From JVC debuting its 8K e-shift home theater projector to Hisense bringing additional laser TVs to its lineup, there have been lots of developments in the projector market. It wasn’t too long ago that 1080p projectors were the best available to consumers. Now not only are 4K projectors easy to find, pricing isn’t too bad either when considering the amount of detail and screen real-estate you can get from them. While Optoma has many projectors in its lineup, the company has shown us today that it will continue to push the envelope in this arena with its announcement of 6 brand new offerings along with an upgrade to its recently released UH51A that we covered earlier this year.
Leading the pack, the Optoma UHL55 is clearly meant to be among the company’s flagship models. It sports 4K HDR, runs Android OS, and works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Touted as a compact projector, the form-factor of the UHL55 is more square-shaped than most when compared to the company’s popular 1080p models like the HD143X or HD27e. With measurements of 8.6- by 5.3- x 8.6-inches, the projector may be a bit taller than most, but it makes up for this by not being as wide.
“Adding to our line of industry-breaking 4K UHD voice assistant-compatible home theater projectors, we’re excited to introduce the Optoma UHL55 to consumers, which will allow them to take 4K content and voice innovation wherever they go,” said Brian Soto, head of product management.
Weighing in at 8.7 pounds, the UHL55 is on par with Viewsonic’s PX747-4K. Not a bad size at all when comparing with Optoma’s 11+ pound UHD50 and considering that the new offering packs compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant. The UHL55 is available today for pre-order at B&H for $1,599.
Some of the other compact projectors unveiled by the company include the LH150, LV130, and ML1050ST. Both the LH150 and LV130 are battery-powered options that offer 1,300 and 300 lumens of brightness, respectively. The LH150’s battery sports a 12,000mAh capacity in comparison to the LV130’s smaller 6,700mAh offering.
Despite the battery size difference, Optoma claims that users will get 2.5 hours of viewing time on the LH150 and a much more impressive 4.5 hours on the LV130. No doubt this is related to the trade-off of only 300 lumens of brightness. Both models can be pre-ordered at B&H with the LH150 being priced at $899 and the LV130 coming in at $279.
Optoma’s ML1050ST is a 1,000 lumen short throw projector that offers a 100-inch display when just a “few feet away” from a screen. The company touts that this projector is “small enough to fit in the palm of your hand”, making it a desirable option for those who reside in tighter living quarters. This model is available for order now at B&H for $649.
Rounding out the rest of the options are the GT5600, HD27HDR and UH51ALV. The GT5600 and HD27HDR are both 1080p projectors, but they offer much brighter images at 3,400 lumens for the GT5600 and 3,600 for the HD27HDR.
If any of Optoma’s new offerings are a bit underwhelming, it would be the UH51ALV. The only reason I say this is because it is not really “new”. It is simply a follow-up to the its UH51A that was released earlier this year. Even so, the upgraded model does benefit from higher brightness and richer colors, features that are always desirable in a projector.
The GT5600, HD27HDR and UH51ALV can be pre-ordered at B&H for $1,099, $649, and $1,799 respectively
While Optoma has not given specific ship dates for its new projectors, it anticipates that they will arrive by the end of September.
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