First Projector with Dolby Vision! Xgimi Horizon Ultra 4K Review
The Horizon Ultra is a new true 4K projector and the first long throw projector to feature Dolby Vision. Not only that, it is (at the time of this review) the most accurate projector I have had on my test bench when it comes to color reproductions. Add in the fact, it is also one of the easiest projectors to set up, the Horizon Ultra has become the best bargain projector on the market.
Features and Specs
Product Classification:
Home Projector
Light Source:
Dual Light (LED+Laser)
Display Technique:
DLP
Display Chip:
0.47” DMD
Supported Formats:
HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision
Brightness:
2300 ISO Lumens
Standard Resolution:
3840 x 2160 pixels
Expected Lamp Life:
25000h
Lens:
High Light Transmission Coated Lens
3D:
3D (Top and Bottom(Including Frame Packing) & Side by Side)
Latency:
Game mode ≤ 18ms (AK off)
MEMC:
Yes
ISA 3.0 Technology:
Uninterrupted Auto Keystone Correction
Uninterrupted Auto Focus
Intelligent Screen Alignment
Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance
Intelligent Eye Protection
Wall Color Adaption
Optical Zoom:
Yes
Throw Ratio:
1.2-1.5:1
Projection Method:
Front, Rear, Front Ceiling, Rear Ceiling
Image Size:
40” – 200”
Speaker:
2 x 12W Harman/Kardon
DTS-HD:
Yes
DTS-Studio Sound:
DTS-Virtual: X
Dolby Audio:
Yes
Dolby Digital (DD):
Yes
Dolby Digital Plus (DD+):
Yes
RAM:
2GB
Storage:
32GB
System:
Android TV™ 11.0
Mirroring Display:
Chromecast built-in/Airscreen
WiFi:
Wifi 6 Dual-band 2.4/5GHz, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 4
Bluetooth:
Bluetooth 5.2/BLE
Input Ports:
DC x 1
HDMI x 1, HDMI (EARC Supported) x 1
USB x 2
LAN x 1
Output Ports:
Headphone x 1 (3.5mm)
OPTICAL x 1
Noise Level:
<28dB@1m
Power Dissipation:
<300W
Power:
AC100~240V,50/60Hz, adapter 19V 15.79A
Product Size (H x W x D):
10.5 x 8.9 x 6.7 inches
Product Weight:
11.5 lbs
Get 5% Off – HUYET2COME1
Calibration Settings
These are the calibration settings I used on the Horizon Ultra a completely light controlled room using a 100″ DIY screen using material by Seymour AV. You can watch how I made the screen here. All of the settings were changed under the custom setting. There are two places to go for the settings. The main settings are under the custom display settings. The rest will be found under the main menu – all settings – projector settings. If you do not see a setting in the pictures below, it was not changed. I do have environment Adaption on, but the reference of the iris is set at 6.
Test Results
These are the test results of the Horizon Ultra. The test results were taken in a light controlled room with the Display Cal Plus colorimeter
When we look at these results, we are trying to get out Delta error to be as close to 3 or under. Under 3 is imperceptible to the human eye. Meaning any color with a delta error under 3, when the display displays that color it will look like the exact color it is supposed to. The Horizon Ultra did a fantastic job in my test environment with Delta Errors after calibration around 1.7 to 1.8. That is unheard of in a projector in this price range.
Subjective Thoughts
The Horizon Ultra is by far the best bang for the buck projector that I have come across. It is a true 4K projector and currently the only long throw projector that utilizes Dolby Vision. This is considered a lifestyle projector and for good reason. it is easy to setup has really great brightness and doesn’t weight a lot. Meaning it can fit just about any lifestyle, whether that is for a bedroom projector, outdoor or even a dedicated theater projector. Heck it can even adapt the colors for you to display it on any color wall! The Horizon Ultra picture quality blew me away, and I strongly encourage you to watch the video review where you can see shots that I took of the picture quality of the Horizon Ultra. The picture, especially on bright scenes absolutely blew me away. It had TV quality picture from a very reasonably priced projector.
Things got even better when I turned on Dolby Vision. The Dolby Vision was perfect and an absolute game changer for long throw projectors. With the ability to dynamically change the color and contrast from scene to scene, it blows away other projectors (which currently is all other projectors, even those priced significantly higher). This is due to the fact, that they do not have Dolby Vision and cannot dynamically change the color and contrast from scene to scene like the Horizon Ultra can.
Having said that, this projector is not perfect. Even though it can get extremely bright, it still lacks the contrast you would get in much more expensive projectors. This leads to very dark scenes bleeding together and loss of detail in the shadows. You can turn up the brightness to help a little, but in general, in this price range, that is something you will have to deal with no matter the projector you buy.
My final thought on the Horizon Ultra is that you can’t getter a better value projector right now. The 4K, is truly amazing, and I really enjoy seeing things I never saw before. But above all else, the color accuracy, ease of use and most of all the addition of Dolby Vision, has sprung this ahead of all other projectors in this price range.
Responses