XGIMI Horizon Full HD Review: For Multi-Room Streaming
This projector opens up a whole new world for users, who in the past had to choose between high image quality, or a portable home theater — especially those on a budget. The XGIMI Horizon Full HD has a compact, lightweight design with an intuitive setup all of which makes it a perfect choice for room-to-room streaming. It combines very unique features of technology, rarely seen in any other projectors, into one easy-to-use, affordable device that is sure to impress even the most discerning home theater enthusiast.
This projector is a good fit for any cinema fanatic. Besides being affordable and highly portable, it has an incredibly fast startup, runs on Android TV 10.0, and has the most advanced screen adaptation technology in the market to offer you nearly lifelike picture quality on your screen and an easier setup process.
However, the input lag (when Game image mode is on/at 1080p/60Hz) is approximately 35ms which is a bit high for any competitive gaming, but quite good for all casual games with no noticeable lag.
But does this small projector live up to the performance of larger projectors? Let’s have a look at some of its unique features in this review to answer this question.
[amazon box = “B08WWMFFN6”]
Features of the XGIMI Horizon Full HD
Rated brightness of 2,200 ANSI lumens
This projector has a light output of nearly 2,200 lumens which allows you to enjoy bright images even in a dim environment. With this rated brightness, the Horizon Full HD can project images up to several meters away from the screen resulting in a crisp, clear picture.
Additionally, it uses an RGBB LED lamp source that can last 25,000 hours and requires minimal maintenance, if any, and never needs to be replaced depending on your usage. This projector is cost-saving in the long run when compared to other LED lamp-based projectors like the Optoma UHD38 which would need multiple replacements to reach the same number of hours.
However, because of the high light output and a rather small LCD panel, the projector may become quite hot during operation, so be sure to keep the vents clear so that it can keep itself cool. The projector incorporates an automatic fan cooling system that helps to keep it cool during operation at all times.
Intelligent Screen Adaptation Technology
The Intelligent Screen Adaptation (ISA) technology features automatic brightness calibration and an ambient light sensor that help keep the image quality of your video in focus even in a changing environment. With this feature, the projector can automatically adjust the white balance of your content to help you maintain these colors as you move around.
This is particularly useful for gaming and watching movies as ISA automatically helps you to adjust for any changes in ambient light or any other external factors that could affect the picture quality.
But, there’s more to XGIMI’s ISA technology. It combines auto keystone correction, autofocus, auto screen alignment, and obstacle avoidance. These features work harmoniously to simplify the user experience and setup process – “to ensure your display is always crisp, smooth, and uninterrupted.”
±40% Vertical and Horizontal automatic keystone correction
As we know, many projectors within and even beyond the price range of the Horizon Full HD only offer vertical keystone correction. This means that when you install your projector at an angle, the distortion at the top and bottom is adjustable but the distortion at the sides remains the same.
In Horizon Full HD, the distortion at the sides can also be corrected during installation to make sure that you get an undistorted picture anywhere in your room, regardless of where the projector is placed. Moreover, if the position of the projector changes, the keystone correction is automatically triggered.
Automatic focus and screen alignment
Many larger projectors have a complicated process to effectively set autofocus, align projector screen, and any other adjustments that you require even in low light. With the Horizon Full HD, it has intelligent autofocus plus an automatic screen alignment feature to help you keep your picture in focus and free of any air gaps or black areas in the corners.
The XGIMI Horizon Full HD is one of the first projectors to feature autofocus which enables you to output different content depending on where you mount it. The autofocus is very fast, light speed, delivering a clear picture display before users even realize it. This projector can be mounted anywhere from 8 – 10 feet of distance for a 100” screen, allowing you to project in different locations without worrying about image quality.
It is important to note that the Horizon Full HD is a standard throw projector although it’s on the shorter end of the range. Screen size ranges from 30” to 300”.
Automatic screen adjustment helps alleviate the aching process of adjusting the projection screen to the edge and corner.
XGIMI has done several thousand screen setup trials on various screen types. These trials are then used to develop its intelligent screen adjustment. So, you need not worry about this feature’s accuracy. Intelligent screen alignment automatically identifies the projector screen and matches it to the edges perfectly, eliminating the need for manual corner and edge adjustment.
Automatic detection of obstacles
This projector also includes an obstacle avoidance feature which is more useful than ever with its integrated motion sensor. In every room, there will be various obstacles, for example, wall cabinets, wall pictures, decorations, etc.
Intelligent obstacle avoidance detects such obstacles in its projection area, avoids the obstacles while finding a more suitable projection interface. This will save you a lot of time you’d spend manually adjusting the projection screen and also eliminate the need for moving such obstacles.
The projector can detect any external sources that may be prioritized and tuned to your preference: ceiling lights, lamps, ambient lights, and other interference sources. The intelligent learning system of this projector learns the characteristics of each and adjusts automatically so you can enjoy a clear and seamless picture.
You can learn more about Intelligent Screen Adaptation (ISA) technology here.
Native Full HD resolution
The XGIMI Horizon Full HD is a native Full HD projector that can output 1080p video in 1080p and 720p video in 720p (i.e. each frame of the video can be expressed as 1920×1080 or 1280×720 pixels). This means you can enjoy pictures with a wide dynamic range, sharp and vivid colors, and deep black levels.
