Two five-star Hisense projectors are on sale – but this is the one I would buy
The Hisense PL2 and PX3-Pro are discounted, but which should you choose?

Hisense currently makes two of our favourite ultra-short-throw (UST) projectors and both are available with solid discounts right now.
Specifically, you can grab the Hisense PL2 for £1599 at Richer Sounds; a big drop on its £1999 launch price.
Alongside it, the Hisense PX3 Pro is up for grabs for just £2299 at Richer Sounds, instead of the £2499 we reviewed it at. But, before you rush to a decision I have a word of advice.
While the PL2 and PX3-Pro are both five-star UST beamers and the latter offers better gaming specifications and a brighter image, with a price disparity of £700, the PL2 is a better option for most people, based on my experience with both.
Hisense PL2 was £1999 now £1599 at Richer Sounds (save £400)
The Hisense PL2 follows up on the Award-winning PL1, and it delivers a similarly excellent picture performance. This second-generation model is brighter and features punchy yet balanced colours that impress across a wide range of content. We deemed it to be a great purchase at the full asking price, but this discount makes it an even more compelling replacement for your TV.
Hisense PX3-Pro was £2499 now £2299 at Richer Sounds (save £200)
It's not quite as big a saving as seen on the PL2, but the PX3-Pro's enhanced feature set will absolutely appeal to gamers, and it gets even brighter than the PL2., which makes it ideal for contending with ambient light in a living room setup. Hisense is also offering a free 40-inch QLED TV with the purchase of this projector (which you can claim here). Sure it is a fairly basic-looking 1080p set, but a free TV is nice to have regardless!
The PL2 and PX3-Pro are part of Hisense's Laser Cinema range, which aims to deliver large-scale cinematic thrills without the hassle of setting up a long-throw home cinema projector.
If anything, these are designed to occupy your TV's spot, as they don't need a lot of space to operate, and they feature streaming and audio capabilities built in.
Setup for both models is fairly simple, thanks to automatic screen calibration systems and the same Vidaa smart system that can be found on Hisense's Mini LED TVs.
Where these two models differ, however, is in their feature sets. The PL2 features an X-Fusion Laser Technology chipset, which can project a 4K image up to 150 inches, and a maximum refresh rate of 60Hz, despite the inclusion of two HDMI 2.1 sockets.
It also features a claimed maximum brightness of 2700 lumens, a significant upgrade over the PL1's 2100 lumens.
The PX3-Pro, on the other hand, amps up the brightness to 3000 lumens and carries Xbox certifications, meaning it can hit 4K/120Hz when connected to an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5.
It also features a Trichroma RGB laser light system, which is Hisense's name for a triple laser light source.
Both models support HDR playback in the HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG formats, and Dolby Atmos is supported via the built-in speakers and through HDMI eARC connected home cinema audio systems.
After testing both projectors side-by-side, we confirmed that they both offer a suitably cinematic performance, though the differences aren't as distinct as we expected.
We complemented both projectors' capabilities to deliver balanced and detailed images, with solid amounts of dark detail and excellent handling of HDR content. We found both of them to deliver an immersive and cinematic image, even if the sound performances failed to match.
The PX3-Pro is unquestionably brighter, and is a touch better at handling contrast, but the PL2 offers an equally impressive image for £700 less. This is the main reason why it's the projector I would choose out of these two.
With £400 knocked off the asking price, it's also subject to a deeper discount compared to its more premium counterpart. At just £1599 at Richer Sounds, the PL2 is a worthy alternative to your TV, and it's easily one of the best projectors on the market right now.
MORE:
Check out the best projector deals here
And read our full Hisense PL2 review
As well as our Hisense PX3-Pro review
Get the What Hi-Fi? Newsletter
The latest hi-fi, home cinema and tech news, reviews, buying advice and deals, direct to your inbox.
Lewis Empson is a Senior Staff Writer on What Hi-Fi?. He was previously Gaming and Digital editor for Cardiff University's 'Quench Magazine', Lewis graduated in 2021 and has since worked on a selection of lifestyle magazines and regional newspapers. Outside of work, he enjoys gaming, gigs and regular cinema trips.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.