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Xgimi Aura 2 review: a fantastic ultra short-throw projector with one major flaw

5:48 am | November 20, 2024

Xgimi Aura 2: two-minute review

The Xgimi Aura 2 is a premium ultra short-throw (UST) 4K projector to come from the Chinese brand and is an update to 2021’s Aura. Like its predecessor, the Aura 2 aims to be a complete one-box solution for big-screen home theater thrills and, as such, is capable of projecting an image up to 150 inches in size.

Xgimi is touting its new Dual Light 2.0 technology – which combines laser and LED light sources – in the Aura 2 to deliver bright, colorful, contrast-rich images. On paper at least, there is a marked improvement compared to its predecessor – the Aura 2 is capable of reaching 2,300 ISO lumens of brightness compared to the Aura’s 1,800. Indeed, in practice, the Aura 2 is certainly bright enough for general viewing during the day, with a good level of depth and detail, serving up a wonderful cinematic image.

Naturally, when viewed in a darker room, the quality of the projected image improves and HDR content performs particularly well. The Xgimi Aura 2 supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG and, following a firmware update since launch, IMAX Enhanced.

Achieving a well-calibrated picture on a wall or white screen is relatively simple thanks to the Aura 2’s wealth of picture adjustment settings, including automatic keystone correction and focus. And, should you need to take the reins and make finer manual adjustments, you can do so.

Despite a UST projector’s cinematic credentials, there is always going to be a case for getting one of the best TVs, especially where cost is concerned. The Xgimi Aura 2 is available now for $2,699 / £2,459 / AU$6,399. That’s only a few hundred more US dollars and UK pounds than the Aura, but over AU$2,000 more in Australia, which is a little puzzling. While in the US and UK it makes a competitive alternative to a 65- or 75-inch TV, for example, in Australia it's a much tougher sell. Granted, the Aura 2 is capable of projecting an image far bigger than most TVs – and TVs that do encroach on 100-inches aren’t exactly cheap – but if you only have space to project an 80-inch image, then those in Australia may feel they’ll be better served by a TV.

The fact that the Xgimi Aura 2 uses the Android TV operating system rather than Google TV also feels like a bit of a missed opportunity, especially as some of the company’s other new projectors do use the latter. Because of its use of Android TV, it’s not the easiest process to get Netflix installed – although you can access it by first downloading a separate app from the Google Play Store – and I wasn’t able to get Disney Plus to install natively, instead resorting to connecting an Apple TV 4K to get my Pixar fix.

Speaking of connectivity, the Aura 2 has a wealth of inputs for connecting external devices, although some may feel doing so will ruin the otherwise clean aesthetic. An external soundbar can be connected too, although the built-in audio system is especially good, so you may not feel the need.

Despite a couple of setbacks, the Xgimi Aura 2 is a fantastic machine, although not without competition. Not only do companies such as Hisense and Samsung have excellent UST projectors of their own but, as already mentioned, home theater fans in certain countries may find greater value in a TV. But, if projection is the way you want to go, the Xgimi Aura 2 deserves an audition.

Xgimi Aura 2 review: Price & availability

Available since September 2024
List price: $2,699 / £2,459 / AU$6,399

The Xgimi Aura 2 was announced and officially launched at IFA Berlin on September 6, 2024. It’s available to buy now for $2,699 / £2,459 / AU$6,399.

Other recently released UST projectors such as the Hisense PX3-Pro, which has a higher ISO lumens brightness, costs $3,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,995 while the excellent Samsung Premiere 9 costs a lot more at $5,999 / £4,999. However, the Premiere 9 isn’t available in Australia at the time of writing. This means the Aura 2 is the most affordable of the three (except from in Australia) and, on paper at least, this is somewhat justified because it’s the lowest specced.

Side view of Xgimi Aura 2 projector — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Xgimi Aura 2 review: Specs

Rear panel of connections of Xgimi Aura 2 projector — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Xgimi Aura 2 review: Design and features

Dual Light 2.0 laser light system
Motorized top cover to protect against dust
Android TV OS not the best

The Xgimi Aura 2 isn’t as projector-y looking as some of its competitors. On the contrary, it’s very much a lifestyle-oriented product designed to blend in with your home décor and not attract too much attention to itself. As such, it’s coated on all visible sides by a Moonlight Sand-colored fabric and has been given a treatment that claims to protect it against water, dust and oil (I didn’t have the confidence to test this out). In reality, it really is an attractive unit and could feasibly either go unnoticed in your room or at the very least be mistaken for a large Bluetooth speaker.

On the top you’ll find a motorized cover that slides open when the projector is powered on to reveal the laser light source. Not only is it a pretty cool party trick, but it helps keep the lasers and mirrors as free from dust and other debris as possible by hiding them away during downtime. There’s also an infrared detector that switches the laser off when it detects someone in its line of sight so you don’t damage your eyes, and yes, it really works.

Along the back (the side facing the wall) there are three HDMI inputs (two for connecting external devices and one that supports eARC if you want to connect an external soundbar or speaker system), three USB-A inputs and an ethernet port for a wired internet connection. Other outputs include a 3.5mm headphone jack and an optical audio port, plus Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 are also supported.

Close up image of Harman Kardon branding on Xgimi Aura 2 projector — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

The Xgimi Aura 2 uses the company’s own Dual Light 2.0 technology. This, says Xgimi, is a “wide spectrum and narrow spectrum hybrid light source technology” which “addresses issues related to traditional tri-color lasers such as speckles and color fringe, ensuring more comfortable viewing.” It’s also because of this light technology that the Aura 2 is able to use a 0.177:1 ultra-short throw ratio – meaning you can achieve a 100-inch image from a distance of just 17.8cm. Do note that this 17.8cm distance is between the projection surface and the closest side of the projector. You’ll still need to factor in the Aura 2’s 27cm depth when placing it on a bench or entertainment unit. Xgimi says for a 150-inch image, you’ll need a distance of 38.9cm.

Once in position, it’s a relatively pain-free process to get a properly aligned picture on a wall or projector screen. The Aura 2 has built-in auto keystone adjustment, which kicks into action whenever the projector itself is physically moved, or it can easily be run from within the settings menu. I have to admit that my first try of using this feature actually resulted in a completely jarring image that wasn’t aligned at all. I ran the setting again and it fixed it… mostly. I still had to use the manual image correction settings to quickly (and easily) align the four corners of the image within the confines of the viewing space on my wall.

The Aura 2 uses Android TV for its operating system, which is a strange choice considering this platform is all but dead on smart TVs and the projector version of the OS don't necessarily get you access to all the streaming apps directly from the Google Play Store.

Xgimi acknowledges that Netflix doesn’t support projector systems running Android TV by way of a leaflet included in the box, which encourages you to download a separate app called Desktop Launcher. Doing so results in Netflix being able to be used, along with other apps such as Apple TV (which also can’t be found in the pre-installed Google Play Store).

Disney Plus was a notable omission entirely and in Australia where I’m based, 4K content on Stan wasn’t supported. I have a 4K subscription to the Australian streaming service which works without a hitch on my TV, but on the Aura 2 all content was available in HD quality only. The only workaround was to connect an Apple TV 4K to gain access to all my streaming apps, which was slightly disappointing.

That said, the UX will look familiar to anyone who’s previously used it or Google TV. A row of installed app icons is flanked above and below by recommended content and content you’re currently in the middle of watching. In use it was largely lag-free, with only the occasional stutter when trying to move quickly through rows or between menus.

The Xgimi Aura 2 comes with a remote control that’s surprisingly weighty, but which serves to provide a premium feeling. There aren’t many buttons, but I think this in turn makes it straightforward to understand and use. There are buttons for volume control, the home screen, settings, Google Assistant and a dedicated button for quick autofocusing. I did find myself pressing the Google Assistant button when I meant to select the settings, but I imagine this would become a non-issue with more use.

The remote isn’t backlit, which is a peculiar omission considering the projector is more likely to be used in low-light settings, and it’s powered by two AAA batteries. I would’ve preferred it if it were rechargeable via USB-C.

Design & features score: 3.5/5

Remote control supplied with Xgimi Aura 2 projector — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Xgimi Aura 2 review: Picture and sound quality

Bright, colorful images
Custom settings possible with various HDR content
Built-in sound system is impressive

Due to space limitations in the room where I tested the Aura 2, I was only able to project an image roughly 80 inches in size onto a wall as opposed to a dedicated projection screen. Despite this, the Xgimi Aura 2 delivered a delightfully colorful, crisp image even during the daytime. Its brightness figure of 2300 ISO lumens might not match some of its closest competitors, such as the Hisense PX3-Pro or Samsung Premiere 9, but even in a room with sunlight filtering in, the image produced by the Aura 2 was easy to watch.

A Dolby Vision stream of Toy Story 4 on Disney Plus via an Apple TV 4K device exhibited excellent color reproduction, with the Aura 2’s 99% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut meaning greens, pinks, yellows and reds were all delivered with vibrancy. Getting the best picture settings for your personal preference, though, isn’t the easiest thing in the world.

When the Aura 2 detects Dolby Vision content it automatically switches to a default picture mode which doesn’t give much in the way of customization. You can switch between Dolby Vision Bright and Dark modes, with the former boosting the brightness a little, and you are able to set your own custom settings for things such as brightness and contrast, but there isn’t anything in the form of Filmmaker Mode, for example. Switch to non-Dolby Vision content, however, and you are able to cycle through a more familiar set of picture presets, including Movie, which I used whenever it was available.

Scene from Toy Story 4 showing Woody and Spoon, projected onto a wall by the Xgimi Aura 2 projector — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Darker scenes in Toy Story 4, such as when Woody accidentally gets thrown out of the traveling RV at night revealed the Xgimi Aura 2 could handle subtle shadow details surprisingly well. As the famed cowboy is walking along the road at night, the rocky detailing of the tarmac road is easily seen, while grass and trees in dimmer lighting to the left are picked out as well.

While the majority of content projected by the Aura 2 includes the black bars above and below the central image – which can look a little too stretched out at times – because it is IMAX Enhanced, any content viewed in this format fills the entire projection surface. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on Disney Plus is a good example, and one of the opening scenes featuring Ta Lo and Xu Wenwu in a lush green forest was another treat for the eyes. The fast-moving fight choreography was handled expertly and colors were clear and natural.

What was perhaps most surprising to me during my testing of the Xgimi Aura 2 was its audio performance. Xgimi has opted for a four-speaker Harman Kardon system with a combined output of 60 watts. With the projector and speakers sitting below the screen, it could have been all too easy for the sound output to feel low, but in actual fact voices clearly come from further above, resulting in a more immersive experience than I was expecting.

Scene from Angry Birds 2 movie projected onto a wall by the Xgimi Aura 2 projector — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

It can support Dolby Atmos, although I experienced more of a half-dome of sound as opposed to a full enveloping effect, which is to be expected to some degree due to there not being any physical rear speakers. But the Aura 2 can throw sound out wide with accurate object placement within the soundfield. Bass performance was also surprisingly good, with the Aura 2 projector capable of going real low. A little further on in Shang Chi, when the titular hero is fighting on a bus, is an engaging watch, with the backing soundtrack, punches, kicks and smashes all being fired out with genuine impact.

The Aura 2 does have an eARC output for connecting an external sound system, but I don’t think many people will feel the need to do so unless they want a more authentic Dolby Atmos experience.

Picture & sound quality score: 4.5/5

Xgimi Aura 2 review: Value

Competitively priced in the US and UK
Expensive compared to other models in Australia
Affordable big-screen TVs could be a better option

The Xgimi Aura 2 can be considered good value, but only depending on where you live. In the US and UK, it costs less than a well-specced big-screen TV such as an 83-inch LG C4 OLED. In Australia, however, it does still cost more for an 83-inch LG C4, but only by a few hundred dollars. Given the TV has a more feature-packed operating system, delivers true blacks and has a picture quality that’s less susceptible to bright rooms, it makes it a more compelling option purely from a value standpoint.

But, if it is a projector you’re seeking, the Xgimi Aura 2 definitely deserves an audition. It’s a great projector that delivers a colorful, clear image. It’s let down by its operating system, but if you don’t mind plugging an external media streamer into one of its HDMI inputs, then this becomes less of an issue.

Android TV homescreen projected onto a wall by the Xgimi Aura 2 projector — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Xgimi Aura 2?

Scene from Shang Chi projected onto a wall by the Xgimi Aura 2 projector — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Buy it if...

You want a simple UST projector
The Aura 2 has a wealth of built-in, automatic picture adjustment settings that should mean getting the perfect image is just a button press away.

You want vibrant images
With 99% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage, the Aura 2 delivers superb, punchy colors that dazzle no matter the image size.

You don't have an external sound system
It's no issue for the Aura 2, the built-in speaker goes big and loud, and only adds to its home theater credentials.

Don't buy it if...

You do all your viewing in a bright room
It's not specific to the Aura 2, but a bright room is a projector's kryptonite. It counters well, but ultimately won't be able to compete against a TV.

You want access to the popular streaming apps
The Aura 2 uses Android TV as its OS, which isn't as talented as Google TV. Some apps are missing and others require workarounds. It's not the most seamless of experiences.

Also consider

Hisense PX3-Pro
Our top pick as the best UST projector right now, the PX3-Pro delivers high brightness and rich color from its 3-laser light engine. It's also well-equipped for gaming, with multiple HDMI 2.1 ports and support for 4K 120Hz and 1080p 240Hz gaming.

Read our full Hisense PX3-Pro review

Samsung The Premiere 9
It's expensive, but Samsung's The Premiere 9 is capable of delivering outstandingly bright images. Its Tizen smart TV platform is a joy to use and the built-in sound is so good, you won't need a soundbar.

