This 4K projector is brilliant in many ways, but not so good in others
4K projector | £1649 | whf.cm/HorizonPro
Xgimi’s current range includes eight projectors, varying in price and form factor. They also vary in quality: while the Halo compact projector didn’t fare too well when it came to our review, its Aura ultra-short-throw model put in a more impressive performance.
Its latest compact projector, the Horizon Pro, is aimed at fusing the home cinema experience with sleek and hassle-free hardware. To that end, you get 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage to support the Android TV OS and provide the capacity to download films, things its closest rival, the Epson EH-TW7100 (£1649), does not offer.
The Xgimi makes a positive first impression with its solid build and tasteful aesthetics. Its rounded cuboid case comprises black and grey metal and solid plastic that looks as luxurious as it feels. And, at just under 3kg, the lunchbox-sized projector is light enough to pick up and position practically anywhere. You may want to place it somewhere out of earshot, though, as its fan is jarringly loud considering the projector’s compact dimensions. Xgimi says the fan noise measures around 30dB, but it is noticeable even over the built-in speakers.
Wrapping around the unit is a grille for cooling, and the Harman Kardon speakers. There are a host of connections on the rear of the projector, including two HDMI 2.0 ports (one of which supports eARC), two USB 2.0 sockets, an optical output, 3.5mm headphone socket and LAN for wired internet. For wireless connectivity there are dual-band 2.4/5GHz wi-fi and Bluetooth 5.0.
Picture positioning is done almost entirely through software-based auto adjustment and focusing, with some physical repositioning if needed. The projector auto-focuses, auto-keystones and will gyro-correct to ensure a sharp and straight image without the need for manual adjustments, which is great because there are no manual lens adjustments to be found. The same can be said for picture settings. There are just five presets (Movie, Game, Sport, Office and Custom) with very few options to tweak. Even in Custom there is not much to change other than colour temperature, sharpness and brightness. While we appreciate this simplicity and understand the appeal for casual projector users, we also feel limited by the Xgimi’s controlling approach to customising the picture here.
HDR support meanwhile, comes in the form of HDR10 and HLG.
All-in-one home cinema
The greatest appeal of the Horizon Pro is that it is an all-in-one home cinema solution,
