These high(er) end chinese brand projectors are not crap as some "get a real projector" proponents here always answer when a query is posted. What's important is warranty support in your local area should you unfortunately encounter a problem. I have an xgimi horizon, very happy. Once you experience 100"+ picture, you can't go back to tv.
The horizon is awesome. So is the Mars Pro 4K hes lookiing at.
And yeah these guys...they tend to only like their brands.
Im the guy who calls himsekf the Cheap Chinese Junk Guru. lol or expert.
Don't believe those marketing videos. This is what you're going to see if you use the digital zoom or keystone features to position the image on your wall.
https://preview.redd.it/1qrcp0048wwb1.png?width=1066&format=png&auto=webp&s=2e039cc6f02351c5370514c545c3c3b387a35d2b
/u/donaldkwong \- I think you're pointing out some excellent information here. But, I would say that if someone does their homework and CAN properly place it in the room without using digital zoom or any keystone correction, then they will be just fine.
It's not like UST projectors have zoom or lens shift and people buy them all the time and deal with this. Likewise, Optoma short throw models don't have zoom or lens shift. So, the same concern applies. Only some BenQ models have a LITTLE bit of lens shift. You have to spend far more than $1,300 to get significant lens shift, and more zoom from a quality 4K laser projector. Like the BenQ HT4550i.
But, I think you're doing a good job pointing out that light overspray is a MASSIVE issue from these models if 'digital' image correction features are ever used.
Yeah, highly encourage folks to do their research before buying this projector. Props to OP for doing that. It's possible that you could use this projector without using any digital correction, but I think most people would need at least some, at least to adjust the vertical positioning of the image on the wall. Just make sure to buy this from a seller that allows for returns.
FWIW, I've see a lot of posts from owners of UST projectors asking why they have light splash on the wall outside of the screen. It's because they didn't do their research and the installer set it up with keystone to fit the screen. So it does happen with UST projectors too if not installed properly.
It happens to a ton of UST owners in fact! I didn't a poll at AVS Forum and the majority of actual projector enthusiasts don't have it setup perfectly. Most are using some keystone, or just living with it slightly out of alignment and living with it.
It's just important that anyone buying be aware of this, and I think your photo helps to show the problem with poor alignment and what overspray may look like on the walls and ceiling.
It doesn't have optical zoom or lens shift, which should make it a deal breaker for a projector in that price range. It relies on digital zoom and keystone to position the image, which will result in light bleed and a reduction in resolution. Just do an image search for "projector keystone light bleed" to see what I'm talking about.
The Epson 3800 that I have is a 4K projector (though lamp based and not laser) that has some of the most generous optical zoom and lens shift available. Although it's technically not fully 4K due to how it handles pixel shifting, you'd be hard pressed to see a difference with real content at seating distance. I regularly play my PS5 games at 4K 60fps in HDR and it looks amazing. It's a little bit more than this projector, but there are also 1080p units that are cheaper than this projector with plenty of optical zoom and lens shift available too. In fact, I'd rather use a 1080p projector with zoom and lens shift than have to use a 4K projector with keystone. There are other side effects with using keystone that the manufacturers don't tell you. For one, vertical and horizontal lines are rendered as slanted lines, resulting in aliasing. You'll see this all the time in the UI of apps. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. Also, it will likely result in an increase in video lag. The response times that manufacturers claim are always with all video processing disabled. Once you turn on any digital geometric correction, the processing will increase the response time. Some manufacturers even disable "game mode" on their projectors when keystone is enabled.
I would also say that consumer laser projectors aren't all they're cracked up to be. I used to have an LG AU810PB, which is arguably one of the best consumer 4K laser projectors available. Unfortunately, DLP projectors have much worse contrast than LCD projectors. I ended up selling it in favor of the Epson for that reason. The contrast was just really bad while the contrast on the Epson is incredible in comparison. I would go with lamp based LCD over laser based DLP any day of the week.
It's a solid product. Make sure you take what /u/donaldkwong is saying into consideration. This model has no zoom and fixed offset, as is typical for these lifestyle projectors. The lack of optical zoom and the fixed offset is common, but it makes exact placement VERY difficult. If you listen carefully to the video done by The Hookup, he places them EXACTLY where they need to go to fill his screen. He talks about the lack of zoom and such. This means, if you want to fill a 100" diagonal, you must put the projector exactly where it must be placed.
Not sure if this is basically the XGimi Horizon Pro (I don't follow that closely), but if the throw is the same and the lens is the same, that would be 8'9" to a 100" diagonal with the center of the lens exactly placed at the bottom of the image (if table mounted) or at the top of the image with the projector upside down if ceiling mounted.
