Vivitek HK2288 4K Projector Review – A Complete Overview

Shopping for projectors can be a headache. It is nice to know that there are many products in the marketplace to choose from. At the same time, this can make it hard for you to make a sensible decision: how can you be 100% sure that the product you’re considering is the best? Doing some research beforehand can be a great start in this view. This is what this Vivitek HK2288 review aims at doing – providing a comprehensive overview of the product.

The HK2288 projector could be described as a top-quality product, with a wide range of state-of-the-art features. Most importantly, it is one of the few products in the 4k-projector marketplace that fall within the $1,500 – $2,500 price range.

That being said, this projector might be a good option for people on a budget, who can’t afford to splurge on a more expensive unit. On the other hand, if you are very meticulous about the quality provided by your projector, you should probably consider another 4K projector.

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What unique features does the Vivitek HK2288 offer?

At the moment, the Vivitek HK2288 belongs to the category of fast-growing 4K DLP projectors. There’s a lot about the technology and performance that are impressive, to say the least. So, let’s have a closer look at some of the things that stand out.

Design and Build Quality

When it comes to HDR projection, people tend to focus on lens quality and brightness. Fortunately, this isn’t an issue with the HK2288. Measuring roughly 430mm W x 360mm D x 145mm H, you can easily mount it on a run-of-the-mill projector stand. In fact, you may also position it on a typical coffee table as it doesn’t take up too much space.

In terms of design, it is sleek and modern, meaning that it will easily fit into your living room or entertainment room. However, note that even if this video projector is versatile and will fit into any other room in your home, it’s still highly advisable to install it in a specially designated movie room.

Brightness

Now, let’s talk about the brightness specifications of this projector. In essence, being rated at specifically 2000 lumens, the bright factory calibration of the projector is good, for the most part. Nonetheless, it still features a green tint. What you have to do about this is to choose the factory default settings, namely in the User mode. In this way, the image quality you will get will be infinitely better by comparison, as you cut down the lumen output for an increased colour balance.

But, of course, this is entirely up to you and your preferences. You might need to test out different setting combinations to determine what works best for you.

Brightness Uniformity

Another element that is just as important as anything else when it comes to the quality of the image is the uniformity of the brightness. These kinds of details are the ones that make the difference between average and excellent projectors in the marketplace.

That being said, we have great news for you: the Vivitek HK2288score highly in the area of brightness uniformity. When the lens is at wide angle, then the uniformity reaches 79 percent, which is good. Meanwhile, the telephoto end reaches a solid 87 percent. You will most likely notice variations in uniformity on solid gray, white, as well as single colour test patterns.

Set-up

Is this unit difficult or easy to install? This is something you’ll need to think about before making a projector investment, especially if you’re not an expert at installing new equipment. In our experience –and many other users agree- the HK2288 is easy to set up. We consider this to be a user-friendly unit – one that can be installed by just about anyone.

That’s mainly due to its lens – featuring a 1.5x optical zoom, you can basically adapt its images to nearly any room size. At the same time, we could argue that the focus leveller in the proximity of the lens provides a high degree of control, which comes off as a major advantage if you were to ask us.

Please be mindful that things might get a tad bit complicated when you delve into the projector’s menus. You might find them quite cumbersome, as you cannot customize the picture settings. As we’ve mentioned earlier, if you want to get rid of the greenish hue on the HDR pictures, you’ll have to go to User mode.

There’s one more thing to bear in mind: even if you want to, you cannot entirely avoid going to the menus after having originally set up the device. That’s because each specific HDR movie benefits from different picture settings.

For example, if you were to use the basic normal HDR preset, most movies will look okay. However, if you’re looking for the ultimate darkroom SDR experience, then you should choose the movie setting with the brightness level adjusted to 51.

Performance

Whenever we review a projector, we make sure to highlight performance –and the Vivitek HK2288 is no exception. It’s fair to assume that every buyer wants to get a projector unit that will perform impeccably under different circumstances, providing an excellent movie watching experience. So, does this projector deliver this kind of performance or not?

Let’s put it this way: we didn’t have high expectations, considering the price range. But the Vivitek HK2288 was a pleasant surprise! Of course, there are many other 4K projectors that can boast better of having better performance. But the Vivitek HK2288 does considerably better than most within its price range.

When you choose the HDR mode, you will probably be as surprised as us at the image quality. Considering the affordability of the projector, the brightness of the pictures is excellent. To be honest, we’ve tested other, more expensive projectors on the marketplace whose visual performance is not as good as what you’ll get with the fairly affordable HK2288.

