With high quality imagery, robust audio, a bounty of smart features and a compact portability, Lifestyle projectors, are taking the consumer electronics industry by storm.
What sets this new type of 4K projector from more traditional options is their all-in-one design, providing a portable entertainment setup with impressive image quality smart TV functionality, streaming apps and built-in speakers. This innovation meets the dynamic needs of today's modern lifestyle, where versatility is king. If you want a cinematic movie watching experience in your home theater, living room and backyard lifestyle projectors are the way to go for your home.
Because lifestyle projectors have experienced such a tremendous explosion of interest, we at ProjectorScreen.com just had to help projection enthusiast around the world decide which one was best to meet their needs and wants. That's why we hosted the 2023 lifestyle projector showdown. At this epic royal rumble we put the top 5 cube projectors side by side in the largest shootout of its kind. Now, you might think, "Great, the winner of that showdown is the one I should buy." However, there's more to picking a lifestyle projector than just picture quality. So we're taking that showdown a step further and comparing the specs and features side by side to help you pick which portable beamer is the best one for you.
In today's head to head shootout we'll be putting the Hisense C1 vs the Formovie X5.
Are you ready? Great, then lets meat today's competitors.
Formovie X5
The Formovie Theater has been the best selling ultra short throw projector. Naturally, there was a huge wave of excitement when they announced that the Formovie X5 lifestyle projector was being released here in the States. And as expected, Formovie did not disappoint with their regular throw residential projector. In fact the Formovie X5 was so impressive that it tied for 1st place as the judges pick for the best lifestyle projector at the 2023 projector showdown.
It is a 4K projector with a bright and color filled image, affordable price, compact single laser light source that will never need a lamp replacement. Like the other units in its category, this is an all-in-one projector. The X5 features powerful 3-way speakers powered by Denon for an immersive audio experience and comes with a smart streaming Amazon Fire TV stick. It's lightweight and easily portable making it a great option for backyard movie nights or indoor media enjoyment and everywhere in between.
You can read our expert review of the Formovie X5 here.
Hisense C1
The Hisense C1 Cube is the first regular throw projector from Hisense, a brand known for producing outstanding laser TVs. For their first attempt, they've manage to product an all around fabulous home entertainment projector that performs beautifully inside or outside your house. This compact triple laser smart projector produces a sharp and detailed image that is vibrantly colorful.
Be sure to also check out our in depth Hisense C1 projector review.
The Hisense C1 Or Formovie X5, Which Projector Is Better?
So, the question is which 4K cube projector will win this head to head battle, the Hisense C1 or Formovie X5? More importantly for shoppers like yourself, which of these two all-in-one portable lifestyle projector should you buy for your residence?
Our projection experts have put in the hours watching content and playing around with the features to compare these new 4K projectors for home theaters, backyards and more to see which model comes out on top. And so we bring you the Hisense C1 vs. Formovie X5 projector showdown. Let's do it!
| |
Formovie X5 |
Hisense C1 |
Our Thoughts: |
Brightness |
2500 |
1600 |
Both projectors are bright for portable projectors but the Formovie X5 is clearly the brighter by a decent amount. |
Throw Ratio |
1.27:1 |
1.20:1 |
The Hisense C1 Cube can sit closer to the screen giving it an advantage. |
Screen Size |
60"-500" |
65"-300" |
The Formovie X5 can produce a significantly larger screen size (though you would need a very dark room to achieve the 500 inch screen size). |
Projector Lens Shift |
None |
None |
Neither projector provides lens shift. |
Chipset |
0.47" DLP |
0.47” DLP |
Both projectors use the same smaller DLP chip. |
Light Source |
ALPD 3.0 Single Laser
|
RGB TriChroma Laser |
The triple laser light source gives the Hisense cube projector a significant advantage. Though the ALPD technology has its own benefits. |
Color |
77.9% DCI-P3 |
153.4% DCI-P3 |
The Hisense C1 has a much wider color gamut coverage thanks to its triple laser light source. It even covers 110% of the more challenging BT.2020 color space. |
Contrast Ratio |
973:1 |
1427:1 |