Read our full Samsung The Premiere 9 review

Epson LS800
The Epson LS800 uses a 3-LCD laser light source to beam a stunningly bright 4,000 lumens image. This makes it a great option for daytime sports viewing and it also has good built-in sound.

Read our full Epson LS800 review

How I tested the Xgimi Aura 2

Tested at home in various real-world living conditions
Projected the image onto a white wall as opposed to a dedicated screen
Watched a variety of content in SDR and HDR format

Close up image of settings menu on Xgimi Aura 2 projector — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

I tested the Xgimi Aura 2 at home over a period of about a month so I could experience it during various daytime living conditions. This meant multiple light sources, be it natural daylight or overhead lightbulbs, came into my testing room, at which point I rated the picture to see how well it performed.

The projector was tested against a white wall for the duration of my review, which also allowed me to test out its wall color adaptation and wall flatness modes. Both performed well and I could see noticeable differences before and after calibration.

I used a variety of content, including 4K HDR and standard full HD content from a variety of streaming services.

My testing evaluates the projector's performance against other reviews my colleagues at TechRadar have conducted. I have been writing about and reviewing displays for five years.

Panasonic Z95A: Two-minute review

The Panasonic Z95A is the company’s flagship OLED TV, sitting above the company’s mid-range Z90A and entry-level Z85A in the company’s 2024 OLED lineup. There are two big changes for Panasonic TVs this year. The first is that the company has switched from its own My Home Screen smart TV interface to Amazon Fire TV. The second is that Panasonic has re-entered the US TV market, though the selection of models and screen sizes is more limited in the US than in the UK and Europe.

The Panasonic Z95A arrives stateside exclusively in a 65-inch screen size, though a 55-inch model is also available in the UK. Pricing is set at $3,100 / £3,899, putting the Z95A very much in the premium TV camp, but if you have the cash, its performance and features rank it among the best OLED TVs.

The Z95A’s 'Master OLED Ultimate' display panel uses the same micro lens array (MLA) tech found in the flagship LG G4 OLED TV and features a new HCX Pro AI Processor MK II to enhance HDR tone mapping, color accuracy, detail, and motion handling. Images on the Z95A are bright, with strong contrast and rich color – it looks every part the premium TV.

Sound is also a standout Z95A feature. It has a 5.1.2-channel 160W speaker system with front and side-firing speakers, along with up-firing ones to deliver Dolby Atmos height effects. The Z95A’s sound is powerful and immersive enough that you could easily get away without using one of the best soundbars, and there’s also a clever and effective Sound Focus mode to ensure people sitting off-center still get great sound. It's probably the best TV for sound if money is no object. Packing in so many speakers adds to the TV’s bulk, but its design is otherwise appealing and it sits on a sturdy circular stand that can swivel in either direction.

The Z95A’s Fire TV interface isn’t the best smart TV platform, because it’s edged out by more sophisticated systems like LG’s webOS and more streamlined ones like Roku, but it gets the job done for streaming and features a new Ambient Experience that displays a wide range of pre-installed images when the TV is in sleep mode and also lets you upload your own images as well as create new ones using AI. There are plentiful settings to dial in the TV’s picture and sound – perhaps too many depending on your level of patience for tweaking.

Gaming is well represented on the Z95A, which has two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz, VRR (including Nvidia G-Sync and AMD Freesync Premium), and Dolby Vision Gaming (up to 144Hz). A Game Control Board menu overlay lets you make quick gaming-related settings, and it can be assigned to the remote control’s My App button for easy pop-up access.

The Panasonic Z95A earns its high price compared to even the best TVs, and if you want a single unit that delivers elite sound as well as pictures, it's hard to beat. But the magnificent Samsung S95D is available for a lot less, so you need to want its particular mix of sound and visuals.

Panasonic Z95A review: Price and release date

Panasonic Z95A OLED TV showing image of a landscape — (Image credit: Future)

Release date: 4 September 2024
65-inch: $3,100 / £3,899
55-inch: NA / £2,999

Panasonic’s Z95A is the company’s flagship OLED TV for 2024. It is available in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes in the UK and 65 inches in the US. Panasonic TVs are not sold in Australia.

The Z95A series sits above the company’s Z85A series, which is available in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes in both the US and the UK, with the 65-inch model priced at $1,799 / £2,499.

As a flagship OLED TV sold in both the US and the UK, the Z95A’s key competitors are the Samsung S95D ($3,399 / £3,399) and LG G4 ($3,399 / £3,299) – however, both those TVs are available for much less than their asking price now. You can find them both for around $2,600 / £2,600, so they offer a big saving compared to the Z95A.

Panasonic Z95A review: Specs

Panasonic Z95A review: Benchmark results

Panasonic Z95A review: Features

Panasonic Z95A OLED TV back panel ports — The Z95A has two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz support. (Image credit: Future)

MLA OLED panel and HCX Pro AI Processor MK II
Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ adaptive HDR
Two HDMI 2.1 inputs with 4K 144Hz support

The Panasonic Z95A features a 'Master OLED Ultimate' display panel equipped with the same brightness boosting micro lens array (MLA) tech used in LG’s G4 OLED TV, along with a heat-management configuration developed in-house by Panasonic engineers. It also has Panasonic’s new HCX Pro AI Processor MK II, which uses dynamic 3D LUTs (Look-Up Tables) to display accurate colors in bright and dark images and a 4K Fine Remaster and Smooth Motion Drive Pro feature to enhance detail and motion clarity.

The Z95A has comprehensive HDR support, with Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive, and HLG all accounted for. In the US, this is the only OLED TV range to offer both advanced HDR formats (in the UK, Philips does as well). A Filmmaker Mode with intelligent sensing optimizes that picture mode for a range of room lighting conditions using the TV’s built-in sensors, and there’s also a Netflix Adaptive Calibrated Mode that’s meant to accurate display programs streamed from Netflix.

Sound quality is given special attention on the Z95A, which features '360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics.' This basically is a built-in 5.1.2-channel 160W speaker system with a dedicated center speaker and up-firing drivers for Dolby Atmos height effects. There are extensive settings for tuning the Z95A’s sound, and it has a beam-forming feature that lets you direct the TV’s sound output with Pinpoint, Area, Spot, and Ambient modes.

For its new TVs, the Z95A included, Panasonic has swapped its unloved My Home Screen smart TV platform for Amazon’s Fire TV. This uses a Voice Remote with Alexa for control, and it now features the Fire TV Ambient Experience, which lets you add various information widgets to the TV’s ambient mode screensaver, and even create your own custom images using generative AI.

Gaming is also a highlight of the Z95A, which supports 4K 144Hz, VRR (including Nvidia G-Sync and AMD Freesync Premium), and Dolby Vision Gaming (up to 144Hz) and also has a Game Control Board pop-up menu for making quick gaming-related settings. The Z95A only has two HDMI 2.1 inputs, however, which is less than the four HDMI 2.1 ports we look for on the best gaming TVs.

Features Score: 4.5/5

Panasonic Z95A review: Picture quality

High brightness for an OLED TV
Excellent overall picture quality
Anti-reflection screen

With an OLED MLA panel similar to the one used in the LG G4 OLED TV, I expected the Panasonic Z95A to have similarly high brightness and my measurements proved that. Brightness on a 10% HDR white window pattern in Filmmaker Mode was 1,495 nits and a full-screen pattern measured 221.8 nits. Those numbers match what we measured on the G4, though they fall a bit short of the Samsung S95D’s 1,688 nits and 318 nits in the same picture mode.

In other measurements, the Z95A’s UHDA-P3 color gamut coverage in Filmmaker Mode was 97.0 and its BT.2022 coverage was 72.5%. Again, those results match what we measured on the LG G4, though the Samsung S95D with its QD-OLED display panel managed full P3 coverage and an impressive 87.9% BT.2020 coverage. Grayscale and color accuracy (see “How I tested” section for details) in the same mode were 3.3 and 1.7, respectively – again matching the G4’s performance.

The Z95A did a good job upconverting standard-definition broadcast TV channels, and high-definition ones looked super-clean and finely detailed. The TV’s anti-reflection screen also effectively reduced glare from overhead lights in my room when I had them switched on. With sports such as football, the Z95A displayed punchy colors and crisp-looking highlights, though I preferred the TV’s Normal picture preset here rather than Filmmaker Mode, which looked comparatively muted with non-HDR content including broadcast TV.

One note about Filmmaker Mode on the Z95A: The intelligent sensing feature it uses automatically turns on the TV’s ambient light sensor for adjusting picture brightness based on room lighting. For this reason, I preferred to use the True Cinema preset when available, which has similar settings to Filmmaker Mode minus the intelligent sensing.

Another picture mode worth discussing is Netflix Adaptive Calibrated Mode, which needs to be enabled in the TV’s picture setup menu. When streaming Ripley from Netflix, I strongly preferred the TV’s Netflix Adaptive Calibrated Mode to its Dolby Vision Dark mode, which compressed highlight and shadow detail to a degree. Otherwise, I used Dolby Vision Dark for viewing most programs with Dolby Vision HDR, making tweaks to the Black Level and Black Expansion adjustments in the Brightness menu to optimize pictures.

The Z95A’s bold, detailed color reproduction is beautiful for movies such as I Saw the TV Glow, which regularly uses a neon-like color palette in dark, nighttime scenes. Watching one such scene where smoke billows out from an ice cream truck, the bright green of the truck and the lurid purple smoke looked vivid and intense.

Motion handling is also impressive on Panasonic’s top OLED TV. When I watched a scene from No Time to Die where James Bond traverses a rocky hilltop cemetery, there was only a faint level of judder visible as the camera tracked his motion, and details in the landscape remained intact. And the same thing held for sports, with a Bills vs Ravens football game looking completely solid and blur-free.

As you’d expect from a flagship OLED TV, blacks looked deep and there was a high level of shadow detail visible in dark images from shows like The Penguin on Max. As mentioned above, I found myself regularly making adjustments to the TV’s advanced brightness settings to dial this in just right, but even without making black-level tweaks, shadows generally were well-defined.

Picture quality score: 5/5

Panasonic Z95A review: Sound quality

Panasonic Z95A Sound Focus screen — The Z95A's Sound Focus interface. (Image credit: Future)

5.1.2-channel 160W speaker system
Effective Dolby Atmos presentation
Sound Focus mode

Panasonic calls the Z95A’s built-in speaker system '360 Soundscape Pro tuned by Technics.' This is a 5.1.2-channel 160W array that uses dedicated left, center, right and side-firing speakers, along with a pair of up-firing drivers for Dolby Atmos height effects and a built-in subwoofer plus two passive bass radiators. A subwoofer output jack is also provided on the TV if you want make a hard-wired connection to an external sub.

Packing that many speakers into the TV’s frame adds to its depth and height, with a thick grille running beneath the full width of the screen where the front speaker array is located. And while it increases the TV’s bulk, the benefit to the Z95A’s audio hardware is that it can play loud and clear enough that you can easily do without a soundbar.

Dialogue is consistently clear, and Atmos soundtracks have a true sense of spaciousness, with sound effects such as rain falling in a scene from I Saw the TV Glow literally sounding like they were falling from the ceiling. Bass depth and impact is very good for a TV, and it noticeably improved after running Space Tune, a feature that uses the mic built into the remote control to analyze your room’s acoustics and adjust the sound accordingly.

Along with Space Tune, another key audio feature is Sound Focus, which lets you adjust the direction of the sound for off-center seating. There are four settings, Pinpoint, Area, Spot and Ambient, which each one providing a different range of soundfield width. To test it out, I selected Pinpoint and adjusted it to align with a seating position at the far end of my sofa, and the TV’s sound clearly shifted 30 degrees over from the center. Impressive!

Sound quality score: 5/5

Panasonic Z95A review: Design

Panasonic Z95A TV close up of stand — The Z95A's circular swiveling stand. (Image credit: Future)

Sturdy, swiveling stand
Wide array of input and control ports
Flimsy remote control

OLED TVs typically have a thin form factor, but at 2.7 inches (69mm), the Z95A’s frame is necessarily deep owing to its built-in 5.1.2-channel speaker array, and there is a wide grille running along the bottom of the screen where the TV’s front-firing speakers are located. It’s balanced on a sturdy, swiveling stand, which is a great feature if you want to position the TV’s screen to accommodate different seating situations.

The Z95A has an impressive array of input and control ports. There are four HDMI ports (including two HDMI 2.1), optical digital and 3.5mm headphone/subwoofer audio outputs, two powered USB, and an antenna input for the TV’s ATSC 3.0 digital TV tuner (US-only). On the control side, it has an Ethernet port and IR blaster output.

Panasonic’s remote control is disappointing given the Z95A’s otherwise premium build quality (and price!). It’s the same type you’d get with any cheap Amazon Fire TV set, with a thin plastic case, limited button array, and no backlighting. Its main feature is a blue button at the top to summon Alexa for voice commands, which, to be fair, is a key feature of the Fire TV smart TV platform.

Design score: 4/5

Panasonic Z95A review: Smart TV and menus

Panasonic Z95A Fire TV smart interface — Panasonic has switched to the Amazon Fire TV smart interface for its 2024 TVs. (Image credit: Future)

Amazon Fire TV is great for streaming service support
Fire TV Ambient Experience with AI image generation
Extensive picture and sound adjustments

Amazon’s Fire TV smart TV interface hasn’t changed much since we reviewed the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED. The home screen is divided up into a top panel with ads, mostly for shows on Amazon’s Prime Video and Freevee free TV platforms and other streaming services, while a grid of recommended movies and TV shows takes up the bottom half. In between is a horizontal bar with a row of apps that you can customize, along with Inputs, My Stuff, Search, and Live tabs.

