Optoma’s latest projector, the HZ40UST, is not only capable of producing a 100-inch screen from just 30cm away from your wall, but is also scorchingly bright, at 4000 lumens.
Projectors tend to have two main problems. First is that they can be a bit of a hassle to place in your room. Traditionally they need a lot of space to project an image that’s big enough, and even once you’ve set them up properly, you often need a dark room for the picture to look any good.
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On paper, the Optoma HZ40UST solves both of these problems. Its short-throw design means you can place it just 30cm away from a wall and still get an image that’s 100-inches from corner to corner, and its 4000 lumens of brightness should mean you won’t have to staple your curtains shut before you can settle down to watch a film.
The reason for this level of brightness is that this projector relies on laser technology rather than a traditional lamp, which also means it should turn on and off quicker, and generally produce a more uniform image.
Other traditional projector drawbacks remain
That said, it’s still unlikely to overcome other common issues with projectors. These include comparatively weak sound (the HZ40UST is packing a built-in speaker with 10W of power), and a lack of smart apps (although this could in theory be remedied with a cheap Amazon Fire Stick or Google Chromecast).
Although the projector is 1080p Full HD rather than Ultra HD 4K, it’s still able to process 3D content to let you live the 3D dream now that every major TV manufacturer appears to have dropped the technology.
So you’re still making a couple of compromises to get a screen this big, but it’s still a lot better than many of the alternatives. We’ll have to get the projector in to try it out for ourselves, but this could be a great option if you’re still watching mainly 1080p content.
The Optoma HZ40UST is available now from Amazon where it’s priced at just over £2500.
Would you ever switch away from having a TV to using a projector? Let us know @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.