The Formovie X5 has fantastic black levels but the Hisense C1 outperforms it when it comes to contrast. |
Input Lag |
4K/60: 42.5ms |
4K/60: 41.9ms |
Both models have acceptable lag times for the average gamer. The win however goes to the Hisense C1. |
Built-In Speakers |
Denon 2x12W + 6W |
20W JBL Speaker
|
While the X5 speakers have a bit more power to them, the quality of the built-in JBL speakers on the C1 has better overall dynamics and bass performance. |
Price |
|
|
The Formovie X5 is one of the lowest priced 4K lifestyle projectors out there and has a big edge compared to the C1. |
|
Add to Cart
|
Add to Cart
|
|
Formovie X5
The Pros
- ALPD 3.0 laser engine helps achieve deep black levels and very good contrast
- Great color accuracy right out of the box
- Autofocus and auto-keystoning allow you to point the projector and it will correct the image
- Can create an image size all the way up to 500 inches
- Excellent Denon sound systems sounds clear, loud and allows you to watch content without needing external speakers
- Smaller body and more lightweight for easier transportability
- Comes with Amazon Firestick that supports streaming apps including Netflix
- Supports Dolby Vision
- No laser speckle
- Great value for a low priced 4K projector
- 3 year warranty
The Cons
- Uses the Chinese FengOS operating system so you need to use the included Firestick
- Some rainbow effect
- No lens shift or variable throw ratio
- No 3D support
- Only has 2 HDMI ports and one gets taken up with the Firestick
- No input button on the remote
Hisense C1
The Pros
- Triple laser design allow for a bright and colorful image
- Incredibly wide color gamut coverage
- Sharpest picture from a lifestyle projector
- Great motion handling
- Smart projector that supports streaming apps including Netflix
- Autofocus and auto-keystoning allow you to point the projector and it will correct the image
- Can create an image size all the way up to 300 inches
- Robust built-in 20W JBL speakers sound clear and loud and allows you to watch content without needing an external sound system
- Relatively light weight making it a great choice for indoor and outdoor movie nights
- Supports Dolby Vision
The Cons
- Light output is lower than other similarly priced lifestyle projectors
- No lens shift or variable throw ratio
- No 3D support
- Only has 2 HDMI ports
So Which 4K Lifestyle Projector Will Win, The Formovie X5 Or The Hisense C1?
Just like pretty much every other head to head comparison we do, picking a winner between the Formovie X5 and Hisense C1 all-in-one cube projectors is a tough choice for our projection experts. Both lifestyle projector have their own strengths, weaknesses and unique features.
Luckily whether you buy the Formovie X5 or the Hisense Cube C1, you'll be a winner who's thrilled with their purchase. Unlike you who wins no matter what, in this shootout there can be only one projector who can take home the title of "champion". So to answer the question, "which is better, the Hisense C1 or Formovie X5?" the victor in this showdown is the.......
Formovie X5!
Why Buy The Formovie X5?
This shootout could have gone either way but there were a few key factors that put the Formovie X5 on top of the Hisense C1.
One of the biggest advantages the Formovie cube projector has is the extra brightness. Lifestyle projectors are meant to be able to produce a beautiful image outside of a darkened home theater room where there is bound to be more ambient light. The higher brightness on the X5 compared to the C1 allows it to be used in a brighter environment without looking washed out.
The superior black levels thanks to the ALPD light engine of the Formovie X5 greatly helped with darker scenes and provided more perceived contrast with lights on viewings. The single laser light source also saves viewers from laser speckle which was found on the C1.
Lifestyle projectors are designed with the more casual projection enthusiast in mind and not the passionate home theater fanatics who calibrate their projectors. Most lifestyle owners just want a projector that lets you plug it in, point and watch. With its accurate colors out of the box you're able to achieve this without needing to play with the settings too much.
Another large part of why we chose the Formovie X5 was because it did tie for 1st in the eyes of our panel of expert judges at the 2023 Laser TV Showdown and we do highly value their opinions.
On top of that, the larger screen size potential was a large advantage for those who aren't limited in the size image they want to project. Though to reach those massive advertised sizes you need to have almost perfectly dark room conditions.