The consistency of the image quality is one of the strong points of this projector. Case in point – skin tones. When analyzing skin tones in images, we found that they looked natural and crisp. With other projectors that we have reviewed, the tones looked more artificial and distorted.

Another aspect worth mentioning is regarding the black levels of the projector. In this regard, its black levels aren’t as impressive as its brightness. We found some limitations here: for example, black seemed like grey sometimes. This isn’t an obvious flaw and most people wouldn’t notice, but we tend to look for these things when we write these reviews. At the same time, if you want to reduce the green tint – as we’ve pointed out in the beginning – the greyness of the image will be less evident.

Image Detail and Clarity

Now, let’s dive right into the specifics regarding the image detail and clarity of the device. Does this projector score well here, as well? Yes, without a doubt. Another strong point of this projector is its startling detail and clarity. The image texture, density and clarity definitely conform to the market standards for 4k-like image levels.

In comparison to its similarly-priced competitors, the image detail and clarity are outstanding, as they extend to every corner of the image. As for the rainbow effect, the single-chip DLP might issue stripes of blue, red and green over brighter parts of the image. But this happens in the case of highly-contrasted images. And even in those scenarios, the rainbow effect is fleeting, meaning that you have to look very carefully in order to actually notice it. Again, we notice these things because we write reviews.

On to the clipping issue, which is usually triggered by one or both of two elements. One, it could be due to the device’s incapability of maintaining the same brightness levels into the content. Two, there is the inappropriate remapping of extreme bright tones, which surpass the device’s brightness capabilities.

The good news here is that this projector provides you with the right tools to minimize the issue.

Meanwhile, the situation is easier and more straightforward with SDR images. Due to their much narrower brightness range, the device copes infinitely better with the image, providing a higher performance level.

That is to say, you won’t have to worry about clipping or anything of the kind. At this juncture, we should also point out that, in the case of SDR sources, the colours look vibrant and sharp. You will most likely notice a wide range of colour subtleties and the picture will look three-dimensional.

Noise Level

In spite of all the good things we’ve mentioned in this Vivitek HK2288 review, there are some departments in which the projector could have done better, performance-wise. One of these areas is that of the noise level. For example, if you were to choose the HDR-friendly Boost lamp mode, the unit might become a little too noisy. Let’s say loud enough for you to notice there’s a sound but not loud enough to be irritated by it. If you’re a healthy distance away from the projector, you will be fine.

Pros

• Excellent price-quality ratio
• Attractive design
• Versatile
• Perfect size
• Consistent HDR quality
• Good detail
• Decent colour palate
• Good motion processing

Cons

• The picture isn’t as vibrant as what you might be accustomed to if you’ve experienced other 4K projectors
• For better results, pre-movie adjustments might be needed
• In the case of bright picture areas, there is some clipping

Alternatives

After reading this Vivitek HK2288 review, you might still not be convinced whether this projector is right for you or not. It makes sense, though, as there’s no such thing as a product that will address everyone’s needs. It would be an exaggeration to claim that this projector is the perfect buy, as it comes with pros and cons alike.

With that in mind, what are some alternatives to this product you might want to consider? One that comes to mind is the Optoma UHD60, which looks much sharper when it comes to 4K sources and is also chilling in the affordable end of the 4K spectrum. It facilitates deeper black levels, which we’re sure 4K enthusiasts will deeply appreciate. But, as we mentioned before, the Optoma UHD60 isn’t perfect either. For one, it is not consistently watchable with HDR. We can also tell you it is prone to “rainbowing”.

On the other hand, if you’re willing to splurge a bit, perhaps the Epson TW9300 might be the perfect fit, as it is one of its primary rivals. Even so, it isn’t short of drawbacks, as the projector’s pictures aren’t that great, in terms of 4k image quality.

So, these are our two different alternatives to the Vivitek HK2288. If they don’t fit down your preferences, that’s completely okay. We have a guide that tells you how to pick the perfect projector for you and we have a detailed list of the best 4K projectors on the market. It’s a diverse marketplace, so keep searching until you find what fits you.

The Bottom Line

Let’s wrap this Vivitek HK2288 review by saying it’s an impressive buy in a number of ways. It is a well-built, high-quality projector featuring excellent 4K resolution. The definition is clear and sharp. The combination of saturation and brightness is on point. You can expect very limited rainbow artifacts.

Our goal with this review was to give you detailed information on the Vivitek HK2288 projector. Hopefully, we have managed to do that and you feel well-informed to make the best decision for you.