Hisense L9G TriChroma Laser TV 4K Review - Hardware

The Hisense L9G is a little smaller than many of its competitors in the Laser TV category and the rounded edges make the projectoe appear even more compact. The unit is 24" x 6.1" x 13.6" (LxWxH) and weighs 24.7 lbs.

The Hisense L9G doesn't have a control panel on the chassis. There is only a power button located on the right side of the unit when looking at the projector from the rear. All setting adjustments need to be made using the remote.

Because the lens is positioned on top of the chassis, the front of the L9G is very clean. There is just a power light, IR sensor, and a speaker grille that stretches across the entire front. Behind the grille is the multi-speaker array of the Harmon Kardon sound system.

On top of the projector, chassis are only the lens and eye protection sensors. Air intake/exhaust vents are located on the projector's rear, left, and right sides. All the inputs and connections are located out of sight on the back of the chassis, facing the screen.

The 100" ALR Cinema screen that was included with the review sample requires assembly and comes in a 93.7" x 20.3" x 5.8" (LxWxD) box that weighs about 34.2 lbs. However, since l already had a Screen Innovation 100" ALR (0.8gain) screen setup in my lab, I utilized that screen instead.

DISCRETE RGB LASER DLP

Hisense rates the light output of the L9G at 3,000 lumens which is definitely in the ballpark for what is considered standard for an ultra-short-throw DLP Laser TV projector. The L9G is equipped with Hisense's TriChroma Laser light source that uses a dedicated laser for each of the three primary colors of red, green, and blue (RGB). Using three discrete lasers makes the Hisense L9G one of the most advanced light engines available in a projector today and is one of the reasons that the L9G can reproduce 107% of the BT.2020, also referred to as Rec. 2020, color space. As we mentioned earlier the L9G can display colors outside of the color range of any flat panel available on the market today.

The Hisense L9G utilizes a Texas Instruments Digital Light Processor (DLP) (0.47" DMD) chip to deliver 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution. The 0.47″ DLP chip has 2.2 million pixels, or in this case, micromirrors. The response time of these micromirrors is so fast that each one can be quickly moved back and forth to form four separate pixels on the screen. This approach works very well because it is tough to see a difference in resolution when comparing a 4K DLP projector to a native 4K display. The projector can also accept signals up to 4K@60P via two HDMI/HDCP 2.1 compatible Inputs (HDMI #1&2).

The DLP system used on the Hisense L9G is sealed, keeping dust and dirt away from sensitive components. A sealed light engine prevents dust particles from settling inside the light path. This maximizes the projector's life expectancy, which is critical for a display designed to replace the living room TV.

Also Since the L9G is a single-chip DLP projector, you will never have any convergence issues that may occur with a 3LCD projector. Therefore, the L9G images will remain sharp throughout the projector's life without periodic adjustment. From a reliability standpoint, you can set it and forget it.

THE LENS

The Hisense L9G UST projector's optical system uses complex mirrors to project images at steep, extreme angles. Even with the projector placed only a few inches away, the L9G did a good job spreading light evenly across the screen. This brightness uniformity is notable because this was not always the case with ultra-short-throw projectors.

Like most ultra-short-throw projectors, the Hisense L9G does not offer any lens shift or zoom, so proper placement is critical. If the projector and screen are misaligned even slightly, it produces visible geometric distortion. The projector does feature a very cool auto Geometric Correction feature, as well as a manual one. The Auto Geometric Correction tool makes use of your mobile phone to capture where you are in your image squaring process. All you have to do is take a picture and send it to Hisense. Using this data, Hisense can automatically configure your projector's screen geometry to provide the best-aligned image possible.

While these tools are very cool and helpful, I believe they should be used only as a last resort. I always encourage getting the projector squared to the screen manually because while keystone correction (manual or auto) is convenient, it does reduce your overall image quality.