One of the biggest reason for why we'd recommend getting the Formovie X5 is the lower price tag. Price is often the deciding factor when picking between two fantastic performing projectors.
We're confident that once the Global edition starts shipping in the United States and the additional controls and features become native to this projector, it will become an increasingly attractive model with an improved user experience.
Why Buy The Hisense C1?
While we did choose the Formovie X5 over the Hisense C1, that doesn't mean it's not the best lifestyle projector for your specific needs.
If you're planning on just watching movies in the dark then the superior contrast and wider color gamut from the triple laser light source play more perfectly in home theater rooms.
Another advantage of the Hisense C1 over the Formovie X5 is that it the former has the built-in Vidaa operating system made for American consumers. This is a big improvement over the X5 that utilizes the Chinese FengOS and needs an Amazon Firestick which takes up one of the two HDMI ports. The Hisense smart projector also supports Netflix which is a big plus for many media lovers.
For those shoppers who plan to use the built-in speakers, the Hisense C1 was rated higher than the Formovie X5.
Just like the Formovie X5, with the Hisense Cube C1, you're getting a lot of bang for your buck with a pretty low price tag.
Hisense is also a more well known proctor manufacturer and has a longer track record of customer service in the United States. For many that gives them extra piece of mind when investing in their entertainment.
Which 4K Lifestyle Projector Do You Think Is Better?
Which cube projector do you think is the better option to meet your needs, the Hisense C1 or the Formovie X5? Do you own one of these 4K lifestyle projectors? If you do, how do you use it? Tell us what you think in the comments below and which projectors you want to see go head to head in our next showdown.
We'll be breaking down the comparison between the Hisense C1 vs Formovie X5 even further in our projector shootout series on YouTube. So make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can get notified when our shootout goes live plus other great content in our pipeline. And be sure to checkout our other head to head projector comparisons as well as the results from the 2023 lifestyle projector showdown where we name the best all-in-one projector.
If you have any questions about these all-in-one projectors or anything else projection related don’t hesitate to hit us up at ProjectorScreen.com. And as always thanks for reading and keep on projecting!
Projector Resolution: | 4K |
Brand: | Hisense |
Product Status: | In Stock |
Lumens: | 1600 |
Projector Type: | Lifestyle |
Light Source: | Laser |
Contrast Ratio: | 2,000,000:1 |
Chipset: | DLP |
Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 [HD] |
Throw Ratio: | 1.20:1 (D:W) |
Native Resolution: | 3840x2160 |
Lens Shift: | No |
Input Lag: | 4K/60Hz: 39.3ms |
3D Support: | No |
Built-In Speaker: | Yes |
Warranty: | 1 Year |
Standard Lens Focus: | Automatic |
ARC/eARC: | eARC |
Operating System: | VIDAA |
Projector Resolution: | 4K |
Brand: | Formovie |
Product Status: | In Stock |
Lumens: | 2450 |
Projector Type: | Lifestyle |
Light Source: | Laser |
Contrast Ratio: | 1200:1 (Full On/Off) |
Chipset: | DLP |
Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 [HD] |
Throw Ratio: | 1.27:1 |
Native Resolution: | 3840x2160 |
Lens Shift: | No |
Input Lag: | 4K/60Hz: 42.5ms |
Built-In Speaker: | Yes |
Warranty: | 3 Years |
Standard Lens Focus: | Motorized |
Digital Inputs: | HDMI |
BenQ X3100i vs XGIMI Horizon Ultra Lifestyle Projector Comparison
Curious about which lifestyle projector reigns supreme: the XGIMI Horizon Ultra vs BenQ X3100i? Don't make a move until you dive into our expert analysis, where we've meticulously compared these two...
Keep Reading
Formovie X5 vs Hisense C1 Lifestyle Projector Comparison
We've got the next battle ready for your entertainment. For today's showdown we've got the Hisense C1 or Formovie X5. Which lifestyle projectors is the better option? Our projection experts take a...
Keep Reading
Formovie X5 vs XGIMI Horizon Ultra Lifestyle Projector Comparison
Which of these lifestyle projectors is the better option, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra or Formovie X5? We've got another in-depth analysis from our projection experts comparing the Formovie X5 and XGIMI...
Keep Reading