Verdict
It takes all that ’s salutary with the Horizon projector and adds 4 K into the premix . Its compounding of range character and pirice is operose to beat , while the XGIMI Horizon Pro has fantabulous integrated talker , making it a full home film in a corner . It struggle a little with dark and moody images , and Netflix call for to be side loaded , but there ’s no denying that this is great value and neat fun .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
As much fun as theXGIMI Horizonportable projector was , it had one potential drawback : it was a Full HD fashion model , not a 4 kilobyte one . If you want the surplus resolution , then the XGIMI Horizon Pro takes everything great about its small comrade but ring in XPR technology to deliver an Ultra HD image .
Sitting somewhere between a traditional portable model and a full home cinema projector , the XGIMI Horizon Pro is an fantabulous choice for anyone that wants the option to have a vainglorious screen almost anywhere . The installed version of Netflix not being compatible with the service is a bit of a pain , although it is possible to install a variation that work via third - political party apps .
Design
Externally , there ’s little to tell the Horizon and Horizon Pro apart . Both are force into the same - size of it bod ( 208 x 218 x 136 mm ) and both librate 2.9 kg . That ’s considerably heavier and larger than most portable projector , such as the XGIMI Halo+ , but a lot little than your average home cinema projector .
I find that this projector is small enough to carry around the house , moving between the kitchen and garden , or even for taking on misstep in the railroad car . I took this projector tenting and set up an outdoor cinema for the child to catch .
There ’s no foot on this model , but there is a stock tripod mount underneath . XGIMI sells a portable stand for use with this simulation ( and its other portable projectors ) , although any decent photographic camera tripod will also form .
Whether the tripod is needed , depends on where the projector will be used . If I ’m alfresco , I regain one useful ; inside , stand the projector on a mesa tends to be alright .
There ’s no built - in battery with this mannequin , so it needs to be stop up into the chunky power supply : it ’s the type of power brick that comes with a gaming laptop computer . As the projector draw around 150W , it is potential to power it through a suitable battery , such as theAnker PowerHouse II 400 .
Although the projector pass Android TV , streaming via Wi - Fi or Ethernet , there are also two HDMI 2.0 comment on the rear , which take a full 4 kilobyte stimulus . There ’s HDMI Arc and ocular S / PDIF for powering an outside set of speakers , although I find that the built - in ones are good enough : part of the charm of the Horizon Pro is that you do n’t necessitate anything else other than a power cable .
There ’s a Bluetooth remote in the box . It ’s a very elementary and unlittered model , with a cursor pad and piloting button , scene button , volume controls , and a button to activate the Google Assistant ’s articulation control feature of speech . It ’s reactive and easy to use .
Features
alike to XGIMI ’s other projectors , the Horizon Pro runs Android TV 10 natively , rather than a alter version of roving Android . The difference is stark : Android TV is built for large screen and remote control , so it ’s easy to navigate .
It also makes set - up tardily , particularly if you have an Android telephone set , as you may shine all of your options and connection information over . If you ’ve got an iPhone , you ’ll have to log into your Google account manually , but that hardly takes a long metre .
There ’s also the full Google Play Store , rather than the third - party app memory board that cheaper portable projectors have . That ’s good in many ways , with aboriginal bread and butter for Disney+ , Paramount Plus , and Amazon Prime Video , there ’s still an elephant in the room : Netflix .
Netflix has an independent certification process for its app on Android idiot box twist , and XGIMI is n’t on the leaning . Netflix will load , but I could n’t play any content on it . There are workarounds include side - charge the app , but it ’s all a raft of faff .
There are also some other omissions : I could get ITV Hub , but not iPlayer , and there ’s no NOW app , either . When I want to see Netflix or something from an app that ’s not usable on XGIMI , I just baffle an Fire TV Stick Max into the back of the projector and use that instead .
It is a pity that there ’s not a wide collection of apps : the XGIMI Horizon Pro has enough processing power that Android goggle box and its apps are still and fast to use .
Given that I typically move the Horizon Pro around a lot , watching in dissimilar places , I was pleased to see that it has XGIMI ’s incredible motorcar - frame-up features . Autofocus is useable on other projectors but is still utilitarian here . It ’s the auto linchpin that ’s peculiarly telling .
Stick the projector down at pretty much any angle , and the Horizon Pro will work out how to get a square image . It will even avoid obstacles on a wall , such as a picture , and resize the image to avoid them . These choice do take the hassle out of setting up a projector but use these feature of speech with fear .
Keystone and image sizing are both digital adjustments . That is , the picture is resized using the available declaration . If there ’s too self-aggrandising a change , then you end up sacrifice resolution and quality to get the best image . I find it near to get the image as square - on as possible , particularly as there ’s no lens teddy , and at nigh to the size I want , and then permit the projector fine - melodic phrase .
Image control condition are quite basic . Profiles are available for usual subject ( games , sport , picture ) , although there ’s also a Custom mode too . Here , I could conform brightness and contrast , toggleHDRand apparent movement smoothing , and adjust intensity and sharpness . That ’s it , and the more powerful colour controls that you get from a real home cinema projector are missing .
