Every image mode out of the box is very blue, which causes magenta to be more of a purple. The closest to the target 6500K white point that the Horizon Pro gets (without adjusting the white balance) is in Custom image mode with color temperature set to warm, and it's still slightly blue at around 7000K. With my Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays, an X-rite i1 Pro 3 spectrophotometer, and a Murideo Six-G pattern generator, I was able to get the white balance to 6500K by using the RGB sliders that are available with a custom color temperature. My settings were Red 49, Blue 21, and Green 30, but only use those as a starting point and don't expect them to get the exact same results as product samples vary. The color temperature adjustment also fixed the magenta color point that, under all the other image settings, was far too purple (although it was still a little oversaturated, as was blue and red). Brightness (light output) will vary depending on usage conditions. White light output measured in accordance with ISO 21118. The nominal value represents the average value of mass production and is tested under ideal laboratory conditions in the performance mode/high power mode. This is an Android TV projector, so the initial set up requires a Google account, with out one you can't use the pj. I think Xgimi took a good deal of care in the hardware and software design, it takes thoughtful engineering to make something this complicated work well and easy to use. It feels like they are aiming at the finesse and polish of an Apple product, and they are very close. If you want 4K now, the Xgimi Horizon Ultra is worth a close look. Compared with our top-choice BenQ GP500, it provides easier initial setup along with roughly equivalent streaming and auto setup tools when moving from one spot to another. It's also the only one with an Ethernet connector and, more important, Dolby Vision for sources that support it. However, it didn't handle dark scenes with HDR10 input as well as the GP500 did in our tests.

As good as HDR is, the projector’s maximum brightness of 2200 ANSI lumens means that there isn’t enough brightness to present a true HDR experience. You miss out on the searing highlights that more expensive projectors or the best TVs bring. The XGIMI HORIZON projector boasts impressive brightness levels that make it a powerhouse for indoor use. It delivers vibrant, clear images that truly bring my favorite movies and shows to life. While it may struggle a bit in direct sunlight, it's an absolute star in well-lit indoor environments. The throw distances above are estimations and may differ in actual usage scenarios. Adjustments required are based on your specific living space dimensions and conditions. Most portable projectors sacrifice resolution and brightness to keep their size down, but the XGIMI Horizon is different. This model drops the battery in favour of a larger body, better built-in speakers and higher brightness. This projector includes automatic focus and keystone correction. Place the projector where you want it, and it will automatically configure the screen to get you a square, in-focus picture. There’s no lens-shift, so if you want to avoid keystone correction, you should use a tripod to get the Horizon at the correct height.It powers on and boots into Android TV in about 45 seconds, or less than five seconds from standby.

There are only four buttons on the top of the projector—power, volume up, volume down, and play—and aside from the power button their functionality isn't mentioned anywhere in the documentation that comes with the projector or found online. This reinforces the fact that the remote is an absolute necessity to control the Horizon. By itself, the Horizon Pro functions well as a stand-alone Bluetooth speaker. Android TV and Chromecast Built-in also make it a breeze to cast and play music from any device. Final Remarks The projector also handles motion well, with minimal stuttering in the opening panning shot of No Time To Die. As the camera pans overhead, the trees pass by with very little judder. Here we can also see the crisp outline of characters as the menacing masked villain Safin stands in the foreground of the image with clean and well-defined edges. hours is the theoretical lifespan of the light source. The actual lifespan may vary due to differences in environmental conditions, product usage habits and the mode selected. Outputting at a super-bright 2200 ANSI, the Horizon Pro is one of the brightest projectors in its class. This means that rather than just being a night-time only projector, the Horizon Pro is just as happy with daytime viewing. Delivering consistently bright colours and sharp images, the Horizon Pro matches a TV for anytime viewing pleasure.Another clutter-free aspect of this projector (but perhaps not in an ideal way) is the minimalist remote, which arguably reduces the button count too far. The remote features navigation controls for the Android TV system, access to the Google Assistant, as well as buttons to control the volume level and settings – that’s your lot. There’s no direct access to switch between HDMI inputs, picture modes or shortcuts to access streaming services. It's barebones, to say the least. A key feature with the Horizon Pro model, is the move up to 4K UHD resolution. Ultra HD 4K resolution gives you four times more detail than Full HD with over 8 million pixels. It delivers a sharper, more life-like picture with richer and more natural colour. It also lets you sit closer to the screen – making it ideal for smaller rooms, too.

