Well that was a lot of fun!
Last Friday (3/18/2022) ProjectorScreen.com and AVS Forum partnered together to present the first annual UST Projector Showcase. We had food, we had drinks and most importantly we had projectors!
We assembled the largest collection of ultra short throw projectors the world has ever seen. In total we showcased 17 projectors and 6 ultra short throw projector screens. We also showcased some powerful speakers from Next Level Acoustics, the Kaleidescape movie player and an Aegis custom ultra short throw projector cabinet. All of this, wired together with the help of Metra AV.
We played all different kinds of media simultaneously through all the projectors so people could compare the laser TVs side by side. We played movies, TV shows, music, sports, video games and more both with the lights on and lights off. This was a chance for home theater and projection enthusiast to rub elbows with the manufacturers and vendors, see the ultra short throw projectors in action for themselves and to meet other people passionate about projection.
It was a great event with over 40 people in attendance and over 250 who checked in on our live stream. You can watch a recording of the live stream on our YouTube channel or at the bottom of this page. We talked to the attendees and got their feedback on each projector so we can share their thoughts with you.
Triple Laser UST Projectors
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Hisense PX1-Pro
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- Lumens: 2200
- Color: 107% BT.2020
- Contrast Ratio: 1,000,000:1
- Throw Ratio: 0.25:1
- Chipset: .47” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 30W Dolby Atmos speakers
- Screen Pairing: Hisense Daylight Screen/Hisense Cinema Screen
Audience reaction: The Hisense PX1-Pro was designed with home theaters in mind so we were wondering how people would react seeing it next to the brighter triple laser UST projectors.
Despite only having 2200 lumens of brightness, the Hisense PX1-Pro did not have a problem impressing attendees both in person and on the livestream. With vibrant colors and fantastic contrast we’re not too surprised.
The general consensus of the room was that if you already have a projector screen, the PX1-Pro would be their pick.
With regards to aesthetics, many attendees found the boxy design and protrusion on top to be somewhat unattractive. Though it’s meant to be watched in a home theater so does it really matter how the projector body looks?
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Hisense L9G
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- Lumens: 3000
- Color: 107% BT.2020
- Contrast Ratio: 1,000,000:1
- Throw Ratio: 0.25:1
- Chipset: .47” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 40W Dolby Atmos speakers
- Screen Pairing: Hisense Daylight Screen/Hisense Cinema Screen
Audience reaction: The Hisense L9G was without a doubt the star of the show. More attendees stood in awe of the incredible image on the 100 inch projector screen for longer than any other UST in the showcase. Most people we talked to pointed to the Hisense L9G as their favorite laser TV.
We talked to one home theater enthusiast, who coming in and was convinced the L9G wasn’t as good as the Samsung LSP9T because of the Samsung’s superior black levels. However, after seeing both projectors in the same room he switched to team Hisense. When asked why he switched he said, “When we put on Ready Player One, I was so hypnotized by the vivid colors coming out of the L9G, I forgot that I was trying to compare the black levels!”
When we unveiled the Dolby Vision capabilities of the L9G pretty much the entire room mouthed “Wow!”.
From a design perspective people liked the way the projector looked. They especially enjoyed the sparkly design on top.
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Samsung LSP9T
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- Lumens: 2800
- Color: 106% BT.2020
- Contrast Ratio: 1500:1 (Full On/Off)
- Throw Ratio: 0.189:1
- Chipset: .66” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 40W
Screen Pairing: Hisense Daylight Screen/Vividstorm 120 inch floor rising UST Screen
Audience Reaction: We initially had the LSP9T paired with the Hisense Daylight screen to compare it side by side with the Hisense L9G. After showing these two together attendees wanted to see how the LSP9T looked when paired with a 120 inch screen. So we swapped it into the Aegis Custom UST projector cabinet and paired it with the Vividstorm motorized 120 inch floor rising UST Screen. Despite projecting at this larger size the picture still amazed.
Since its debut, The LSP9T has been thought of as having the overall best image out of all the ultra short throw projectors. The consensus of the crowd was that in person the Samsung LSP9T lives up to that billing, though the high price did give many pause before declaring it one of their picks.
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LG HU85LA
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- Lumens: 2700
- Color: 97% BT.2020
- Contrast Ratio: 2,000,000:1
- Throw Ratio: 0.19:1
- Chipset: .66” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 5W+5W Stereo
Screen Pairing: Screen Innovations Solo Pro 2
Audience Reaction: Being 2 years old already, the LG HU85LA feels like it’s been around for a long time. You’d think this would mean that it wouldn’t impress like these newer models. But you’d be wrong.