When on the Live screen, you’ll find a wealth of options, including news channels and other live TV programs that are free to stream. You can also select a grid format that displays a cable TV-style time-based guide that can be populated with programs available on local broadcast TV channels when using an antenna.

The Fire TV Ambient Experience is a recent addition, and it’s one of the platform’s most appealing features. When the TV hasn’t been in use for a certain period of time (you can specify how long in the setup menu) it will display a curated range of images and artworks, or your personal photos (via the Fire TV Photos app after uploading using the Amazon Photos app on your phone). You can add weather, news, sticky notes, and other widgets to the Ambient screen, and even create your own images using AI. Be careful with this, however: I prompted Amazon’s AI with “clowns juggling pineapples on a soccer field,” and the terrifying image it generated cannot be unseen.

One area where Fire TV on the Panasonic goes well beyond Amazon’s own TVs is the picture and sound settings, which can be accessed by pressing a gear icon button on the remote control. There are extensive picture presets, including numerous ones to adjust HDR tone mapping and black detail in dark images. The same goes for sound settings, which include a range of Sound Field Creation options, Space Tune room EQ, and the Sound Focus mode described above in the Sound Quality section. If anything, there may be too many options provided for tweaking the TV’s picture and sound.

Smart TV & menus score: 4/5

Panasonic Z95A review: Gaming

Panasonic Z95A Game Bar screen — The Z95A's Game Control Board pop-up menu. (Image credit: Future)

Two HDMI 2.1 ports
Game Control Board menu
12.6ms input lag

The Panasonic Z95A provides two HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 144Hz, VRR (including Nvidia G-Sync and AMD Freesync Premium), and Dolby Vision gaming (up to 144Hz). While we generally look for four HDMI 2.1 ports on high-end TVs to accommodate multiple gaming consoles plus a soundbar connection, the Z9A’s excellent built-in sound makes its limited HDMI 2.1 port count less of an issue.

A nice gaming feature on the Z95A is its Game Control Board pop-up menu. This can be activated via the setup menu when in Game mode (it can also be assigned to the remote control’s My App button), allowing you to make gaming-related picture adjustments such as Dark Visibility.

The Z95A’s input lag as measured with a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag meter was 12.6ms. That’s a perfectly good result, although the best TVs for gaming typically yield a result under 10ms.

Gaming score: 4/5

Panasonic Z95A review: Value

Panasonic Z95A remote control held in hand — Panasonic's remote control is notably flimsy for a premium-priced TV. (Image credit: Future)

Priced higher than premium OLED competition in practice
Good mid-range OLEDs available for much less
Great performance and features enhance the value

At $3,100 / £3,899 for the 65-inch model, the Panasonic Z95A sits at the premium end of the TV price spectrum, beyond even the LG G4 and Samsung S95D due to their price cuts.

You can now buy a mid-range 65-inch OLED TV such as the LG C4 for around $1,699, and it will also have great picture quality plus a better overall set of gaming features. Paying more for a flagship OLED TV such as the Z95A will get you better picture brightness, however, and that’s going to make a difference when viewing in rooms with a high level of ambient lighting, and it also gives 4K movies with HDR a more dynamic look.

Ultimately, the Z95A ranks the same for value as its flagship OLED competitors. Like them, it has powerful built-in audio for a TV – but here it's further cut above the rest – and when you combine that with its top-notch picture quality and features, it’s a sound investment if you can afford it.

Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Panasonic Z95A?

Panasonic Z95A Live TV grid guide — The Z95A's Live TV grid guide. (Image credit: Future)

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if…

Panasonic Z95A review: Also consider...

How I tested the Panasonic Z95A

Panasonic Z95A OLED TV showing colorful abstract image — (Image credit: Future)

Tested over the course of two weeks
Measurements were made using Calman color calibration software
A full calibration was made before proceeding with subjective tests

When I test TVs, I first first spend a few days or even weeks using it for casual viewing to assess the out-of-box picture presets and get familiar with its smart TV menu and picture adjustments. I next select the most accurate preset (usually Filmmaker Mode, Movie or Cinema) and measure grayscale and color accuracy using Portrait Displays’ Calman color calibration software. The resulting measurements provide Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen) for each category, and allow for an assessment of the TV’s overall accuracy.

Along with those tests, I make measurements of peak light output (recorded in nits) for both standard high definition and 4K high dynamic range using 10% and 100% white window patterns. Coverage of DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color space is also measured, with the results providing a sense of how faithfully the TV can render the extended color range in ultra high-definition sources.

I used the Calman ISF workflow, along with the TV’s advanced picture menu settings, to calibrate the image for best accuracy after I'd assessed its out-of-the-box performance. I also watched a range of reference scenes on 4K Blu-ray discs to assess the TV’s performance, and 4K HDR shows streamed from Max, Netflix, and other services.

You can read an in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar for more information.

First reviewed: October 2024
Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

JMGO N1S Pro 4K review: a solid and versatile portable projector

10:10 pm | October 4, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Theater Projectors Televisions | Tags: DLP, HDR, Star Wars | Comments: Off

JMGO N1S Pro 4K: One minute review

The JMGO N1S Pro 4K ($1,999) is a portable projector that uses a triple laser DLP light engine and is rated for 2,400 ANSI lumens brightness. It has Google TV built-in for streaming, allowing for easy access to apps including Netflix, Disney Plus, and Prime Video. It’s pricier than some of the other best portable projectors, such as the LG CineBeam Q and BenQ X300G, but offers a good mix of performance and features.

The JMGO N1S Pro 4K’s effective auto keystone and focus features, plus 135 degree vertical and 360 degree horizontal adjustments, make it easy to set up anywhere. Its looks may be fairly standard, but it’s hard to argue against its versatility.

Picture quality on the N1S Pro 4K is pretty solid. Colors look vibrant and natural. Contrast is rich, albeit better in bright scenes, and details and textures are refined. But it’s the N1S Pro 4K’s built-in sound that pleasantly surprises, with punchy bass, clear dialogue, and good directional sound. The sound quality is perfect for casual viewing, and an HDMI eARC port also gives you the option to add one of the best soundbars.

While the N1S Pro 4K isn’t going to topple the best 4K projectors on the market, it’s still a very good projector that can cover many bases, from movies to games and more.

JMGO N1S Pro 4K with city landscape on screen — The JMGO N1S Pro 4K delivered strong picture quality across the board (Image credit: Future)

JMGO N1S Pro 4K: Prices & release date

Release date: 2024
Price: $1,999

The JMGO N1S Pro 4K is the mid-range model in JMGO’s N1S range, sitting above the JMGO N1S and below the JMGO N1S Ultimate 4K. It’s available in the US for $1,999, a similar price to other portable projectors such as the BenQ X300G ($1,799), but higher than the Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE and LG CineBeam Q, both priced at $1,299.

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JMGO N1S Pro 4K with Google TV on screen — (Image credit: Future)

The JMGO N1S Pro 4K has Google TV built-in

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JMGO N1S Pro 4K ports — (Image credit: Future)

JMGO N1S Pro 4K has two HDMI ports, including one with eARC

JMGO N1S Pro 4K: Design & features

Plain, but solid and sturdy design
Triple laser DLP light engine
Google TV

The JMGO N1S Pro 4K is a robust, solidly built portable with a hinged design that lets you aim it towards an adjacent wall or the ceiling. Its plain, matte gray appearance doesn’t have the same flair as other portable projectors such as the LG CineBeam Q, and measuring in at 8 x 9.3 x 9.5 inches (H x W x D), it isn’t as portable. But it’s still easy enough to tote around, with a styrofoam carry case provided. There is no battery power option for the N1S Pro 4K, which needs to be plugged in.

The JMGO N1S Pro 4K uses a triple laser DLP light engine and has a brightness rating of 2,400 ANSI Lumens. It fits screens ranging from 85-180 inches and has auto focus and auto keystone correction, which I found to be fairly effective. Moving the JMGO back and forth, it was able to easily correct itself on the 80-inch screen I used during testing. Manual keystone correction is also available.

The N1S Pro uses Google TV as its smart platform, providing access to Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus and more streaming apps. There are two HDMI ports, including one with eARC to connect a soundbar, a USB-A port and a 3.5mm headphone output. Bluetooth and Chromecast are also supported for wireless streaming from a phone or tablet.

Support is provided for the HDR10 high dynamic range format, but not Dolby Vision like the Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K. Standard Dolby and DTS soundtracks can be played through its 20W speakers, but Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are not supported.

Design & features score: 4/5

JMGO N1S Pro 4K with butterfly on screen — The JMGO N1S Pro 4K's picture is at its best with bright and colorful images (Image credit: Future)

JMGO N1S Pro 4K: Picture & sound quality

Natural looking color
Middling black levels and contrast
Solid built-in audio

For testing, I used an Optoma 80-inch, 1.0 gain matte white projection screen. Before doing any critical viewing, I made brightness measurements using a 10% HDR white window pattern. The N1S Pro 4K yielded 178 and 161 nits in Standard and Movie mode, respectively, with brightness set to maximum. This is a very good result that puts it above the likes of ultra short throw projectors such as the BenQ v5000i, which achieved 125 nits in Bright mode, and also above the LG CineBeam Q, which measured 60 nits in Filmmaker Mode.

Measuring the N1S Pro 4K’s UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color gamut coverage in Movie mode, it achieved results of 99.1% and 97.4%, respectively. The latter falls short of the 110% claimed by JMGO, but is still an excellent result that beats the likes of the more premium Samsung Premiere 9 ultra short throw projector.

I next watched some reference 4K Blu-rays and streaming clips that I regularly use to analyze the best TVs. The N1S Pro 4K displayed natural, yet dynamic color throughout my testing. In the throne room fight from Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a scene filled with strong reds, the N1S Pro 4K did a great job displaying the vibrant color and also delivered a surprising level of punch in HDR highlights. Watching the opening scene of La La Land, the colors on show all looked bold without being oversaturated, and Mia’s yellow dress in the ‘A Lovely Night’ scene looked vivid against the dark blue and black background.

Details were accurate and refined with the N1S Pro 4K, primarily in brighter scenes. Textures had a more lifelike quality than I anticipated, with close-up shots of pilots in Top Gun: Maverick revealing facial hair and skin pores.

JMGO N1S Pro 4K with The Batman on screen — Darker scenes sometimes suffered from black crush with the The JMGO N1S Pro 4K (Image credit: Future)

Black levels and contrast were a mixed bag. Viewing The Batman, a visually challenging movie with limited brightness and a gloomy overall look, the N1S Pro 4K displayed good shadow detail and contrast in the few ‘well-lit’ scenes such as an aerial shot of Gotham. The balance between light and dark tones was also fairly accurate in the movie’s opening crime scene.

However, blacks looked more of a dark gray in The Batman’s more dimly lit sequences, even when viewed in a darkened room. Despite solid contrast, black crush in the opening crime scene resulted in a loss of detail, with darker shadows taking on a flat appearance.

The N1S Pro 4K also struggled with motion. Sports benefitted from the projector’s MEMC setting being turned on, but there was still some blur present. Movies looked better, but I did see some judder in the long panning shots in Top Gun: Maverick.

The projector’s built-in speakers were a pleasant surprise, delivering punchy bass and clear dialogue regardless of what I watched. In The Batman, the rumbling of car engines in the Batmobile chase scene sounded weighty and some surround effects such as crashes and tires could also be heard. Even in La La Land, musical numbers sounded well-balanced. The soundstage was unsurprisingly limited, but overall the N1S Pro 4K’s speakers were good for a portable projector.

Gaming is limited to 4K 60Hz on the JMGO, which has a measured input lag time of 35ms. While that’s significantly higher than other projectors such as the BenQ v5000i, which gave a result of 18ms, gaming was still an enjoyable experience, with Battlefield V on Xbox Series feeling smooth when I scanned the environment.

Picture and sound quality score: 4/5

JMGO N1S Pro 4K remote — (Image credit: Future)

JMGO N1S Pro 4K: Value

Good features and performance
Built-in Google TV
Pricey

Priced at $1,999, the N1S Pro 4K sits at the premium end of the portable projector market. It costs $500 less than its more premium sibling, the JMGO N1S Ultra 4K, but over $700 more than both the BenQ X300G and LG CineBeam Q. It’s undoubtedly a pricey portable.

For the money, however, you’re getting a versatile, smart 4K projector. Google TV allows for easy streaming and the auto keystone and focus settings make setup a breeze. When you combine that with its impressive overall performance, the JMGO N1S Pro 4K comes across as fairly priced.

Value score: 4/5

JMGO N1S Pro 4K carry case on table — The JMGO N1S Pro 4K comes in a styrofoam carry case. Although portable, it is on the weightier side (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the JMGO N1S Pro 4K?

Buy it if...

You want a great picture
The N1S Pro 4K's picture has bold color and rich detail, especially with HDR sources. View Deal

You want solid built-in sound
The N1S Pro 4K's speakers won't beat a soundbar, but they provide enough clarity and bass heft to please casual viewers. View Deal

You want versatility
The N1S Pro 4K can be set up in a range of positions that make it good for not only watching movies but other uses as well.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want the best possible picture
The N1S Pro 4K's black levels and contrast can be inconsistent and sometimes result in detail loss.View Deal

You're on a budget
The N1S Pro 4K offers a lot for the money, but there's no getting around its high price tag. View Deal

You watch a lot of sports
Motion can be a challenge for the N1S Pro 4K, with some judder and blur still present even after tweaking motion settings. View Deal

Also consider

BenQ X300G
The BenQ X300G is a better 4K projector for gaming than the N1S Pro 4K and delivers similar brightness and solid picture quality, though the N1S Pro 4K has better built-in sound. They cost roughly the same, but the X300G takes the win by being priced at $200 less.