You can watch 4K content, however, the 4K signal will be automatically downscaled to Full HD.
Intuitive Android TV streaming interface
The XGIMI Horizon Full HD uses an Android TV 10.0 operating system which allows you to do much more than just watch movies and TV shows. This Android 10 feature is so advanced you’ll never find it on another home theater projector.
It turns your projector into an entertainment hub that allows you to stream content from any of your devices. The navigation is intuitive, with a robust array of applications (5000+ Google Play apps).
The Horizon Full HD also comes with Google Assistant that has intuitive voice control. If you think that using Android TV would be difficult, don’t worry because the easy controls of this app are simple enough for you to use as soon as you turn it on. You can search for and play content very quickly and enjoy the features that come along with Google Assistant as well.
Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation (MEMC)
In the early days of high definition, motion estimation was introduced to resolve the motion blur problem. It was found that even at 1920×1080 resolution, it would need over a second to gather all the frames of a film and then decide if there is any blur. To overcome this problem, XGIMI Horizon Full HD comes with Motion Estimation with Motion Compensated (MEMC) technology.
MEMC technology is capable of detecting the amount of blur and compensates the film by adjusting the picture speed. This means that even if you are watching fast-moving content at over 100 FPS (frames per second), your video will not be blurry. The pictures are clean, crisp, and clear picture in any environment.
Portable and lightweight
Just like modern projectors, this projector is fairly compact. It has the following approximate dimensions 8.2 inches wide, 8.6 inches deep, and 5.4 inches in height. It weighs about 6.4lbs (2.6kg), and this means that it is quite easy to lift when you want to do some cleaning or move your theater to a different room.
Built-in Speakers
The Horizon features dual 8W built-in Harman Kardon speakers, DTS-HD & DTS Studio Sound, Dolby Digital compatibility. These features allow you to stream audio directly from your video source without the need for additional external speakers. The sound is fully supported by the stereo speakers with full-range frequency response. You can adjust the bass and treble using the built-in equalizer on this device.
Having looked at the features, does this projector have any limitations? Let’s compare the pros and cons to find out.
Pros of XGIMI Horizon Full HD
Fully integrated Android TV 10 for streaming
The Horizon Full HD is an Android 10 operating system that allows you to watch all your favorite movies, TV shows, and sports. It is a dockable Android 10 device, which means that it’s possible to download and launch the Google Play Store on the display.
This way you get lots of content that you can stream straight from online such as YouTube, Netflix, Hulu Plus, etc. What makes this projector so special is the fact that it has an Android 10 TV feature.
Very affordable and with a good warranty
Horizon full HD is one of the cheapest home theater projectors in the market with a reputable brand. It retails at about $1,100. It doesn’t go out of its way to overdo, you get exactly what you paid for and from a reputable brand.
XGIMI offers a one-year warranty against defects in materials and quality in regular and 180 days on accessories.
1080p resolution for 2D and 3D content
You can enjoy watching your movies or sports in 3D since XGIMI’s Horizon Full HD can output both 2D and 3D content at the same time with the native 1080p resolution. It can support 2D, 3D, and 4K signals depending on video formats and source content.
Versatility
The Horizon Full HD has a great versatility to be used as a home theater projector, an office projector, or for presentations and gaming.
Since the TV screen is fully integrated with your display, you don’t need to be concerned about how to hang the screen. This makes it easier for you to install this and enjoy your favorite movies and sports with a clear picture.
Cons of XGIMI Horizon Full HD
The lamp is too dim for bright viewing areas
The lamp produces a relatively low brightness of only 2,200 lumens. It is not bright enough to project pictures clearly in brightly lit rooms.
4K content is downgraded to Full HD
The native resolution of the Horizon Full HD is 1,920×1,080. That is why it can only play 1080p content and the reason why 4K content is downscaled to that resolution. You will get a picture with a sharp and clear picture but not with a high dynamic range.
Here are some of our recommended alternatives if, in any case, you were dissatisfied with the limitations this projector has to offer.
Alternatives
If you’re looking for a 4K projector, for an additional $500, you can get the Horizon Pro. XGIMI Horizon Pro offers native 4K resolution which is a significant improvement over the Full HD sibling. With 4K resolution, the dynamic range is much better and this means that you will get a noticeably sharper picture for all your favorite content.
Optoma UHD38 is another alternative worth considering, especially for those who are looking for low-budget gaming projectors. The UHD38 has an incredibly ultra-low input lag (4.2ms) which is efficient for competitive and fast-paced games. Besides, it supports 4K resolution and has a higher rated brightness (4,000 ANSI lumens) than Horizon full HD at $1,300.
Conclusion
The Horizon Full HD is designed to perfectly work in any light-controlled room, at any time of day. It puts its intelligent adaptation technology to work to produce the best image quality and an easy installation process. You can adjust the picture quality to match your preference and the room you are using. In other words, this projector carries all the new trends in home theater and entertainment. The picture quality is as good as it gets, and the market price is more than reasonable.