Philips 1080p short-range projector promises 80-inch images

While you love companies Sony And the Epson Striving to bring cinema and theater-caliber projectors home, Philips is taking an opposite approach with compact alternatives that create big images from smaller devices, like its new 1080p device. Screeneo U4 screen for ultra short throw who – which Doesn’t look bigger than a shoebox.

If you’re serious about permanently switching from a TV to a projector in your living room or home theater, ultra-short-throw projectors are the most convenient solution, There is no danger of anyone resting in the bathroom and going blind due to the bright beam of light emitted from the back of the room. One of the downsides to going the very short drop path is that these projectors are usually very large and very expensive, but the Philips Screeneo U4 is not.

It weighs three pounds and measures just 8.8 Inch on its longer side, Philips claims the Screeneo U4 can display an 80 . image inches in size from a distance of about 12 inches from the wall, or 60 Inch image of 7.7 inches. However, one of the most important measures of a projector is lumens, or how much light it can actually cast onto a wall or screen. For the Philips Screeneo U4, that’s a somewhat disappointing 400 nits, which means that for a decent level of contrast and brightness, you’ll really only want to use it in a dark room if you’re hoping for a 60-inch or more image.

Many built-in all-in-one projectors now ship with Google TV and wifi, so, Out of the box, They can access content on all major streaming platforms. TScreeneo U4 does not, and instead encourages users to choose a dongle for streaming, such as Chromecast, from the projector Two HDMI ports, which can draw power from the single USB port right next to them.

A pair of 15-watt speakers is included in the Screeneo U4, which is another advantage of using an ultra-short-throw projector located in the front of the room, but users can also choose to connect wireless headphones, or a pair of wireless speakers via Bluetooth, assuming They are fine with a slight delay between the sound and what is happening on the screen. Other features include a built-in camera, Allowing the projector to automatically correct focus and make basic corrections, the LED light source promises 30,000 hours of usage.

Philips is following the crowdfunding route to bring the Screeneo U4 ultra-short projection projector to consumers through Indiegogo (the usual crowdfunding warnings apply here, though the risk is minimal given that Philips has been around for 130 years) and its best feature is undoubtedly a 50% discount For early backers, that brings the price up to about $630. This makes this one of the cheapest ultra-short-throw projectors you can buy, and a tempting upgrade assuming you get the discount. With a full price tag that will be over $1,000 after shipping begins in August, you’ll probably want to choose a projector with more lumens than the Screeneo U4 offers, even if you have to sacrifice the convenience of an ultra-short-throw functionality.