XGIMI Horizon Pro 4K Projector
Premium projector with impressive 4K image quality (and Android)
The Pro’s automatic focus and keystone correction work a treat
£1,699 FROM XGIMI, uk.xgimi.com FEATURES 4K projector (3840x2160), 2200 lumens, Android TV, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, 2x HDMI, 208x218x136mm, 2.9kg
The cinemas may be open again, but if you’re still a bit wary of watching a film with a couple of hundred people breathing over your shoulder, then you could consider buying a projector to set up your own personal home cinema system.
Admittedly, XGIMI’s Horizon Pro is very much a high-end option, costing a whopping £1,699. However, it offers 4K resolution (3840x2160), with dual-band Wi-Fi, Ethernet and Bluetooth connectivity, and many other features. It’s worth pointing out, though, that the Horizon Pro uses Android TV as its operating system. That may deter some Apple-centric households, but does ensure that the projector can run a wide range of Android apps for streaming music and video. It also supports Google Assistant voice commands and Chromecast streaming – but not AirPlay or Siri for Apple devices. There are Android apps that claim to support AirPlay streaming, but we can’t guarantee how well those will work, and there are rival projectors that have AirPlay built-in for use with Apple devices.
The Horizon Pro does have two HDMI ports, though, and we had no problems connecting an Apple TV 4K and an iPad with Apple’s Digital AV adaptor. There are also two USB 2.0 ports for playing files stored on a memory stick or external drive, and 3.5mm and optical audio outputs for using headphones or external speakers.
High-quality picture
Getting started is very easy – although the need to both provide your own batteries for the remote control and to sign in with a Google account is irritating. However, the projector’s automatic focus and keystone correction work a treat, and coped easily when I placed the Horizon Pro on a wobbly pile of books on a coffee table. Image quality is outstanding (as it should be at this price), impressively sharp and colourful when playing a series of 4K films from the iTunes Store, and the 16W Harman Kardon speakers prove surprisingly powerful too. XGIMI says that the Horizon Pro can create an image up to 7.62m in size diagonally, but you’d need a pretty large room – or garden – to achieve that. In our more modestly-sized lounge, we were able to get an image 2.54m diagonally from a distance of about 3m. The 2200 lumens projector isn’t quite bright enough to watch in daylight hours, so you’ll need blackout blinds or just wait until nightfall to fire up your favourite films.
It’s seriously expensive, of course, and the reliance on Android and Google technologies – and lack of Apple tech such as AirPlay – could well be a deal-breaker for some people. However, the impressive image quality of the Horizon Pro, and its automatic set-up features, are hard to fault for anyone that wants to create their own personal cinema experience at home. Cliff Joseph