Read our BenQ X300G reviewView Deal

LG CineBeam Q 4K Projector
The CineBeam Q offers better style, portability and value than the N1S Pro 4K, but doesn't have the same brightness or screen size options.

Read our full LG CineBeam Q reviewView Deal

Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K projector
The closest rival to the N1S Pro 4K, the Nebula Cosmos 4K offers similar smart features, brightness and performance. However, the Nebula Cosmos demonstrated some odd processing quirks, especially with HDR pictures, when we tested it. It is cheaper than the N1S Pro 4K if you're looking to save money.

Read our full Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K reviewView Deal

JMGO N1S Pro 4K with testing equipment attached — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the JMGO N1S Pro 4K

Mostly tested in dim or pitch black conditions
Tested using HDR and SDR sources
Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software used for measurements

I tested the JMGO N1S Pro 4K using an Optoma 80-inch, 1.0 gain matte white screen. I first did casual viewing to establish its most accurate picture mode – in this case Movie mode – before moving on to critical testing.

I used both standard-definition and high-definition content, as well as 4K streaming and Blu-rays to test the N1S Pro 4K's picture quality, focusing on brightness, color, black levels, contrast, motion, upscaling and detail. For 4K Blu-rays, I used the Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player.

I also tested the N1S Pro 4K's gaming capabilities using an Xbox Series X.

For objective testing I made measurements using a test pattern generator and colorimeter, recording the results with Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software. I also measured the N1S Pro 4K's input lag using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI input lag tester.

For a more detailed explanation of how we test TVs at TechRadar, check out the link.

First reviewed: October, 2024
Read TechRadar's review guarantee

Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN ultrawide monitor review

7:08 pm | September 29, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: HDR | Comments: Off

Sometimes, a tiny change can make all the difference. So it is with the Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN. It's a large, 32:9 aspect ultrawide productivity monitor with a native resolution of 5,120 by 1,440. The difference is that it measures 45 inches where 49 inches has typically been the norm for the best ultrawide monitors we've reviewed.

That makes it a touch more ergonomic in terms of desk space. But it also improves the pixel density by a small but arguably critical quotient. To that you can add VA panel technology with strong all-round specifications, including 165Hz refresh and sub-1ms claimed response, plus excellent connectivity including USB-C with 90W of power delivery and a KVM switch.

All told, this new Iiyama amounts to a single monitor with the desktop real estate of dual 1440p panels, plus good connectivity. It's a very appealing proposition for anyone who needs one of the best business monitors to multitask, view several applications in parallel and generally have plenty of on-screen elbow room.

Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN: Design & features

Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN during our review process — (Image credit: Iiyama)

Needs lots of desk space
Excellent connectivity
OSD could be more intuitive

Specs

Panel size: 45-inch

Panel type: IPS

Resolution: 5,120 x 1,440

Brightness: 450 cd/m2

Contrast: 3,000:1

Pixel response: 0.8ms MPRT

Refresh rate: 165Hz

Colour coverage: 100% sRGB

HDR: DisplayHDR 400

Vesa: 100mm x 100mm

Inputs: DisplayPort 1.4 x1, HDMI 2.0 x1, USB-C with 90W power delivery x1

Other: USB-A hub, LAN, KVW switch

Iiyama doesn't traditionally go in for aesthetic theatrics, and that's no different for the Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN. Sober suited, you could say anonymous, albeit with slim bezels on three sides that add a contemporary air, it's nevertheless well-built and has all the features you'll likely want for a high-spec productivity monitor.

The stand offers a good array of adjustment, including height and tilt, plus a touch of pivot to help get the horizontal level just right, though the lack of swivel is a disappointing omission. Still, it's good to have decent adjustability on a 45-inch panel like this where the sheer size alone makes for challenging ergonomics.

On the subject of size and scale, this is a curved panel but courtesy only of a relatively gentle 1500R arc. With such a large wide-aspect format, a little more curve would arguably make viewing the furthest extremities a bit more comfortable.

As for connectivity, that's the real highlight. For starters, you get USB-C with 90W of power delivery for effortless single-cable connectivity of a laptop. There's also a triple-port USB-A hub. Thus with the single cable you can not only drive the display and keep a laptop charged, but also connect peripherals like keyboard, mouse and external storage.

Even better, there's a LAN port, too, enabling comprehensive connectivity through that single port. Once you've gone single-cable, you won't want to go back to that old rat's nest of cables. The USB hub also allows for support for KVW switch capability, so you can easily share this display and any connected peripherals across two PCs.

Those highlights aside, the rear of the display also includes a pair of HDMI ports and DisplayPort, all of which support the full 5,120 by 1,440 resolution at 165Hz. The catch? All these various connectivity features are harder to set up than need be.

Iiyama has chosen some suboptimal default settings, for instance, which means you'll have to spend a fair amount of time in the unfriendly OSD menu just to get this monitor running at the right resolution and refresh over various inputs. Once you've got everything configured correctly, it's all good from there. But Iiyama would do well to look again at the OSD and default settings.

Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN: Performance

Punchy, quick VA panel
Decent pixel density
Limited HDR support

We've seen plenty of 49-inch panels with the familiar if still spectacular 5,120 by 1,440 pixel native revolution. The difference here is that the Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN is a 45 incher.

That obviously makes it a touch smaller while still being a very expansive display. It also bumps the pixel density up from 108 DPI to 118 DPI compared to those 49-inch panels. That isn't a dramatic improvement. But it's just enough to make a visible difference to the crispness and quality of fonts.

For sure, a 27-inch or even 32-inch 4K monitor has much better pixel density again. But the increase to nearly 120DPI definitely helps and is particularly noticeable in MacOS, which arguably benefits even more from the DPI bump than Windows. That detail aside, this is a very nice example of the VA breed of LCD panel. It's very punchy, with a brightness rating of 450 nits, and boasts excellent contrast.

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It's nicely calibrated, too, albeit this isn't a panel aimed at content creation pros and doesn't offer pre-calibrated Adobe RGB or DCI-P3 modes. Overall, this is a really vibrant, pleasant display. OK, it's no OLED panel. But then you'd be looking at far, far more money for an equivalent OLED monitor.

Speed-wise, this panel will almost certainly be plenty quick enough for most users. The 165Hz refresh ensures nice, low latency and the 0.8ms response spec is impressive. That said, there is some noticeable overshoot with the response-accelerating overdrive feature set to one of its more aggressive modes. It's not a huge problem, but if you're sensitive to that kind of thing, an IPS panel remains a better option.

Another relative weakness is HDR support. For starters, this isn't a true HDR panel. It offers basic HDR signal processing. But there's no local dimming, so the ultimate dynamic range is limited. Iiyama likewise hasn't done a great job of calibrating SDR content in HDR mode. So, you'll really need to jump between SDR and HDR modes depending on content types, which is a bit of a pity.

Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN: Final verdict

The Iiyama ProLite XCB4594DQSN doesn't do anything radical. However, the large panel and ultrawide format makes for an extremely effective productivity tool. For sure, it's an intriguing alternative to a pair of 1440p monitors.

The 45-inch as opposed to 49-inch diagonal also makes for slightly improved pixel density and font rendering. That also applies to the comparison with more conventional 27-inch 1440p monitors. This Iiyama is just that little bit crisper while still providing a huge canvas for multitasking.

The actual panel quality is good, too, with a slick 165Hz refresh and fairly speedy responses for a VA panel. Factor in the 450 nit brightness and basic HDR support and this panel is well up for some multimedia and games on the side.

Connectivity is another strong point, with USB-C, LAN and a KVM switch. All told, this is a genuine productivity powerhouse and the only obvious snags are a slightly frustrating OSD menu and some poorly chosen default settings, none of which are enough to spoil what is otherwise a strong overall package.

For more pin-sharp displays, we tested the best monitors for MacBook Pro.

BenQ SW242Q photo editing monitor review

7:06 pm | September 28, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: HDR | Comments: Off

24 inches? For a monitor aimed at photographers? Oh dear, this is going to be a blocky, low-res 1080p affair, right? Nope. The BenQ SW242Q is actually a 1600p panel. With a 16:10 aspect ratio, that makes for 2,560 by 1,600 pixels.

Many creative pros and photo editors might prefer a 4K panel, for sure. But a 4K monitor with the kind of feature set offered here costs serious money. So the BenQ SW242Q's proposition is to offer a slightly smaller screen that still offers decent pixel density, plus a very strong feature set at an appealing price.

What kind of feature set, you ask? Highlights include USB-C with 90W of power delivery, Pantone and Calman verification, factory calibration, broad colour coverage, plus a few extra frills like an SD card reader and more. Overall, it's a strong package in the field of best monitors for photo editing. And an intriguing value proposition versus a cheap 4K panel for similar money that doesn't come with the comprehensive creator-friendly feature set.

BenQ SW242Q: Design & features

BenQ SW242Q photo editing monitor during our testing process — (Image credit: BenQ)

Great build quality
Fully adjustable stand
Comprehensive connectivity

Specs

Panel size: 24-inch

Panel type: IPS

Resolution: 2,560 x 1,600

Brightness: 400 cd/m2

Contrast: 1,000:1

Pixel response: 5ms

Refresh rate: 60Hz

Colour coverage: 98% DCI-P3

HDR: HDR10

Vesa: 100mm x 100mm

Inputs: DisplayPort 1.4 x1, HDMI 2.0 x1, USB-C with 90W power delivery x1

Other: USB-A hub, SD card reader

When it comes to screens aimed at content creators, the 24-inch BenQ SW242Q feels distinctly compact. But it's very nicely built and feels like a quality item throughout. The stand is sturdy, while the faux-leather pad on the base adds an unusual aesthetic and tactile flourish, while the minimalist design looks contemporary and is unlikely to date.

You also get full adjustability, including height, tilt, swivel and rotate into portrait mode. Connectivity is another strong point. The usual HDMI and Displayport interfaces obviously feature. But given how popular laptops now are with photo editing pros, the USB-C connector with 90W of power delivery is the main highlight.

The single-cable connectivity it allows for laptops is something you won't be able to live without once you've experienced it. The BenQ SW242Q also has a two-port USB-A hub and an SD Card slot. So you can use that USB-C magic to do everything from drive this display, keep your laptop charged, and connect peripherals like keyboards, mice and external storage.

All told, it;'s a slick package and the compact proportions make it a great choice if desk space is at a premium. It's usefully smaller than the 27-inch and 32-inch panels that are more common in the creator monitor market.

BenQ SW242Q: Performance

Lovely IPS panel
Decent pixel density
Excellent accuracy and colour coverage

An immediate concern with any 24-inch monitor is pixel density. That's because 1080p is very much the norm when it comes to native resolution with 24 inchers. But not here. The first clue that the BenQ SW242Q does things a little differently is its 16:10 rather than 16:9 aspect ratio.

That give you a little more vertical space than usual. That slightly taller form factor means that this monitor offers 1,600 vertical pixels, a useful number more than commonly seen on 2,560 by 1,440 panels, otherwise known as 1440p.

Anyway, that higher resolution translates into 125 pixels per inch, a notable upgrade on the 92DPI of a standard 1080p 24-inch monitor. It's admittedly lower density than both 27-inch and 32-inch 4K monitors. But it still allows for nice, crisp fonts and plenty of image detail. Notably, this monitor looks great with MacOS and Apple MacBooks, which really benefit from decent pixel density.

Resolution aside, the main highlight is the quality of the IPS panel. It comes factory calibrated with sub 1.5 DeltaE across the board and you can really see that, whether it's the perfectly balanced colours or the accuracy of flesh tones.

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It's worth noting that you're getting a clear step up in terms of calibration, accuracy and validation with this panel compared to a generic IPS display, including Pantone Validation, Calman verification and 16-bit 3D LUT support and 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 digital cinema colour space. So, it's right up there with the best monitors for video editing too. You also get a year's free subscription to the Pantone Connect Premium smartphone app.

While this is primarily an SDR display and lacks features like local dimming, it can hit 400 nits, which is plenty punchy and also supports HDR10, and so is capable of showing HDR colours correctly.

What's more, the SDR colour calibration is actually excellent in SDR mode, giving you the option of leaving this display in HDR mode and thus not needing to toggle between modes depending on content type.

If you're looking for weak points, well, the contrast levels are nothing compared to an OLED panel. And the pixel response is nothing special. But these are givens with an IPS panel with no local dimming. If you want an OLED or mini-LED monitor with pro features, you'll be paying many, many times more.

BenQ SW242Q: Final verdict

A 24-inch monitor for content creators would normally be a hard sell. But the BenQ SW242Q is a surprisingly appealing package. Partly that's down to the strong feature set. The USB-C interface is central to that, with single-cable connectivity that includes 90W power delivery, an SD card reader and a USB-A hub.

Then there's the broadly excellent image quality, thanks to a quality factory-calibrated IPS panel and plenty of creatures for content creators, including Pantone validation and good colour coverage. `of course, the real kicker is the 2,560 by 1,600 resolution.

That's a notable step up on the 1080p norm for 24-inch monitors and makes for both more desktop working space and improved pixel density. It also means this monitor is a great companion for both PCs and Macs, with the latter particularly appreciating decent pixel density.

Granted, the BenQ SW242Q lacks true HDR support and the 24-inch panel size will be restrictive for some users. But if either your desk space or budget is too limited for the usual 27-inch and 32-inch suspects in the prosumer photo editing monitor market, the BenQ SW242Q is well worth a look. It's a very strong package at an appealing price.

