Product test

XGIMI Horizon Ultra: hands-on testing the first 4K projector with Dolby Vision

31.10.2023

Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson

Video: Armin Tobler, Sarina Moos

The XGIMI Horizon Ultra is the first Dolby Vision-enabled 4K projector. Sure, that’s impressive. But what’s even more impressive is how easy it is to set up.

Chinese manufacturer XGIMI [first presented the Horizon Ultra 4K projector] at IFA 2023 in Berlin(/page/xgimi-horizon-ultra-der-erste-4k-beamer-mit-dolby-vision-29381). Our Community has showns great interest in the device. No wonder. According to the manufacturer, the long throw projector is the first of its kind that also supports Dolby Vision. Now that’s bound to pique interest.

XGIMI Horizon Ultra (CH) (4K, 2300 lm, 1.2 - 1.5:1)

Projector

CHF1157.–

XGIMI Horizon Ultra (CH)

4K, 2300 lm, 1.2 - 1.5:1

This is made possible by the combination of LED and laser projection. According to XGIMI, this «technological breakthrough» creates a bright, true-colour image that doesn’t tire the eyes – even during extensive viewing periods. I hands-on tested it and had the same impression. But what’s much more impressive is how easy the Horizon Ultra 4K is to set up. Sounds mundane, I know. But if you use a projector yourself, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. The features that make setting up in a matter of seconds possible are:

automatic correction of perspective distortion;
automatic detection and adjustment of the projection surface;
automatic colour calibration.

In time for the sales launch on 31 October, I made a hands-on video (above) to demonstrate exactly these features to you. For English subtitles, click the gear icon, «Subtitles/CC» and «Auto-translate». However, I must point out that not everything went according to plan during the shoot. Was Halloween playing tricks on us?

What else you need to know about the projector

XGIMI refers to the combination of LED and laser projection as dual-light technology. This technology is said to achieve a coverage of 95.5 per cent of the DCI-P3 colour space, which is the colour space in which HDR content is calibrated. The XGIMI Horizon Ultra is actually the first 4K DLP projector to not only support Dolby Vision, but also HDR10 and HLG.

At least if you have an external device that plays back UHD Blu-rays, for example, or has streaming apps installed that support HDR formats. The projector is easy to control via Android TV, including the usual apps such as Netflix or Disney+. But for licensing reasons, they only support a maximum of Full HD resolution with SDR quality. Shame.

The XGIMI Horizon Ultra 4K doesn’t take up much space and creates outstanding images.
Source: Armin Tobler

In terms of brightness, the projector reaches around 2,300 ISO lumens. Admittedly, that doesn’t make it the brightest projector I’ve ever come across. But it’s bright enough for most living rooms, provided you use a screen that squeezes extra brightness and contrast out of every projection. The 2300 ISO lumens are more than enough for projecting images in a dimmed room, as you can see in the video above.

The XGIMI Horizon Ultra is not a native 4K projector. Its high resolution is achieved through pixel shift technology. Simply put, each frame contains two images that are projected one after the other and shifted slightly before the next frame is displayed. This all happens in a fraction of a second. As a viewer, it looks as if the 8.3 million pixels used in UHD resolution are being projected simultaneously. And that’s what it takes, as XGIMI’s projector can project images ranging from 40 to 200 inches diagonally.

Did I mention that the Horizon Ultra, which weighs around five kilos, is also easy on the eye? First of all, it’s quite compact at 265 × 224 × 170 mm (height × width × depth). The material has a leathery touch to it. Only the front’s equipped with an elegant fabric cover that hides two 12-watt Harman Kardon speakers.

It also features:

2× HDMI inputs, one of which is eARC-capable
2× USB 2 inputs
1× LAN input
Wi-fi 6 dual-band support (2.4/5Ghz)
Bluetooth 5.2
2× 12-watt loudspeakers by Harman/Kardon

For the price of around 1,900 francs at the time of my hands-on test (October 2023), the Chinese manufacturer XGIMI has put together a very nice little projector package.

Header image: Armin Tobler

Full Disclosure: The device, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra 4K, was provided to me by the manufacturer for testing purposes. The manufacturers have no influence on the product tests and evaluations we editors carry out.

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Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.

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