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes as flaming torches held by the chimpanzees look vivid against the dark background, and the green leaves in the forest appear earthy and natural.

This all results in a pleasingly solid picture performance that is very easy to live with.

Dislike: rivals go darker and brighter

As we said, however, the Epson EF-72’s picture performance is far from perfect. We find that the projector is playing it safe when it comes to portraying both the deepest blacks and the brightest highlights, which results in an image that could be a little more exciting.

This becomes especially clear when we compare the picture quality with the EF-72’s main rival – the Hisense M2 Pro.

The Hisense projector (which comes in with a cheaper price tag of £1299 / $1299 / AU$2495) offers a more engaging overall image that manages to go both brighter and darker. When watching No Time To Die, as Bond walks across white rocks in the Italian countryside, for example, the Hisense provides more subtlety between the different shades.

That’s not to say that the Epson does not achieve a cinematic image, but rivals such as the M2 Pro do produce a more dynamic overall look.

Like: clear dialogue from built-in speakers

But what about its sound performance? The projector features just one in-built 10W speaker, which does manage to produce clear vocals for both movies and music.

When watching Dune: Part Two, as Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides and Stilgar have a heart-to-heart in the desert, the projector makes their voices sound natural and tonally balanced, with a reasonable amount of bass to portray the emotion of the scene.

Many built-in projector speakers don't tend to produce a particularly crisp vocal performance, so it's good to see that the Epson model bucks this trend to some extent.

Epson says you can use the projector as a dedicated Bluetooth speaker, too, and the clear vocals continue when we test it with a variety of tunes.

Still, the EF-72 is not without its faults in this area…

Dislike: lacks dynamic range and immersive surround sound

Even though the Epson model manages to keep vocals clear, the single speaker does struggle to push the sound far out from the body of the projector which results in a localised audio performance.

That makes it sound quite detached from the action on-screen, and can detract from the excitement of the scene.

Another drawback of the Epson's sound system is its lack of dynamic range which also adds to its overall flat and uninteresting audio.

A classic bass stress tester we use in our test room is Chapter 2 of Bladerunner 2049, which reaches very low frequencies. While the Epson EF-72 does not distort here as many sound systems do, it’s quiet and just can't reach the bass levels required to deliver the scene’s tension.

It's not the worst sound we have heard in a coffee table projector, but it certainly doesn’t blow us away. That's why we strongly recommend pairing the Epson with a soundbar when watching TV or movies.

Like: sleek and premium-looking design

But let's end on a positive: the Epson EF-72's design has a luxurious and easy-to-use feel that adds to the premium experience.

The top of the projector has a pleasing overall tactility with a smooth wooden top that comes in an oak colour, and a fabric covering for the sides.

It's easy to take from room to room thanks to its compact and lightweight body, although it can't quite be considered a portable projector as there is no built-in battery.

On the base of the projector's body is an LED ambient light display. You can select a range of different ambient light modes that are ideal if you don’t want to sit in complete darkness while watching.

This is especially refreshing considering the majority of projectors tend to resemble a fairly uninteresting black or white box with not much character.

MORE:

Here's our full review of the Epson EF-72

And check out of our thoughts on the Hisense M2 Pro

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 winners revealed!