For more content creation displays, we tested the best monitors for graphic design.

Samsung Q60D review: a solid QLED TV under pressure by entry-level mini-LED TVs

6:00 pm | September 22, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Televisions | Tags: HDR, Star Wars, TCL, TV | Comments: Off

Samsung Q60D: Two minute review

The Samsung Q60D is a budget QLED TV that delivers good picture quality and gaming performance and is a fine entry-level option for those looking to save money. It’s missing some key features and faces plenty of more affordable competition, however, so it’s not going to beat the best TVs anytime soon.

Picture quality on the Q60D is fairly good overall, with punchy but natural colors and solid contrast. Detail is where the Q60D shines, with crisp textures serving as the Q60D’s best aspect. With a QLED panel and standard LED backlight, black levels won’t rival those of the best OLED TVs, but they are better than the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED, another affordable QLED TV. There’s some motion blur when watching sport and shadow detail is lacking compared to sets that benefit from better backlights, but the picture is good overall for a TV at this price.

The Q60D has a basic 2.0-channel, 20W speaker array. Speech is clear and there’s good sound placement thanks to Samsung’s OTS Lite feature, but the sound lacks the bass heft and virtual surround you’ll get from the best TVs for sound. For those looking to use it for more than casual viewing, I’d recommend one of the best soundbars.

Gaming on the Q60D is fun enough, with the TV’s decent gaming performance helped by a low 9.6ms input lag time and a clean picture. However, with no support for 120Hz or VRR, it lacks key features of the best gaming TVs, though it does support ALLM and has Samsung’s useful Gaming Hub.

The Q60D is fairly priced for what it offers and is available in 43-85-inch screen sizes (a 32-inch model is also available in the US). However, it faces competition from cheap mini-LED TVs such as the Hisense U6N and Hisense U7N, and the TCL C805 (in the UK), all of which benefit from more gaming features, Dolby Vision HDR support and mini-LED backlights.

Samsung Q60D with orange butterfly on screen — The Samsung Q60D delivers surprisingly crisp details. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Prices & release date

Released April 2024
32-inch: $479.99
43-inch: $529.99 / £479
50-inch: $599.99 / £549
55-inch: $749.99 / £599 / AU$1,195
65-inch $799.99 / £899 / AU$1,495
75-inch: $999.99 / £1,299 / AU$1,995
85-inch: $1,699.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,995

The Samsung Q60D is the entry-level QLED series in Samsung’s 2024 TV range, sitting below the Q70D and Q80D.

Since release, Q60D prices have fallen across every screen size in every region and it’s regularly on sale both through Samsung and other retailers. We’ve seen the 50-inch model we tested for as low as £479 in the UK – more than £200 off from its initial £699. In the US, prices have dropped roughly $200 across the range.

Samsung Q60D review: Specs

Samsung Q60D review: Benchmark results

Samsung Q60D connectivity panel — The Samsung Q60D includes three HDMI ports, but none support 4K 120Hz or VRR. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Features

4K QLED ‘Dual LED’ panel
Tizen smart TV platform
HDR10+ high dynamic range support

The Q60D features a QLED panel that uses quantum dot tech to improve brightness and color detail over standard LED TVs. It also features what Samsung calls ‘Dual LED’ tech, which aims to boost contrast. It comes with Samsung’s Quantum Processor Lite 4K processor, with the more premium NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor available starting in the step-up Q80D series.

As with all Samsung TVs, the Q60D supports the HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG high dynamic range formats, but not Dolby Vision. For Dolby Vision support in a similar price range, look to the Amazon Omni QLED.

For sound, the Q60D has a basic 2.0-channel speaker array totaling 20W of power and features a ‘Lite’ version of the Object Tracking System (OTS) that can be found in Samsung’s more premium sets. It also supports Adaptive Sound and the Q Symphony feature that can combine the TV’s speakers with those in a compatible Samsung soundbar.

For gaming, the Q60D comes with Samsung’s Gaming Hub, with support for Cloud gaming apps from Xbox, Nvidia GeForce Now and more. It also features ALLM but does not support 4K 120Hz or VRR.

The Q60D uses Samsung’s Tizen platform for its smart TV interface. Tizen provides access to popular streaming apps such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus. In the UK, it also supports BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and Freeview apps, although live TV services are handled by Samsung’s own TV Plus system rather than Freeview.

Features score: 4/5

Samsung Q60D with sunset on screen — The Samsung Q60D's contrast is richer than anticipated, with a good balance between light and dark tones. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Picture quality

Punchy colors
Refined detail
Middling black levels and contrast

When measuring peak brightness, the 50-inch Q60D yielded results of 417 nits and 384 nits in Standard and Filmmaker Modes respectively on a 10% HDR white window. This is lower than the rival Amazon Omni QLED, which hit 531 nits and 402 nits in its same picture modes on the same tests, though it’s worth noting the Amazon TV was a 65-inch model.

Measuring the Q60D’s HDR color gamut coverage, it yielded results of 71% and 92.9% for BT.2020 and UHDA-P3 color spaces respectively in Filmmaker Mode. While those are not the best results, they are still decent for a budget TV and actually put it in line with mini-LED sets such as the Samsung QN85D and Hisense U6N.

The Q60D did a decent job displaying standard-definition images on its 50-inch screen, though it’s likely that textures would be fuzzier on larger screen sizes. High-definition content fared better, showing clearer-looking textures.

Moving onto 4K HDR sources, I first viewed a stream of Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Disney Plus to test the Q60D’s colors. In the throne room fight scene, which is filled with bright reds, the Q60D displayed plenty of punch while also maintaining a natural look. And in the opening race sequence of Ready Player One, colors were vivid, even though they lacked some of the same brightness I’ve seen on more premium TVs.

Samsung Q60D with geyser on screen — The Samsung Q60D thrives with bright images. (Image credit: Future)

The Batman is a challenging movie for many TVs due to its numerous dark scenes. Viewed with regular room lighting, the Q60D demonstrated good contrast throughout and decent enough black levels, especially for a QLED set. In the opening crime scene, there was good shadow detail with no black crush. Light sources, such as lamps, were balanced well within the scene's dimly lit surroundings.

Viewing this same scene in darker lighting conditions, blacks took on more of a gray look with a cloudy wash over the whole screen. However, black levels were still better than expected and better than those of the Amazon Omni QLED.

Viewing black-and-white scenes in Oppenheimer, the Q60D did a better job displaying the film’s wide range of brighter whites and grays over the black tones.

The Q60D demonstrated refined-looking textures and details. In scenes from The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick, facial features were clearly defined, and details in clothing also had a more realistic look than I anticipated for a budget QLED TV. Watching demo footage from the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark Blu-ray, details in landscapes, cityscapes and close-up shots of animals looked authentic throughout.

When I watched an HD stream of a Soccer game on Prime Video, the Q60D delivered acceptable motion handling. I found that setting judder reduction in the motion section of the picture settings to a lower amount, say 2 or 3, was better than having it set to full, though some may prefer the smoother processing. Regardless, there was still some judder and blur present due to the TV’s 60Hz panel. If you’re a sports fan, you’ll be better off looking at the best TVs for sport, such as the Samsung QN90D.

The Q60D’s motion handling with movies was much better. Watching Top Gun: Maverick, it did a solid job with the quick panning shots and tumbling cameras during the training missions and Darkstar opening scene. There was still occasional judder, but it didn’t detract from the viewing experience.

Picture quality score: 4/5

Samsung Q60D with La La Land title card on screen — The Samsung Q60D suffers from limited built-in sound, as heard when watching *La La Land*. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Sound quality

Clear speech
Good directional sound
Limited bass and soundstage

The Q60D has a 2.0-channel speaker array with 20W of power. It supports Object Tracking Sound Lite (OTS Lite) and Adaptive Sound, a feature that changes volume based on an analysis of the content being displayed. It also has Q Symphony, a feature that combines the Q60D’s built-in speakers with those in compatible Samsung soundbars for an enhanced audio presentation. There are two sound presets, Standard and Amplify, with Amplify being the best overall and the one I used during testing.

The Q60D delivered clear dialogue during the chaotic Batmobile chase in The Batman. It also delivered good sound placement, with effects such as tyres, crashes and bullets in the Batmobile chase scene well-placed on the screen and connected to the action.

Other elements of the Q60D’s built-in sound were lacking. Its limited bass meant there was no real impact from the rumbling engines of cars in both The Batman and Ready Player One. And with a limited soundstage, the full, sometimes brash jazz score of La La Land was restrained, with some instruments lost in the mix.

For those looking to use the Q60D as a main TV, a soundbar is recommended.

Sound quality score: 3/5

Samsung Q60D feet — The 50-inch Q60D I tested came with support feet that could be height-adjusted to fit a soundbar underneath. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Design

Sleek, slim design
Premium looks for price
SolarCell remote

The Q60D has a more premium design than you’d expect at this price level, with a sleek, thin profile that's similar to pricey sets such as the Samsung S95D OLED. The rear panel also has a burnished, navy finish that again gives the Q60D a premium look.

A near bezel-less front allows nearly all of the picture to take up the screen. The 50-inch model I tested came with height-adjustable support feet to fit a soundbar underneath. These felt a little cheap but were very easy to install and provided sturdy enough support.

The Q60D is supplied with Samsung’s SolarCell remote, which has a solar panel on the rear and a USB-C port at the bottom for charging. It’s good to see this remote, which doesn’t use disposable batteries, supplied with more budget sets in Samsung’s TV range.

Design score: 4/5

Samsung Q60D with game hub on screen — Tizen is divided into various hubs, including the useful Gaming Hub (pictured). (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Smart TV & menus

Tizen smart TV platform
Good range of picture settings

The Q60D uses Samsung’s Tizen smart TV platform. This is divided into multiple hubs that allow for easy navigation and organization and includes Home, where apps plus TV show and movie recommendations are displayed; Ambient, which lets you select dynamic and static artworks; Game, a hub that houses everything gaming-related including cloud-based apps; and Daily+, which has office, health and home-based apps for daily tasks.

There are a good number of settings available for those who like to adjust picture quality, with preset modes including Standard, Movie, Filmmaker and more. The same can’t be said for audio, which has only two preset modes, Standard and Amplify, and very few settings to adjust.

Smart TV & Menus score: 4/5

Samsung Q60D with battlefield V on screen — The Samsung Q60D has limited gaming features, but still performs well at 4K 60Hz. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Gaming

Samsung Gaming Hub and ALLM
No 120Hz or VRR support
9.6ms input lag time

The Q60D doesn’t have as many features as the best gaming TVs, with no HDMI 2.1 ports for 120Hz refresh rate and VRR support. It does support 4K 60Hz and ALLM, however, and has Samsung’s Gaming Hub for cloud-based gaming from the likes of Xbox, Luna, and Nvidia GeForce Now.

Despite its lack of next-gen gaming features, the Q60D’s gaming performance is perfectly fine. Playing Battlefield V, shootouts and battles still felt suitably intense and switching between targets was smooth and judder-free. There are Off, Level 1 and Level 2 Game Motion modes to choose from, though I did not notice a significant difference between the three options.

Graphically, the Q60D did a solid job. Textures were well-defined and colors had a dynamic look. Contrast was decent, giving objects a sharper appearance, though I did find that HDR tone mapping was a little aggressive in some sequences.

Gaming score: 4/5

Samsung SolarCell remote — The Q60D comes with Samsung's SolarCell remote control. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Value

Fairly priced for picture and performance
Budget mini-LEDs available from TCL and Hisense
Good range of sizes and frequently on sale

The Q60D delivers good overall performance at a budget price that will suit many people. However, it faces stiff competition from cheap mini-LED TVs that provide more gaming features and better picture quality such as the Hisense U6N and Hisense U7N in the US and UK, and the TCL C805 (UK-only).

The 55-inch Q60D is priced at $749.99 / £599 / AU$1,195 (prices have dipped below this level before). Hisense’s U6N is priced at $499 / £749 / AU$995, and while it shares similar gaming features, it benefits from a mini-LED backlight and Dolby Vision HDR support. The TCL C805 (available in the UK and Australia) costs £649 / AU$1,395, and although pricier, it benefits from 4K 120Hz and VRR gaming support and also features a mini-LED backlight and Dolby Vision HDR.

For US and UK customers, there is also the Amazon Omni QLED, which retails for roughly $349 / £399 and benefits from Dolby Vision HDR support, though the Q60D provides a better overall picture.

Despite tough competition, the Q60D is likely to see major discounts throughout the year, which will bring its value more in line with the models listed above.

Value score: 3.5/5

Samsung Q60D with hot spring on screen — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Samsung Q60D?

Buy it if...

You want a good picture for the price
The Q60D delivers crisp textures, solid contrast and vivid colors in an affordable TV, beating most similarly priced LED models.

You want a nice-looking TV
With a slim profile, adjustable feet, and trim bezel, the Q60D looks more premium than its price would suggest.

You want a budget gaming TV
If you're looking for a gaming TV that performs well with your Nintendo Switch and advanced gaming features don't matter, the Q60D is worth checking out.

Don't buy it if...

You need good built-in sound
The Q60D delivers clear speech, but its built-in sound lacks in other areas. For more than casual viewing connect a soundbar.

You need the best gaming TV
Gaming performance is good on the Q60D, but it lacks key features including 4K 120Hz and VRR support that we expect to see in the best gaming TVs.

You want the best value TV
While prices are likely to drop, the Q60D faces competition from mini-LED TVs such as the Hisense U6N and TCL C805 which offer more but sit at a similar price.

