XGIMI Horizon Pro 4K Smart LED Projector Review

XGIMI has released its most powerful series of home projectors. I introduce you to the Horizon Series, the flagship of the XGIMI projector lineup. The XGIMI Horizon Series includes the Horizon and the Horizon Pro. The Horizon is a Smart all-in-one 1080p portable DLP projector, and the Horizon Pro is a smart all-in-one 4K portable DLP projector. The only difference between these two projectors is the resolution. Both of them measure in at 8.2" H x 8.6" W x 5.4" D. Their portable design makes them easy to bring anywhere you have a power outlet and a flat viewing surface, for a quick plug-and-play experience. A tripod mount is located under the projector to make placement even more effortless.

As I have said in the past, XGIMI's products have won many different international awards over the last few years. These awards include the "iF" International Forum Design (Design Award), the CES (Innovations Award), and the Red Dot (Design Award). XGIMI's MoGo Pro – Android TV 4K Portable Projector was a CES Innovations Award 2020 Honoree. Projector Reviews recently gave the XGIMI Halo the Best in Class award for being the best battery-operated portable smart projector in its price range.

If you are not familiar with XGIMI or you simply want to learn more about the company and their products, checkout Technical Editor and Lead Reviewer Phil Jones' interview with XGIMI.

I was given early access to the XGIMI Horizon Pro for this review. The Horizon Pro has a small rounded square shape and took only a small amount of space. The matte black aluminum chassis and rounded square body give the Horizon Pro a nice and clean modern look that should be aesthetically pleasing in any setting.

A highly efficient LED light source is utilized in the Horizon Pro. The LED light source should allow the Horizon Pro to project bright and clear images for its LED lifespan of 25,000 hours. That’s eight hours of projector usage every day, for almost nine years, without ever needing to change out the lamp.

The Horizon Pro has Android TV built in and provides seamless access to streaming services, including HBO Max, YouTube, and Showtime, right out of the box. The Horizon Pro with the Android TV OS makes it a laidback experience to access the streaming entertainment you appreciate. Because the Horizon Pro is powered by Android TV and incorporates 5,000+ native Android apps, the interface's simple layout is highly intuitive for Android users. I had a little learning to do since I'm coming from an iOS world.

With a $1,699 Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), it is clear that the Horizon Pro's target customer is the individual who is looking to step into the premium home cinema style of projectors but still desires a portable projector. The small and portable Horizon Pro provides a hassle-free home theater experience. Gaming (Android games, Xbox, PlayStation), direct casting via Chromecast from an Android or iOS device, and non-stop entertainment from Horizon Pro's Google Play Store for Android TV ensure entertainment any way you want it.

XGIMI Horizon Pro Specs
Price	$1899
Technology	Texas Instruments™ 0.47” DMD
Native Resolution	3840x2160
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)	2200
Contrast	N/A
Zoom Lens Ratio	Fixed
Lens Shift	No
Lamp Life	25,000 hours
Weight	6,4 libs
Warranty	1 year

Overview

The XGIMI Horizon Pro is a 4K DLP LED projector with an MSRP of $1,699. The Horizon Pro has a rated brightness of 2200 ANSI lumens. An ANSI lumen is a unit of measurement developed by the American National Standards Institute to measure brightness. The LED light source is rated to last up to 25,000 hours.

The XGIMI H2 1080p projector with 1350 ANSI lumens was XGIMI's reigning champion. However, with 2200 ANSI lumens and 4K, the XGIMI Horizon Pro is XGIMI's new top-of-the-line projector. The H2 is currently available on Amazon, click here.

The Horizon Pro can project an image as small as 40.38 inches and up to an image of 300 inches; the projector has you covered when it comes to screen size choice. With its native resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, the Horizon Pro adopts the latest in DLP technology to provide sharp images.

Often, projectors fall short when compared to flat-panel televisions. One of these areas is the projector's light source. In a traditional projector, the lamp can dim and require a replacement lamp after only a few thousand hours. A short lamp replacement schedule would add to the operating costs of the projector and be quite an inconvenience. Because the Horizon Pro uses an LED light source, this is no longer an issue when considering projection over traditional flat-panel televisions. The long life of LED illumination can provide years of maintenance-free operation.

The Horizon Pro is powered by the Android TV 10 OS. With Android TV 10, you have apps and capabilities that are also found included in Smart TVs. Horizon Pro includes Google Assistant, which allows you to control the Horizon Pro with your voice.

