CES 2023 Projector Highlights
CES is now more about future plans than just new products. For example, Sony didn’t show new TVs or audio gear but focused on their concept car.
Some big projector brands like Epson and Optoma didn’t display products this year, but a few cool projectors were still introduced.
Hisense Leads the Way
Hisense had the biggest projector presence. They are pioneers of “Laser TVs,” which are ultra-short-throw smart laser projectors meant to replace regular TVs, often paired with special ambient light-rejecting screens.
New from Hisense:
Four new Laser TV and Laser Cinema models
A Smart Mini-Projector for casual or first-time users
World’s First 8K Laser TV – Hisense 120LX
Hisense showed the 120LX, the first 8K Laser TV demoed publicly at CES.
Key features:
Native 4K UHD chip with tech to show 8K resolution
Supports 8K at 60fps and 4K at 120fps
Brighter image with better contrast and deep blacks
TriChroma laser light source with 4000 lumens
Covers 100% of BT2020 color space
400+ nits brightness on 120″ ALR screen
Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced, and Harman Kardon audio with Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X
This model isn’t final yet but should launch by 2024.
BenQ at CES 2023
We visited BenQ’s suite and liked their new projectors. They offer good performance at fair prices.
BenQ HT2060: 1080p, 4LED light, great for movies and gaming, low input lag, flexible setup.
BenQ HT4550i: Higher-end, bright LED light, excellent color, good for gaming, lens shift included. Could compete with top models.
BenQ GP500: 4K smart projector with autofocus and smart screen features, 360° sound system, great for easy setup and strong performance.
We’re excited to test these soon!
XGIMI at CES 2023
XGIMI showed smart projectors, already impressing with models like HORIZON Pro and AURA.
MoGo 2 Pro: Compact 1080p projector, lightweight, battery-powered, built-in Harman Kardon speakers, supports HDR10, and has AI setup features for easy use.
AWOL Vision at CES 2023
A newer brand, AWOL Vision, showcased:
LTV-3500: 4K ultra-short throw smart projector with triple-laser light source, very bright, covers full BT2020 color, supports 3D.
Vanish Laser TV: A full home system with the LTV-3500, a motorized ALR screen, and a smart cabinet, perfect for a complete home theater setup.
AWOL Vision impressed us with their premium features and convenience. We look forward to reviewing the LTV-3500 soon.
Formovie
The Formovie Booth
Formovie showed off their products at CES. The company is a partnership between Appotronics, known for popular laser light technology, and Xiaomi Technology.
We recently reviewed their Formovie THEATER, a smart ultra-short-throw (UST) projector. It uses the latest ALPD® RGB+ triple-laser light source, delivering 2800 ANSI lumens and covering over 100% of the BT2020 color space.
The projector supports Dolby Vision video and has a sound system designed by Bowers & Wilkins that plays Dolby Atmos audio. It runs Android TV 11, so you can easily watch streaming apps like YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney+.
Formovie Theater
The Formovie Theater costs $3,499 and offers picture and sound quality that matches the best Laser TVs out there. Besides their award-winning Theater model, Formovie also showed off several other projectors, including two portable laser projectors.
Formovie S5
The Formovie S5 is a portable Full HD (1080p) laser projector with 1,100 ANSI lumens brightness. It’s packed with features like dual-band Wi-Fi, smart TV OS, HDMI 2.1, and USB Type-A and Type-C ports. Setup is easy thanks to auto keystone adjustment. It also has a Denon-designed 2 x 5-watt sound system.
Formovie V10
The Formovie V10 is a compact 4K UHD gaming projector and a CES 2023 Innovation Award honoree. It delivers 2,500 ANSI lumens brightness. With a super-fast 240Hz refresh rate and low 12ms latency, it’s great for gaming. The V10 also has a strong sound system with dual 7.5W speakers and a 15W subwoofer.
Leica
Leica Booth
Leica, a famous 100-year-old German brand known for its top-quality cameras and lenses, showcased their ultra-premium Cine 1 Laser TV. The projector has a stylish aluminum body and a motorized dust cover to protect the lens. Along with its elegant design and craftsmanship, the Leica Cine 1 promises excellent picture and sound quality.
Leica Cine 1
The Leica Cine 1 is built on Hisense’s TriChroma Laser TV technology, delivering over 2500 ANSI lumens and covering more than 100% of the BT2020 color space. It features Leica’s own image processing, called Leica Image Optimization (LIO™), which uses special algorithms to create natural colors, smooth gradients, and better contrast.
Leica offers two Cine 1 models: one for a 100″ screen priced at $8,295, and a 120″ model priced at $8,995. The 120″ version is the most expensive 4K ultra-short-throw projector available, but its quality and performance aim to justify the price. We hope to review the Leica Cine 1 soon when it launches in the US around Q3 2023.
ASUS
ASUS Booth at Harrah’s Hotel
ASUS, known for computers and displays, is now in the projector market. We recently reviewed their portable, battery-powered ASUS ZenBeam Latte 1. It’s a smart DLP projector with HD (1280×720) resolution and 300 LED lumens brightness. While it’s a nice little projector, some users want more power.
At Harrah’s, ASUS mainly showed their computers and monitors but also featured the new ZenBeam L2 projector. Like the Latte 1, it’s compact and portable with a built-in battery, but it offers Full HD (1920×1080) resolution and 600 LED lumens for brighter images.
ASUS ZenBeam L2
The ZenBeam L2 boosts smart features by including Android TV 11 through a dongle, which is better than the old ZenBeam Latte 1’s Aptoide TV app. This makes it easier to watch popular streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. It also comes with 26 built-in moving backgrounds, like fireplaces and virtual windows, for a nice touch.
JVC
visited the JVC suite on the 29th floor of the Venetian. For years, the top floors of the Venetian have showcased premium audio and video gear. This year, JVC was one of the few remaining brands showing off their award-winning DLA-NZ9 projector.
I had the chance to congratulate JVC for winning all three long-throw categories at the 2022 Value Electronics Projector Shootout. They dominated thanks to their 4K D-ILA projector’s excellent native contrast, deep blacks, and sharp details. Their Dynamic HDR tone mapping also gave them the best HDR picture quality.
While JVC is famous for its 3-chip D-ILA projectors, they recently announced the LX-NZ30, a new 4K-capable DLP laser projector. It features a 0.47″ DMD chip and a BLU-Escent laser light source that can reach up to 3300 ANSI lumens brightness, with an MSRP of $3,499.
The new JVC LX-NZ30
Like the previous LX-NZ3 model, the LX-NZ30 supports HDR10 and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) and offers both horizontal and vertical lens shift for easy installation.
With low latency and support for up to 1080p at 240Hz, the LX-NZ30 is great for big-screen gaming. Its input lag is just 6.25ms at 1080p/240Hz, making it perfect for even the most serious gamers.
CES 2023 was a success, and we expect next year’s show to be even bigger.
While some prototype projectors were likely shown in private suites around Las Vegas, this article gives you a good look at several exciting models coming in 2023.
Before CES, Samsung announced a new 8K version of their Premiere Laser TV. Although it wasn’t shown at their booth, it uses the same native 4K UHD DLP chip as Hisense’s upcoming 8K Laser TV. With Texas Instruments’ XPR technology, it should deliver a sharp 8K image on screens up to 150 inches. We look forward to testing it when it’s released later in 2023.
CES 2021 was canceled due to COVID, and many brands skipped 2022. This year’s event was bigger than last year’s, and while attendance wasn’t as high as before COVID, it was still very good. It’s clear CES is making a strong comeback. Projector Reviews had a great chance to see some exciting new products, and we’re confident next year’s CES will be even better.