Projectors in 2024: the year’s biggest launches so far and what’s coming next

It’s
been
a
huge
year
for
projectors
so
far
–
with
high-quality
beamers
arriving
from
the
likes
of

LG,

Samsung,
BenQ,
and
more.
But
as
we
hit
the
halfway
point
of
2024,
it’s
time
to
assess
the
changes
we’ve
seen
in
the
projector
market,
as
well
as
any
rumors
and
announcements
for
the
second
half
of
the
year.

Projectors
are
changing;
whereas
they
were
once
a
niche
TV
alternative,
they’re
now
a
serious
replacement
for
a
TV
setup,
whether
you’re
a
committed
cinephile
with
a
dedicated
home
cinema
room
and
projection
screen,
or
a
camper
who’s
looking
for
an
easy
way
to
watch
movies.

And
the
slate
of
2024
models
is
showing
that
the
traditional
benefits
of
most
projectors
(flexibility,
scalability,
portability)
are
improving
while
the
common
downsides
(low
brightness,
limited
blacks)
are
farther
away
than
ever. 

Here’s
a
quick
overview
of
the
excellent
projectors
we’ve
seen
launch
in
2024
so
far,
and
a
glimpse
of
what
might
be
coming
next.

Projectors
in
2024:
what
have
been
the
biggest
launches
so
far
this
year?

Our
guide
to
the

best
portable
projectors
has
been
given
a
serious
shakeup
in
2024.
This
year
has
seen
a
flood
of
excellent

4K
projectors
with
a
portable
mindset
–
ensuring
that
shoppers
don’t
need
to
choose
between
flexibility
and
picture
quality
–
to
the
extent
that
in
January
we
wrote
that
it
could
be
“the
end
of
home
theater
as
we
know
it“.

We’ve
seen
a
second-gen
Samsung
Freestyle,
an
$800
/
£650
follow-up
to
the

2022
original
that
was
already
one
of
our
favorite
portable
projectors.
It
brought
improved
support
for
Xbox
and

Nvidia
cloud-based
gaming
services,
as
well
as
the
option
to
install
it
in
a
ceiling
light
socket. 

Our

Samsung
The
Freestyle
2nd
Gen
review
noted
that
its
brightness
(230
lumens)
and
HD
resolution
leave
a
little
to
be
desired,
but
it’s
still
a
fantastic
option
for
those
after
a
smart
projector
with
a
great
interface,
30-100
inch
projection
and
the
ability
to
easily
move
images
around.

But
LG
is
the
major
player
that’s

brought
its
exceptional
CineBeam
range
to
the
portable
market
with
the
stylish
CineBeam
Q
(above),
which
achieves

4K
resolution
and
500
lumens
brightness
as
well
as
the
excellent
webOS
streaming
platform
from
high-end

LG
TVs.
At
$1,299
/
£1,299
/
AU$2,499,
it
prices
out
the
more
budget
Samsung
Freestyle,
but
with
a
4.5/5
rating
in
our

LG
CineBeam
Q
review,
it’s
well
worth
the
upgrade. 

And
for
those
after
a
truly
bright
experience,
the

JMGO
N1S
Ultra
4K
is
another
new
portable
projector
with
Ultra
HD
resolution
and
up
to
3000
ANSI
lumens,
alongside
a
brilliantly
compact
design
and
sturdy
gimbal
for
tilting
and
rotating
the
projection
with
pinpoint
accuracy.

There
are
plenty
of
new
advancements
for
fixed-position
projectors,
too.
The
XGIMI
Horizon
Ultra
(above)
is
the
first
long-throw
projector
that
supports
Dolby
Vision,
the
dynamic

HDR
format
that
tweaks
color,
contrast
and
bright
highlights
on
the
fly
for
a
more
vivid,
true-to-life
viewing
experience
–
and
one
that
counters
the
assumption
that
projectors
are
condemned
to
produce
dim
images
and
struggle
with
dark
scenes. 

In
our

XGIMI
Horizon
Ultra
review
we
praised
the
2,300
lumens
output
and
wrote
that
“the
blacks
are
deep
and
HDR
performance
brilliant,
with
great
brightness
even
in
well-lit
conditions.” 

At
$1,699
/
£1,749
/
AU$3,499,
the
XGIMI
Horizon
Ultra
is
still
far
cheaper
than
many
of
the
premium
projectors
we
review,
and
it’s
proof
that,
in
2024,
even
mid-range
options
are
managing
to
be
competitive
on
lots
of
the
most
important
metrics.

Projectors
in
2024:
what
launches
are
we
expecting
during
the
rest
of
the
year?

The
main
absence
from
2024’s
projector
lineup
so
far
is
Samsung’s
The
Premiere

8K,
which
was
shown
off
at

CES
2024
(and
CES
2023
before
that),
but
has
yet
to
officially
the
market,
with
no
firm
release
date
in
sight.

This
is
the

first
ever
wireless
8K
projector,
for
incredible
8K
resolution
images,
4000
lumens,
and
up
to
150-inch
projection
with
a
wire-free
beamer
and
ultra
short-throw
technology. 

You
will
need
Samsung’s
One
Connect
Box
to
wirelessly
transmit
8K
video
to
the
projector,
but
it
does
mean
you
can
keep
the
additional
hardware
and
cables
out
of
view
on
a
cozy
movie
night.
A
built-in
8.2.2
channel
Dolby
Atmos
sound
system
doesn’t
hurt,
either,
and
marks
a
notable
upgrade
over
the
high-end

Samsung
Premiere
LSP9T,
which
is
currently
the

best
4K
projector
we’d
recommend
for
sound
quality.

As
an
alternative
for
the

best
8K
TVs,
the
incoming
Premiere
8K
is
an
interesting
proposition.
While
the
present
for
projectors
seems
to
be
in
bringing
high-end
specs
to
portable
models,
the
future
seems
to
be
(somewhat
similarly)
in
bringing
wireless
tech
to
the
high
end
–
and
the
winners
are
most
certainly
us.

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