I Switched My Tv With A 4k Ust Projector - And It Was A Visual Upgrade In Several Ways

Formovie Cinema Edge 4K UST projector

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Formovie Cinema Edge 4K UST projector is disposable now for $1,899 astatine Amazon.
• It has a sturdy building and sleek design.
• It's awesome for cinematic viewing, though it could greatly use from having a dedicated sound system.

The first ultra short-throw (UST) projectors deed nan mainstream marketplace successful nan US arsenic early arsenic 2014. (Thank you, Sony.) Collectively, they've travel a agelong measurement since past successful position of design, performance, and affordability. Yet, moreover today, astir USTs lucifer nan size and style of a VCR from nan early 2000s.

Also: How to disable ACR connected your TV (and why doing truthful makes specified a large difference)

While Formovie's flagship Cinema Edge Theater UST projector debuted a decade later pinch an upgraded Theatre Premium model, and nan much affordable baseline Cinema Edge, they correspond nan advancement that's been made successful nan location intermezo market.

For nan past fewer months, I've been testing the Formovie Cinema Edge, which presently retails for $1,899, astatine our Louisville testing laboratory for this review.

Out-of-box impressions

Formovie's Cinema Edge follows nan accepted UST projector design. Its flat, boxy shape facet is communal among USTs, and this 1 is reasonably sleek and compact, weighing conscionable complete 15 pounds and measuring 18 x 12 x 3.6 inches. Its innards and capabilities, though, are successful a different people than immoderate tv peripheral made 2 decades ago.

Also: I changed these 3 settings connected my projector for nan champion image quality

The Cinema Edge has 2 adjustable feet connected nan beforehand for elevating nan portion arsenic needed. I didn't find that basal astatine all, but it's a adjuvant action because you'll want to make each beingness accommodation you tin earlier activating keystone correction (generally speaking). Notably, I besides ne'er needed to usage nan keystone correction to get a proportional and crisp attraction from separator to edge.

The distant power has dedicated buttons for Netflix and YouTube, and a Google Assistant fastener for sound commands utilizing its Google TV platform. Disappointingly, Formovie did not see AAA batteries successful nan box, and nan distant does not travel pinch a star sheet for infinite charging.

Unboxing and setup is easy, though uncovering your perfect picture settings mightiness return a minute. (More connected that later.) First, I wanted to spot really Cinema Edge's image is oriented connected our large screen.

Projection parameters

To suffice arsenic a UST projector, nan instrumentality must person a propulsion ratio of little than 0.40:1. With a 0.23:1 ratio, nan Cinema Edge tin ostensibly nutrient an 80-inch image while placed conscionable 5.5 inches distant from nan projection surface.

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At nan lab, my protocol is to execute nan largest and clearest projection possible. While testing, I recovered nan saccharine spot to beryllium 25 inches from lens to surface to task a 150-inch image (at nan resting tallness of a emblematic java table). Note that I said "lens to screen." The lens is situated astatine nan beforehand of nan unit, which intends nan backmost of it (nearest to your screen) whitethorn beryllium arsenic adjacent arsenic 15 inches.

Adam Breeden/ZDNET

This is each to say: mounting nan Cinema Edge -- aliases immoderate UST -- wrong a ft from your wall aboveground to get a clear 16:9 image of that size is astir arsenic bully arsenic it gets.

I should besides statement nan portion emitted very small instrumentality sound whilst mounting it up. And its auto-shut disconnected sensor, which dims nan laser erstwhile thing interrupts nan way of its photons, spared maine from being blinded astatine slightest twice.

Testing nan performance

Watching 4K quality footage connected YouTube is an fantabulous measurement to cheque a TV's aliases projector's afloat imaginable successful colour and brightness. The Cinema Edge did not disappoint.

Supporting some HDR10 and HLG HDR, nan Cinema Edge is plentifulness agleam and its colors are vibrant, moreover erstwhile group connected Movie mode -- a mode that often dampens vibrancy successful favour of colour accuracy. The clownfish swimming among nan coral looked for illustration they were connected nan different broadside of a immense solid aquarium. A close-up of a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis included an expressly precise detail. 

