In theory, an ultra-short throw (UST) projector offers the simplest and most practical way to watch movies on a big screen at home.
You should be able to position an all-in-one projector right next to your screen (or wall) to deliver as big as a 200-plus-inch rich and detailed image, without having to worry about clutter in the middle of the room.
But achieving all that in practice can be another story.
Even though the initial setup is simpler than a long-throw model, there is still a fair bit of fiddling around that has to go into getting the picture ready for a movie night.
Each brand has its own way of doing things, whether that's manually moving the image to fit the screen correctly or using the accompanying app, it always seems to take longer than you might imagine.
Editor-in-chief Alastair Stevenson certainly found this was the case in his latest UST testing for the upcoming What Hi-Fi? Awards.
Another issue with UST projectors, that we've spotted time and time again, is how they portray black depth.
They can't match the blackness of an OLED or Mini-LED TV screen as they are beaming light onto a surface instead of controlling light with pixels. But I have noticed that UST projectors tend to overcompensate by boosting up the contrast levels, which does not solve the problem at all.
At IFA, however, I got the chance to see the two newest entries to the premium UST category – and it made me hopeful that we could be seeing a change.
Both Xgimi’s Aura 3 Max and AWOL’s LuxVision are 4K UST projectors, and they are each claiming to offer something new.
Xgimi’s entry claims to be the world’s first 4k/120Hz UST. It offers 5700 ISO lumens of peak brightness and a contrast ratio of up to 8,000:1.
The LuxVision model is also claiming its own world record. The brand says it is the first 4K/120Hz UST projector with optical shift.
With both models offering this high resolution and refresh rate, they should make for a smooth experience for hardcore gamers as well as movie fans.
AWOL's optical shift is of particular interest here, as this one-touch feature should let users precisely adjust image positioning without losing that 4K resolution.
I didn't get to see the team set up the projector using the function but, if this is really the case, then it should make for a much-needed upgrade on the majority of UST projector setups.
Both offer a screen size up to 200 inches, and Google TV is on board both models. In terms of sound, AWOL and Xgimi both feature built-in speakers that support Dolby Atmos.
I got to see both of the projectors during demonstrations and, although they were far from ideal testing conditions with background noise and bright lighting, it gave me a taste of what they can offer.
The Aura 3 Max was showing off its picture chops with footage of various animals ambling around their jungle habitat (a much-needed relaxation break in the flurry of IFA). As a red panda clung to a tree, the projector delivered the texture of its fur with impressive detail without looking unnatural.
Even the darker details in the panda’s face were portrayed with clarity and reasonable black depth. That made me hopeful about its performance with blacks, although we will have to get it into the test room to challenge it with more movie scenes.
The AWOL projector’s demonstration featured Blackpink’s Pink Venom music video, displaying the projector’s punchy colours. Despite not watching in a dark room, the LuxVision managed to produce an engaging and bright overall image that immediately caught the eye thanks to its claimed 6000 lumens of peak brightness.
Detail levels were good as well, as the crinkles of the singers’ jackets were clean and sharp.
We have to get both projectors into our test room to properly see how they perform, but this first look has made me excited about the future of the category with Xgimi's promising dark detail and AWOL's fuss-free setup.
MORE:
Check out the best projectors we have tested
Here's our review of the Xgimi Titan
And these are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars
