Projectors could be a distinct segment choice on your lounge, if solely as a result of they typically require a variety of particular care that typical TVs don’t—like a separate reflective display screen, darkish curtains or rooms with no home windows, and complex ceiling mount techniques. The AWOL LTV-3500 Professional doesn’t get rid of these issues totally, however it considerably shifts the steadiness of these trade-offs. That comes at a value, although.
The AWOL LTV 3500 Professional is a small improve over the LTV-3500 (7/10, WIRED Review), which I favored after I reviewed it in 2022. The newer model provides assist for Dolby Imaginative and prescient and Control4 sensible residence integration, however is in any other case largely the identical because the older mannequin. (In case you store used, you may be capable of discover the unique LTV-3500, however the Professional is what most retailers are promoting now.)
Like its predecessor, the LTV-3500 Professional makes an attempt to justify its value level by being one of the best it may be at completely every thing. Since it is a short-throw projector, it is simple to arrange by simply placing it on an leisure unit (though it may be mounted to a ceiling). It supplies glorious, excessive distinction HDR image high quality, and it could actually venture as much as a 150-inch display screen in full 4K readability. If you are going to spend this a lot on a projector, chances are you’ll as nicely get your cash’s price.
Readability in Broad Daylight
Probably the most notable side of the LTV-3500 Professional is how impressively brilliant it’s. The projector is rated at 3,500 ANSI lumens—for comparability, our high-end pick in our projector guide clocks in at solely 2,700 lumens. In sensible phrases, which means I used to be in a position to see the picture clearly even on the bottom brightness setting, and with ambient lights turned on.
In my testing, I might watch films and play video games in my lounge, which has a big, sliding glass door that faces the dawn. With the blinds absolutely open, the image could be just a little washed out, which is to be anticipated. Nevertheless, with the blinds closed, even with vital mild bleed from the home windows spilling in across the sides of the blinds, I might comfortably watch exhibits or play video games and nearly neglect that I wasn’t watching on a typical panel TV.
If something, the brightness was nearly too overwhelming. As soon as, whereas having a visitor over, we sat speaking on the sofa within the night. We paused the present we might began watching on Netflix to speak and let it sit for some time. Then Netflix began to cycle via a slideshow of promos for its different exhibits, and when one with a predominantly white background appeared, it felt like an angel from heaven confirmed up, blasting our eyes with blinding mild and telling us to be not afraid. Ultimately, my visitor requested me to easily flip the projector off.
I ought to be aware that I doubt this shall be a lot of an issue for most individuals. I used to be utilizing the projector in a fairly small lounge, and as such was doubtless sitting approach too near the display screen for its dimension. Think about sitting within the entrance row of a movie show, for instance. In case you plan to place this in a small area, you may need to use the bottom brightness setting or place the projector to make the display screen as small as doable. That leads us to the second most notable side of this projector.
Large Display, Minimal House
Each time I had company over, they might instantly ask the identical query upon seeing the display screen: “The place’s the projector?” Most projectors require mounting behind the sofa or on the ceiling, however the LTV-3500 Professional sits straight on a typical TV stand—a feat that just one different projector in our Best Projectors guide can pull off—and tasks a picture straight up onto the wall.
How massive the display screen shall be relies upon closely on how far you may put the projector away from the wall—which, in my testing, was more durable than it sounds. To get a 120-inch display screen (the utmost is 150 inches), I needed to put my leisure unit a couple of foot away from the wall and then place the projector as far to the very fringe of my leisure unit as I might whereas nonetheless balancing it safely.