It's most happiest with 4k content, watching Top Gun in HD exposes its flaws in handling lower quality content. It's not bad but not good either Using my preferred settings for both SDR and HDR viewing, the image was appropriately bright for my 90-inch screen in a dark room or with a low level of ambient light, and it was also suitable for an 80-inch screen both at night in a family room with lights on or off, and in daytime on an overcast day. The feature can also automatically shrink the image to a smaller size to boost image brightness on particularly bright days. (Credit: Xgimi) Input Lag. With a 1080p/60 Hz Leo Bodnar lag tester, the input lag in Game image mode on the Horizon Pro measured 34.6ms. This is a bit high for any sort of competitive gaming (things like Overwatch), but is fine for solo games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales. In all other image modes the input lag measured 118.1ms at 1080p/60Hz, which is far too high for gaming of any sort. Featuring twin HDMI connections, two USBs and more, it’s easy to get all your components connected to the Horizon Pro. Dual-band wi-fi and Bluetooth are on hand for wireless casting and music streaming. You can even plug in your headphones or connect to your home cinema, using the 3.5mm and optical digital outputs. For the best viewing experience. we recommend using a projection size of 60-120 inches. Exceeding this range may affect the quality of your projected content. The display quality may vary based on product usage habits and environmental conditions.

Performance

Thanks to a partnership with Harman/Kardon, the Horizon Pro uses a Harman/Kardon-tuned pair of 8 watt speakers pointing out each side and a passive radiator on the front under the lens. Both Dolby and DTS decoding are supported, the latter including three different sound modes—Movies, Music, and Sports. There wasn't a drastic amount of difference between the modes and I found Movies to be the most pleasing and used it most of the time. The sound was very upper-mid present, which was good for dialogue clarity, though the processing could override voices at times, especially when there was lots of action. Low end response was okay considering the size of the speakers and enclosure, but don't expect any sort of bass rumble from a system like this. The speakers do get to a decent volume, but that focus on mids could lead to listening fatigue at higher volumes, so when I wanted things louder I found the Music mode to be the best choice. That mode takes out the midrange push and adds a bit more low end response. The projector also acts well as a Bluetooth speaker and connects easily with a smartphone. Key Features There’s no projector stand built in, so you’ll either need to prop up the projector to get the right angle, or you can use the thread-mount on its underside to attach it to a tripod. The latter is a good option, giving you an easy way to move and position the projector.

The Harman/Kardon audio system, with its two 12-watt speakers, delivers enough volume to fill a large family room, and its quality is fine enough that you may not even consider using an external sound system. If you'd like to, however, you can connect one using the 3.5mm stereo or S/PDIF audio out ports, the one HDMI port with eARC support, or Bluetooth. You can also set the projector to work as a Bluetooth speaker for other audio sources. Refer to the theoretical data from XGIMI laboratories: the power saving mode is calculated based on the average power consumption of HORIZON Pro 180W) and the power of a 98-inch TV 550W), viewed 8 hours every day in one year. The Horizon Pro switches on in seconds and uses edge intelligent screen detection to automatically match your screen size with the projected image. Automatic keystone correction adjusts the vertical and horizontal alignment, giving you the perfect, custom fit for your wall. I recommend turning off motion smoothing, since it’s distracting and can add artefacts into the image, particularly on the higher settings.The built is speakers are great but I'm using with a full 5.2.1 system and Apple TV. So have no need for the apps or speakers. I can see how that would be useful for those that want to move it around. With some of the features of a portable projector, combined with the size and light performance of a home cinema projector, the XGIMI Horizon is a fun projector that you can move around the house or take with you easily enough. With built-in AI, the Horizon Pro detects objects in the way of the projected image (such as shelves or pictures) and scales the image to fit, keeping your viewing experience uninterrupted. The greatest appeal of the Horizon Pro is that it's an all-in-one home cinema solution, complete with built-in speakers and onboard streaming apps. Starting off with the Harman Kardon tuned speakers, it's a pleasant surprise that they are in fact more than usable. When it comes to most projectors with built-in speakers, we often find that they sound thin and offer little in the way of dynamics, however, this isn't the case with the Horizon Pro. The projector uses a single 0.47-inch DLP chip with XPR fast pixel-switching technology to achieve a 4K (3840x2160) image. It will support a resolution up to 4096x2160. The fixed zoom lens has a throw ratio of 1.2:1 and can project an image from as small as 30 inches up to 300. For a 100-inch diagonal, it needs to be 8 feet 9 inches from the screen (exact throw distance for different screen sizes can be found with the ProjectorCentral XGIMI Horizon Pro Projector Throw Distance Calculator). There is a digital zoom if needed, but this can adversely affect light output. Proceed with caution.