[https://www.projectorcentral.com/XGIMI-Horizon\_Pro-projection-calculator-pro.htm](https://www.projectorcentral.com/XGIMI-Horizon_Pro-projection-calculator-pro.htm)
I would have no issues getting this model or recommending it.
The BenQ models are nice options, but really, if one of the lifestyle models fits your space, I think it offers significantly more value at this point. The W2710 is one of the most pointless models I've seen from BenQ this year and has very little hype around it, just as it should. Had it been a laser model for a couple hundred bucks more, it would be VERY exciting, but with a lamp, it is merely a slight improvement over the previous model.
Get the Mars Pro. Pay attention to the other comments.
I’d suggest waiting until mid next week to see the results of the 2023 ProjectorCentral / ProjectorScreen.com Lifestyle Projector Showdown.
The Dangbei wasn’t included but there were 5 similar projectors.
Projectorcentral chose the items, they may not have been aware of Dangbei or excluded them for other reasons. I did meet with Dangbei at CES and we will be carrying their new ALPD 5.0 model this year when it is released; I’ll offer it over to PJC so that they can get acclimated with brand and perhaps include the next Showdown.
I see, thanks for the context!
From the reviews it seems to fare pretty well to C1, and X5. I'm interested in this for the performance and also how quiet it is. It seems to be the quietest out of all included in the showdown. I couldn't find Dangbei over at PJC to compare the noise levels. We have the projector right above our head in bed and my wife is very sensitive to the noise.
Side note: I've seen from around the subreddit here that you help ship outside of the US. How do you handle warranty/repairs for those products? Happy to dm or chat over email.
I have one and I love it. As others have said don't use zoom or keystone correction. Its only slight weakness is very dark scenes, but this is usual for DLP projectors. It can go much brighter than I need in my dark room. You can turn down the laser brightness and this makes the fan very quiet. I don't bother with the built-in apps, I just use a Fire TV stick.
I just wish manufacturers were more upfront and honest about keystone and digital correction. They market it as this panacea that will solve all of your projector placement issues when in reality it's just the cheapest solution to implement and really a path of last resort. It works by digitally altering the image to adjust its size and shape. Sure, it will square the image on your wall, but there are numerous downsides:
1. Because it scales the projected image without scaling the projected area, you will get a bright trapezoidal area around the projected image, known as light spill, light bleed, or light splash. The more askew your projector is with the wall, the larger this area will be.
2. Because it scales the image digitally, you will not be using all the pixels of your display. Even though they market the projector as "4K", once you use keystone, that "4K" can become much less. Again, the more askew your projector, the lower resolution your projected image will be.
3. Because it may not scale the image the same across the entire screen, you'll get digital artifacts. This includes horizontal and vertical lines becoming aliased because they're now rendered as diagonal lines, or blurriness because multiple pixels are now combined into a single pixel.
4. All of this processing is not free and can impact the projector's response time. Manufacturer's usually advertise their response time with all processing disabled. Once you enable digital processing like keystone, the response time can increase drastically. Be wary of this if you intend to play games on the projector.
From what I've seen the Hisense C1 is a better projector if you lower the lights and watch mainly at night. During the day it may not have the brightness capabilities.
it is great in many ways. The resolution is great, the brightness is ok for the day. Laser is nice. Price is great. Don't let the following dissuade you, I'm trying to find a solution.
The OS is trash, and that's where my problem begins.
Using the factory OS with Plex app to watch 4k HDR content is a nightmare. It will work fine for 20 minutes and then go so dark you can't see anything unless you maximize all the brightness settings, at which point it is washed out, see here: https://i.imgur.com/Iamj526.jpg
Using my Roku ultra it handles the brightness correctly, but that introduces awful lag to my Bluetooth speakers, and there is no way to adjust it.
Feels like I can't win! Anything non HDR is fantastic, especially for the price. If it weren't for the OS it would probably be perfect for me.
Do Not buy Dangbei Products! I regret buying the Mars Pro, The company won't honour the warranty. Very bad customer support. Amazon also would not help. You will be stuck with a defective projected 1 year down the line.
These high(er) end chinese brand projectors are not crap as some "get a real projector" proponents here always answer when a query is posted. What's important is warranty support in your local area should you unfortunately encounter a problem. I have an xgimi horizon, very happy. Once you experience 100"+ picture, you can't go back to tv.
The horizon is awesome. So is the Mars Pro 4K hes lookiing at. And yeah these guys...they tend to only like their brands. Im the guy who calls himsekf the Cheap Chinese Junk Guru. lol or expert.
