Hisense, which is not traditionally known as a resource for the custom electronics trade, traveled to the CEDIA 2017 custom electronics show this week to promote and demonstrate a new 4K Short Throw DLP laser projector, called the “Laser TV,” which is scheduled to launch at retail November 1, 2017.
Hisense representatives said they see a big opportunity ahead for high-resolution front projectors that can produce huge screen sizes of 100-inches and up at a fraction of the cost of an equivalently sized 4K Ultra HD flat-panel television.
The company is also focusing intently on DLP-based Short Throw projectors which are compact, easy to setup, and can be positioned only a few inches (6 inches in the case of the Laser TV) from the projection screen or wall surface.
Compared to large flat-panel TVs, projection systems have screens that weigh much less (about 50 pounds for the screen and mounting system included in the Laser TV package) and don’t require any structural reinforcement to the wall. Screen surfaces also don’t have the typical glare of a glass panel.
The Hisense Laser TV is based on Texas Instruments’ single 0.66-inch 4K DLP DMD chip technology using one color wheel and one phosphor wheel. Hisense said the projector has been specially engineered to provide a clear path to the color wheel, thus providing a more rapid and efficient transmission of light through to the lens optics, for reduced lag and brighter results.
The Laser TV will include both a built-in ATSC OTA tuner and a smart TV platform to access streaming services.
Hisense will include a wall-mounted 100-inch SI screen in a bundle with the projector for a $9,999 unilateral pricing policy (UPP) price, which is a reduction from the $12,999 price that was first considered.
Read more on the Hisense “Laser TV” 4K short throw projector after the jump:
Hisense demonstrated a prototype of the projector with a 100-inch Screen Innovations screen in its booth on the show floor with all of the bright ambient light that’s typical of a convention center environment. Despite the interfering light, the Short Throw projector casts a bright (350 nits, according to Hisense) picture in 4K (3840×2160) resolution with HDR10 high dynamic range (HDR) with only slight impact on color, contrast and black level from the harsh ambient light conditions.
Hisense also updated the on-board sound system from its originally announced plan. The model will now feature sound tweaked by Harman Kardon, and using two Harman Kardon midrange speakers and two tweeters in a biamplified 4×15-Watt configuration. A separate 60-Watt wireless subwoofer is also included.
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For those planning a multichannel home theater speaker setup in the viewing room, Hisense has designed the on-board sound in the Ultra Short Throw front projector to convert into a center channel speaker.
In related news, Hisense is preparing to launch in China in November a DLP projector using its DualColor technology, which was showcased at CES 2017. The technology uses dual color wheels and the phosphor wheel, which combine to produce a wider color gamut. Hisense said the projector will produce around 90 percent of the BT.2020 color space.
The DualColor technology is expected to arrive in the United States in the next generation of products.
In flat panel TV news, Hisense said it will ship this month its 75-inch H10 series 4K Ultra HD LED-LCD TV with quantum dot technology, announced at CES 2017. The company has decided not to market an equivalently sized model in the H9 series, according to a company spokesperson.
The 75H10D ($5,999.99 suggested retail price) will have up 2,000 nits of peak brightness, 95 percent of DCI-P3 and will be Ultra HD Premium certified. It will also be a Netflix Recommended TV. Hisense is talking to regional consumer electronics accounts for placement and expect to offer the TV through Almo distributing for access by custom integrators.
By Greg Tarr
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