Pretty much everyone at the showcase felt that the LG HU85LA CineBeam projector still produces an image better than most other ultra short throws. It regularly ranked #3 or #4 by the attendees. Not the absolute best ultra short throw projector but definitely up there towards the top.
The simple yet classy, boxy design was also well liked.
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- Vava Chroma
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- Lumens: 2500
- Color: 106% BT.2020
- Contrast Ratio: 1,500,000:1
- Throw Ratio: 0.23:1
- Chipset: .47” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 2x30W Speakers
Screen Pairing: Spectra Vantage UST
Audience Reaction: Much like the Vava 4K, the Vava Chroma is a very good UST but as excited as people were when the projector was launched on Indiegogo, the reception at our showcase was somewhat underwhelming. The main challenge for the Vava Chroma at our expo was that it was being compared to brighter, higher end ultra short throw projectors like the Samsung LSP9T and Hisense L9G. When we asked them to think about the Vava Chroma with the price tag in mind, the attendees were able to appreciate the Vava Chroma a bit more. Aesthetically speaking some people liked the design while others found the metal accents to be garish.
- AWOL Vision LTV-3500
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- Lumens: 2500
- Color: 106% BT.2020
- Contrast Ratio: 1,500,000:1
- Throw Ratio: 0.23:1
- Chipset: .47” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 2x30W Speakers
Screen Pairing: Spectra Vantage UST
Audience Reaction: The AWOL Vision LTV-3500 was the most asked about projector before the show started.
At 3500 peak lumens, the AWOL LTV-3500 is the brightest triple laser projector available. It showed off the power of its super bright RGB laser light source in full force. The LTV-3500 produced a stunningly gorgeous image and fully showed off its mastery of the challenging BT.2020 color space.
We strategically positioned the LTV-3500 next to the JMGO U2 which is a projector known for having deep black levels for a laser TV. The biggest drawback of the AWOL Vision LTV-3500 is that because it’s so bright, it lacks the inky black you’d like to see from a cinema projector. The JMGO U2 definitely has far superior black levels, however the deepest blacks looked crushed where you couldn't see detail in the darkest parts of the scene. While the blacks looked more dark gray on the LTV-3500, you were able to see fine detail in the dark parts of the scene.
Aesthetically the reactions were mixed. Some people liked the hourglass figure of the chassis but others found the body to be a bit bulkier than they would have liked. The uniqueness of the rose gold remote however was a big hit to pretty much everyone.
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JMGO U2
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- Lumens: 2400
- Color: 107% BT.2020
- Contrast Ratio: 15,000:1 (Dynamic Contrast)
- Throw Ratio: 0.25:1
- Chipset: .47” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 15W x 2 Dolby Audio and 2 10W tweeters
Screen Pairing: Spectra Vantage UST
Audience Reaction: It had a good image but when you compare it to the other triple laser projector and even a few of the single laser projectors like the BenQ V7050i or the new LG HU715Q, it just doesn’t perform as well. The darkest parts of the scenes blended together where you couldn’t see the details. This was the sentiment we got from pretty much everyone in attendance. There were even a few JMGO superfans on the livestream who lost some of their enthusiasm when we compared it with the AWOL Vision LTV-3500. All that being said, the low price point did help the JMGO U2 get added to some people’s top 5 UST list.
Aesthetically speaking the showcase attendees were not fans. This is a really big projector compared to the other ones at the showcase. (even the hulking LG HU85LA.) One person said it looked like what “someone in the 1970’s thought the future would look like.” Several jokes were made about using the protruding tweeters as a coaster.
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Single Laser UST Projectors
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LG HU715Q
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- Lumens: 3000
- Color: 86% DCI-P3
- Contrast Ratio: 1,000,000:1
- Throw Ratio: 0.25:1
- Chipset: .47” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 20W+20W Stereo
Screen Pairing: Screen Innovations Solo Pro 2
Audience reaction: The LG HU715Q was the surprise hit of the single laser category. It looked bright, it looked colorful, the image had depth, the blacks were deep. This all showed in the attention paid to the LG HU715Q by the attendees. Some people even said this new LG ultra short throw projector was better than several of the triple laser projectors. Without actually taking a formal poll the LG HU715Q would probably be named the favorite single laser ultra short throw.
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BenQ V7050i
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- Lumens: 2500
- Color: 98% DCI-P3
- Contrast Ratio: 2,000,000:1
- Throw Ratio: 0.25:1
- Chipset: .47” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 5W x 2 treVolo-tuned speakers
Screen Pairing: Spectra Vantage UST
Audience Reaction: After the LG HU715Q, the BenQ V7050i finished close behind as the best single laser ultra short throw projector at the showcase. The BenQ V7050i has the widest color gamut of all the single laser ultra short throws. So attendees loved the vibrant picture on the screen. Despite being directly under one of the fluorescent light fixtures the colors on the BenQ 4K UST were still just as vivid as with the lights on. This is partially thanks to the projector, though a lot of credit must be given to the Spectra Vantage UST projector screen.
