Acer’s VL7860 4K UHD Laser Projector isn’t the first 4K UHD or laser projector I’ve tested — in fact, it’s the 13th 4K UHD projector to come my way, and one of about 10 with a laser engine. But what makes the VL7860 stand out is its surprisingly good black levels, which is rare for a 4K UHD projector and a big plus for home theaters.
This review covers the VL7860 for both home theater and commercial use. While some of the talk about color and black levels might be overkill for many business settings, the hardware, special features, and performance sections include info that applies to both.
Overall, the Acer VL7860 is solid, with some real strengths and a few rough spots. What I really like is that when we pointed out a couple of issues, Acer took them seriously and worked on improvements. That’s a bit unusual—most companies just wait for the next model to fix problems. If Acer can nail those fixes, they definitely deserve some gold stars!
Acer did not disappoint!
| Acer VL7860 Specs | |
|---|---|
| Price | $3999 |
| Technology | DLP |
| Native Resolution | 3840×2160 |
| Brightness (Manufacturer Claim) | 3000 |
| Contrast | 1,5000,000:1 |
| Zoom Lens Ratio | 1.60:1 |
| Lens Shift | Yes |
| Lamp Life | 20,000 hours |
| Weight | 18.7 |
| Warranty | N/A |
Overview
First off, a quick heads-up: Eric calibrated the VL7860 and dropped it off two weeks ago. I was really impressed with the color results he got. Usually, even after calibration, projectors don’t hit perfect color, but this Acer did about as well as any projector I’ve tested in the past year—except maybe a few Sonys. That’s pretty impressive!
So far, we’ve reviewed two direct competitors to the VL7860—both 4K UHD DLP laser projectors: the Optoma UHZ65 and the Dell S718QL. Like the Acer, they all sell for around $4K or more.
Here’s the thing with these 4K UHD projectors: manufacturers aren’t totally sure who they’re for. They mostly target business and education markets based on the features, but sometimes they throw in a home theater feature or two. The demand for 4K in business and education is just starting to pick up. There isn’t much 4K content for commercial use yet, but the home market is booming with 4K Blu-rays and streaming.
That said, this projector would work great in higher education classrooms and labs that need the sharpest detail—think scientific charts, renderings, detailed drawings, or architecture—but maybe not huge lecture halls.
One of our reviewers, Ron, looked at a more basic Acer 4K projector last fall. It was lamp-based, not as bright, and about half the price. Now, we get to see what the laser and extra features bring to the table.
When thinking about the Acer VL7860 for home use, the first thing that comes to mind is how it handles black levels—those super dark scenes.
In the photos above, the first four are 4K Blu-ray UHD content, then there’s a 1080p shot from The Hunger Games, and a couple of 1080p HDTV images.
The main issue used to be the Dynamic Black feature. It works like a “laser dimming” system to make blacks deeper by dimming the light, kind of like a dynamic iris. The original unit had some problems with this, but Acer fixed it with a firmware update after I sent the projector back. More details are on the Picture Quality and Summary pages, but the short version is—it’s great news.
Check out the Special Features and Picture Quality pages for the full scoop. Sure, it had some rough spots, but that’s actually better than competitors who don’t have this feature at all. After the update, Acer’s black level improvements are pretty spectacular.
One smaller thing for pros is that Acer hasn’t opened up the color management system (CMS) for all picture modes—only the two ISF modes meant for professional calibration. That’s a bummer but mostly not a big deal for most users.
Like many 4K UHD projectors, the Acer mixes features aimed at both home theater and business/education use. One nice surprise is it includes CFI (“smooth motion”), which some competitors don’t. It’s great for sports but not so much for movies. So, you can think of this as a “crossover” projector—mainly built for business and education but also good for home.
The original unit I tested struggled with some things, but Acer sent it back for a firmware upgrade, and they nailed it. Now, it easily beats other 4K UHD DLP laser and lamp projectors I’ve seen so far.
Because of its solid features, flexible setup options, and especially its black level performance, the Acer VL7860 earns a Hot Product Award!
The updated firmware for the VL7860 effectively uses their laser light engine as a dynamic iris to lower black levels.
Overall, the Acer VL7860 holds its own against the competition. Thanks to the big improvement in its Dynamic Black feature, which now delivers much better black levels, this projector is definitely in the running for one of our Best In Class awards in our annual Best Home Theater Projectors report (coming August 2018).
Here’s a quick look at the key highlights. Then, head over to the Special Features page where we dig deeper into Dynamic Black and more.
Highlights:
Laser Light Engine – Delivers vibrant color
Long Life – Up to 20,000 hours at full power, 30,000 in eco mode
Bright Output – Nearly hits its 3,000-lumen brightness claim
No 3D Support – Like most 4K UHD DLP projectors
CFI (Smooth Motion) – Great for watching sports
Flexible Setup – 1.6x manual zoom and vertical lens shift
Built-in Audio – Two 5W speakers, perfect for casual viewing or outdoor movie nights
Quiet Operation – Runs at just 30dB
Wireless Options – Includes Miracast (WirelessCast) and optional WirelessHD module