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Optoma has just announced its first 4K LED projector, with Amazon Alexa support, the UHL 55.
“The new UHL55 is a great all-rounder, combining impressive 4K UHD cinema quality images, easy set-up, instant on/off, Alexa voice control and integrated speakers in a compact chassis for the ultimate smart home experience", says Kishan Mistry, Product Manager at Optoma about the vendor's latest projector.
According to Optoma it boasts High Dynamic Range (HDR) compatibility, HDCP 2.2 support and PureMotion frame-interpolation technology, to produce stand-out images. This advanced processing eliminates motion blur or image judder, even in high-speed action films or fast-paced sports, the vendor promises.
On the audio side it is capable of decoding Dolby 5.1. Though its built-in speakers only offer stereo, but it supports pass through via S/PDIF out port for connection to an external surround sound system.
A nice little package on first glance. Not only is there the Amazon Alexa voice control assistant support (limited to three countries, US, UK and Germany only), but also 4K, and true solid statelight engine, that sounds interesting. Especially if it offers 2000 lumens. Or something close to that, as promised that would be very useful.
Alas that's also where the overpromising and the risk of underdelivering starts. As it doesn't offer 2000 lumens, not even with the usual margin manufacturers usually post but only half:
“A huge advantage of this new projector is that it uses the latest LED technology, which offers consistent brightness and colour performance, maintaining its out-of-the-box image quality throughout its lifetime. The perceived brightness from the UHL55 can be twice that of an equivalent lamp-based projector. This means it can comfortably handle low levels of ambient light with less impact on image quality than traditional lamp-based systems. It also has a light source lifetime of up to 30,000 hours.”
The practical difference of LED, or Laser projectors has never been established, as these projectors never offered the higher colour saturation, and narrow spectrum colours the effect is based upon. On top of that in the studies that have been done the results where that the effect would be limited to 25%.
This is before we start accounting for the effect of any calibration as Optoma states "LED technology delivers 118% Rec.709 for accurate, true to life colour rendition".
The main question of course is; when can one get it and for how much? Especially the answer to the last question will determine if it is indeed "a great all-rounder" and "a smart little package", or not. Optoma did not announce price nor the dates it expects people able to buy this new machine.
Some US online retailers list it for $ 1599 USD, $100 over Optoma's suggested retail price announced last month. This is competitively priced to Optoma's lamp based smaller UHD projectors. However these stores also specify it as only 1500 lumens. As does Optoma USA in the same announcement.
“The new UHL55 is a great all-rounder, combining impressive 4K UHD cinema quality images, easy set-up, instant on/off, Alexa voice control and integrated speakers in a compact chassis for the ultimate smart home experience", says Kishan Mistry, Product Manager at Optoma about the vendor's latest projector.
According to Optoma it boasts High Dynamic Range (HDR) compatibility, HDCP 2.2 support and PureMotion frame-interpolation technology, to produce stand-out images. This advanced processing eliminates motion blur or image judder, even in high-speed action films or fast-paced sports, the vendor promises.
On the audio side it is capable of decoding Dolby 5.1. Though its built-in speakers only offer stereo, but it supports pass through via S/PDIF out port for connection to an external surround sound system.
A nice little package on first glance. Not only is there the Amazon Alexa voice control assistant support (limited to three countries, US, UK and Germany only), but also 4K, and true solid statelight engine, that sounds interesting. Especially if it offers 2000 lumens. Or something close to that, as promised that would be very useful.
Alas that's also where the overpromising and the risk of underdelivering starts. As it doesn't offer 2000 lumens, not even with the usual margin manufacturers usually post but only half:
“A huge advantage of this new projector is that it uses the latest LED technology, which offers consistent brightness and colour performance, maintaining its out-of-the-box image quality throughout its lifetime. The perceived brightness from the UHL55 can be twice that of an equivalent lamp-based projector. This means it can comfortably handle low levels of ambient light with less impact on image quality than traditional lamp-based systems. It also has a light source lifetime of up to 30,000 hours.”
The practical difference of LED, or Laser projectors has never been established, as these projectors never offered the higher colour saturation, and narrow spectrum colours the effect is based upon. On top of that in the studies that have been done the results where that the effect would be limited to 25%.
This is before we start accounting for the effect of any calibration as Optoma states "LED technology delivers 118% Rec.709 for accurate, true to life colour rendition".
The main question of course is; when can one get it and for how much? Especially the answer to the last question will determine if it is indeed "a great all-rounder" and "a smart little package", or not. Optoma did not announce price nor the dates it expects people able to buy this new machine.
Some US online retailers list it for $ 1599 USD, $100 over Optoma's suggested retail price announced last month. This is competitively priced to Optoma's lamp based smaller UHD projectors. However these stores also specify it as only 1500 lumens. As does Optoma USA in the same announcement.