Also consider

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED
The Omni QLED has similar specs to the Q60D, but supports Dolby Vision HDR, which the Q60D doesn't. It's also frequently on sale for less than the Q60D, though the Q60D has an overall better picture.

Read our full Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED review

Samsung Q80D
The Q60D's more premium QLED sibling, the Q80D delivers better pictures, more gaming features, superior performance, and better built-in sound. But you will pay roughly $300 / £300 more for this step-up in quality.

Read our full Samsung Q80D review

Hisense U6N
The Hisense U6N has similar features and specs to the Q60D, but it benefits from Dolby Vision HDR support and a mini-LED backlight for more refined pictures. It's also very similar in price.

Read our full Hisense U6N review

Samsung Q60D with testing equipment connected, including Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Samsung Q60D

Tested in lab with varying lighting conditions
Tested using both SDR and HDR sources
Measurements recording using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

When testing the Samsung Q60D, I first used it for casual viewing to determine the most accurate picture preset modes (Movie, Filmmaker Mode and in some cases Standard) before moving on to critical viewing.

I then used a variety of SDR (broadcast TV, DVD, Blu-ray) and HDR (4K streaming and 4K Blu-ray) sources to test the out-of-the-box picture, analyzing color, contrast, motion, black levels, detail and upscaling (for lower resolution sources), using reference scenes. For 4K Blu-ray playback, I used a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player.

After critical viewing, I made measurements of brightness (both SDR and HDR), color and grayscale accuracy, and HDR color gamut coverage. To do this, I used a test pattern generator and colorimeter and recorded results using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software.

Brightness measurements were recorded for both HDR and SDR in nits using 10% and 100% white window patterns. For the color gamut, I recorded the Q60D's BT.2020 and UHDA-P3 coverage. For color and grayscale accuracy, I recorded the Q60D's Delta E values (the margin for error between the test pattern source and what's displayed on the TV) and averaged them.

I also tested the QN90D's gaming performance using an Xbox Series X and recorded its input lag time with a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag Tester.

For more information on how we test TVs at TechRadar, check out our guide in the link.

First reviewed: September, 2024
Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Hisense PX3-Pro: a perfect ultra short throw projector for gaming and movies

2:00 pm | September 21, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Theater Projectors Televisions | Tags: HDR | Comments: Off

Hisense PX3-Pro: two-minute review

Hisense has been has been responsible for some of the best ultra short throw projectors, and the Hisense PX3-Pro is among its latest. The PX3-Pro has a daunting task following up on the Hisense PX2-Pro, but Hisense has pulled it off with some key upgrades.

The new Hisense PX3-Pro differs in design from the PX2-Pro, but under the hood, it gets an upgraded projection system that’s much brighter at 3,000 lumens and also boasts a 1080p/240Hz mode. This feature turns it from an exceptional ultra short throw (UST) projector into a speed demon of a gaming projector – Hisense even bills it as the "world's first designed for Xbox UST projector." And with rich color, strong contrast, and Dolby Vision HDR support, the PX3-Pro ranks up there with the best 4K projectors when it comes to picture performance.

While the PX3-Pro’s built-in sound isn’t quite as impressive as its picture, it at least has the volume level to match the visuals, and Hisense offers plenty of ways to connect to better speaker systems. All of this comes at a higher price than its predecessor, but it seems well worth the extra expense.

Hisense PX3-Pro review: price and release date

First available: October 2024
Price: $3,499 / £2,499

Availability of the Hisense PX3-Pro is set to begin in mid-October 2024. It is priced at $3,499 / £2,499, a marked increase over the lower brightness PX2-Pro, which launched at $2,999 in June 2023. Like the rest of the Hisense PX series, the PX3-Pro doesn’t come with a projection screen.

Hisense PX3-Pro UST projector on a table with remote control — The Hisense PX3-Pro comes with a full-size remote control and features the Google TV smart TV platform for streaming (Image credit: Future)

Hisense PX3-Pro review: Specs

Hisense PX3-Pro UST projector rear panel ports — The PX3-Pro features dual HDMI 2.1 ports and supports gaming at 1080p/240Hz (Image credit: Future)

Hisense PX3-Pro review: design and features

Futuristic-looking design
All-in-one capability plus flexibility for different setups
Streaming and gaming benefit from hardware and software upgrades

Where the Hisense PX2-Pro was a simple under-the-hood refresh of its predecessor, The PX1-Pro, the new PX3-Pro sees some bigger changes both to its internal components and its outward appearance. The design has a stylistic resemblance to its predecessors, but it gives off more of a proper futuristic vibe than the prior models with their retro-futuristic looks.

The whole unit is done up in gray and silver surfaces of all types: matte, shiny, smooth, and coarse. It features large grilles on either side for air intake and exhaust – generating 3,000 lumens creates some heat even when using lasers. The front also gets a perforated grille for the built-in speakers. At either side of the grille are vertical slots in shiny housing that have standby lighting built in, so when the projector is turned off, these illuminate the mirrored finish inside. This may appeal to some, but I found it a little tacky compared to the PX2-Pro’s subtler design.

Style aside, perhaps the most critical design change is the projector’s size. It’s a little wider and taller than its predecessors, but not as deep front-to-back. That combined with a shift from a 0.25:1 throw ratio to a 0:22 throw ratio means the PX3-Pro can sit closer to a wall, protruding into the room less, and still provide a massive picture.

The PX3-Pro sits on four height-adjustable feet, which helps get the picture aligned with a screen. It also offers digital image correction and adjustable focus, letting you dial in everything perfectly.

Around the back, you’ll find three HDMI ports, including one with eARC. There’s also a high-speed USB type-A port (and another on the right side), and both and optical digital and 3.5mm audio output. With Google TV onboard, the PX3-Pro can tap into plenty of streaming services, including Netflix, and has both Wi-Fi 6E and Ethernet network connections.

The Hisense PX3-Pro has comprehensive high dynamic range support, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Its built-in speakers support Dolby Atmos and IMAX Enhanced for DTS, though audio is best passed on to an outboard sound system. Unlike its predecessors, the PX3-Pro offers Active 3D support (requires optional 3D eyewear).

There are still a few features the PX3-Pro could have benefitted from. Optical image adjustments beyond focus would be a welcome addition, especially zoom, though I’ve never seen that feature in a UST projector. A cover would be a more reasonable one, as dust can gather quickly on top of UST projectors.

Design and features score: 4.5/5

Hisense PX3-Pro UST projector showing image from Avatar 2 on screen

The PX3-Pro has exceptional color, along with powerful contrast in dim lighting conditions (Image credit: Future)

Hisense PX3-Pro review: picture and sound quality

Exceptional color and brightness
Crisp 4K picture with comprehensive HDR support
240Hz mode is a perk for gamers

The Hisense PX3-Pro builds on a strong picture quality foundation. The PX2-Pro offered stunning color from its tri-chroma projection system and the PX3-Pro takes that up a notch with a notably brighter picture, rated to reach 3,000 lumens. For some content, like cartoons and sports, that’ll make a very presentable picture even with high ambient room lighting. It also gives the PX3-Pro plenty of latitude in dim lighting conditions, with a bright enough picture that it can call for some dimming of the laser in a dark room.

While the projector has powerful contrast as is, a High Dynamic setting for Laser Luminance can further enhance its picture. I’m normally wary of settings like this that adjust the picture based on the content being displayed as they tend to have noticeable artifacts, but the PX3-Pro managed it admirably, with imperceptible transitions. The only odd behavior I noted was a sudden brightening when white subtitles appeared onscreen during dark scenes. Otherwise, this played out well for Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, helping to punch up the bright scenes while avoiding pumping up black levels in dark ones.

The PX3-Pro’s comprehensive HDR support made the latest seasons of The Rings of Power in HDR10+ and The Avengers: Endgame in Dolby Vision both look fantastic. The wide color gamut of the triple-laser projection system played a big part in this, giving the PX3-Pro simply astounding color. One downside of this is that rainbows, a regular artifact of DLP technology, can seem a little more pronounced.

The PX3-Pro serves up a big, bright 4K picture ranging from 80 to 150 inches. While it’s possible to project images beyond these sizes, the focus range is limited and you may end up with a softer image.

For gamers, the Hisense PX3-Pro has something extra special in store. In addition to simply switching to a game mode with lower input lag, the projector can swap over to a 1080p/240Hz mode. This sacrifices some picture detail but provides buttery smooth visuals, and the DLP system has minimal ghosting. The gameplay is highly responsive and a big perk. Though the projector will also display 4K 120Hz signals, it doesn’t appear to display every frame but rather skips every other one as checked with Blur Busters’ frame skipping tool.

Audio on the PX3-Pro isn’t half-bad either. Its 50W Harman Kardon-designed speakers can get loud enough to match the size of the pictures the PX3-Pro projects, and the sound has an impressive range with booming bass, though it doesn’t get deep into sub-bass territory. What it really lacks is the spatial aspect. The stereo separation isn’t very wide, and there are no side, rear, or height channels. This means that even though the projector supports Dolby Atmos and Imax Enhanced for DTS, it’s best used with external speakers.

Picture and sound quality score: 4.5/5

Hisense PX3-Pro UST projector showing google TV interface — The PX3-Pro's Google TV smart interface (Image credit: Future)

Hisense PX3-Pro review: value

High price but a compelling picture
Versatility adds to its value

The Hisense PX3-Pro doesn’t come cheap at $3,499. Its price puts it a ways above its predecessor and sets it up against others like the Epson Home Cinema LS800. It also raises the question of whether you should instead opt for a big TV since you can get an 83-inch OLED like the LG C4 for not too much more.

But the PX3-Pro brings a lot to the table. It has enough brightness and detail to comfortably stretch its 4K picture to massive proportions. The PX3-Pro also supports 3D content and a wide range of HDR formats, has a 240Hz refresh rate mode, and has Google TV built-in (with a fast enough processor to run it smoothly). There’s little question that the PX3-Pro UST offers a lot, and it’s a worthy rival to TVs and other projector types.

Value score: 4.5/5

Hisense PX3-Pro UST projector showing image from Avatar 2 onscreen

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Hisense PX3-Pro?

Hisense PX3-Pro UST projector close up of front panel — (Image credit: Future)

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider...

Epson LS800
The Epson LS800 uses a 3LCD laser light source to beam a stunningly bright 4,000 lumens image. This makes it a great option for daytime sports viewing and it also has good built-in sound.

Read our full Epson LS800 review

Hisense PX3-Pro UST projector with wires connected to rear ports — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Hisense PX3-Pro

Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade

I tested the Hisense PX2 Pro at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with standard definition and 4K HDR streamed content, and PC gameplay.

My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models I and colleagues at TechRadar have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

I measured the Premiere 9’s input lag in milliseconds using a Leo Bodnar tester with the low latency mode switch on.

First reviewed: September, 2024

Read TechRadar's review guarantee

Alienware AW2725QF review: Two resolutions, one monitor

11:53 pm | September 16, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Monitors Peripherals & Accessories | Tags: HDR | Comments: Off

Alienware AW2725QF: Two-minute review

Alienware AW2725QF monitor on desk showing Cyberpunk 2077 main screen — (Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

The idea of using pixel doubling to turn a 4K monitor into a native 1080p panel isn't new. But it hasn't been very successful so far. Can the new dual-mode Alienware AW2725QF do anything to change that, or will it prove just another failed attempt at having both high-res visual sizzle and high-refresh speed in a single monitor?

Apart from the dual 4K and 1080p modes, this Alienware panel looks like it has a decent shot of qualifying as one of the best gaming monitors out there. It runs at up to 360Hz and boasts a claimed response time of just 0.5ms. That's seriously fast for an IPS-type LCD monitor.

It also sports HDR 600 certification and both G-Sync and FreeSync support. If there's one area where it's a little lacking, it's connectivity. You do get a USB hub, but there's no USB-C input for single-cable connectivity, which is a pity.

Alienware AW2725QF: Price and availability

Alienware AW2725QF monitor's logo on the front bottom bezel

(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

How much does it cost? $599 / £599 (estimated) / AU$899 (estimated)

When is it available? Available now

Where can you get it? Available in the US

At $599 in the US, the Alienware AW2725QF is fairly pricey for a 27-inch 4K gaming panel that lacks a mini-LED full array backlight. The larger 32-inch Gigabyte M32UC is actually cheaper. So you're really going to have to want that dual-mode functionality.

Whether it's worth the money is a tricky call. It certainly looks a little better at 1080p than the dual-mode LG UltraGear 32GS95UE. But it's ultimately a bit of a niche feature. The good news is that purely as a high-refresh 4K panel, the Alienware AW2725QF is an absolute zinger and nearly worth the asking price simply on those terms.

For now, pricing in the UK and Australia hasn't firmed up. But we expect the market positioning to be pretty similar. In other words, it'll be more expensive than a regular 4K panel of similar specs minus the dual-more functionality.

Alienware AW2725QF: Specs

Alienware AW2725QF: Design and features

Alienware AW2725QF monitor with Cyberpunk 2077 open — (Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

For a monitor from an out-and-out gaming brand like Alienware, the AW2725QF is pretty restrained. Yes, there are a few RGB flourishes including the power button and logos on the rear (all fully configurable) and hexagonal base design. But for the most part, it's pretty businesslike and sober suited, though the slim bezels do make for a suitably contemporary overall vibe.

Is that a disappointment? Might Alienware customers expect something a little more extroverted? Possibly. But fussier styling tends to date faster, so the restraint Alienware has shown here will probably be welcome for most users, as will the solid build quality and full range of adjustment, including tilt, height, swivel and pivot into portrait mode.

