While most people have a TV in their living room, you won’t find one in mine. Instead, I lean towards DLP projectors due to their versatility as home entertainment systems and variable size mobile displays.
The choice to give up the TV was an easy one for me because I don’t spend much time at home, and besides, taking the TV with me to a friend’s house or on a camping trip wouldn’t be as practical as packing a little box that I can shine. on almost any flat surface and adjust the screen size accordingly.
XGIMI Horizon Pro
XGIMI Horizon Pro is my top pick for DLP protection as it delivers amazing image quality with enough brightness to be used in both day and night. If you’re looking for something to immerse your family in the best movie or gaming experience you’ve ever had, read on as I share the highlights of this beast.
Image quality
I have owned and used several portable DLP projectors over the years, covering the HD video spectrum from 480p to 1080p, varying degrees of light output, and some are more portable than others, but the Horizon Pro takes over as it cranks out superbly built-in 4K UHD support in an acceptably portable package.
It’s important to note here that the Horizon Pro natively supports a 4K UHD projector, not a 4K capable HD 1080p projector. You’ll find plenty of the latter on Amazon and elsewhere, but the image quality won’t be as good as a natively capable 4K UHD DLP projector like the Horizon Pro due to hardware limitations.
While the Horizon Pro kills it with amazing picture quality for movies and TV shows, I enjoy playing with the Nintendo Switch using the Horizon Pro. The 60Hz refresh rate and low latency with MEMC frame interpolation to reduce motion blur do not disappoint. These features slide across any day to day use you may be using.
Horizon Pro can generate an image with a maximum size of 200 inches and a resolution of 3840×2160 pixels. The throw ratio is rated at 1.2:1, and this is important to keep in mind because this figure determines how far the projector must be from the projection surface for an image of a certain size.
Autofocus and auto keystone correction come standard on the Horizon Pro, both of which are vital to keeping images sharp and reducing distortion at angles. Autofocus occurs in seconds and creates a sharp image. Manual configuration is not required but is available if you wish. An obstacle avoidance feature is also built in, which detects objects such as picture frames or windows and projects around them instead of over them to maintain image quality.
While Horizon Pro supports 3D movie projections, I don’t use it regularly and haven’t tested it. I don’t even have a pair of 3D glasses.
Brightness
An important consideration when choosing a DLP projector is the brightness rating as it affects how visible the image will be day or night. Generally, the higher the ANSI Lumen rating, the better, and the Horizon Pro delivers a whopping 2200 ANSI Lumens.
Built-in AI automatically adjusts brightness based on ambient light, so the projector can be efficient when needed and energy efficient when possible. The projector also uses HDR10 technology to make bright and dark colors visible to the eye.
Few DLP projectors, such as those from BenQ and Nebula, come close to the 2,000 lumens brightness we find in the Horizon Pro, which is exactly what you need if you plan to use the projector in a room with normal lighting during the day and at night without having to close blinds and curtains during the day.
If you plan on using the Horizon Pro as an outdoor projector, as I sometimes do, it’s important to note that even 2200 ANSI lumens won’t outshine the sun. It works best after sunset and especially after sunset, with or without a projector screen. Ambient lighting is fine in most cases as 2200 ANSI Lumens can outshine the softest lighting.
One downside to DLP projectors in general is that darker colors can appear more gray and washed out, and this is especially noticeable if your eyes are used to the bright colors of mini-LED and OLED displays such as those used in the latest models. iPhone, iPad and MacBook. Pros These days, even some of the more expensive TVs feature OLED displays, but unfortunately you won’t get the same rich blacks from projectors as the Horizon Pro due to the way they work.
Ports, I/O and Features
The Horizon Pro comes with a bunch of I/Os on the back, including the following:
- 2 HDMI ports
- 2 USB-A ports
- 1x optical audio port
- 1 Ethernet LAN port
- 1x 3.5mm headphone jack/audio port
- 1x DC power port
The first of the two HDMI ports on the back of the device supports ARC, a standard that integrates audio into the same connector, so you don’t have to run a separate audio wire. The second HDMI port does not support ARC, so you will need to use an audio cable if you are using that instead. This gives you the option to use copper or fiber for the audio, which can be useful depending on your audio setup.
With USB ports, you can play media from flash drives or hard drives, which you can access through the media viewer app on the pre-installed Android TV 10.0 operating system. In addition to ports, the Horizon Pro has built-in dual-band 2.4/5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0/BLE. However, if you prefer to work wirelessly and stream content on the Horizon Pro, you can certainly go this route.