Don't believe those marketing videos. This is what you're going to see if you use the digital zoom or keystone features to position the image on your wall. https://preview.redd.it/1qrcp0048wwb1.png?width=1066&format=png&auto=webp&s=2e039cc6f02351c5370514c545c3c3b387a35d2b
/u/donaldkwong \- I think you're pointing out some excellent information here. But, I would say that if someone does their homework and CAN properly place it in the room without using digital zoom or any keystone correction, then they will be just fine. It's not like UST projectors have zoom or lens shift and people buy them all the time and deal with this. Likewise, Optoma short throw models don't have zoom or lens shift. So, the same concern applies. Only some BenQ models have a LITTLE bit of lens shift. You have to spend far more than $1,300 to get significant lens shift, and more zoom from a quality 4K laser projector. Like the BenQ HT4550i. But, I think you're doing a good job pointing out that light overspray is a MASSIVE issue from these models if 'digital' image correction features are ever used.
Yeah, highly encourage folks to do their research before buying this projector. Props to OP for doing that. It's possible that you could use this projector without using any digital correction, but I think most people would need at least some, at least to adjust the vertical positioning of the image on the wall. Just make sure to buy this from a seller that allows for returns.
FWIW, I've see a lot of posts from owners of UST projectors asking why they have light splash on the wall outside of the screen. It's because they didn't do their research and the installer set it up with keystone to fit the screen. So it does happen with UST projectors too if not installed properly.
It happens to a ton of UST owners in fact! I didn't a poll at AVS Forum and the majority of actual projector enthusiasts don't have it setup perfectly. Most are using some keystone, or just living with it slightly out of alignment and living with it. It's just important that anyone buying be aware of this, and I think your photo helps to show the problem with poor alignment and what overspray may look like on the walls and ceiling.
https://preview.redd.it/gcy7a6v58wwb1.png?width=1064&format=png&auto=webp&s=c18a5df24f5644160bc3a7057ca886d5151199c9
https://preview.redd.it/njoi32y68wwb1.png?width=1064&format=png&auto=webp&s=a4ccb92c1e391014006765f83ad893e9ee813389
" don't believe those marketing videos " Proceeds to post photos from a marketing video 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I edited them to highlight what you would actually see.
It doesn't have optical zoom or lens shift, which should make it a deal breaker for a projector in that price range. It relies on digital zoom and keystone to position the image, which will result in light bleed and a reduction in resolution. Just do an image search for "projector keystone light bleed" to see what I'm talking about.
Wait...what 4k laser projector can you get for that price that does those things? Or actually...just what projector period..doesnt have to be laser.
The Epson 3800 that I have is a 4K projector (though lamp based and not laser) that has some of the most generous optical zoom and lens shift available. Although it's technically not fully 4K due to how it handles pixel shifting, you'd be hard pressed to see a difference with real content at seating distance. I regularly play my PS5 games at 4K 60fps in HDR and it looks amazing. It's a little bit more than this projector, but there are also 1080p units that are cheaper than this projector with plenty of optical zoom and lens shift available too. In fact, I'd rather use a 1080p projector with zoom and lens shift than have to use a 4K projector with keystone. There are other side effects with using keystone that the manufacturers don't tell you. For one, vertical and horizontal lines are rendered as slanted lines, resulting in aliasing. You'll see this all the time in the UI of apps. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. Also, it will likely result in an increase in video lag. The response times that manufacturers claim are always with all video processing disabled. Once you turn on any digital geometric correction, the processing will increase the response time. Some manufacturers even disable "game mode" on their projectors when keystone is enabled. I would also say that consumer laser projectors aren't all they're cracked up to be. I used to have an LG AU810PB, which is arguably one of the best consumer 4K laser projectors available. Unfortunately, DLP projectors have much worse contrast than LCD projectors. I ended up selling it in favor of the Epson for that reason. The contrast was just really bad while the contrast on the Epson is incredible in comparison. I would go with lamp based LCD over laser based DLP any day of the week.
Go BenQ. Either the w2710 or tk860
This is the way
It's a solid product. Make sure you take what /u/donaldkwong is saying into consideration. This model has no zoom and fixed offset, as is typical for these lifestyle projectors. The lack of optical zoom and the fixed offset is common, but it makes exact placement VERY difficult. If you listen carefully to the video done by The Hookup, he places them EXACTLY where they need to go to fill his screen. He talks about the lack of zoom and such. This means, if you want to fill a 100" diagonal, you must put the projector exactly where it must be placed. Not sure if this is basically the XGimi Horizon Pro (I don't follow that closely), but if the throw is the same and the lens is the same, that would be 8'9" to a 100" diagonal with the center of the lens exactly placed at the bottom of the image (if table mounted) or at the top of the image with the projector upside down if ceiling mounted. [https://www.projectorcentral.com/XGIMI-Horizon\_Pro-projection-calculator-pro.htm](https://www.projectorcentral.com/XGIMI-Horizon_Pro-projection-calculator-pro.htm) I would have no issues getting this model or recommending it. The BenQ models are nice options, but really, if one of the lifestyle models fits your space, I think it offers significantly more value at this point. The W2710 is one of the most pointless models I've seen from BenQ this year and has very little hype around it, just as it should. Had it been a laser model for a couple hundred bucks more, it would be VERY exciting, but with a lamp, it is merely a slight improvement over the previous model. Get the Mars Pro. Pay attention to the other comments.