Side profile of the Alienware AW2725QF monitor, screen tilted at a slight angle

(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

The OSD menu is similarly comprehensive with settings for pretty much everything you need.

It's a fairly logical menu and makes it very easy to jump between the 4K and 1080p modes. You simply hit the main OSD menu selector button twice to toggle between the two modes. Less impressive is the display's connectivity.

The two HDMI and single DisplayPort inputs all support the full 4K at 180Hz resolution, which is good. There's also a USB hub that includes two USB-A ports at the rear, plus a USB-A and a USB-C on the lower bezel. But there's no USB-C input and thus no single-cable connectivity option for laptops.

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Alienware AW2725QF monitor's hexagonal base — Alienware AW2725QF's hexagonal base (Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

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Alienware AW2725QF's on-screen display — Alienware AW2725QF 's on-screen display for swapping resolutions and other settings (Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

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Alienware AW2725QF's port selection — The port selection on the bottom of the Alienware AW2725QF (Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

Some would argue that's fine for a gaming display. Given the limitations of USB-C power supply and the elevated power consumption of a proper gaming laptop, you can't really keep one fully juiced with a USB-C cable.

But it would still make this a more versatile display to offer USB-C upstream connectivity. With a USB-C input, you could share this panel between a gaming desktop and a laptop. And who knows what you might like to do with it in future. With USB-C, you simply have more options and with the price point Alienware has gone for, it's a thoroughly reasonable expectation.

The Alienware AW2725QF also lacks an audio line-out jack, which can be handy for headphones. Again, it's not exactly a deal breaker. But this isn't a cheap display and it's the kind of feature you'd have thought Alienware would throw in just to cover all the bases on a premium monitor.

Alienware AW2725QF: Performance

Alienware AW2725QF monitor resting on a desk — (Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

The Alienware AW2725QF's IPS LCD panel makes a very strong first impression. It's extremely bright and punchy, with up to 450 nits in SDR mode and 600 nits peak for HDR. It's also beautifully calibrated in sRGB mode, with rich but accurate colors.

Of course, in default 4K resolution, the pixel density is super sharp and crispy, so fonts look fab. In-game, there's a crazy amount of detail to go with the visual sizzle. This is a very sweet looking panel.

It's also seriously fast for an IPS display. Alienware claims 0.5ms GTG response for the Extreme setting in the display's Overdrive submenu. That does bring in a tiny bit of overshoot and inverse ghosting. But the two less aggressive options are still very fast and look just great. In fact, this panel is fast enough that pure speed is barely a concern. Or a reason to upgrade to an even more expensive OLED.

Backside view of the Alienware AW2725QF monitor — (Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

The same can't be said for the HDR performance and more broadly contrast and black levels. This monitor is edge-lit and does not have full-array local dimming. So, there's plenty of light bleed and relatively poor contrast, which goes with the territory with any LCD panel without local dimming. SDR colors also aren't terribly well calibrated in HDR mode, so you'll want to switch between modes depending on content type, which is a bit of a pain.

But what about that secondary 1080p mode achieved via pixel doubling? The idea is that for some game types, such as online shooters, you want more speed not more pixels. So, the 1080p mode offers a boost up to 360Hz refresh and is easy to access.

As for how it looks, well, it doesn't quite look like 1080p on a native 1080p display. It's certainly better than the similar feature on LG's own dual-mode 4K OLED, the UltraGear 32GS95UE-B.

That might be thanks to the conventional RGB subpixel layout of this IPS display. The superior pixel density will help, too. Whatever, the results on the desktop are fairly good, though you wouldn't confuse it with true native. Everything looks just a little jagged and pixelated.

In-game, for the most part, the 1080p mode works better and is very playable to the extent that you forget it isn't true native 1080p much of the time. The exception is that just occasionally, certain details can look quite messy and pixelated. One example is fine foliage and grass. When it happens, it can be pretty ugly.

Pixelated foliage on the Alienware AW2725QF's screen — Pixelated in-game foliage on the AW2725QF's 1080p resolution setting (Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

In the end, there will always be shortcomings with pixel doubling, but this display does it better than any yet, including that LG, which looks soft and blurry by comparison.

Should I buy the Alienware AW2725QF?

Buy it if...

You want two monitors in one

The Alienware AW2725Q's dual-mode functionality isn't perfect. But the 1080p mode ups the refresh rate to 360Hz and looks OK in-game most of the time.

You love crispy, speedy visuals

The 4K resolution on a punchy, well-calibrated 27-inch IPS panel looks fabulous, and this is also just about the fastest gaming monitor of its type we've yet tested.

Don't buy it if...

You're expecting a true 1080p native experience

The 1080p pixel doubling mode is the best we've yet seen. But it still doesn't look like a true 1080p panel and adds significant cost to this display...

You love HDR sizzle

The Alienware AW2725Q does have HDR 600 certification. But there's no full-array dimming and it doesn't come close to an OLED panel for HDR or contrast performance.

Also Consider

Gigabyte M32UC

This is a larger 32-inch display, which arguably makes better use of a 4K pixel grid. It's not as fast as the Alienware, but it is a fair bit cheaper and offers better contrast from a VA panel.

Read our full Gigabyte M32UC review here

Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q

If you want 4K gaming on a very tight budget, you could do a lot worse than the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q. It's only 60Hz, but has a quality IPS panel and basic HDR support.

Read our full Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q review here

How I tested the Alienware AW2725QF

I rigged up the Alienware AW2725QF as my primary display for a week. The aim was to use it across a wide range of applications to get a really good feel for how it delivers in both 4K and 1080p for everything from daily desktop duties to hardcore gaming sessions.

As a 4K IPS panel, it's actually well suited to precision productivity. But what the Alienware AW2725QF is really built for is gaming, and for the most part it's pretty stellar. I assed everything from color accuracy and response to latency and HDR performance.

It was particularly interesting to see how it stacked up against LG's dual-mode OLED display, not to mention all the other recent OLED monitors, numerous examples of which I've reviewed. Plenty of more conventional 4K gaming panels have passed under my beady gaze, too, so putting the Alienware AW2725QF into context was certainly intriguing.

First reviewed September 2024

LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED review: This is the 4K OLED monitor of my dreams

8:18 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Monitors Peripherals & Accessories | Tags: HDR, LG | Comments: Off

LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED: one-minute review

I’ve been waiting a long time for a monitor like the LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED. With a brilliant OLED display and a gorgeous 4K resolution, backed up by an ample 240Hz refresh rate and brilliant picture quality, this LG monitor makes OLED technology a must-have for anybody who plays PC games or bases their home life around their computer desk.

There’s a noticeable quality difference between OLED and IPS monitors when playing cinematic and competitive games alike on a computer, and with this thing sitting on your desk you’re bound to get bang for your buck on the picture quality front.

But while we can celebrate LG for bringing the cost of an OLED monitor down with the 32GS95UE-B, let’s be honest with ourselves – $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,399 is still expensive for a monitor no matter how impressive the tech is.

Those looking more greater image depth and HDR performance may also want to look elsewhere, as the LG's peak brightness doesn't reach the retina-searing heights of similarly priced Samsung and Alienware models. My biggest bugbear though? Surely we can give peripherals better names than difficult to understand numbers and letters.

LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED: price and availability

The LG 32-inch UltraGear OLED — (Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / Techradar)

How much does it cost? $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,399
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? LG directly and technology retailers in the US, UK and Australia

It’s tough to find a cheap 32-inch gaming monitor – especially one with an OLED panel (with prices often starting well above $800 / £800 / AU$1,000) – but the LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED offers a sensible price-to-cost ratio for enthusiasts. It’s kind of a rarity, considering that it ditches an ultrawide profile and a curved screen for a more standard design, while most OLED monitors elect to have at least one of the aforementioned traits.

Similar monitors are available from Gigabyte and Alienware with significantly lower costs, with the closest competitor being the Samsung Odyssey G8 OLED G80SD (with a listed price of $1,299 / £1,099 / AU$1,999).

LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED: Design

LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED Key Specs

Screen size: 32-inch
Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160
Brightness: 275 nits full screen, 1,300 nits max HDR
Color coverage: 98.5%
Response time: 0.03ms
Refresh rate: 240Hz (4K) / 480Hz (1080p)
HDR: DisplayHDR True Black400, HDR10
Features: FreeSync Premium Pro, NVIDIA G-Sync, Dual Mode, Pixel Sound, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x Headphone out, 1 x USB-A upstream, 1 x USB-A downstream

An achilles heel of many gaming displays is the design – thick bezels, beefy stands and a focus on big, obvious branding offen make a monitor look cheap and overdesigned. This is in no way a problem for the LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED.

It’s tempting to head this section off with ‘it’s a big black rectangle with a pentagonal stand’ but we can entertain the monitor more than that. It’s a premium design language that LG and Samsung alike have been leaning into with their high end monitors.

It’s mature to the point of only having the ‘UltraGear’ and ‘LG’ brand signifier in the front of the pentagon stand, without any branding on the actual display bezels. There’s RGB lighting on the back, allowing you to shine numerous colors onto the wall behind. If you know this feature isn’t for you, it’s easily turned off through the monitor settings.

Cables can be fed through the back of the monitor easily thanks to a neat cable management system, and you’re able to raise the panel quite high up off the base.,It would be nice if it could go lower, but we’re being quite picky. The monitor can swivel, tilt and pivot as well if you want to adjust the pitch of the display.

The panel is extremely premium, too. It’s polished with an anti-glare coating that only shows a warped reflection at most in low-light or reflective light situations. This is quite remarkable for an OLED display, as the technology, inherently, can’t go particularly bright. This means it can occasionally suffer in bright rooms, but as I found during testing in my office-bedroom – which is filled with light at all times during the day – I was able to play games with little issue.

LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED: Features

The big sales pitch of the LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED is its ‘dual mode’ functionality. At the press of a hotkey (located conveniently under the monitor), this monitor can switch between 4K 240Hz to 1080p 480hz. The first is more ideal for those after more cinematic, graphically beautiful gameplay, albeit at a lower framerate, while the second is intended for high octane competitive gamers after smooth frames.

We can err on the critical side with this feature and note that 4K 240Hz gameplay, at its height, would be difficult for even the most expensive gaming computers to reach in gorgeous single player games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Star Wars Outlaws. I would even go as far as to say that 240Hz is not just difficult to attain but is also very much overkill – 144Hz will suffice for a story-rich game.

The flipside of the feature makes much more sense to me – 1080p gameplay at 480Hz for fast-paced games where you want to see more frames rendered in a second. I can see the benefit of this in a game like Counter Strike 2 and League of Legends – but those high frame rates may even be seen as unnecessary by a competitive gamer. Leveling with you, dear reader, that’s not me – I prefer a pretty picture to a consistently smooth one (though I do like my frames to be above 60FPS). The monitor has a smart cleaning process for when it doesn’t detect an input, refreshing the pixels to avoid burn-in – a common issue with OLED monitors.

The monitor also comes with FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync. It has a Display Port, HDMI, headphone jack, USB (downstream) and USB (upstream) ports, with support for a 100 x 100 mm wall mount. Satisfying me as someone who likes to watch stuff on their computer in bed, the monitor also has built-in speakers and comes with a Displayport and HDMI cable in the box.

LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED: performance

The LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED’s display is matte – not glossy like you’d expect from most displays. The extreme blacks and darker shades that the OLED pulls off in use – and when turned off – are so deep that you’ll at most see a rough reflection of yourself, but not enough to ruin the experience.

That’s an OLED panel’s entire deal and it leads to better performance on every front – deeper blacks equals better contrast – the difference between the darkest and brightest parts of an image.

And at the 32-inch size, I’ve found this monitor to be the best way to experience a lot of cinematic games. Star Wars Outlaws and Warhammer 40K: Space Marine II both play exceptionally well on the monitor and look much more gorgeous on the OLED screen than my previous 32-inch Gigabyte M32Q monitor.

TV shows like The Acolyte and The Bear look equally impressive – particularly The Bear for its attractive use of color sharpness in central objects amid a bland palette. The LG 32GS95UE-B aces it on color clarity.

The speakers are pleasantly surprising, too. I was expecting sound that peaks too readily and sounds washed out, but the 32GS95UE-B performs just about as well as any TV without a separate speaker system. This can be chalked up to LG’s ‘Pixel Sound’ feature, which provides a directed sound experience without any external speaker system.

The monitor performs relatively well on brightness and HDR – though both could be better at this pricepoint. The maximum brightness (1300nits) and enhanced darkness clarity doesn’t fare much better for content than just using the display with HDR disabled (275nits standard luminosity).

And while it doesn’t fit into any other category in Techradar’s review format, I’ve just got to say it – this name, the LG 32GS95UE-B, is just letters and numbers. They have meanings obviously but it’s extremely difficult to communicate to a customer – so much so that LG just calls the display the ‘32" UltraGear OLED Dual Mode 4K UHD’ on its website, and hence why we’ve been naming it interchangeably throughout this review. Less letters and numbers please.

Should I buy an LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED?

Buy it if...

Don't buy if...

Also Consider

LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED: Report Card

How I tested the LG 32-Inch UltraGear OLED

As soon as I received this monitor, I got to work unpacking it and setting it up. Pulling it out of the box was easy, as was the process of putting the stand together (no tools were needed, as everything slots and screws into place by hand). As my main space in my home is my bedroom-office, this monitor was switched on at almost all hours whenever I was home. To avoid burn-in, the panel was often turned off for cleaning when not being used.

The main use of the monitor was for gaming using a separate headset. I played a variety of games, including Caravan SandWitch, Team Fortress 2, What The Car, Star Wars Outlaws, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon 5.

