Projectors

120" AWOL Vision Vanish Laser TV Turns Any Room into a Stunning Home Theater

Reviews

120″ AWOL Vision Vanish Laser TV Turns Any Room into a Stunning Home Theater

I’ve long wanted a home theater system but never wanted to go to the expense and trouble of having a technician come and install a ceiling projector and dropdown ceiling screen; it just wasn’t in the cards. The all-in-one 120″ AWOL Vision Vanish Laser TV eliminates the need to install anything. When I recently experienced this system, which was also shown at CES this year and won a “Best of” award from us, it blew my mind.

Gear Diary's Best of CES 2024 graphic image

Events

Gear Diary’s Best of CES 2024 Awards

CES 2024 has wrapped, and this year, there was a plethora of exciting and innovative new products to discover and explore. After sorting through (what felt like) thousands of press announcements and making our way through a dizzying amount of CES events, venues, and demos, these are the products we found to be the most innovative and intriguing. Without further ado and in no particular order, here are our top 16 Best of CES 2024 choices. Let’s delve into the exciting array of advancements that emerged from this year’s CES!

XGIMI HORIZON Max Offers the Bells and Whistles of IMAX Enhanced Certification, While the XGIMI Aladdin Offers a 3-in-1 Projector, Lamp, and Speaker That Installs Like a Standard Ceiling Light

Gear Bits, Events

XGIMI HORIZON Max Offers the Bells and Whistles of IMAX Enhanced Certification, While the XGIMI Aladdin Offers a 3-in-1 Projector, Lamp, and Speaker That Installs Like a Standard Ceiling Light

XGIMI, known for its projectors and laser TVs, has just announced several new technologies; among these are ISA 5.0 (Intelligent Screen Adaptation) and Dual Light 2.0, as well as partnerships with IMAX & DTS, Google, and MediaTek. Also showcased were the brand’s new 2024 projectors, the IMAX Enhanced certified XGIMI HORIZON Max and the XGIMI Aladdin, a 3-in-1 smart projector lamp and speaker that marks XGIMI’s entry into the smart home-connected product category.

The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra Offers 4K Long-Throw Projection, Dolby Vision, and More Features Than You'd Think Possible for Under $1700

Events, News

The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra Offers 4K Long-Throw Projection, Dolby Vision, and More Features Than You’d Think Possible for Under $1700

If you’ve considered upgrading your home theater setup and want the most bang for your buck, the new flagship 4K XGiMI HORIZON Ultra should pique your interest. It’s the world’s first and only long-throw home projector sporting Dolby Vision. The HORIZON Ultra sports a hybrid laser and LED system, which are hardware-level computing optics usually only seen on luxury projectors costing thousands of dollars; it also offers low-latency gaming modes, and it doesn’t look like the usual box that you’d want to hide somewhere — because it’s not ugly!

Hisense

Events, News

Hisense Has Sharp New Televisions, Projectors, and Soundbars in Store for 2022

If there’s one thing we’ve learned after a prolonged pandemic, it’s the increased importance of a good television in our everyday lives. Well, hopefully, we’ve also learned the importance of washing hands regularly, but two years of binge-watching has definitely led to a new love for the glowing box that streams the world to our living rooms. If you think it’s time to improve your setup, Hisense has you covered with some amazing new announcements at CES 2022.

Anker Nebula Capsule II Star Wars R2-D2 Limited Edition Smart Mini Projector Is the Pint-Sized Movie Theater You Never Knew You Needed

News

Anker Nebula Capsule II Star Wars R2-D2 Limited Edition Smart Mini Projector Is the Pint-Sized Movie Theater You Never Knew You Needed

Inspired by Star Wars, Anker has announced that their Nebula Capsule II Star Wars R2-D2 Limited Edition Smart Mini Projector is now available for purchase. With only 1000 units available for sale, the Capsule II Star Wars projector may share similar specs to Nebula’s stock model, but there are two distinct differences. First, it will have a limited edition design resembling R2D2 — one of the most iconic characters in the Star Wars saga. And second, the start-up sound for this Capsule II will sound like R2-D2 as well. 

