There are more and more users who want to feel the experience of home theater by multiplying the screen inches with one of these projectors that, in recent times, have seen the arrival of laser technology that has the great advantage of displaying images with an amazing definition, color and contrast, but unfortunately they continue to flirt with prohibitive prices for many pockets.
4K resolution projector
The fact is that the Optoma brand has been one of those that has moved the most in its segment to reduce that economic gap of the best 4K laser models, although it is still insurmountable. The fact is that, in just six months, it has put two devices on the market with very different characteristics: one with laser technology to display images in UHD resolution that we can see even in adverse natural and artificial light conditions, and another that does not boast of so much avant-garde but it allows to reach similar levels of quality in viewing by resorting to an old incandescent light bulb.
In any case, if the UHZ50 model launched by Optoma in the fall of last year was close to 2,800 dollars in price (about 2,650 euros), with this UHD55 they have managed to reduce it by nearly a thousand and transform it into a much more accessible projector for those who do not want devote so much budget to one of these devices. Obviously we are going to lose some features, such as that laser technology, but essentially we are going to take the possibility of reproducing in that 4K that we so long for in our living room.
Its technical specifications leave no room for doubt: 3,600 lumens, which means that it projects sharp and perfectly visible images in adverse light conditions at any time of day, thanks to an incandescent bulb that the manufacturer estimates that we will have to replace after about 15,000 Hours of use. How times have advanced! From those 400 or 500 hours of the models 15 years ago, compared to the efficiency of the devices that are manufactured right now.
Connections for all tastes
This Optoma UHD55 is perfect for playing 4K content either from sources such as Blu-ray, to streaming platforms and, of course, video game consoles such as PS5 or Xbox Series X since it has a response speed of just 16 milliseconds. It will probably not be as fast as a monitor specifically designed for these tasks, but you will have enough fluidity to not lose detail of any game you play, regardless of the type of video game it is.
It includes two HDMI ports compatible with the reproduction of 4K HDR content at 60 Hz (in 1,080p it reaches 240) that we project. It is wonderful, there is no denying it, although we will not need it to watch movies and series that continue to move in those classic 24 frames per second, so they do not need more. Without a doubt, those 60 frames per second are extraordinarily good for video games , on PS5 and Xbox Series X, especially.
Also, in case you don’t have a home theater system, it incorporates a small speaker of about 10 W as well as an Ethernet port for a wired connection to the Internet, two USBs, a VGA for the PC and audio input and output in case we want to use some helmets so as not to disturb anyone.
Of course, its operating system does not allow the installation of streaming apps, so we will have to add a Chromecast or a Fire TV Stick (or an Apple TV and any other top-box set) if we want to start Netflix, Disney +, HBO Max or any other similar platform. If you are interested in it, its price is around 1,799 dollars, that is, about 1,650 euros to change.