XGIMI also offers a less expensive model with less performance called the XGIMI H2 ($899.00 MSRP) with 1,350 ANSI lumens and projection up to 300 inches. For the past few years, the XGIMI H2 1080p projector with 1350 ANSI Lumens was XGIMI's reigning champion. However, with 2200 ANSI lumens and 4K, the XGIMI Horizon Pro is XGIMI's new top-of-the-line projector.

Stepping up to the Horizon Pro ($1,699 MSRP) adds a plethora of advancements. Some of those advancements include Ultra High Definition 4K, 2200 ANSI Lumens, Auto Screen Detection, AI-Powered Object Detection, and an Intelligent Spatial Sensor.

Model	H2	Horizon	Horizon Pro
Price	$899	$1,099	$1,699
Resolution	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080	3840 x 2160
Light Source	LED	LED	LED
Brightness	1,350 ANSI Lumens	2,200 ANSI Lumens	2,200 ANSI Lumens
Contrast	1000:1	Not Listed	Not Listed
3D	Yes	Yes	Yes
Display Chip	0.47” DMD	0.47" DMD	0.47" DMD
Speakers	2 x 5W Harmon/Kardon	2 x 8W Harmon/Kardon	2x 8W Harmon/Kardon
Weight	3.52 lbs	6.39 lbs	6.39 lbs
Warranty	One (1) Year	One (1) Year	One (1) Year

With a $1,699 Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the Horizon Pro and $1,099 for the Horizon, it is clear that the Horizon series target customer is the individual who is looking to step into the premium home cinema style of projectors but still desires a portable projector. The small and portable Horizon Pro provides a hassle-free home theater experience. Gaming (Android games, Xbox, PlayStation), direct casting via Chromecast from an Android or iOS device, and non-stop entertainment from Horizon Pro's Google Play Store for Android TV ensure entertainment any way you want it.

HIGHLIGHTS

Price - $1,699
Technology - Single Chip DLP (0.47" Texas Instruments DMD)
Light Source - LED
Native Resolution - 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Brightness (Manufacturer Claimed) – 2,200 ANSI Lumens
Light Source Lifespan (up to 25,000 Hours)
AI-Powered Object Detection
HDR 10
Intelligent Spatial Sensor
Auto Screen Detection
Auto Keystone Correction
Autofocus
Premium Sound by Harman/Kardon
Wireless Networking
HDMI 2.0 (ARC)
USB 3.0
Android TV 10 OS
Google Assistant
Chromecast Built-in

Special Features

LED LIGHT SOURCE

XGIMI rated the Horizon Pro LED light source at 2200 ANSI lumens for 25,000 hours. At 25,000 hours, the light source would last 8.5 years if used for 8 hours every day; a lot of years of worry-free operation.

INTELLIGENT SCREEN ADAPTION TECHNOLOGY

The integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) allows the Horizon Pro's AI-powered object detection, auto screen detection, and intelligent spatial sensing algorithm to work together. Together, they intelligently identify and avoid obstacles in the projection area. The Horizon Pro is trained through thousands of scenes and hundreds of screen settings to automatically recognize the screen area and adjust the image accordingly. XGIMI stated that even if you put the Horizon Projector on its side, it will still fill the screen from edge to edge. With the integrated AI and automatic keystone correction, the Horizon Pro setup is quick and easy. My demo Horizon Pro adjusted to my screen in about 5 seconds.

HDR COMPATIBLE

The Horizon Pro supports both HDR10 and HLG formats.

The Horizon Pro supports HDR10 which is the most popular High Dynamic Range format for high-quality decoding to enhance the contrast ratio. The HDR10 enables the viewer to see rich details in the image in a variety of ambient light conditions. In essence, HDR10 content offers improved brightness and color capabilities over traditional content or Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) content.

SDR content typically shows details in either a darker portion of a scene or a brighter portion of a scene but won't reveal details in both portions of the scene concurrently. For example, if the shot focuses on a bright window in the scene, details in the shadow are lost. With HDR10, you do not lose the details in the light and dark extremes in a picture.

In addition to HDR10, the Horizon Pro supports HLG which is the HDR standard developed for live broadcast.

X-VUE IMAGE TECHNOLOGY

XGIMI loaded the Horizon Pro with their patented X-VUE image technology. The X-VUE image technology adopts 60Hz motion compensation technology that works with their MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation) to solve any potential image flutter or tailing problems that might occur when projecting high dynamic ranges. XGIMI stated that this technology significantly increases the clarity and fidelity of dynamic pictures on the Horizon Pro through a specific algorithm.