Acer C202i Portable LED Projector Takes the Big Screen Anywhere

Reviews

Acer C202i Portable LED Projector Takes the Big Screen Anywhere

This past week I was scheduled to lead a book discussion. It was a deep and complex work we were going to discuss, and I decided it would be best to have some visual aids. Thankfully, I had the new Acer C202i portable projector in hand for the review. It was simple to use and worked fabulously well!

ZTE Spro 2 with Android Touchscreen is a Surprising Pico Projector Standout

Reviews

ZTE Spro 2 with Android Touchscreen is a Surprising Pico Projector Standout

The ZTE Spro 2 is an Android-based pico projector with a built-in 5” touchscreen that, when paired with an activated Verizon SIM card, can serve as a wireless hot spot with 4G speeds. It has an internal speaker and battery as well, making it a great all-in-one solution for presentations on the go. The Spro 2 currently sells for $499.98. Breaking the mold from conventional pico projectors, the ZTE Spro 2 has a built-in touchscreen tablet so that it’s easy to operate and can used with or without a separate media player. With Android 4.4 KitKat running, you’ve got access…

Epson's PowerLite 730HD Projector Gives My Living Room That Movie Theatre Experience!

News, Reviews

Epson’s PowerLite 730HD Projector Gives My Living Room That Movie Theatre Experience!

Epson’s Home Cinema 730HD is an entertainment Projector that we had an opportunity to review, and it honestly didn’t disappoint. Prior to the Epson 730HD I’ve only had experience with one other projector, but the comparison between the two are virtually day and night. The $649.00 projector is the home theatre experience that you’d expect to see on something from MTV Cribs. After unboxing the Epson 730HD, the projector itself was pretty lightweight, coming with the projector itself, a power cord that’s standard side length, and the remote control with AA batteries (which I replaced with rechargeable batteries since the…

Vivitek Qumi Q5 Projector Is Perfect for Your Home or On the Go

Reviews

Vivitek Qumi Q5 Projector Is Perfect for Your Home or On the Go

Even as a child I was a fan of drive-in movie theatres, the big screen, and the projected movie more importantly. So when I grew up and it was time to buy a television, I asked around and received plenty of “get the biggest you can possibly get”. I eventually settled with a 65-inchbecause it seemed practical for my living room space. Then came time to attempt to mount it.

ZTE's Projector/Hotspot SPRO 2 Available from AT&T This Friday

News

ZTE’s Projector/Hotspot SPRO 2 Available from AT&T This Friday

As of today April 20th, ZTE USA, the fourth largest smartphone manufacturer in the United States, announced that they’ve joined forces with AT&T marking the commercial availability of the 2-in-1 ZTE Spro 2 Smart Projector & Hotspot with mobile hotspot features. Launching this Friday, April 24th, the ZTE Spro 2 will be available on the AT&T network for the price of $399.99 with a two-year contract or $499.99 if you rather not be tied down to a contract. Which is good because after you receive the Spro 2, you can add it to your AT&T Mobile Share Value data plan…

Innoio and Texas Instruments Partner for SmartBeam Pico Projector

Reviews

Innoio and Texas Instruments Partner for SmartBeam Pico Projector

In Brief: The SmartBeam Pico Projector from Innoio is one of the latest handheld projectors powered by Texas Instruments DLP Pico technology. At 45mm on each side the SmartBeam is tiny. And yes, despite its small size the projector puts out 35 lumens at a resolution of 640 by 480. That means the small projector can push out the equivalent of a 60” screen. This isn’t going to be one of my typical reviews. While I could go through the general description of the Innocube SmartBeam and then hit up the specs that really would not do it justice. Instead…

PhoneSuit Lightplay Media Projector with Android Review, Part 2

Reviews

PhoneSuit Lightplay Media Projector with Android Review, Part 2

Welcome to the second part of Gear Diary’s review of the PhoneSuit Lightplay Media Projector with Android.  Here, we will review the user experience and actual functionality of the PhoneSuit Lightplay.  Feel free to head over to Part One of this review, where Dan thoroughly reviewed the Lightplay’s hardware and included accessories. Before we get into the meat of this review, let’s quickly recap some of the highlights that Dan talked about in his hardware review.  The PhoneSuit Lightplay is a pico projector, the size of your palm, that has Android built right in.  It comes with a gyroscopic remote/keyboard…