With flat panel TV prices hurtling ever downward, one might think the market for UST (Ultra Short Throw) projectors might be dwindling. But if you’re looking for a truly cinematic home theater experience with a screen size over 100 inches, UST projectors still offer a compelling form factor and value proposition.
With their ability to virtually disappear when not in use, UST projectors can also present a more design friendly option than a huge honking TV that dominates your living space. While traditional projectors require several feet between the projector and screen, UST projectors can be placed just inches from the wall and throw a screen of 100 inches or more. Combine this with a custom console and a motorized screen and that huge cinematic screen can simply fade away when not in use.
If you’re considering a UST purchase yourself, then be sure to hold off a few more days. You’re going to want to see what goes down at the UST Projector Showdown at ProjectorScreen.com.
A UST Battle Royale (with Cheese?)
The UST Projector Showdown, hosted by projector distributor and dealer ProjectorScreen.com, is an annual event that pits the top performing UST projectors against each other to see which models rise to the top in video performance. As with last year, the Showdown will be emceed and administrated by Phil Jones, owner of ProjectorReviews.com, an independent projector review web site.
A panel of six independent judges with experience in the industry (including yours truly) will rank the performance of each projector across a number of different categories. A scorecard will be shared after the results have been tabulated. It will include details in each category in order to help prospective buyers make the right choice for their specific needs.
In This Corner…
This year’s competitors include eight different UST projectors from six brands, priced from $2,699 to $5,999 (MSRP). Three are repeat contenders from last year’s UST Showdown, but with the latest software updates and improvements. The rest are all new models or updated versions of existing models. All use DLP imaging chips except the Epson, which uses three LCD chips. Six models use a Triple Laser light array, while the Epson QS100 uses a laser+phosphor light source and the XGIMI Aura 2 uses a hybrid Laser+LED light source. All are rated for at least 20,000 hours of use with no bulb replacement necessary. That’s roughly 11 years if used for 5 hours per day.
Models Competing in the 2025 UST Showdown (with MSRP):
- Epson QS100 3-Chip Laser Lit LCD Projector ($4,999)
- Formovie Theater Premium Triple Laser DLP Projector ($2,799)
- Hisense L9Q Triple Laser DLP Projector ($5,999)
- Hisense PT1 Triple Laser DLP Projector ($2,999)
- Hisense PX3 Pro Triple Laser DLP Projector ($3,499)
- JMGO O2S Ultra Triple Laser DLP Projector ($2,999)
- Nexigo Aurora Pro MKII Laser DLP Projector ($3,499)
- XGIMI Aura 2 Hybrid Laser/LED DLP Projector (now with Google TV) ($2,699)
This year’s panel of independent judges will include Chris Boylan (hey, that’s me!), Tech YouTuber Chris Majestic, projector reviewer Andy Grimm (Sound and Vision, Home Theater Review), YouTube tech reviewer Milton Santiago (EBPMan), projector reviewer and calibrator Kam Valentine of ProjectorReviews.com and Chris Mata, aka “That Home Theater Dude” from YouTube.
The projectors will all be set up in one room and hit with a variety of test patterns and real world content curated by show emcee Phil Jones. The testing materials are intended to highlight specific picture quality attributes such as contrast, brightness, picture uniformity, motion handling, color saturation and color accuracy. Once the judging has been completed, the show organizers will compile the results in order to create a comprehensive scorecard which allows prospective buyers to see how each projector performed in each category.
The Bottom Line
This will be my third time covering the UST Showdown, first as an audio judge, then as a main event judge. It’s always a treat to be able to see these flagship displays doing their thing head to head on some very challenging content. Will the Hisense PX3-Pro repeat its strong showing from last year or will it be outclassed by its more expensive new sibling the Hisense L9Q? Will the Epson’s exceptional brightness (4,500 lumens of both white and color brightness) allow it to stand out from the pack? Has Formovie corrected the color accuracy issues in its that kept it off the top of the leaderboard last year? All these things and more will soon be revealed.
In previous events, the show organizers have been careful to try to let each projector shine (no pun intended) in its best light. But I’m confident one or two models will set themselves apart, at least as far as video performance is concerned. Other aspects like features, functionality, styling and ergonomics are also important when viewing a projector. But for me, picture quality is paramount so I’m looking forward to participating. Let the games begin!
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Top UST Projectors of 2024 Revealed at the UST Projector Showdown
