The hottest trend in projection is definitely the explosive growth of ultra short throw projectors. Also known as laser TVs, these 4K projectors are placed directly below the projector screen. They're built to give you an incredibly vivid 4K image regardless of the lighting conditions of the room. (Especially when paired with an ultra short throw projector screen.) With a bright laser light source and built in sound bar, these 4K UST projectors are designed to replace your living room flatscreen with a giant 100+ image size.
There are a number of different factors that go into determining which ultra short throw projector is best, such as brightness, color gamut and throw distance. That's why our projection experts watched hours upon hours of content and assembled a side by side comparison of the various laser TV projectors. For this shootout, we're putting the Epson LS800 vs. the Formovie Theater to help you decide which one is better.
The top selling Formovie Theater ultra short throw projector of the year launched here in the USA in the summer of 2022. You can check out our in-depth review of the Formovie Theater. It is the enhanced and updated version of it's Chinese counterpart, the Fengmi T1. This triple laser ultra short throw takes full advantage of the advanced ALPD® 4.0 RGB+ technology. This light engine helps give the Formovie Theater some of the best black levels you'll find on a projector. {Spoiler Alert}, the amazing specs helped the Formovie Theater take 1st place in the 2022 Laser TV Showdown. As our #1 selling ultra short throw projector, it will be a challenge to unseat it as the best laser TV on the market.
The goal of Epson was to make an ultra short throw projector bright enough for just about any room that still provides viewers an incredible and vibrant 4K image. With the Epson LS800, they fully accomplished their mission. If you want a bright UST, the Epson LS800 is the best in the business with 4,000 lumens of brightness. Check out our review of the Epson LS800.
The LS800 wasn't available in time to be entered into the showdown, though we're confident it would have been a top contender.
So the question that we will seek to answer today: which is better the Epson LS800 or the Formovie Theater?
Read our head to head comparison of these two fantastic ultra short throw projectors to find out.
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Epson LS800 |
Formovie Theater |
Our Thoughts: |
Brightness |
4000 |
2800 |
The Epson LS800 is undoubtedly the brightest UST and handily beats the still bright Formovie. |
Throw Ratio |
0.17:1 |
0.23:1 |
The Epson LS800 sits closer than every other ultra short throw. |
Chipset |
3LCD |
.47" DLP |
LS800 uses the 3LCD chipset which provides a brighter output and avoids the rainbow effect. The Formovie UST uses the a DLP chip which offers a sharper image. |
Light Source |
Single Blue Laser |
ALPD® 4.0 RGB+ triple laser |
The triple laser design gives the Formovie a big advantage made larger by its use of the advanced ALPD 4.0 technology. |
Color |
77% DCI-P3 |
113% DCI-P3 |
Formovie UST has a far superior color gamut partially thanks to its triple laser design. |
Contrast Ratio |
2966:1 |
3333:1 |
The Formovie Theater wins when it comes to contrast ratio. It has one of the best of any UST. |
Image Size |
80 to 150 inches |
80 to 150 inches |
Both USTs are able to produce an incredibly large 150 inch screen size. |
ALR Projector Screen |
Available Bundled With 100", 120" Screen, or on its own |
Projector screen sold separately |
Epson's 4K UST can come bundled with an ambient light rejection projector screen. You need to buy it separately with the Formovie UST. |
Input Lag |
16.7 ms |
41.9 ms |
The Epson LS800 is arguably the best UST gaming projector and is significantly better when it comes to input lag. |
Audio |
(x2)20W Yamaha Speakers |
Full-range×2 + Tweeter×2 (30W) By Bowers & Wilkins |
The Formovie laser TV arguably has the best built-in sound bar of any ultra short throw projector. |
Price |
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The Formovie Theater offers an absurdly low price given it's impressive specs. The LS800 is still a great value especially when bundled with a projector screen. |
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Epson LS800
The Pros
- Brightest UST projector on the market
- Incredible contrast
- Great value for the price
- Sits closer to the screen than any other laser TV
- Best UST projector for video gaming
- Able to make an image size up to 150 inches
- Can be purchased bundled with 100 or 120 inch ALR screen
- No rainbow effect
- Very good built-in speakers
- Available in either black or white casing
- Has 3 HDMI ports
The Cons
- Color gamut capability is less than other similarly priced projectors
- No Grayscale, Gamma or Color Management (CMS) Adjustments as there are on other Epson projectors
- Less sharp of an image
- No Dynamic Tone Mapping, Dolby Vision or HDR10+ Dynamic HDR formats.