The images connected our 150-inch surface looked superb contempt nan Cinema Edge lacking Dolby Vision aliases HDR10+. These features are reserved for nan pricier Theater and Theater Premium models.

Also: I replaced my 4K TV pinch a $350 tri-fold projector for a week - here's my buying proposal now

The Cinema Edge's ray root is an ALPD (advanced laser phosphor display), driven by a DLP (digital ray processing) microchip equipped pinch XPR fast-switch pixel shifting. All these method initialisms construe into 4K HD solution pinch a colour gamut standing of 110% of Rec.709 and a opposition ratio of 3000:1. Formovie rates nan Cinema Edge arsenic putting retired 2,100 lumens, though astir measurements scope astir 1,900. It's surely not nan brightest 4K projector available, but it's plentifulness agleam for a UST costing nether $2,000.

Adam Breeden/ZDNET

While I cycled done my accustomed testing of image modes and myriad slider settings, I yet landed backmost astatine nan defaults. This is partially because nan default settings were already balanced conscionable good connected our ALR screen, and partially because fiddling pinch nan various sliders and options became highly convoluted.

Every accommodation I made yielded decent opposition and ample colour saturation. Where protector item felt lacking, I accrued Adaptive Luma (a "dynamic" opposition setting) without rubbing different opposition controls to get a deeper achromatic pinch stronger highlights. I didn't mind nan flimsy soap opera effect of nan default settings, but framework interpolation tin beryllium deactivated done nan MJC (motion judder cancellation) setting.

Also: 5 easy ways to instantly amended your soundbar's audio (and they're free)

After truthful galore tweaks pinch affirmative outcomes, I go prone to prime paralysis. This plethora of variables, though, tin beryllium an plus to those who are highly discerning (i.e., picky) pinch their ocular preferences. From adjusting Local Contrast to Color Temperature, nan options consciousness limitless. If you get a Cinema Edge, return your clip to find nan champion operation for your eyeballs.

Connectivity and audio experience

The Cinema Edge's powerfulness plug larboard is connected nan rear near side. The backside besides has its array of 2 HDMI ports, an eARC port, 2 USB ports, a 3.5mm line-out jack, an S/PDIF, and an ethernet port. Its façade has a soft artistic that resembles a speaker grill -- which it is.

Behind that are 2 15-watt speakers pinch Dolby Audio and DTS-HD, a setup that provided ample measurement for our sound-dampened testing room. In a larger, much acoustic viewing area, nan audio value mightiness time off you cold, though that tin beryllium easy remedied pinch nan attachment of a soundbar.

Some things to note

For each streaming level I visited (Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, etc.), nan Formovie Cinema Edge looked conscionable awkward of exceptional, which is simply a favorable verdict for a 4K UST astatine $1,799. While I wasn't disappointed pinch its capacity successful immoderate way, it's worthy noting that nan Cinema Edge lacks definite features, and these are justified by its value point. 

Also: I changed these 6 Samsung TV settings to importantly amended nan performance

It has nary 3D support, nary Dolby Vision, nary VRR, and is constricted to a 60Hz framerate. This second spec makes it good for enjoying beautiful scenery, melodramatic moviescapes, and casual gaming -- though it does characteristic ALLM (auto debased latency mode) to mitigate input lag.

ZDNET's buying advice

Ultimately, nan Cinema Edge is simply a azygous laser ultra-short propulsion device. If you want other colour vibrancy and luminescence, beryllium prepared to walk astir $1,000 much for nan Theater Premium version, a triple laser projector, astatine $2,799. Even stretching your fund to that extreme, you'll still beryllium paying a small complete half nan value of a triple-laser for illustration the Hisense LQ9.

If it makes consciousness for you to bargain a UST because you tin configure your viewing area accordingly, past nan Cinema Edge is simply a bully bet. Keep successful mind that, for illustration immoderate UST, nan Cinema Edge must beryllium positioned beforehand and halfway to your surface aliases projection wall, whether supra aliases beneath it. 

(Some portable units mightiness beryllium positioned successful a area and still output a crisp 16:9 projection aft keystone adjustment.) The Cinema Edge tin besides beryllium mounted connected your ceiling, conscionable inches from your projection wall, pinch nan image inverted.