X-VUE IMAGE TECHNOLOGY

The Horizon Pro is powered by Android TV with 5000+ native apps and allows the user to easily set up the built-in Android TV with an Android phone option. You can quickly transfer your Android phone Wi-Fi network and Google Account to the Horizon Pro Android TV. I do not have an Android phone, so I had to skip using this feature and manually input my network.

Once successfully connected to my internet, I was asked for a Google sign-in to get new apps, personalized recommendations, access entertainment, control media, and more. The Goggle Play set up screen had an "Install all of the following apps" screen to download preset apps. I also had an app recommendation from XGIMI for downloading Hulu for Android TV, Spotify – Music and Podcasts, MX Player, Kodi, Facebook, and Plex. All of the apps were from the Google Play Store.

Voice Control

The Horizon Pro is a smart projector equipped with voice control via Google Assistant. With its built-in microphone, the remote is used to control a wide variety of functions using only your voice. Simply press the Google Assistant mic button, the only colored button on the remote, and you are ready to control the Horizon Pro with your voice. Some of the things you are able to use voice control for would be to ask the projector "who won the Los Angeles Lakers game," "go to projector settings," or "play some nice music."

Built-in Apps

The projector has Google Play Store with an immense amount of entertainment apps that can all be accessed directly from the Horizon Pro. You could also access popular streaming services, including HBO Max, Showtime, and Spotify, to name a few.

Wireless Connectivity

The Horizon Pro allows for wireless networking. This is great for the user who wants to access the unit's internal apps and services easily. You could take your entertainment with you for perhaps a neighborhood block party movie night. Since the Horizon Pro has both streaming services and dual 8-watt Harman/Kardon premium built-in speakers, all you need is a power outlet and a wall or screen to project onto.

Media Playback

The Horizon Pro also has a built-in media player that can access files via its USB inputs. One USB 3.0 input and one USB 2.0 input are located on the rear of the chassis. The USB inputs can be used for numerous media types, like videos, photos, or MP3. The Horizon Pro's USB inputs could also be used to connect other tools, such as a game controller, keyboard, or mouse. I connected a Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro mouse to the Horizon Pro and it worked seamlessly.

Hardware

The Horizon Pro is a highly portable 4K LED light-sourced DLP projector measuring 8.2" H x 8.6" W x 5.4" D. The projector only weighs 6.39 pounds. The camera for Horizon Pro's auto-focus is located next to the front-mounted projector lens. There are two 8-watt Harman/Kardon speakers situated on opposite sides of the unit. The air intake vent is located on the projector's front, while the outlet vent is located on the back.

The top of the aluminum chassis has a small push-button control panel on it. The panel has a volume down button, a shared play/pause button, a volume up button, and a power on/off button. For easy mounting, a threaded tripod mount is located on the bottom of the Horizon Pro.

CONTROL PANEL

All of the connections and inputs are located on the back of the Horizon Pro. The rear of the chassis has a headphone audio output, SPDIF input, LAN input, USB 2.0 input, USB 3.0 input, HDMI 2.0 (ARC) input, HDMI 2.0 input, and a DC input.

Inputs/Outputs	Amount
HDMI 2.0 (ARC) Input	1
HDMI 2.0	1
USB 2.0 Input	1
USB 3.0 Input	1
SPDIF Input	1
3.5mm Headphone Audio Output	1
LAN Input	1
DC Input	1

Lens

The projector has a throw ratio of 1.2:1. The Horizon Pro has a digital zoom lens and a powered lens focus. You can override the quick and precise autofocus and manually focus the image if desired; simply press the image focus button on the remote and adjust the image.

For more location flexibility, the Horizon Pro includes impressive ±40° Horizontal and ±40° Vertical Auto Keystone Correction software. The automatic keystone correction technology aligns Horizon Pro's image vertically and horizontally to custom-fit walls or screen to an ideal aspect ratio at almost any angle.

REMOTE CONTROL

The XGIMI Horizon Pro remote is made of aluminum and feels great in-hand. The remote has the buttons needed for most everyday operations, including power on/off, settings shortcut, Google Assistant voice control, D-Pad, select, back, menu, home, volume, and screen focus. The Google Assistant button is the only colored button on the remote. It is used for voice control of the projector and compatible 3rd party Internet of Things (IoT) devices via the Android TV and Google Assistant.