- Large chassis, with legs set far apart meaning you need a wider TV stand
- No 3D support
- Is only ARC compatible and doesn't have eARC
Formovie Theater
The Pros
- Very low price tag, especially given the incredible performance
- High lumen output with a RGB triple laser light source
- Vibrant colors out of the box
- Laser speckle reduction technology
- Best native contrast for a .47” XPR DLP
- Supports Dolby Vision
- Sits closer to the screen than most other USTs
- Can make an image size up to 150 inches
- Winner of the 2022 Laser TV Showdown
The Cons
- Menu is sometimes less intuitive
- Fan can be a little noisy
- Lacks 3D support
- Fixed-level line output for attaching a sub-woofer; volume controls on remote will change levels of built-in speakers but not adjust volume of the attached subwoofer
- Netflix app is not included
So Which UST Is Better, The Formovie Theater Or The Epson LS800?
Without a doubt these 4K ultra short throw projectors are two of the best available on the market. It doesn't matter which one you buy, you'll be ecstatic with either laser TV. But ultimately we had to make a decision. So in the head to head showdown between the Formovie Theater and Epson LS800 the winner is the………
Formovie Theater
Why You Should Buy The Formovie Theater
The Formovie Theater is without a doubt one of the best, if not the best, ultra short throws available on the market. The lower price and incredible specs make this laser TV difficult to beat. Apart from price, the wider color gamut, deep black levels and superior contrast creates a larger than life image that puts the Formovie 4K laser TV ahead of the Epson UST. It's hard to express just how good the picture is on the Formovie Theater.
Another big advantage that helps the Formovie Theater win is the level of control you have over the picture. This 4K ultra short throw offers a plethora of calibration options that let you dial in the projector to your liking.
If you don't want to use an external sound system, the Formovie Theater features the best built-in soundbar. It offers rich and powerful sound, unmatched by any UST projector.
Why You Should Buy The Epson LS800
Epson's UST gives you a number of reason why you still might want to choose the LS800 over the Formovie Theater. It's a significantly brighter, sits much closer to the screen, and is available in both a black and a white chassis. You also want to pick the LS800 if you want the best gaming UST or if you are susceptible to the rainbow effect.
Another advantage of the Epson EpiqVision LS800 is that it can be bundled with either a 100 inch or 120 inch ambient light rejecting screen for an extra value. Epson as a brand is also well known for producing high quality projectors. Formovie on the other hand is still establishing themselves as a reliable brand.
Which ultra short throw projector do you think is better? Which one would you buy? Which do you want to see head to head in our next laser TV shootout? Let us know in the comments below!
Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can get notified when our shootout goes live and other great content in our pipeline.
If you have any questions on these projectors or anything else projection related don’t hesitate to hit us up at ProjectorScreen.com. Thanks for reading and keep on projecting!
Projector Resolution: | 4K |
Brand: | EPSON |
Product Status: | In Stock |
Lumens: | 4000 |
Projector Type: | Ultra Short Throw |
Light Source: | Laser |
Contrast Ratio: | 2,500,000:1 |
Chipset: | LCD |
Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 [HD] |
Throw Ratio: | 0.16:1 (D:W) |
Native Resolution: | 3840x2160 |
Lens Shift: | No |
Input Lag: | 4K/60Hz: 21.0ms | 1080p/60Hz: 22.1ms | 1080p/120Hz: 12.3ms |
3D Support: | No |
Built-In Speaker: | Yes |
Warranty: | 2 Years |
Standard Lens Focus: | Manual |
ARC/eARC: | ARC |
Operating System: | Android TV |
Projector Resolution: | 4K |
Brand: | EPSON |
Product Status: | Leaves Warehouse within 5-10 Business Days |
Lumens: | 4000 |
Projector Type: | Ultra Short Throw |
Light Source: | Laser |
Contrast Ratio: | 2,500,000:1 |
Chipset: | LCD |
Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 [HD] |
Throw Ratio: | 0.16:1 (D:W) |
Native Resolution: | 3840x2160 |
Lens Shift: | No |
Input Lag: | 4K/60Hz: 21.0ms | 1080p/60Hz: 22.1ms | 1080p/120Hz: 12.3ms |
3D Support: | No |
Built-In Speaker: | Yes |
Warranty: | 2 Years |
Standard Lens Focus: | Manual |
ARC/eARC: | ARC |
Operating System: | Android TV |
Projector Resolution: | 4K |
Brand: | Formovie |
Product Status: | In Stock |
Lumens: | 2800 |
Projector Type: | Ultra Short Throw |
Light Source: | Laser |
Contrast Ratio: | 3,000:1 (full on/off) |
Chipset: | DLP |
Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 [HD] |
Throw Ratio: | 0.23:1 (D:W) |
Native Resolution: | 3840x2160 |
Lens Shift: | No |
Input Lag: | 4K/60Hz: 43ms | 1080p/60Hz: 41ms | 1080p/120Hz: 37ms | 1080p/240Hz: 34ms |
3D Support: | No |
Built-In Speaker: | Yes |
Warranty: | 2 Years |
Standard Lens Focus: | Motorized |
ARC/eARC: | eARC |
Operating System: | Android TV |