This allows the ultra short throws to perform better in a well lit apartment or den. The projector gives a native 4K image with a throw ratio of 0.254, meaning that the back of the projector must be at 16.4 inches from the screen to deliver a 120 inch image. There are UST projectors that do better than this, but none that deliver at this quality. All of the projectors in this article are 4K resolution, which in my opinion deliver a far superior image at 100 inches plus screen size.
It’s at night when the Aura’s giant 4K projected image really springs to life. It should go without saying, but the bigger image makes it easier to keep track of the ball. It also needs to do all these things while justifying a price that’s at least twice that of a 55-inch OLED.
These small box systems basically package a small projector that needs a foot or two of space to shoot back up to what can be a pretty large screen. You could also pair a traditional projector with a drop-down projection screen to create a giant image in your living room. You can find a similarly bright standard-throw projector—something like Epson’s Home Cinema 4010—for around $1,500 to $2,500. Paired with a light-rejecting, drop-down screen, it would still come in below the price of many UST systems while likely offering a better image.
Like other projectors that use an Android TV streaming interface, the BenQ V7050i has support for Google Assistant voice searches and can use any streaming app available on the Google Play store. You can also wirelessly cast content through Chromecast or AirPlay, so its wireless connectivity is solid. No matter what kind of content you’ll use your projector for, there’s a model here to give it the proper treatment. It can achieve a highly bright image with immense clarity from low lumens number which is not possible when using a standard projector.
But where the Horizon Pro uses an LED light source, the Aura upgrades to brighter laser-phosphor. Both also have unusually high-quality sound for projectors, using Harman Kardon sound systems. But the Aura raises the ante for both volume and quality, with two 15-watt woofers and two 15-watt tweeters. Providing a 120 inch image at 11.3 inches, or 7.6 inches to get a 100 inch screen, the throw ratio of 0.21 is pretty good for a budget projector, although falls short of the high end models.
The ultra short throw projector is the next major advancement in projector technology. Ultra short throw projetor virtually eliminates shadows and eye glare, this type of throw is seen from projectors installed on the wall, the ceiling nearer to a wall, or a table projecting downwards. The truth is, big-screen TVs are a much better value than they used to be, and they produce better images. For example, the new Epson LS500 UST projector costs $5,000 with a 100-inch screen and $6,000 with a 120-inch screen. Compare that with our favorite LCD/LED TV right now, the Sony X950G, which typically costs $4,500 for an 85-inch screen.
That said, this is less of a problem when viewing in ambient light, which tends to wash out dark blacks anyway, than when viewing in a dark room. So whether you consider this a problem or not will depend on whether Best Ultra Short Throw Projector you plan to watch in the dark, as well as how demanding you are about image quality. Xgimi says the Aura's lens can throw a 150-inch diagonal image without distortion at just 17.3 inches from the screen.