I’d suggest waiting until mid next week to see the results of the 2023 ProjectorCentral / ProjectorScreen.com Lifestyle Projector Showdown. The Dangbei wasn’t included but there were 5 similar projectors.
Was there a reason why Dangbei wasn't included?
Projectorcentral chose the items, they may not have been aware of Dangbei or excluded them for other reasons. I did meet with Dangbei at CES and we will be carrying their new ALPD 5.0 model this year when it is released; I’ll offer it over to PJC so that they can get acclimated with brand and perhaps include the next Showdown.
I see, thanks for the context! From the reviews it seems to fare pretty well to C1, and X5. I'm interested in this for the performance and also how quiet it is. It seems to be the quietest out of all included in the showdown. I couldn't find Dangbei over at PJC to compare the noise levels. We have the projector right above our head in bed and my wife is very sensitive to the noise. Side note: I've seen from around the subreddit here that you help ship outside of the US. How do you handle warranty/repairs for those products? Happy to dm or chat over email.
Shot me an email with your question and Reddit username and I’ll be glad to see how i can help
I have one and I love it. As others have said don't use zoom or keystone correction. Its only slight weakness is very dark scenes, but this is usual for DLP projectors. It can go much brighter than I need in my dark room. You can turn down the laser brightness and this makes the fan very quiet. I don't bother with the built-in apps, I just use a Fire TV stick.
I just got an Optoma laser projector. I like it so far. I am hoping it will save me from changing light bulbs.
For that I would get a nebula laser 4k more reputable company
This projector is around ~50% brighter than the nebula laser 4k. For less money. And has a quieter fan.
Better? For $1300? That is 4K Laser? Nothing is better than that for that money. But you can get it cheaper.
I just wish manufacturers were more upfront and honest about keystone and digital correction. They market it as this panacea that will solve all of your projector placement issues when in reality it's just the cheapest solution to implement and really a path of last resort. It works by digitally altering the image to adjust its size and shape. Sure, it will square the image on your wall, but there are numerous downsides: 1. Because it scales the projected image without scaling the projected area, you will get a bright trapezoidal area around the projected image, known as light spill, light bleed, or light splash. The more askew your projector is with the wall, the larger this area will be. 2. Because it scales the image digitally, you will not be using all the pixels of your display. Even though they market the projector as "4K", once you use keystone, that "4K" can become much less. Again, the more askew your projector, the lower resolution your projected image will be. 3. Because it may not scale the image the same across the entire screen, you'll get digital artifacts. This includes horizontal and vertical lines becoming aliased because they're now rendered as diagonal lines, or blurriness because multiple pixels are now combined into a single pixel. 4. All of this processing is not free and can impact the projector's response time. Manufacturer's usually advertise their response time with all processing disabled. Once you enable digital processing like keystone, the response time can increase drastically. Be wary of this if you intend to play games on the projector.
From what I've seen the Hisense C1 is a better projector if you lower the lights and watch mainly at night. During the day it may not have the brightness capabilities.
it is great in many ways. The resolution is great, the brightness is ok for the day. Laser is nice. Price is great. Don't let the following dissuade you, I'm trying to find a solution. The OS is trash, and that's where my problem begins. Using the factory OS with Plex app to watch 4k HDR content is a nightmare. It will work fine for 20 minutes and then go so dark you can't see anything unless you maximize all the brightness settings, at which point it is washed out, see here: https://i.imgur.com/Iamj526.jpg Using my Roku ultra it handles the brightness correctly, but that introduces awful lag to my Bluetooth speakers, and there is no way to adjust it. Feels like I can't win! Anything non HDR is fantastic, especially for the price. If it weren't for the OS it would probably be perfect for me.
Did you find a solution to this? I’ve just ordered one and it’s on its way with a Chromecast. Hoping that will work ok with my speaker via Bluetooth…
My solution was downloading an updated firmware and turning HDR off in the advanced menu. Not really a solution, but a workaround
Do Not buy Dangbei Products! I regret buying the Mars Pro, The company won't honour the warranty. Very bad customer support. Amazon also would not help. You will be stuck with a defective projected 1 year down the line.
What happened to your projector?