If using external speakers isn’t your forte, you’ll be happy to know that the Horizon Pro features two built-in 8W speakers from Harman Kardon that immerse the entire room in surround sound. I have used these speakers both indoors and outdoors and have never been disappointed in either environment.
Controls
The Horizon Pro device includes a premium infrared remote control in an aluminum housing that allows you to control the following functions:
- Turn the device on or off
- Quick access to settings
- Google Voice Assistant Activation
- Navigation and selection of interface elements
- Come back
- Switching to the main screen
- Adjusting the volume level up or down
- Focus setting
- And more…
The remote uses two AAA batteries and is unfortunately not rechargeable, though we wish it could accommodate similarly sized remotes like the one I use for my Apple TV 4K.
The Horizon Pro also has touch buttons on the top of the device itself to turn the projector on and off, adjust the volume up and down, and play or pause content.
Design
Measuring 8 inches wide, 8 inches long, and 5 inches deep, the Horizon Pro is somewhat compact given its capabilities. It also only weighs 6.4 pounds, so you won’t break your back moving it around. Considering the large power brick that comes with the Horizon Pro, you’ll get around £11 if you plan on taking the whole box with you.
If you’re taking the Horizon Pro out of the house, you may need a protective carrying case because it doesn’t have a carrying handle and no lens window cover to protect it from damage. We offer a carrying case with separate compartments so that you can store the power supply with the projector so that none of these parts rub against each other during transport.
It’s also worth noting that the Horizon Pro doesn’t have a battery, so you’ll need constant power. While you can use an external battery to power the Horizon Pro, not just any small battery will do; you’ll need a large one that can handle high power consumption for extended periods of time and supports a three-prong US power cord.
The anti-slip feet on the bottom of the Horizon Pro allow you to place it on a table and start projecting. Otherwise, you can use the ¼”tripod mount at the bottom to screw on your favorite tripod or projector mount and mount it in your preferred location in the room or environment.
Software
Many modern smart projectors run some version of Android TV, and the Horizon Pro is no different. It runs version 10.0 and provides many entertainment, information and streaming applications on the Google Play Store.
The Google Play Store is noticeably missing the Netflix app, which unfortunately is not available due to licensing by Netflix. It is possible to download a modified version of the Netflix app, but many users report mixed success in managing the app. Because of this, it’s best to run Netflix on your phone or computer and instead use AirPlay or HDMI to play on a projector.
My thoughts on XGIMI Horizon Pro
Using the XGIMI Horizon Pro was nothing short of a blast. I could buy a more or less decent TV, but then I wouldn’t have the portability and versatile screen size options that the projector experience provides. So the choice for me was obvious – however, to each his own.
XGIMI wasn’t a secondary choice either; iDB was previously impressed with the XGIMI brand so I looked it up as one of the first places and I’m happy I did.
When testing Horizon Pro, I noted both positive and negative points of experience, which I will share below:
Pros:
- Extremely detailed picture and excellent sound quality
- High lumen rate for various lighting conditions
- Auto focus and easy image adjustment
- Tons of I/O for any home theater or mobile setup
- Tripod and tripod compatibility
- Great choice for gaming
Minuses:
- No carrying handle or case to transport the device
- No lens cap to protect against damage
- Remote not rechargeable
How to get
Projectors aren’t cheap devices, but the Horizon Pro is priced to compete with some of the best $2-4k projectors you can use for a home theater setup and works just as well. In fact, it delivers crystal-clear picture quality whether you prefer TV-sized projection or cinematic-style projection, and is a delight in every way.
The Horizon Pro often sells on Amazon for $1,699 with free Prime shipping, but we always tend to see one-click coupons that offer deeper discounts, so it’s a good item to add to your list and keep an eye on. In fact, the most recent coupon at the time of this writing lowers the retail price by a whopping $425 – about 33%. Alternatively, you can pick up one from XGIMI directly, also at a 33% discount, however delivery may be slower than on Amazon Prime.
And don’t forget to do yourself a favor if you purchase the Horizon Pro and get a bag to store and transport it. We can’t stress this enough as you want to protect your investment when not in use.
While TVs are great, they’re not ideal for those who want to take their display with them. Projectors like the Horizon Pro are great for meetings, outdoor viewing, and gaming on giant screens that are larger than standard TV sizes. Of all the projectors I have ever used to date, the XGIMI Horizon Pro is my favorite and I don’t think you will be disappointed if you try it.