Projector Reviews

While this is a nice idea, I feel the era of the projector is almost over. I was at BB today, saw an LG 4K that was 75 inches and like 700 bucks. I am willing to bet the picture looked at least as good, if not better then this. I sure found it acceptable, and I had just seen an 85 inch 13K Sony 8K playing, and I still found the $700 LG more then acceptable. When the 100 and 120 inch flat panel 4Ks get under five grand, projection is dead unless you just gotta have a 200 inch screen to show off, and even then it is not going to be as bright or have the contrast. And that comes with a fella who has a dedicated theater with a 123 inch screen. I have thought about upgrading to 4K from my 1080P, but the more I think about it, I am going to wait a few years. My only problem is getting it downstairs into the theater. Maybe they will have roll up flat panels by then.

The modern 4k Laser UST projectors coming out now (LG, Optoma, Epson, VAVA, Xiaomi, others soon to join the crowd) are marketed as Large screen Laser TV.
They are not a true replacement for a TV, at least not yet. Day time viewing quality even with a great ALR screen is circa 2005 LCD TV.
However, when the lights are turned off and it's dark outside.
These 4k UST projectors are an excellent option for those who can not have a dedicated Home Theater set up with a ceiling mounted Far Field Projector.
The problem with the HU85LA it's the price tag. $6,000 for the projector and an additional $800-$4,000 + for an ALR screen (SI's ALR is great but they cost double their competition). makes the combination not viable for most folks.
The prove is in the pudding LG's HU85LA are not moving as expected, while the newly released Optoma X P1 (4k UST projector) at $3,200 is sold out and supplier have a back log of orders. The Optoma doesn't have the quality processing and three Laser technology of the LG, but it's significantly brighter. Additionally within six months the P1 will be 10-20% lower in price (based on Optoma's track record for trying to keep market share compared to Epson, the market leader). The upcoming Epson UST 4K projector will probably look better than the Optoma P1, but they are being marketed as a Projector and ALR screen combo and that will turn off some buyers. Also the Epson's throw distance is double the LG's and almost 1/3 more than the Optoma. For those looking at bottom dollar choices the Xiaomi Mijia UST 4k and VAVA projectors might be their better option ($2,000 & 2,600 respectively). However these two have substantial image quality downfalls.
So far it seems that Optoma P1 is the goldilocks choice for those seeking to purchase a 4k UST laser projector. I myself, will keep my current 65" 4k TV in my family room and my good old ceiling mounted Epson UB5040 in my Theater room. I am hoping that by 2021 model year I can afford to upgrade both, maybe even with a 4k UST projector.

This projector has not way for a third party to control the unit. There is no IR or RS-232 inputs, it does have Ethernet but there is no option for IP control. So as far as this projector being utilized in a home theater or an application where the end user would want to use an universal remote, it is not a good option.

After reading the review, I’m still a bit confused and if this is a good purchase or not. If the use is for a dedicated home theater where light can be controlled 100% in a dark room, would this be worth it? With the issues regarding contrast and black levels be negated then?