Projection giant Optoma has announced that its new CinemaX range of Ultra Short Throw 4K laser projectors aimed at home cinema users is now available in the UK.
Announced for the US market a few days ago, the new CinemaX range will comprise two models: The D2, and the D2 Smart, the latter of which adds Android TV smart functionality (via a dongle included in the box that must be connected to one of the projector’s HDMI ports and powered by 5V USB cable) to the core UST projection capabilities. The Android TV features extend to Google Assistant voice control in many territories.
The new Optoma CinemaX D2 range combine ultra short throw 4K optics with laser lighting.
Both of the new CinemaX D2 models are capable of delivering images of up 100 inches across from a throw distance of less than a foot, with their laser light engines claiming up to 3000 lumens of brightness as well as an extremely high 1,800,000:1 contrast ratio. These sorts of numbers will hopefully prove helpful in delivering the HDR10 and HLG HDR images that both new CinemaX projectors are capable of producing.
Using a laser light source also means you won’t need to keep changing bulbs as you have to every few thousand hours or so with the lamp-based projectors. Also, laser light sources retain higher picture quality performance for more of their working lives since their light output degrades much more slowly than that of lamps.
Optoma claims in its launch info on the CinemaX and D2/D2 Smart that in designing the new models it has reacted to consumer feedback on its previous UST models, leading in particular to more advanced gaming support than we’ve seen from the brand before. This is headed up by an Enhanced Gaming Mode that’s claimed to deliver ultra low gaming lag times of 16ms with 4K/60Hz sources and 4ms with 1080p/240Hz. The projectors’ three HDMI ports are only described as version 2.0s, however, so it doesn’t appear that there will be any support for 4K/120Hz gaming.
The HDMI 2.0 ports will, though, support eARC functionality, enabling lossless passthrough of Dolby Atmos soundtracks to eARC-capable AVRs and soundbars, while other connections include an RS-232 port so the projector can be added to a wider home entertainment control system.
Both projectors are designed to wide colour gamuts, and feature a new 3x3 warping function to make it easier to get a perfectly square and correctly proportioned image despite the issues UST technologies can have in this respect.
As you might guess from the distinctive angled fabric cover on the rear sides of the CinemaX D2 and D2 Smart (the sides that actually face into your living room, given that you’ll be placing these projectors on sideboards at the edge of your room), Optoma’s new projectors feature built-in sound systems. These use four sizeable drivers to deliver a 2 x 10W sound output that should benefit from the way the sound is propelled directly towards the viewer.
The CinemaX D2 and CinemaX D2 Smart are available now for £1999/£2149 respectively in the UK, or $2,499/$2699 in the US.