All posts tagged: projectors

BenQ TK705STi 4K Projector Review: A Midrange Pick for Gamers

BenQ TK705STi 4K Projector Review: A Midrange Pick for Gamers

Published by skeptic

Home cinema projectors are all over the map in terms of price and performance. It’s often the case that you get what you pay for. High-end projectors that mimic what you see at the local cineplex can cost upwards of $6,000. On the lower end, you could easily pay less than $1,000 for a home projector, but you may sacrifice brightness, contrast, and color quality. Many of our favorite projectors sit somewhere in the middle in terms of price and quality. That is certainly true of the BenQ TK705STi short-throw projector. The main cost-justifying reason to consider buying this 4K projector appeals to gamers, who will appreciate its low-latency performance and larger screen size. Once you see James Bond on a 12.5-foot screen while playing 007 First Light on Xbox, you’ll wonder why you didn’t make the upgrade sooner. Being a short-throw projector, it’s also nice to be able to operate the TK705STi in just about any room in your home. You can position it a few feet from a wall or across the room, …

Review: Xgimi Titan Noir Max Home Projector (2026)

Review: Xgimi Titan Noir Max Home Projector (2026)

Published by skeptic

To test deep blacks, I enabled DBLE and played around with even more settings, including those for noise reduction and sharpness. My favorite sci-fi film for testing deep blacks is The Creator, particularly an early-morning scene in the movie. Every television and projectors with poor contrast and brightness renders this clip as washed out, but the Titan Noir Max made the blacks and dark grays look rich without a hint of poor contrast, helped mostly by the dynamic iris and DBLE. That said, the Titan Noir Max didn’t pass every test with flying colors. Avatar: Fire and Ash looked more lifelike and colorful on the Epson ProCinema LS9000, which uses a high-end lens that does a better job with focus across the entire image. While the Titan Noir Max still looked phenomenal, bright, and colorful in a scene with whale-like creatures on a sunny day, the LS9000 beats it in terms of pure resolution and extreme focus. That particular scene looked roughly the same on the Leica Cine Play 1 as the Titan with vivid …

Hisense XR10 Smart Projector Review: RGB-Powered Wonder

Hisense XR10 Smart Projector Review: RGB-Powered Wonder

Published by skeptic

Photograph: John Brandon A demo reel I watched did look incredible in almost every segment, but a scene showing white mist over a white mountain had a slight blurriness compared to the LG Micro RGB Evo and the Leica Cine Play 1. Equally so, a yellow flower scene and dark trees on a dark background did not look as realistic. Still, green grass behind a fence that often looks brown on midrange projectors, the colors of a sunset, a red cactus, and a steam from a hot spring all looked amazing. One of the XR10’s biggest struggles is with daytime viewing in a bright room. Even though Hisense includes some language about opening the shades on their website, the reality is that several movies looked a bit too dim with the brightness cranked up. I watched a few episodes of Blue Lights on the Britbox app and it looked too washed out and gray at times. This is true of several other high-end projectors, though, including the Leica Cine Play 1. Making Games Pop I …

BenQ 4100i Review: Bringing the Cinema to Your Living Room

BenQ 4100i Review: Bringing the Cinema to Your Living Room

Published by skeptic

Google Assistant on the W4100i is still useful. Using a Samsung Galaxy S26+ phone, I asked Google Assistant to set up the projector, and everything was configured and running in a few minutes. All my preferred apps were loaded. This easy setup does not work on an iPhone, so you have to initiate setup using your Google login. Google Assistant isn’t as advanced as Gemini, but it can still generate slideshows on almost any topic with voiceover narration. BenQ may also upgrade this model to Google TV in the future. The BenQ W4100i (mostly) adjusted the keystone and size for both my projector screen as well as a wall in my living room. I had to make the image just a hair straighter, but I do prefer how the Leica Cine Play 1 seems to magically size the image automatically. The BenQ W4100i remote was a joy to use. I appreciated the abundance of dedicated buttons for accessing the projector’s advanced settings, yet the remote never felt cluttered or confusing. It was also easy to …

Leica Cine Play 1 Review: Pricey but Worth Every Penny

Leica Cine Play 1 Review: Pricey but Worth Every Penny

Published by skeptic

VIDAA provides access to most streaming services, with Fandango at Home being a notable exception. (Leica reps stated that they may add this service at a later date.) Benchmark Results and First Impressions Apart from minor brightness issues when using the Cine Play 1 in brighter environments, this projector passed my benchmark tests. Colors were vibrant, skin tones did not appear washed out, and a butterfly scene showed subtle differences between the shades of yellows and oranges in my test clips. In comparison, colors on the TCL NXTVISION were noticeably duller. The Cine Play 1 also excels as a gaming display, with superb color reproduction and stutter-free performance when tested with Crimson Desert paired with Acer’s Nitro 60 gaming desktop. I found that the Cine Play 1 works fine during the day, but performance is best in a dark room. The projector is rated at 3,000 lumens and comes with a 1500:1 contrast ratio, similar to rivals in the midrange category. The Cine Play 1 supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced, and Dolby Atmos Audio. …