The dust reducing automatic sunroof was also a big hit.
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Epson LS500
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- Lumens: 4000
- Color: 91% DCI-P3
- Contrast Ratio: 2,500,000:1
- Throw Ratio: 0.29:1
- Chipset: 3 LCD
- Built-In Sound: 2x30W Speakers
Screen Pairing: Bundled Epson UST Screen
Audience Reaction: The Epson LS500 wasn’t playing nicely with the rest of the projectors due to an EDID conflict with our distribution amplifier, so we weren’t able to simultaneously show the same content as the other projectors. Instead we hooked it up to a PlayStation 4 to show off its gaming capabilities. Despite being directly under a fluorescent light, the 4000 lumens of brightness from the LS500 EpiqVision and the bundled ambient light rejecting projector screen were more than able to overcome and maintain a powerfully bright and colorful image. This earned it a lot of points in the minds of the attendees. Aesthetically, people liked that it comes in both a white and black chassis but found the periscoped lens to be unattractive.
We also paired the Epson LS500 with the Spectra Slide. This is a new product we’ll be carrying that allows you to mount any UST to your credenza. It then automatically slides out to the proper distance when triggered by the projector powering up. People got very excited for the Spectra Slide. We chose to pair it with the Spectra Slide because the Epson LS500 sits further than all the other 4K UST projectors; so we were able to showcase how far out the Slide can go.
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Vava 4K
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- Lumens: 1800
- Color: 90% DCI-P3
- Contrast Ratio: 1,500,000:1
- Throw Ratio: 0.23:1
- Chipset: .47” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 2x30W Speakers
Screen Pairing: Spectra Vantage UST
Audience Reaction: The Vava 4K was the first affordable laser TV to be released. It’s a very good projector but definitely has its flaws. The most prominent of them is that while the projector’s colors are bright and vibrant, they’re also oversaturated and unrealistic. This was definitely the feedback we got from the attendees. That said when we put Pixar’s Up on the projectors the Vava 4K UST was the single laser projector most liked by the audience.
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Samsung LSP7T
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- Lumens: 2200
- Color: 83% DCI-P3
- Contrast Ratio: 2,000,000:1
- Throw Ratio: 0.25:1
- Chipset: .47” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 30W
Screen Pairing: Spectra Vantage UST
Audience Reaction: The Samsung LSP9T wowed the crowd with its vivid colors and incredible dynamic contrast. The reaction to its little brother, the Samsung LSP7T, were much more subdued. While it does produce a great image in its own right, the LSP7T single laser projector didn’t crack anyone’s top 5 favorite list. Like the Samsung LSP9T the sleek design was well received but people would have liked to see in with a black casing.
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Hisense L5G
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- Lumens: 2700
- Color: 95% DCI-P3
- Contrast Ratio: 1,000,000:1
- Throw Ratio: 0.22:1
- Chipset: .47” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 15W x 2
Screen Pairing: Hisense Daylight Screen/Hisense Cinema Screen
Audience Reaction: Because we had the Hisense L5G and its predecessor the Hisense L5F we were in the unique position to compare the bundled Hisense Daylight and Cinema Screen side by side with practically the same projector. True to its name, the Daylight screen did a better job than the Cinema screen at handling the large amount of ambient light in the room. That said, the Cinema screen still impressed. The flaws of the Daylight screen however were also on full display, specifically the narrow viewing cone and the image reflecting off the screen and hitting the ceiling. The light on the ceiling was surprisingly not as big of an issue to most people as it was for us when we first tested the Daylight screen. The higher ceilings in the show room definitely helped reduce the impact of the reflected light.
As for the Hisense L5G itself, people were very impressed with the sharpness of the image, especially considering that it only uses the .47” DLP chip. The L5G was definitely towards the top of the list for most attendees.
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Optoma P2
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- Lumens: 3000
- Color: 79% DCI-P3
- Contrast Ratio: 1,000,000:1
- Throw Ratio: 0.25:1
- Chipset: .47” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 40w w/ 2 full range speakers & 2 woofers
Screen Pairing: Spectra Vantage UST/Vividstorm 120 inch floor rising UST Screen
Audience Reaction: The Optoma CinemaX P2 was the standard by which everyone compared the other projectors to. While not as flashy as some of the other projectors the Optoma P2 offers accurate colors and great levels of sharpness. Most attendees felt that the Optoma P2 was all around good particularly considering the price. People were fans of the fact that this UST comes in both black and white chassis.