Performance
The XGIMI Horizon Pro has a 0.47 - inch DMD , which only has a 1920 x 1080 resolution . In fact , it ’s the same micro chip as used on the stock Horizon . There ’s also an XPR mental faculty , which sits before the lense .
The DLP chip used is capable of 240Hz , although the projector only display a 60Hz picture . What the XPR module does is tilt where the pixels are being projected four times , display four 60Hz images . efficaciously , a 1080p fleck is being used to draw out a 4 KB simulacrum . Now , it ’s a little more complicated than that , and the XPR module only shifts by half a pixel ; however , this still increases perceive point , and our brains see a 4 K look-alike ( or near enough ) . The main benefit is that XPR technology is a spate cheaper to produce than a full 4 K organisation .
There are a yoke of trade - offs , away from the resolution not quite being full 4K. First , the projector must scarper at 60Hz , and ca n’t change down to 24Hz for films . Secondly , everything has to be upscaled to 4 K , even though the DMD is technically open of showing a native Full HD picture .
The bounteous advantage of the Horizon Pro over the normal Horizon is detail . melt down at 4 chiliad , textual matter is sharp and more elaborated . This is particularly noticeable when stop up in a twist , such as a Fire TV Stick 4 K Max . On the Horizon , the port looked a little soft ; on the Pro , the port is sharper .
That translates into watching 4 yard content , too . Thanks to XPR , the Horizon Pro looks sharper and more detailed than the received Horizon . There ’s more to the picture , and it ’s more cinematic in scale and background , particularly at large screen size and with a 4 K Blu - ray input rather than a 4 M cyclosis military service .
Watch HD or , if you must , SD subject , and the Horizon Pro has to upscale the ikon to 4K. It does a good enough job without destroying the delineation , although if you ’re mostly function to see HD content you may as well grease one’s palms the Horizon instead . To get true 4 KiB you have to drop a lot more money : theSony VPL - VW290EScosts close to £ 4000 .
Brightness is the same 2200 ANSI Lumens that the Horizon had . This level of smartness is enough to get around a 60 - inch screen during the day , although when it ’s dark the projector is open of delivering a 300 - inch showing ; the freehanded I ’ve got is around 100 - inches outside .
There ’s an integrate , non - replaceable LED lamp here . It ’s rated to last 30,000 hours , which at eight hours a day is over ten years ’ of use .
The throw ratio of 1.2:1 means that you do n’t have to move the Horizon Pro back to get the biggest screen door size .
HDR10andHLGHDR are built - in , although at this layer of brightness I did n’t get the searing highlight that I ’d get from a in high spirits - end TV . Rather , HDR here is a elbow room of bringing out more detail in the picture ; plough it off , and images look a little olive drab and lifeless .
This projector transportation best with bright and lively cognitive content . keep an eye on something like Coco , and the colours jump out of the screenland . It ’s fun and entertaining to watch .
Darker , moodier subject matter is where the Horizon Pro struggles a trivial . Watch parts of The Mandalorian , for example , and the Pro ca n’t redeem deep inkiness , with a glowering shadiness of grey the norm . Watching at night , it ’s not so much of an issue , but if you require to watch moody subject during the day , you ’ll have to reduce screen size or blacken out the windowpane so as to see anything .
There ’s a piece of rainbow effect on this projector , typically in high - contrast opprobrious and white scenes . I usually see it when I move my head or blink away and just the right ( or unseasonable ) time ; it ’s not so regretful to distract , though .
There are two 8W utterer tune by Harman Kardon . They ’re in reality very good : loud with an impressive amount of bass to them . In fact , they ’re so loud , that I can check outside in the garden without the sound getting drowned out by background stochasticity .
You will get better audio with a proper environment phone organisation or soundbar , but that ’s an supererogatory faff . The joy of the XGIMI Horizon is that its speaker system are honestly good enough : just flatten the projector down where you require it and you ’re quick to go .
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Should you buy it?
If you require 4 thou in a projector that ’s small and portable enough to move around easily , then this is an splendid pick .
If you mostly find out Full HD , the standard Horizon is honest value . Those who desire a fixed instalment will find a dedicated nursing home movie theatre projector a good alternative .
Final Thoughts
If you want a right induction and full family picture palace projector , then the Sony VPL - VW290ES may accommodate you ; if you want a projector with a battery , then go for the XGIMI Halo+ . For all the in - between uses , the XGIMI Horizon Pro is a brilliant selection . While refresh , I had mine diddle motion-picture show in the garden , playing switch in the aliveness elbow room and for a piece of big - screen action on the kitchen wall . It ’s a playfulness , versatile and , for the price , splendid quality projector for those that want flexibility . Check out our other testimonial in our pathfinder to thebest projectors .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every projector we review exhaustively over an extended period of time . We expend industry received trial to equate features properly . We ’ll always tell you what we bump . We never , ever , accept money to critique a product .
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FAQs
No , it does n’t . you could side - load an app but the build - in Netflix app will not mold .
It use XPR technology to trick the 1080p DLP chip into expose a 4 K image .
