Posted on January 15, 2023 By Phil Jones
This year marks my 25th year attending CES. During that time, I have seen the show evolve from being mainly product-focused to an event where major corporations highlight their corporate strategies and visions of the future. For example, Sony did not announce a single video display or audio product this year. The star of the Sony booth was the latest version of their automotive concept car.
Several projector manufacturers, including Epson and Optoma, did not publicly display products at CES 2023. However, while there weren’t as many product introductions and demonstrations as in previous years, some notable projectors were shown at this year’s show.
Hisense had the most significant number of projector demonstrations in their booth this year. Hisense basically invented the Laser TV category and many customers have adopted that term to describe an ultra-short throw smart laser projector. These projectors are often bundled with an ambient light-rejecting screen and are designed to be a TV replacement.
In addition to four new Laser TV and Laser Cinema models, Hisense also announced a new Smart Mini-Projector, which is focused on typically non-projector customers. To learn more about these projector models, check out our 2023 Hisense Laser TV and Cinema Lineup article.
Hisense also continues its legacy of Laser TV innovations by announcing and publicly demonstrating the world’s first 8K Laser TV. In addition, Samsung announced an 8K version of their Premiere UST projector during a pre-show media event, but the unit was not shown during the actual show.
This Hisense flagship model named the 120LX, utilizes a new native 4K UHD (3840×2160) DLP (.94″ DMD) chip. By using Texas Instruments’ proven XPR technology, the 120LX can reproduce 8K onscreen resolution. This system can support 8K@60 fps along with 4K@120fps. Even if you do not care about 8K or high frame rate 4K, larger DLP chips often deliver higher native contrast and better black levels.
In addition, the projector’s redesigned 4000-lumen TriChroma laser light source can reproduce 100% of the BT2020 color space and over 400 nits of onscreen brightness from the bundled 120″ ambient light rejecting screen.
The unit also supports Dolby Vision and will be IMAX Enhanced certified. In addition, its high-quality Harmon Kardon sound system will support both Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X technologies. While the 120LX shown at the show was not a finalized production sample, Hisense stated that a version of this model would be available by 2024.
We were excited to visit the BenQ suite at the Venetian. BenQ has always offered projectors that deliver outstanding performance at a great price. During the show, BenQ showed a couple of new models, and we are looking forward to reviewing them.
First, there was the HT2060, a 1080p projector equipped with a 4LED light source that can cover 98% of the Rec. 709 Color gamut. In addition to delivering an immersive cinematic viewing experience, the HT2060i would be an excellent solution for gamers due to its input lag of 16ms (1080P@60fps). Furthermore, toe projector has a 1.3:1 zoom lens and vertical lens shift to enhance installation flexibility.
The BenQ HT3550 has been one of our favorite home theater projectors for a few years. It offered accurate colors and outstanding black levels for less than $3000. Its performance rivaled projectors that cost twice as much. Over the past year or so, I have been asking BenQ when they would introduce a higher-end replacement that included features like a solid-state light source and horizontal/vertical laser shift.
At the show, BenQ announced the new HT4550i. Its LED light source is rated to deliver 3,200 ANSI lumens brightness and covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. The HT2060i should also deliver a great gaming experience since its input lag is just 17.9ms (1080P@60fps). In addition, the HT4550i offers both horizontal and vertical lens shift, which should enhance placement flexibility.
While I only spent a few minutes with the new model in a room with some ambient light, the color reproduction and picture quality were excellent. The feature set of the HT4550i could make this model a giant killer. I am curious how it stacks up to more expensive competitors’ models like the Sony XW5000ES and Epson LS12000.
In addition, BenQ was also highlighting their new GP500 4LED 4K Smart Projector which they announced prior to the show. The GP500 has a rated brightness of 1500 ANSI and it can also reproduce 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. To simplify installation, the GP500 includes several intelligent features to ensure a sharp perfectly square image like autofocus, auto 2D keystone correction, screen fit, and object avoidance.
The GP500 also includes a treVolo developed four driver sound system designed to deliver a 360˚ sound field. The GP500 should offer great picture quality, smart features, and a high-quality built-in sound system. We are definitely looking forward to reviewing this model in the next few months.
XGIMI was also at CES 2023 to show off its lineup of smart projectors. While XGIMI is relatively new to the US market, we have already reviewed several of their models including the HORIZON Pro, Halo+, and their ultra-short throw projector called the AURA. If you check out the articles, you will see that Projector Reviews has been impressed with the performance of each model.
XGIMI was showing a new potable model that we haven’t reviewed yet called the MoGo 2 Pro. This compact 1080p LED projector, which weighs just 2.2 pounds, can deliver a rated 350 ISO lumens. The projector also includes a built-in battery, and a Harmon Kardon sound system, and it supports HDR10 playback.
Like the Halo+, the MoGo 2 Pro includes XGIMI integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) which allows the Auto Keystone, Auto Focus, Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance, and Intelligent Screen Alignment to work together to make setup quick and easy.
This year there were a few new projector manufacturers that also had booths on the show floor. For example, AWOL Vision displayed its product offerings including the LTV-3500, LTV-2500, and Vanish Laser TV. The LTV-3500 is a triple-laser equipped 4K smart UST projector that offers high 3,500-lumen brightness and can reproduce over 100% of the BT2020 color gamut. I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with the LTV-3500 during the Value Electronics Projector Shoot Out in December 2022 and I look forward to doing a detailed review of this model soon.
The LTV3500 is one of the few 4K smart laser UST projectors that supports 3D, which AWOL Vision demonstrated in their booth. Even though there was a lot of ambient light on the show floor, the scene from the original Avatar looked very good through the active 3D glasses.
The Vanish TV is a bundled package that includes their highly rated LTV-3500 along with a motorized uprising ALR screen and smart projector cabinet. This is an excellent option for someone looking for a complete and well-thought-out entertainment solution.
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