XGIMI Horizon Pro review: Small but mighty
A TEST REPORT from Nils Ahrensmeier 
on July 14, 2021, 13:17 pm | 2 comments
The XGIMI Horizon Pro is the latest flagshipProjector from the Chinese brand XGIMI, which has already attracted attention in the past due to its good price/performance ratio. TechnikNews has the horizon Pro tested.
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XGIMI Horizon Pro Delivery:
The Horizon Pro is delivered in a box, which contains the projector itself as well as the power supply and the remote control.
Design and workmanship
The design of the projector is simple and yet modern. At 208 x 218 x 136 mm, it's a little smaller than most other projectors I've used to date, but larger than the other "portable" models from the XGIMI line-up. With a weight of 2.9 KG, it is also a little heavy to take the projector with you to a friend, but light enough to take it without Proproblems to transport in the house. The light weight for such a projector is explained by the fact that there is no built-in battery. So you have to use the power adapter, which could well come from a gaming laptop.
The XGIMI Horizon Pro has a modern, simple design (picture: TechnikNews)
On the lower side of the projector there is a connection for a stand/tripod, which can be purchased directly from XGIMI or third-party providers. The processing is of high quality Projektor definitely feels right for the price. I did not notice any damage or processing defects after delivery.
picture
The Horizon Pro can display a 300 inch (about 8 meters) image with a maximum resolution of 4K compared to the cheaper model, the Horizon only 1080p. The brightness is a maximum of 2200 lumens, with this brightness the maximum size is 60 inches.
The XGIMI Horizon Pro can display up to 4K but will be upscaled. (Picture: TechnikNews)
The picture and quality depends heavily on the brightness of the room. In the morning / afternoon or in bright surroundings, I would prefer a TV because the projector is simply too dark.
Only in darker surroundings, i.e. rather early in the evening/evening, does the Horizon appear Pro right to shine. Then the projector manages to beam a flat screen TV onto the wall, the quality in 4K is excellent, especially for the size. Whether football or movies, the Horizon Pro displays this in good quality. The only flaw I noticed is the quality of 1080p recordings via Android TV/YouTube. This is not always “perfect”, but still looks good. But if you watch a lot/predominantly 1080p, you should consider spending the money for the Pro to save and bet on the horizon. A lot of content from Netflix (with the appropriate subscription), Disney+ and co can already be seen in 4K, but it's worth it for them.
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- While in bright light a TV would be better ...
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- Convinces the XGIMI Horizon Pro in dark environments. (Picture: TechnikNews)
One feature that is widely advertised is the automatic keystone correction. This recognizes objects such as pictures, lamps etc. and adjusts the picture automatically. This works really well in practice and does a lot of work for you. This also applies to the trapezoid, but this can be adjusted manually after detection (it doesn't always work perfectly).
XGIMI Horizon Pro:hardware
The hardware is for a relatively small Projector impressive. Internally sits a MediaTek Processor (not known which one exactly), along with 2 gigabytes of RAM and 32 gigabytes of internal storage. This runs Android TV 10 with some settings for the Proejector.
OS
The OS runs smoothly and takes about 45 seconds to boot, 6 seconds from sleep. The advantage is the portability of Android TV, because you don't have to connect a second device to watch movies. Of the Projektor officially supports every streaming service except Netflix. The missing certification could come in the future, but I wouldn't hold out much hope. Netflix can still be installed via a third party, but malware etc. cannot be ruled out. But what is possible: You can cast Netflix titles via your built-in Chromecast. It's a lot easier and safer.
External Anschlüsse
So if you want to be sure, you can connect external devices. This via 2x HDMI 2.0 or 2x USB 2.0. Other inputs are for Ethernet, 3,5 mm jack, optical and the power connection. I focused a lot on HDMI and e.g. B. a Nintendo Switch or PS4 connected. The 1080p quality was a lot better than Android TV 10. Apropos gaming, if you want to play a lot of shooters or more competitive titles, you won't be happy with an input lag of 35 ms. But not a big one for Switch games like Mario Kart or other games like FIFA Prostated problems.
The XGIMI Horizon Pro has two HDMI ports, unfortunately only 2.0 (picture: TechnikNews)
Remote Control
The remote that comes with it is awesome! High quality aluminum and all the buttons you need. Directly below the on/off switch is a button that Projector menu. The trapezoid or the zoom can be set there. A Google Assistant button should also not be missing on an Android device, it is located under the Projector settings. A D-Pad provides good navigation through the menu, below which are a "Home", "Back" and "More" button. The volume can be adjusted using the last two buttons. The only disadvantage: The remote control is battery-operated, so it cannot be charged via USB-C.
The remote control of the XGIMI Horizon Pro makes a good impression (picture: TechnikNews)
Loudspeakers
The built-in speakers are surprisingly good. This is particularly noticeable when it comes to portability. I didn't have to connect an external speaker via 3,5 mm, but an external system should be used for the home theater setup. The speakers are perfectly fine for watching football or a few YouTube videos every now and then, but the lack of pressure with loud sound effects can be heard in movies.
The XGIMI Horizon Pro has good built-in speakers (picture: TechnikNews)
What really impressed me is the volume. Of the Projector is very quiet, but can get relatively warm.
XGIMI Horizon Pro: Conclusion
The XGIMI Horizon Pro is a very good one Projector for a relatively cheap price. The portability, the quality and the software are convincing. If you watch a lot of 4K movies and are interested in an affordable and portable solution, then the Horizon is for you Pro a projector for you. I noticed negatively the missing Netflix app, which could be a killer for many. A certain distance to the wall is also necessary, for a short distance other projectors would be better suited.
Hello, could you possibly define the optimal distance described in more detail?
gruß
Dirk Bernsee
About 3 meters
Kind regards
Nils