The L9G like most UST projectors utilizes a fixed lens. While you can utilize a UST projector with a variety of screen sizes, maximum sharpness is only possible at one screen size. This is one of the main reasons why Hisense bundles a screen with their Laser TVs. To ensure sharp edge-to-edge focus, the lens system of the L9G is precisely adjusted to match either the 100" or 120" screen.

MATCHED AMBIENT LIGHT REJECTING (ALR) SCREEN

The L9G, like most Hisense Laser TV models, is bundled with an ambient light rejecting screen explicitly designed for ultra-short-throw projectors.

The Hisense L9G is available in three different bundled packages, each paired with a Hisense Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR) screen. For the 100" size, consumers can choose between two types of screen material based on what best fits their room environment.

Option #1 features a fully assembled ALR Daylight screen with a gain of 1.2. With its sturdy design and hard screen surface, the ALR Daylight Screen looks a lot like a flat-panel TV. This screen is for those wanting to replace their main TV with the L9D Laser TV. This screen configuration offers increased brightness and ambient light rejection capabilities for viewing in brighter surroundings.

Option #2 is an ALR Cinema Screen. This screen offers a gain of 0.4 and a 150-degree viewing angle. The ALR Cinema Screen is best used in dedicated media rooms, man caves, and light-controlled spaces. The ALR Cinema Screen achieves exceptional color accuracy with wide viewing angles. This screen comes in a flat-packed design, so assembly is required.

The 100-inch packages (regardless of the screen) is available now at $5,499.00 MSRP. For those looking for an even larger screen, there is a 120" option which includes an ALR Cinema Screen that retails for $5,999.00.

INPUTS AND CONNECTIONS

The inputs and connections are all located on the rear of the L9G with the exception of a single USB-A input on the side of the projector. There are three HDMI inputs on the L9G. HDMI inputs 1 and 2 support HDMI 2.1, and the third input is HDMI 2.0.

Other available inputs include two USB ports, a LAN port, optical-digital, L/R analog audio outputs, and an RF antenna input for the unit's built-in ATSC 1.0 tuner.

Two of the Hisense L9G’s three HDMI inputs support HDMI 2.1 features. Theoretically, HDMI 2.1 inputs can support bandwidth up to 48 Gbps, for playback of 8K/60p and 4k/120p content. While this projector’s DLP chip only supports up to 4K@60Hz video playback utilizing these types of HDMI inputs still offers a few notable benefits including ALLM and eARC.

Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) automatically switches the L9G to a low-latency, low-lag Game mode when game content is detected. When low latency is no longer needed, the source disables the signal, and the display reverts to its previous mode for watching content such as movies and TV shows. This ensures an optimized gaming and movie-watching experience automatically.

THDMI 2.1 supports Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC).  Standard HDMI ARC supports multichannel audio, including Dolby Atmos, but it delivers a compressed audio signal due to bandwidth limitations. An example of this is Dolby® Digital Plus. eARC’s increased bandwidth capabilities allow the transfer of uncompressed audio like Dolby TrueHD for the highest sound quality.

The L9G is also able to control connected devices like an A/V receiver via HDMI CEC (consumer electronics control). This means you can use your TV remote instead of having to reach for a different remote to control each connected device.

REMOTE CONTROL

The included remote is slim and made of brushed metal. The power and dedicated service buttons for the built-in MEDIA player, Prime Video, YouTube, Disney+, Tubi, and Google Play are all on the remote. Bluetooth pairing ensures the projector has been controlled even if it's not in the line of sight. The remote control does include IR, which can be used to work the projector or a 3rd party cable/satellite box. For custom integration, the L9G can also be controlled via RS232.

Located at the top center of the remote is a dedicated Google Assistant for voice control of a wide range of smart features including but not limited to, Voice Search, compatible projector switching and hardware controls, and many Internet of Things (IoT) compatible devices.

MENUS

Since the L9G is a smart projector, since it is equipped with Android TV, there are dozens and dozens of menu/entertainment options. The menu images shown in this section represent only a small number of all the sub-menus available. I’ve tried to show a couple of the more notable sections in the most used sub-menus (app store, image adjustments, etc.).