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- Wemax Nova
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- Lumens: 2100
- Color: 100% Rec.709
- Contrast Ratio: 3,000:1 (Full on/off)
- Throw Ratio: 0.23:1
- Chipset: .47” DLP
- Built-In Sound: 10W x 2 Full Range, 5W x 2 Tweeter
Screen Pairing: Spectra Vantage UST
Audience Reaction: The most discussed aspect of the Wemax Nova at the event was how small the projector was compared to the other USTs. It’s impressive that Wemax managed to fit so much into a device the size of a large DVD player.
Because of the number of screens we had available for the showcase, the Wemax Nova drew the short straw and had to be set up in the second grouping with the triple laser ultra short throw projectors despite only being a single laser. While it was disadvantaged, this little projector held up pretty well.
Though not as bright as the other laser TVs in the showcase , the Spectra Vantage UST screen allowed it to still shine brightly with a full display of the Nova’s colors.
Aside from the small design the other most appreciated thing about the Wemax Nova was that it has the lowest price of any ultra short throw projector. The general consensus was that this is a very good budget projector that’s worth getting when price is the top purchase criteria.
- Xgimi Aura
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- Lumens: 2400
- Color: 80% DCI-P3
- Contrast Ratio: TBD
- Throw Ratio: 0.23:1
- Chipset: .47” DLP
- Built-In Sound: Harman Kardon 4 x 15W
Screen Pairing: Spectra Vantage UST
Audience Reaction: Everyone had a good laugh trying to pronounce “Xgimi”. (For the record it’s pronounced “ex-jimmy”.) The Xgimi Aura however is no laughing matter. This is a solid budget projector. After talking to attendees both in person and online the Xgimi Aura was thought of as good but wasn’t anyone’s favorite.
One interesting thing of note with the Chinese brands like Xgimi, Wemax and JMGO was that attendees found the remotes to be counter intuitive. They had more buttons than the minimalist remote of the Samsung Projectors and less than the all inclusive buttons you’d find on the LG projectors, but the button placement on the Chinese brands just didn’t feel like they were in the right place.
Ultra Short Throw Projector Screens
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Spectra Projection Vantage UST
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- Gain: 0.5
- Available Sizes: 90 Inches - 120 Inches
- Screen Type: Fixed Frame
- Mount Type: Wall
- Screen Color: Gray
- Supported Resolution: 4K
Audience Reaction: A newcomer to the USA projection scene, Spectra Projection came on strong with their Vantage UST screen. Coming in to the showcase many audience members were curious to see if this ambient light rejecting screen could live up to the competition. Well the verdict is in, and the Spectra Vantage UST screen is a hit. This laser TV screen impressed attendees with outstanding image quality both with lights off and just as impressively, with the lights turned on.
Many people loved the velvet finish to the frame. They said it gave the screen a more luxurious look to it well beyond the affordable price. The soft coating also gives the screen the ability to capture a small amount of light spill making it easier to align the projector.
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Screen Innovations Solo Pro 2
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- Gain: 0.6
- Available Sizes: 80 Inches - 100 Inches
- Screen Type: Retractable Motorized
- Mount Type: Wall and Ceiling
- Screen Color: Gray
- Supported Resolution: 4K, 8K
Audience Reaction: The Screen Innovations Solo Pro 2 was our premium laser TV projector screen at the showcase. Not only is it capable of rendering a 4K resolution image, but it can even handle an 8K image. As a motorized UST screen, the attendees were enamored by it's ability to hide away when not in use. Definitely a valuable feature considering how in many living room situations, available wall space can be limited.
When it came to picture quality, audience members were very impressed. It was definitely a fan favorite.
Several attendees did comment that it's a shame the SI Solo Pro 2 is only available up to 100 inches, and would love to see it in a 110" and 120".
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Vividstorm Motorized Floor Rising UST
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- Gain: 0.6
- Available Sizes: 72 Inches - 120 Inches
- Screen Type: Retractable Motorized
- Mount Type: Floor
- Screen Color: Gray
- Supported Resolution: 4K
Audience Reaction: We placed the Vividstorm Floor Rising UST screen in the Aegis custom UST cabinet. Unlike the other screen that were 100 inches, the Vividstorm screen was a 120 inch.
Showcase attendees were impressed with the picture on the Vividstorm UST screen. Despite being larger than the other screens, the image was just as sharp and vivid, both with lights off and on. People were also very intrigued by the versatility a floor rising screen could provide. The fact it is available in both a black and white case was also a plus.
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AVS Forum and ProjectorScreen.com UST Showcase Part 1
AVS Forum and ProjectorScreen.com UST Showcase Part 2