MENUS

The Horizon Pro is a portable smart projector with a menu system that is easy to navigate and is well organized. The Home button, which looks like a house, allows you to access apps and other entertaining services. Once you are in the Horizon Pro app menu, you can select a specific input, network settings, streaming apps, media player, or explore the Google Play Store.

The button that looks like a gear is the Settings Shortcut, which takes you directly to the basic settings menu. You can scroll down and press the Projector Settings tab from the Settings to be taken to the projector's more advanced settings. Brightness settings can also be adjusted under the Projector Settings tab. The Custom brightness can be adjusted in increments of 10, from 10 to 100 brightness for red, green, and blue. The Custom settings are at brightness 10, red 10, green 10, blue 10 out of the box.

I connected a 4K Apple TV with a 0.5 meter (20 inches) Bullet Train 18Gbps HDMI cable and a MacBook Pro with a 4 meter (157 inches) Bullet Train 18Gbps HDMI cable to my demo Horizon Pro for this review. As an added perk, the XGIMI Horizon Pro remote can control the Apple 4K TV via HDMI Consumer Electronics Control (CEC).

As XGIMI is not a US-based company, it is understandable that sometimes languages get mixed up. For example, there is no English option for Zoom Screen under the Keystone Correction tab and no English option for Game mode instructions under the Image Mode tab. Also, only about half of the instructions for Manual Keystone Correction under the Keystone Correction tab are in English.

Of course, this could be easily solved by an over-the-air update or may only be a pre-production demonstration model issue. We will be sending our contact at XGIMI an email advising of the problem.

PERFORMANCE

COLOR REPRODUCTION

The color reproduction of Horizon Pro was good out of the box. The Brightness tab under Projector Settings has five presets that can significantly alter the on-screen image with adjustability to brightness, red, green, and blue.

The images above give a general idea of the color accuracy for each of the picture modes. However, when viewing in person, the colors will look much better than how the photos look on the display of the device you are using to read this review.

Standard - This mode provides a balance between brightness and accuracy with nominal video settings.
Bright - One of the brightest modes with a blueish tint. This mode would be most suitable for content in a room with a large amount of ambient light.
Eye Protection – Reduces blue light composition; safeguards image quality from different perspectives so users can enjoy watching longer, without suffering visual discomfort, including eye fatigue.
Performance - One of the brightest modes but the least accurate with a greenish tint.
Custom - This mode allows the user complete customizability to brightness, red, green, and blue.

The XGIMI Horizon Pro Shortcut Settings has an additional five presets under Image Mode. Brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, noise reduction, and color temperature can also be manually adjusted in Image Mode under Custom.

Movie - Optimized for projecting vivid movies in a dark room.
Football - Designed to precisely render fast-paced action.
Office - Suited for presentations in high ambient light office environments.
Game - This mode optimizes the settings to minimize lag for gameplay. I had a pre-production model, and when I clicked on Game mode, the entire instruction screen was in a non-English language.
Custom - Allows the end-user complete customizability to brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, noise reduction, and color temperature.

I spent almost 30 minutes trying to use Google Translate on the Game mode screen to figure out what it said without success. However, while at Phil's residence, he was able to use his cell phone to translate the Game mode instructions on the screen to English in a matter of seconds. Phil was then able to run the signal input lag test.

Below are a variety of screenshots showing color reproduction.

BRIGHTNESS

The XGIMI Horizon Pro has a rated brightness of 2200 ANSI lumens. I set the projector's Brightness mode to BRIGHT and its Image mode to MOVIE. I then took 3-4 readings about 15-20% out from the center of the lens.

XGIMI Horizon Brightness (MOVIE mode, BRIGHT LED Output): 1990 Lumens

The Horizon Pro measured 1990 lumens which is close to XGMI's rated brightness of 2200 lumens. Regardless, the projector more than bright enough for viewing SDR content on a 100" screen in a dark room.

All the picture modes of the picture modes measured within a couple of hundred lumens of each other.

VIDEO QUALITY

Below are images of a variety of video and photo resolutions. Like all our photos, they remain unadjusted for color, so they do not look as good as what the projector actually produced. All of the HD and 4K images were taken with Brightness settings on the Horizon Pro Projector Settings set to either Standard or Custom.

