I’m not exactly an expert on TVs and displays, but I chose a high-end TV for my living room to get the best possible experience when it comes to immersiveness, brightness, and color accuracy. But now I’ve had the chance to try something different: a 4K projector from XGIMI. I’ve been using the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K for the past month and I must say it’s quite impressive.
TV or projector
Before I go into the details, I think it’s important to talk about some key differences between a TV and a projector.
For most people, TVs are certainly the first choice when it comes to home entertainment. They’re easy to install and simple to use. Projectors, on the other hand, are more complicated. They require a dedicated space, darker environment, and likely an external sound system too. Not to mention that setting up a projector can be quite complicated.
But despite that, a projector can make your entertainment experience much more fun and immersive. You have the freedom to project a screen the size of your TV, or something more like a movie theater. There’s also the fact that you can take a projector with you anywhere. It’s certainly a matter of personal preference.
With that in mind, here’s what it’s been like using one of the best 4K projectors in my living room.
XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K: packaging and design
This was my first contact with an XGIMI product, and their packaging certainly reflects how premium the product is. This also applies to the design of the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K itself. It could easily be an Apple product.
The projector has a rectangular shape and is not exactly compact. It measures 170 x 265 x 224 mm and weighs 5.2 kg. However, the body of the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K is covered in beige synthetic leather, which gives the product a nice, soft feel. On the front, there’s the speaker grille and a fabric-covered panel that protects the lens when the projector is off.
Overall, the design of the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K made it look like part of my home decor, not just a high-end projector.
In the box, you’ll also find a large power supply and a full-size remote control made of metal.
Setting it up is easier than you think
Again, setting up a projector can be quite tricky. However, the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K has smart features to make the process seamless.
I still don’t have a proper place for a projector in my apartment, so I was worried about whether my big white wall in my living room would be enough to use it. Luckily, the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K is able to detect the environment and apply the best settings to it.
As soon as you turn it on, the autofocus and keystone correction systems quickly adjust the image before you use the projector. Of course, you can manually adjust these settings, but the auto settings work great in my experience. Even when the projector isn’t pointed straight at the wall, the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K can tilt the image to make it look perfect.
And the best part is, the project detects when you move it to automatically readjust the focus and keystone correction. In addition, the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K also chooses the best color calibration and brightness level for the environment.
Stunning image quality
I’m already used to 4K content on my TV, but having that resolution on a projector is incredible. Here, I’ve placed my XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K about 11 feet from a white wall. The image is sharp, and everything on the screen is rich in detail.
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K also supports Dolby Vision content, which is brighter and has more vivid colors. And Dolby Vision on the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K also works with compatible external devices, such as Apple TV, via the HDMI port. In addition, the projector has Dual Light technology that combines LED and laser for increased brightness.
More specifically, this projector has a rated brightness of 2,300 ISO lumens. But what does all this mean in practice?
Again, I don’t have a proper projection screen, which helps to enhance the experience by providing a neutral surface for projection, resulting in better contrast and colors. But even on a plain white wall, the image from the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K is quite good. The colors are vibrant enough and the brightness level is awesome for a dark environment.
I could really see the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K shine with super colorful videos. Darker tones will look more grayish, however, if you don’t have a projection screen – so keep that in mind.
What about using the projector during the day or in a room without blackouts? Well, it works, but the colors will look a bit less vivid (unless you place the projector closer to the wall). If you’re planning to buy a projector, you’ll probably want to have a dedicated space for it.
Great built-in speakers
With the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K, you don’t have to worry about connecting external speakers to it, because the projector has its own speakers – and they’re quite good. Inside, there are two 12W speakers each from Harman Kardon with DTS Sound technology for a surround experience. But do they really replace a dedicated sound system?
Well, it depends. Again, the speakers are pretty good, much better than the built-in speakers on most Smart TVs or even a pair of HomePod mini. They’re loud and have decent bass, while Virtual DTS does a decent job of simulating 3D sound. For a small room, the experience is super decent.
But in a large living room, you’ll probably want to use the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K with a home theater system – which you can. In my case, since I’m using an Apple TV connected to the projector, my sound system is a pair of HomePods 2 (which I think sound better than the built-in speakers).
It has its own apps, but…
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K runs Android TV, which is great in theory as it means you can use the projector without having to plug a computer or other device into it. And Android TV is a nice operating system since it has a lot of popular apps like the Apple TV app, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube. But unfortunately, things aren’t that good in reality.
The projector is equipped with just 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. While the storage is fine for a device like this (and you can connect external storage via USB), the amount of RAM is too low for running apps smoothly, and the experience of using Android apps ends up being frustrating most of the time.
For instance, it takes a few seconds to open apps like YouTube and Disney+, and 4K video playback in these apps is quite sluggish. Browsing the home screen and using the Play Store to download new apps also results in unexpected crashes.
So yes, the system and the apps are there, but using them requires a lot of patience. It’s better to simply use a computer or an Apple TV via the HDMI port. By the way, Netflix is not officially available for XGIMI projectors, so keep that in mind.
More tidbits on XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K provides two HDMI ports (one of which supports eARC), two USB-A ports, and an Ethernet port. You can also output audio through a 3.5mm jack or optical audio port. When it comes to wireless connectivity, it features Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
For gamers, the XGIMI projector has a Game Mode that reduces latency to 18ms. I played a few games with my Nintendo Switch connected to the HORIZON Ultra 4K and the experience was a lot of fun with no drawbacks.
Should you buy an XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K?
If you want to take your home entertainment experience to the next level and have a proper place to put a projector, the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K is certainly worth it.
Watching movies or even a concert like Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour with a 4K projector is much cooler and more immersive than on my TV – especially when I have guests at home. I feel like I have my own movie theater in my living room.
The projector has some flaws, such as the poor experience with the built-in Android TV, but what matters most here is the image quality, and here the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K excels.
You can buy the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra 4K for $1,699. It’s not exactly cheap, but that’s what you’d pay for a high-end Smart TV.
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