XGIMI Horizon PRO Review: An All-round 4K Home Theater
Nothing beats the feeling of watching 4K content in its native resolution without having to worry about picture quality loss, or, having to lug around a heavy and fragile projector. XGIMI Horizon PRO 4K projector delivers on both fronts.
XGIMI has taken the traditional home theater projector, stripped it down to its bare essentials, and given you the best of both worlds: a slim, lightweight machine that can project onto any surface with brilliant clarity in 4K resolution for a fraction of the price of other projectors on the market. This portable 4K Ultra HD projector was intelligently designed to meet the needs of an active, mobile lifestyle, and to provide an immersive cinematic experience.
This is enough reason for any cinema enthusiast to be interested in getting the Horizon PRO. The only difference, when compared to its counterpart (the Horizon Full HD) is the 4K picture projection, however, it shares other in-house features the Horizon Full HD has, such as the Android TV platform. Besides, Horizon Pro has an HDR display of a wide color gamut. With HDR display you can enjoy your favorite movies with enhanced colors and contrast.
When it comes to gaming, the Horizon PRO won’t give you the best experience you’re looking for. Its input lag hovers around 35ms which is relatively higher than the recommended lag. Let’s dive into its features to see if it is worth buying this projector today.
[amazon box = “B0967XXVH2”]
Features of XGIMI Horizon PRO
Native 4K Resolution
Horizon Pro brings you the highest 4K image quality with ultra HD (3840 by 2160) resolution. Its greatly improved detail and stunning picture quality are sure to give you a great home entertainment experience up to a screen size of 300-inch.Plus, the 4K display has a wide viewing angle and natural color reproduction so you don’t need to worry about viewing angle, resulting in an even more comfortable viewing experience.
The HDR display of Horizon PRO can project a wider color gamut and an overall richer cinematic experience. The HDR display handles the brightness and contrast ratios similar to what filmmakers and movie directors intended, so it can reproduce accurate image content to deliver a more lifelike viewing experience.
Includes an Intelligent Screen Adaptation Technology (ISA)
Horizon PRO’s integrated AI will certainly make your experience and setup process a breeze. This integrated adaptation AI enables this projector to adapt to its environment by automatically adjusting the brightness and contrast ratio of the picture. Likewise, it can detect obstacles in its projection areas and calculate what it thinks is the ideal projection area and picture size.
ISA technology combines auto keystone correction, autofocus, auto screen alignment, and obstacle avoidance to give you an amazing experience in every situation.
Automatic keystone correction
The Horizon Pro’s keystone correction ensures that the image shown will be the same size at all angles regardless of its location in the room. It does this by automatically adjusting the horizontal and vertical distance between each projected point and its base to maintain an accurate picture at all times.
The projector will quickly find and neatly align the picture on a dedicated projector screen once it detects it. Otherwise, the Horizon PRO after every automatic attempts will drop to manual keystone correction to allow you to position the screen where you want it to. It can adjust an image clearly with a keystone correction of + 40 degrees on a horizontal and vertical axis.
Automatic focus
Autofocus technology makes it easier for you to position your projector. It will automatically adjust the screen focus for you so that you can enjoy a clearer and bright image every time.
Autofocus utilizes the ISA’s spatial algorithms to accurately measure the distance between the projector and the screen which allows it to focus a clear and crisp image on the screen based on this information while working in conjunction with auto keystone correction.
Automatic screen alignment
The Horizon PRO projector’s automatic alignment capabilities allow you to enjoy a perfectly aligned image every time after turning it on. Not only is it able to self-position, but it can also align images automatically and securely while in operation. It will make sure there won’t be any misalignment or shaking of photos or films no matter how many times they are played back.
The Intelligent screen alignment also automatically identifies the projector screen and matches it to the edges perfectly, eliminating the need for manual corner and edge adjustment.
Obstacle avoidance for easy setup
Horizon PRO can clearly display images up to a screen size of 300-inch. That’s a big screen and there’s a high probability it will detect obstacles, like a flower vase, in its projection area when turned on.
Unlike traditional projectors, Horizon Pro will not just stop and shut down. Instead, it is designed to avoid obstacles and continue projecting a picture.
The advanced obstacle detection system will scan the projection area for any obstacles in its path and move the projected images away to help you enjoy your cinematic experience.
Note: This detection process usually takes less than 10 seconds upon first boot up.
Great Multimedia Packages – Android TV, Google Play, and HDMI Portability
The Horizon PRO 4K is compatible to display 4K movies, photos, and videos. It comes with many multimedia applications such as YouTube, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max to name a few.
Furthermore, you have the option of using the Google Play Store to get applications that are compatible with its pre-installed Android TV platform. The Horizon Pro runs Android TV 10.0, which some prefer over the newer Google TV-inspired UI that sometimes favors promoted content over your own. It also comes with a built-in Chromecast to stream content from supported applications like Netflix directly to this home theater.