Epson Lifestudio Grand Plus Review: Rich Colors, Gemini Support

Epson Lifestudio Grand Plus Review: Rich Colors, Gemini Support

Published by skeptic

Ultrashort-throw (UST) projectors offer more flexibility than traditional (long-throw) models. No one can ever step in front of one and block the projection, since the unit doesn’t require distance and can sit up close to the screen rather than at the back of the room. This also lets all your streaming gear, a soundbar, and a game console connect close to the screen. At $3,800, the Epson Lifestudio Grand Plus (LS970) short-throw projector has a higher price tag than the Epson Lifestudio Grand released last year. The Grand Plus specs are a big leap forward over that model as well: a 150-inch image instead of 120 inches, and 4,000 lumens of brightness instead of 3,600. Minus a few quirks, it’s a strong home cinema projector, but Epson also makes a better option, the long-throw Pro Cinema LS9000, that costs only $200 more and is easier to configure. Also, the Leica Cine Play 1, another long-throw projector, outputs even more vibrant colors. Ultimately, it comes down to a choice between short-throw and long-throw, and the Grand …

Soundcore Nebula P1 Projector Review (2026): Compact and Portable for Indoor-Outdoor Viewing

Soundcore Nebula P1 Projector Review (2026): Compact and Portable for Indoor-Outdoor Viewing

Published by skeptic

To boost the sound or picture quality inside your house, you can connect the P1 to an AV receiver or a soundbar using the one HDMI port over eARC. But even so, the P1 can only do so much because it doesn’t support 4K Ultra resolution, HDR10+ color quality, or even Dolby Atmos Audio using the included speakers. Its key feature is portability. (Dolby Atmos did work with an AV receiver connected using the one HDMI eARC port.) Inside and Out Photograph: John Brandon Aware of the P1’s specifications and its main purpose of portability, I kept my expectations in check as I started testing. I wasn’t looking for exceptional performance with the P1, but when I popped up a Houston Rockets game on YouTube TV in both my windowless testing room and in my family room (on a bright day, no less), I was impressed. The sheer size of the projected image (110 inches) made for an immersive experience. That said, the game didn’t exactly look bright and had average contrast for a low-cost …

Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro Dolby Atmos Projector Review: Big, Brilliant

Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro Dolby Atmos Projector Review: Big, Brilliant

Published by skeptic

The first-person perspective used in F1: The Movie, makes for thrilling home cinema, particularly up close on a 100-inch screen, enveloped with accurate, spatial audio. Sinners was also engaging, although I was impressed by the sound effects more than the soundtrack, with music a little too bass-heavy in places. It’s a very minor grumble, though, considering that most portable projectors lack bass. Photograph: Chris Haslam It’s all impressive, and because I can slot the speakers away again and wheel the X1 Pro off into a corner, surprisingly practical. With none of the technical know-how or installation costs, or interior-design disruption of a dedicated cinema room to factor in. A clever negotiator could argue this makes the X1 Pro great value, if you’re lucky enough to have the space to hide it and a screen when not needed. Liquid Cooled Despite the beer fridge dimensions, the Nebula X1 Pro is remarkably quiet. This is thanks to a liquid cooling system—first used on the X1—that replaces a traditional fan. It’s brilliantly effective and means you don’t have …

The 7 best portable projectors of 2026, tested by a home cinema expert

The 7 best portable projectors of 2026, tested by a home cinema expert

Published by Sam Flores

While the average size of the UK living room has shrunk from 24.9m2 back in the 1970s to just 17.1m2, the best portable projectors offer a brilliant way of getting big-screen thrills for those who can’t or don’t want to accommodate a large television. “Portable projectors are relatively lightweight and mobile, which makes them great for moving around to different rooms in a house, or even while travelling or camping,” says Matt Horton, TV and projector buyer at Richer Sounds. “The main difference between compact projectors and full-size examples is that the latter offers better image quality and brightness,” explains Horton, “But while full-size projectors create a more immersive viewing experience, they can’t be moved around with the freedom a portable projector can provide. That’s a major bonus if, say, you want to watch a movie or do a bit of big-screen gaming at a friend’s house, where there isn’t a large-screen TV.” “There are no end of options,” continues Matt. “Entry-level models start at around £100, ranging up to £1,000 for premium offerings from …

The best home cinema projectors of 2026, tested for ultimate picture quality

The best home cinema projectors of 2026, tested for ultimate picture quality

Published by Sam Flores

To capture the full-scale joy of a cinema experience at home, there’s only one answer: grab some popcorn and switch on one of the best home cinema projectors from leading brands, including BenQ, Epson or Valerion. Prices range from less than £900 to over £2,000, so there’s something for a variety of budgets. “There’s no better way to watch movies at home, if you want to see them as the director intended,” advises Matt Horton, TV and Projector buyer at Richer Sounds. “A top-flight home cinema projector will offer better image quality, higher brightness and a much more immersive viewing experience than you’ll get from a typical portable projector.” In this guide, I’ll help you choose the right projector, covering what to look out for and answering the most common questions. If you’re in a hurry, scroll straight to my top five picks below. The best projectors: At a glance JUMP TO REVIEWS How to choose the best projector Most of the best projectors now advertise 4K resolution, which is still costly, so many models …