I also used the monitor for watching Twitch streams, YouTube videos and lots of TV shows, including The Bear and The Acolyte.

First reviewed September 2024

Samsung The Premiere 9 ultra short throw projector review: bright, beautiful images and big sound

4:00 pm | September 12, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Theater Projectors Televisions | Tags: HDR, HLG, TV | Comments: Off

SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9: two-minute review

The Samsung Premiere 9 is a highly capable example of the best ultra short throw projectors and builds on the brand’s earlier successes in this growing market segment. The key to this popularity is the triple-laser light source that uses red, green and blue lasers to generate cinematic images that are bigger than the largest TV screens. But these pictures aren’t just big, they’re bright enough to handle white walls and ambient light, while creating a huge gamut for more vibrant colours.

Samsung’s The Premiere 9 uses single-chip DLP display technology, which results in sharply defined images due to there being no alignment issues, and while not strictly native 4K the level of detail on show is often impressive. The Premiere 9 delivers superb motion handling regardless of the content – a recognised strength of DLP – but also suffers from poor black levels, which is weakness of the technology. On the plus side, a triple-laser should help reduce incidences of rainbow artifacts that can accompany DLP tech.

The Premiere 9 delivers accurate pictures thanks to the inclusion of Filmmaker Mode, while highly effective HDR tone mapping also ensures shadows are detailed and highlights free of clipping. The colour gamut covers the entire HDR standard, and beyond, so, as a result, the performance with high dynamic range is exceptional. Whether it's HDR10, HLG or HDR10+ (but not Dolby Vision, an HDR format not supported by Samsung TVs and projectors) the pictures burst off the big screen with dazzling highlights and vibrant color primaries that are a treat for the eyes.

This beamer sports an attractive lifestyle-friendly design and is easy to install and set up, while the Dolby Atmos audio system is genuinely immersive – acting more like a built-in soundbar thanks to its 2.2.2-channel speaker layout. There’s also Samsung’s AI-enhanced Object Tracking Sound processing for non-Atmos audio. There are extensive gaming features, a full smart platform with a comprehensive choice of streamers, good connectivity, and a myriad of control options.

In fact, the only real complaint is the lack of any built-in tuners, but otherwise, this capable beamer artfully blurs the line between projector and supersized TV. It does an excellent job of producing big and bright images that rival the largest examples of the best TVs, and as a result, it provides a viable, more affordable, and definitely more practical alternative, and comes highly recommended.

SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9 review: price and release date

First available: September 2024
The Premiere 9 (LPU9D): $5,000 / £5,999

Samsung’s The Premiere 9 (LPU9D) is the new range-topper in the brand’s line-up of laser-powered ultra short throw (UST) 4K HDR projectors and is available now for $5,999 / £5,999. It replaces the older The Premiere LSP9T, although this is also still available for the same price of $5,999 / £5,999. In addition, Samsung will release the mid-tier Premiere 7 in October, although pricing has yet to be announced. The Premiere 9 is not currently available in Australia.

Samsung The Premiere 9 on table — The Premiere 9 uses single-chip DLP display technology and supports HDR10+ high dynamic range (Image credit: Future)

SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9 review: Specs

Samsung The Premiere 9 on table close up of lens — The Premiere 9's lens (Image credit: Future)

SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9 review: design

Stylish and discreet design
Excellent connectivity
SolarCell remote control

The Premiere 9 is surprisingly stylish for a UST projector, with a curved chassis that’s well-built and finished in a neutral white. The front is covered in grey fabric, with the speakers behind, and there are air vents on either side for cooling. Despite being relatively large, this projector’s lifestyle-friendly design allows you to place it discreetly up against the wall.

Better connectivity is offered on The Premiere 9 than most other UST projectors, with three HDMI 2.0 inputs, one of which supports eARC. There’s also a USB port for multimedia playback and powering dongle-style streaming devices, an optical digital output, and an Ethernet port. The wireless connectivity includes built-in Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, and support for Apple AirPlay.

Samsung provides a variation of the SolarCell remote included with its current range of TVs, although the controller is styled in white to match the projector. The zapper is well-designed, intuitive to use, and comfortable to hold. There’s also a far-field microphone for the built-in voice assistants, although those wishing privacy can switch this off at the back of the projector.

Design score: 4.5/5

Samsung The Premiere 9 rear ports — Ports include 3 HDMI 2.0 connections (1 with eARC) (Image credit: Future)

SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9 review: features

Triple-laser light source
HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ support
2.2.2-channel Dolby Atmos audio system

Samsung’s The Premiere 9’s headline feature is its triple-laser light source that uses red, green and blue lasers for 3,450 lumens brightness plus a wide colour gamut and 20,000-hour lifespan. This gives it an advantage over most other UST projectors and delivers sufficient luminance to handle rooms with white walls, large windows or ambient light.

As a UST beamer it’s able to project 100 inches from only 11cm (around 4 inches) , and can fill a 130-inch screen at just 24cm (9.5 inches), so even those with limited space can enjoy big screen fun. You change the image size by physically moving the projector towards or away from the wall, centre it by moving to the left or right, and level it using the adjustable feet. There are also manual controls for focusing the image.

The Premiere 9 is a single-chip DLP projector with a claimed resolution of 4K – although this is achieved by shifting pixels. It also supports most high dynamic range formats with HDR10, HLG (hybrid log-gamma), and HDR10+. Samsung doesn’t support for Dolby Vision on any of its current displays, but the RGB laser light source ensures HDR is punchy with bright and vibrant colours.

This projector sports a built-in sound system with a 2.2.2-channel speaker layout and 40W of amplification. There’s support for Samsung Object Tracking Sound (OTS) AI-enhanced audio processing, along with Dolby Atmos decoding. As a result, there’s an immersive soundstage, with clear dialogue, width at the front, some bass presence, and effectively rendered overhead sound.

There’s also support for music casting, as well as various proprietary audio features such as AI-powered Adaptive Sound Pro enhancements, Adaptive Voice Amplifier Pro for making dialogue clearer, and Q Symphony for synching the Premiere 9 with a compatible Samsung soundbar. The latter would definitely provide benefits for those who enjoy seriously deep bass with their movies.

Once installed the setup is exactly the same as a Samsung TV, with the SmartThings app taking you through the entire process. Just follow the instructions, and within minutes you’ll have the Wi-Fi connected and all the streaming apps installed. There’s even a Vision Boost feature that uses a built-in light sensor to adjust the image brightness based on levels of ambient light in the room.

The Premiere 9 runs the full Tizen-powered smart TV system found in Samsung’s TVs, and crucially has sufficient processing power to ensure the platform is responsive. There’s smart assistance in the form of built-in Bixby and Amazon Alexa, along with a comprehensive choice of video streaming services. Where available these all offer 4K, HDR, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos.

For gaming, there’s support for ALLM (auto low latency mode), although when in the game mode the input lag is still 53ms, which is too high for competitive gamers. In addition, the HDMI 2.0 inputs cap the frame rate at 4K/60Hz and there’s no VRR. However, the motion handling is excellent, resulting in smooth gameplay that also benefits from the immersive big-screen images.

There’s a host of other features including Samsung’s Game Hub for gaming without a console, plus a Game Bar that curates all the main settings and technical data in one place and provides access to gaming-related settings for a more personalised gaming experience. Finally, the AI Auto Game Mode allows the projector to automatically optimise settings for specific gaming genres.

This is a well-specified projector and about the only TV features missing are built-in terrestrial and satellite tuners. This is fairly common on UST projectors, probably because it makes them easier to manufacture and market globally. While you can use the TV catch-up apps instead for most shows, if you really want to watch live linear broadcasts you’ll need a set-top box of some kind.

Samsung The Premiere 9 showing image of moose in field — The Premiere 9 beams bright, colorful 4K images using a triple-laser light engine (Image credit: Future)

SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9 review: picture and sound quality

Sharp and detailed 4K images
Bright and punchy HDR
Extremely wide colour gamut

The Samsung Premiere 9 immediately impresses with its bright and punchy big screen pictures. There’s no doubt the triple-laser adds value, not just in terms of lumens but also with its wider colour gamut. The projected image is sharply defined thanks to the use of single-chip DLP, while focus and uniformity across the screen are also good, resulting in a clean and even presentation.

The out-of-the-box picture accuracy is excellent, with the white point close to the industry standard of D65, an even greyscale, and colours hitting close to their saturation targets for BT.709, but this can be improved through calibration. I was able to get a near reference-level accuracy through adjustment, and when you factor in the cost of a Premiere 9 the additional expense of a calibration is worth considering.

This accuracy also extends to HDR, with the Premiere 9 covering 100% of DCI-P3, and 92% of the even wider BT.2020 colur gamut. The previous generation of Samsung’s UST had trouble reigning in this massive native colour gamut, resulting in noticeable errors, so I was pleased to discover the accuracy of the Premiere 9 has definitely been improved with better tracking of saturation targets.

The blacks look more of a dark grey, which is fairly standard for a DLP projector, and while the claimed native contrast ratio is 1,500:1, I actually measured it at 1,700:1. The dynamic contrast ratio is a claimed 2,000,000:1, but this is basically achieved by turning the laser off on a black screen, so it doesn’t really reflect real-world content. There’s also a Real Depth Contrast Enhancer feature to help with contrast.

The Premiere 9 certainly has sufficient lumens to light up a 130-inch screen, even in the dimmer Filmmaker Mode, which doesn’t hit the brightness peaks of the Dynamic mode. It also means the HDR has plenty of punch and although the black levels might not be great, the tone mapping is very effective, sticking close to the PQ curve and thus avoiding unwanted crush or clipping.

The imaging is based around the Quantum Processor 4K picture engine, applying AI upscaling to lower-resolution content to take full advantage of the available pixels. The result is a finely detailed image, regardless of the original resolution, and the processing is also able to clean up the image, reducing noise or compression artefacts to deliver expertly rendered big-screen pictures.

As you’d expect from a DLP beamer, motion handling is superb, with the lightning-fast response times of the technology delivering smooth movement. Samsung includes its Motion Xcelerator technology, along with a Film mode to ensure that film-based content looks natural but is also free of judder, while fast-paced sports can enjoy smoother motion without introducing artefacts.

In standard HDR10, the brightly lit snowy landscapes of The Revenant look absolutely stunning. The same is true when watching Dune Part 2 with its desert vistas, and in both cases, these native 4K films reveal exceptional levels of detail in the sharply rendered images. Inside Out is a movie that fully utilises the wider gamut, and its deeply saturated colours really pop off the screen viewed on The Premiere 9.

Alita: Battle Angel includes HDR10+ and the Premiere 9 correctly detected the signal, applying the dynamic metadata to the tone mapping. The resulting images are well-defined, with colours that are rendered with skill, highlights that are bright, and impressive levels of detail in the shadows. There’s a lot of motion in this film as well, which was handled without judder or other artefacts.

Picture quality aside, the Premiere 9 is quiet in operation, with the noise level going from 30dB next to the chassis, down to 26dB at the main seating position. There is also an eye protection feature designed to automatically reduce the light intensity if something blocks the beam. It’s an important safety feature for anyone with small children or pets, preventing any vision damage.

Picture quality score: 4.5/5

Samsung The Premiere 9 gaming hub — Samsung's Gaming Hub provides easy access to cloud gaming apps from Xbox and other services (Image credit: Future)

SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9 review: value

More expensive than much of the competition
Cheaper and more convenient compared to a supersized TV

The Samsung Premiere 9 may seem expensive at $5,999 / £5,999, and it’s certainly not cheap compared to other ultra short throw projectors, but most of them don’t use a triple-laser with all the benefits that provides. The Premiere 9 also offers great value compared to jumbo-sized TVs, with the Samsung considerably more affordable than screens with panel sizes over 100 inches. It’s also a lot easier to install – just try getting a TV with a 110-inch screen into your living room.

If you’re looking for alternatives you could consider the Epson LS800, which doesn’t support HDR10+ or Dolby Vision but is even brighter at 4,000 lumens. There’s also the Hisense PX2-Pro, which only delivers 2,400 lumens but offers support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. However, neither has a sound system as good as the Premiere 9 nor do they offer as many gaming features or as comprehensive a smart platform.

Value score: 3.5/5

Samsung The Premiere 9 remote control — The Premiere 9's basic remote control for navigating its smart menus (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider...

Read our full Epson LS800 review

Samsung The Premiere 9 close up — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9

Reviewed in a dedicated home cinema
Measurements taken using Calman calibration software
Evaluated using SDR and HDR content

As with all my TV and projector reviews I use a combination of subjective viewing and objective measurements against the industry standards. For projectors, I also do all my testing in a dedicated home cinema with a completely blacked-out environment and high-quality screen. In the case of the Premiere 9, I also tested it in my lounge in order to simulate the kind of conditions for which it was primarily designed.

The subjective testing is based around watching a variety of familiar scenes, primarily sourced from 4K and 1080p Blu-rays, plus the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark 4K disc. These scenes have been specifically chosen to evaluate a display’s black levels, contrast performance, colour accuracy, upscaling, image processing, motion handling, and HDR tone mapping.

For the objective testing, I measured the Premiere 9’s brightness, greyscale and colour gamut in SDR, before doing the same in HDR. I also evaluated the accuracy of the HDR tone mapping, along with the colour gamut coverage for DCI-P3 and BT.2020. To do this I used a pattern generator and colour meter combined with Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software.

I measured the Premiere 9’s input lag in milliseconds using a Leo Bodnar tester with the low latency mode switch on.

First reviewed: September, 2024

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