The Horizon PRO takes HDMI video signal and audio signal with it wherever you go. This allows you to use the projector as your main media player whenever and wherever you want to in the most convenient, comfortable manner possible. It comes with a USB port that allows you to connect any external devices such as hard disks, flash drives, digital cameras, or other devices with HDMI output.
You can easily connect the project to a TV set or other devices like Blu-ray players, cable boxes, or video game consoles using an HDMI interface for making adjustments quickly and conveniently.
A built-in Wi-Fi interface
You can connect your Horizon PRO wirelessly via Wi-Fi for seamless access to different files at home and thus an improved multitasking experience. You can stream all your favorite media from Netflix, YouTube, and more! There are no long cables to deal with as well. The only disadvantage is it lacks newer Wi-Fi 6 support, however, it can stream 4K HDR content without issue when connected at 5GHz in a nearby access point.
Compatible with HDR10 and HLG
HDR10 is a standard supported by all of the major streaming services and it provides a high level of contrast and dynamic range. It lets you see more detail in the shadows and the bright areas and delivers more saturated lifelike colors.
HLG, on the other hand, was developed for live broadcast and supports higher peak brightness and gamma levels that deliver brighter images without compromising contrast.
Excellent brightness at 2,200 ANSI lumens
The Horizon PRO is a bright projector that is not only able to project an image directly on your wall but also utilizes its light engine to add brightness and contrast to the images. It can reach a bright 2,200 ANSI lumens with plenty of light from its integrated LED lamp.
In a fairly ambient-lit room, you can expect a brightness closer to 2,200 ANSI Lumens. The black level isn’t so great in a darkened room, however, the projected image will still be bright. One of the best features of the Horizon PRO 4K is its variable color temperature. Whether you want a cooler or warmer image at night, you can adjust it easily using the remote control for your comfort.
An advanced remote control unit
The Horizon PRO 4K comes with an advanced remote control unit that lets you adjust the volume, play, pause, and fast forward. Other functions like input selection, zoom, rotate, color temperature correction is also included in the remote control. All the major features can be enabled by pressing the dedicated buttons on the remote, so you don’t have to hunt for them in the menu. The menu with different projection modes can also be accessed by pressing and holding the middle button, which acts as a shortcut button to quickly jump to various sections of the menu.
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 PRO
Longer lamp life
Horizon PRO LED lamp has a lifespan of 25,000 hours which would for a longer period with minimal maintenance and replacement needed.
Portable, boots fast, easy to set up
The Horizon PRO weighs only 6.39lbs, which is less than half the weight of most traditional LCD and DLP projectors. This makes it easy and convenient to bring anywhere you go, making it the perfect projector for home theater lovers that are always on the go!
It can be mounted anywhere; on the Front, rear, floor, table, tripod, wall, ceiling. It boots up and displays its home screen in 6 seconds which can get you watching content quickly as possible.
Provides clear sound using a built-in speaker
The integrated speaker allows you to enjoy your favorite video content on the go without any hassle or need for too many devices. You can control and adjust the volume using the remote control unit with ease. It’s a relatively quiet projector with a noise level of around 30dB, but that isn’t enough to avoid fan noise when seated near the projector.
Cons of XGIMI Horizon PRO
Lamp light leaks with extreme keystone
The lamp light leaks when using extreme keystone which can cause image distortion. A distorted image wouldn’t be ideal for viewing when using keystone and correcting it further can be a hassle.
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.
The contrast could be better but is still pretty decent
The black level is not so great even when the room is dark. The images lack a deep visual depth, however, the screen can still be bright enough for most use cases. The color quality could be better, it is not as vibrant as a DCI-P3 panel and could benefit from some improvements.
If you’re still not convinced that this projector is for you, here are some alternatives worth considering.
Alternatives
For $699 less, you can get the XGIMI Horizon Full HD with similar features, but you will lose the 4K advantage the Horizon PRO has on the Horizon Full HD. As the name suggests, it displays Full HD (1080p) content, but it also accepts 4K input although the images are downscaled which can compromise picture fidelity. Otherwise, it is a good choice for those on a strictly low budget who wants a nearly similar experience with the Pro version.
You can also go for the LGHU70LAB projector. It is affordable and while it nearly maintains the Horizon PRO features, it delivers a good color accuracy that most people will find acceptable for both full HD and 4K content.
Conclusion
XGIMI claims that Horizon PRO is a smart projector that blends with any lifestyle. We agree. The projector’s compact size, minimalistic design, and 4K Ultra-HD capability allow for a smooth cinema experience, easy setup process, and placement anywhere in a space. It also has a bright lamp with a long lifespan, which is important to amateur and professional projectionists who don’t want to spend time or money on frequent maintenance. While the keystone distortion could have been better, the Horizon PRO has virtually no visibility of light leakage.