XGIMI brings the power for 4K projection into a portable package with the Horizon Pro; our latest Geek Pick of the Week!
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I’ve had the good fortune to be fairly familiar with XGIMI and their line of projectors over the last couple years. Their line of portable projectors bring both quality and convenience. Hell, I moved at the end of Summer and their Elfin projector (which was a Geek Pick from last year) has been my primary “TV” in the bedroom for months now.
Combining a fluid TV OS system with the ability for a massive screen (seriously, it’s like having an 80-inch TV in my bedroom), and it’s just as easy to setup while taking very little space to do so. It’s been great.
All this is to say, I probably won’t be talking too much about the software for their new Horizon Pro model. It’s essentially the same, utilizing the Android TV operating system, so you can download all your streaming apps and treat it like a Smart TV without having to connect anything to it in order to watch. It’s a simple system and having tried some other projector OS’, easily the best one no matter your tech savvy level. Nothing is different on that end, so let’s talk about what makes the Horizon Pro so awesome.
The Horizon Pro isn’t the company’s first foray into the world of 4K. Last year, they launched a short-throw 4K projector late which looked impressive, but was definitely designed to be a “stay in place” model for consumers. The Horizon Pro, however, takes the power of 4K and combines it with their ability to make things portable. The result is something ridiculously impressive.
It’s essentially a cube, but it’s not too bulky or heavy either. In fact, it’s compatible with XGIMI’s current projector tripod and doesn’t feel like it’s too big for it. So yeah, it’s certainly bigger than their other portable options, but certainly doesn’t impede moving it around either.
From the outset, everything about the Horizon Pro just feels…fancier. That seems like the best word to describe it. The unit itself is solidly built, with a sleek black exterior that can easily fit in with any decor. Even the remote has gotten a bit of an upgrade with a more durable, steel plate and a bit more weight in the hand. There’s no doubt this is a premium machine and it’s appearance/overall build reflects that.
Another important thing on this model, is it incorporates more connections on the back. There are two HDMI ports, two USB slots, Ethernet, 3.55mm audio jack, and an optical audio out option. Combine that with it’s wireless connection abilities, and there’s no shortage of ways you can enjoy movies, games, and TV shows.
It’s versatile in the options you have, and the best part, is it’s all plug-in play. Like their other portable options, picking up and moving the Horizon Pro somewhere else isn’t a hassle. Simply plug it in, point it where you want the screen to show, and that’s about it. The auto-keystone and zoom feature works wonderfully (yes, you can still manually adjust things), and can even detect the edges of a screen you’ve hung up, plus any obstacles that might be in the way. It will automatically conform to those without you having to do a thing.
About the only time this is a problem, is in how it will re-focus itself pretty much every time it’s moved/jostled. As someone with a five year-old running around, just about any bump into the table I had it propped up on meant I had to sit through its adjustment. It’s not terribly long, but after a few times it became annoying. Not really an issue with the device itself, but certainly something to consider when you’re figuring out where to place it.
Regardless, it couldn’t be easier to use. Sure, the very first time will require some setup between pairing the remote, connecting to WI-fi, and logging in to the Android TV OS. Once that’s done, however, it’s not something you really have to worry about much. It saves your info (like any device you use), so I was able to go from my bedroom to my backyard just by plugging it back in.
Best of all—in my opinion—it retains the side-projection functionality of their other models. This is where you can place it off to the side at an angle, and the keystone function still allows it to display the image properly. It allows a lot of freedom for where you can place it, so you can truly fit it just about anywhere you want.
Granted, doing so does have a bit of an impact on the picture quality. Nothing too drastic (the image was definitely still a better quality than the 1080p projector I was using before), but not as impressive as when it’s projecting dead-on towards a screen.
Speaking of picture resolution…the Horizon Pro is pretty damn fantastic. It’s 4K and able to project up to 200 inches! I would say the resolution wasn’t quite at the 4K level at that scale, but it’s still impressive nonetheless. The picture quality is achieved here thanks to packing in a 0.47-inch DLP chip with XPR fast pixel-switching technology, and a ridiculous amount of lumen power.
The Elfin projector (the one I’ve been using regularly) comes in around 800 ANSI lumens. It’s pretty solid and allowed me to watch most things without having to be completely in the dark. I could have a lamp on while reading and could still make out the image being projected.
The Horizon Pro comes in swinging with 2,200 ANSI Lumens; more than doubling the Elfin projector. It’s kind of insane to see it in action and the difference in the image quality was instantly apparent. The blacks on the image are super deep (not as deep as I get on my 4K TV, but still), and the colors all pop in great ways. I initially tested this out with a viewing of Dune in 4K followed up by some Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and I was blown away at the quality coming out of the projector.
And that’s not to mention the built-in 2 x 8 watt Harmon/Kardon speaker system. Being partially deaf in one ear, I normally don’t talk much about sound quality on the devices I review (unless it’s a headset), but I’m impressed with what the Horizon Pro can do.
Even on the lowest volume settings, the audio FILLS the room. It booms out from (almost) all sides of it’s cube shape, allowing for an immersive audio experience. Obviously, it’s not surround sound, but it does a great job imitating the thrill of it. Even when using it outside, the sound was crystal clear and easy to hear all the dialog, without NEEDING to connect it to an external speaker system to boost.
All in all, I’m super impressed with the Horizon Pro 4K projector. XGIMI has always had solid tech, but this model manages to take things to another level. It delivers the power of 4K combined with the ease of use/portability, of their other projectors. Between the quality of its build, the “fancier” nature, and overall versatility, if you’re looking to pick up a 4K projector for yourself or someone on your shopping list, you can’t go wrong with this one.
XGIMI’s Horizon Pro 4K projector is available now. It normally retails for $1,899, but if you get one right now directly from XGIMI you can get it for a discount at $1,399. You can also snag one from Amazon.
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