Optoma L1+ 4K UST projector audiovisual
SUMMARY
Optoma L1+ 4K UST projector
Price: $2999
+ DLP 4K resolution
+ Good performance at the price
+ Nicely compact unit
+ AndroidTV with Netflix
+ Good gaming specs
– Built-in sound mediocre
– Ambient light washes out
Traditionally, projectors and TVs have stood apart due to inherent differences. Projectors necessitate cumbersome installation, either on the ceiling or within the room, accompanied by the arduous task of wiring long HDMI cables back to a source. Projectors lacked built-in sound, so a bulky AV receiver was needed for audio delivery, and as an input hub. Projector bulbs required regular replacement, while TVs just lasted forever. And when the smart TV revolution came along, TVs became ever smarter with apps and internet connectivity, while projectors long remained technologically dim.
That has all changed in recent years, and Optoma's latest L1+ shows precisely how much. It does not require cumbersome installation — this is an ultra-short-throw projector designed to be benched close to the wall shining up, rather than going on your ceiling or somewhere at the back of the room. The L1+ fits in more like a television.
With three HDMI inputs, it rivals the connectivity options found in many televisions as well, while there is no AV receiver required, as it has a sound system built in — which, being at the front of the room, makes a whole lot more sense than sound systems built into projectors that go behind you.
Bulb replacement? Not here; the Optoma has a four-LED light source which brings advantages in colour and brightness, and is also expected to provide 30,000 hours of operation — that's three hours every day for 27 years, or 10 hours a day for eight years.
And it's a smart projector in terms
