Home cinema is taking a new form in this day and age.
The idea that a home cinema system must be a fixed projector connected to an AV receiver with cables trailing to a surround sound package is now an outdated concept, with opportunities for many more people to dip their toes into the world of home cinema for the first time.
We've had projectors of all shapes and sizes enter our test room, and these form factors are only getting more ambitious. This paradigm shift really kicked off towards the start of this decade, when ultra-short-throw (UST) projectors started gaining popularity.
USTs pack in the big-screen experience, a sound system, and (in most cases) built-in streaming, for an all-in-one cinema experience that doesn't need to take up much more space than a TV.
From that, we've seen the explosion of coffee table projectors, such as the Hisense M2 Pro or BenQ TK705i, which take the same concept and translate it into a portable cube, meaning you can deploy a full home cinema at a moment's notice, and put it away again.
These come in high-end packages, like the Xgimi Horizon 20 Max (£2599 / $2699 / AU$4950), as well as surprisingly affordable models such as the Wanbo Vali 1 (£270 / $279 / AU$499).
Performance obviously differs depending on how much you're willing to spend, but the concept remains the same; coffee table or 'lifestyle' projectors offer picture, sound and content in a compact form that can be tucked away in a cupboard when not in use.
A further extreme is the boom of portable projectors. Xgimi's MoGo series makes things even more flexible by offering a built-in battery, and while the Optoma Photon Go wasn't perfect, we thought its battery-powered UST design was both clever and cool.
Even surround sound speaker packages are following the trend. While we'll always stick by a full surround sound package, we can't deny the impracticalities of setting one up and living with it.
If you're not a dab hand at cable management, then your living room can quickly turn into a spaghetti junction of speaker wires. Floorstanding speakers also take up space, and even the most space-saving of bookshelf units need stands.
That's why we're seeing the rise of the wireless surround sound system. Sony ran with the concept a few years ago with the HT-A9 system, and followed it up with the Bravia Theatre Quad in 2024. We've also seen the likes of the Valerion Thunderbeat, Loewe WE Boost and Hisense Saturn all make appearances since.
LG and TCL have even launched speakers with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect that can be configured to create a full surround sound system, which even takes the hassle out of positioning speakers.
These wireless systems essentially offer a proper surround sound experience – there are speakers technically surrounding the seating position – with a heaping of convenience that makes them more approachable.
Purists may disagree with me here, and I won't argue that a dedicated 4K projector, surround sound speaker package, AVR and 4K Blu-ray player won't offer up a better home cinema experience.
However, not everyone has the time, space, budget or technical know-how for a full system, and let's not forget that watching movies isn't a competitive sport.
Personally, I'm here for these accessible home cinema products. Convenience and affordability are two great ways to tempt new people into the world of home cinema, and once they've had a taste, chances are they'll begin working up to the full package.
And if they don't, then that's fine too. Home cinema for everyone is the ideal outcome here, whether that's a sound-treated, dedicated theatre room made by specialists, or beaming the latest superhero flick onto your wall from a projector sitting on your coffee table.
MORE:
Check out our picks for the best projectors
As well as the best portable projectors