XGIMI states the "Horizon Pro delivers a super low latency with the least amount of image blur using MEMC frame interpolation technology. XGIMI's proprietary 60Hz motion compensation technology uses a specialized algorithm to prevent image flutter and tailing when projecting dynamic images. Sports, movies, and all of your favorite games will stay sharp and clear, even in the heat of action." During motion testing in Phil's projector lab, we saw image flutter any time the Horizon Pro's Motion Compensation was set to MEDIUM or STRONG. However, leaving the Motion Compensation in OFF or WEAK allowed for a flutter-free image.

Since most live broadcasted content and TV shows will continue to be produced in HD for years to come, good 4K upscaling will continue to be required. The Horizon Pro's upscaling was good whether I was watching 720p videos or 1080p videos. Some movies, however, like Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, had intermittent digital noise in them. Not enough to make me switch or turn off the movie, but enough that I noticed it at times.

I did not have a pair of XGIMI's 3D glasses to test the unit 3D performance. The Horizon Pro utilizes the DLP cinema-grade (active shutter 3D imaging) technology which should deliver a good with XGIMI's active shutter 3D glasses.

Input lag on 4K and 1080P was 35-36ms in Game mode. It was tested using Phil's Leo Bodnar Signal Input Lag Tester and his Murideo SEVEN Generator.

SOUND QUALITY

The Horizon Pro supports DTS Studio and Dolby. The projector has dual 8W Harmon/Kardon speakers built in. The premium speakers are located on the sides of the unit. The speakers provide fantastic sound for such a small projector. The speakers are more than loud enough for an average-sized household room. When you use the included remote control to change the volume, the volume level is conveniently displayed on-screen.

Like the XGIMI Halo demo model I traveled with, I also traveled with the XGIMI Horizon Pro. I traveled for one week with the Horizon Pro and found it to be perfect as a portable Bluetooth speaker. If I had a dedicated high-end portable Bluetooth speaker, it could possibly have better sound quality than the Horizon Pro, but a standalone Bluetooth speaker definitely could not project a movie onto my hotel room wall like the Horizon Pro did during my travel.

AUDIBLE NOISE

We do not measure audible noise, but the fan noise produced by the Horizon Pro is specified at 28dB, 30dB, and 35dB, depending on the brightness mode you are using. Standard mode was the quietest, and Performance mode was the loudest. The Horizon Pro is a quiet projector. Even with the projector set to its brightness light level, I could not hear the Horizon Pro fan from my seated position.

SUMMARY

HIGHLIGHTS

The XGIMI Horizon Pro is a 4K LED DLP smart projector with an MSRP of $1,699.00. It utilizes a DLP chip. Its LED light source is rated to deliver at 2200 ANSI lumens for up to 25,000 hours, giving you many years of maintenance-free operation. The Horizon Pro has a digital zoom lens with a powered lens focus.

The Horizon Pro is built with the Android TV 10 Operating System. Smart features are integrated seamlessly, and the menus are easy to navigate and are well laid out. The Horizon Pro is loaded with popular streaming apps like MX Player, Spotify, YouTube, and Kodi.

You can use the remote for voice control with its built-in microphone to control basic projector features. The remote also controls a wide variety of compatible smart devices via Google Assistant.

VALUE PROPOSITION

The XGIMI Horizon Pro is an excellent value in my book. I really appreciate the simple plug-and-play capability of the Horizon Pro; it almost sets itself up. Now add in the portability of the Horizon Pro due to its small size, and my friends, we have a winning combination before we even get into the projectors' technology and features. Now, if you're not interested in the 4K capability of the Horizon Pro, you could go with the Horizon, which is a smart all-in-one 1080p portable DLP projector.

I've recently tested out small and portable projectors like the Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 Smart Streaming Laser Projector, XGIMI Halo, Phillips PicoPix Max, and the BenQ X1300i. Out of these, I thought the BenQ was closest to the XGIMI Horizon Series. The $1,299.00 BenQ X1300i, which is a Full HD (1920 x 1080) 4-LED DLP HDR gaming projector is more in line with the $1,099.00 XGIMI Horizon Full HD (1920 x 1080) projector than the $1,699.00 XGIMI Horizon Pro 4K projector I reviewed.

The Horizon Pro is much smaller than the X1300i and the tripod mount on the bottom of the Horizon Pro makes it perfect for portability and placement almost anywhere. I put my demo Horizon Pro in my suitcase and traveled with it. The X1300i is a relatively small projector but was too big to fit into my suitcase and required a table to be placed on to be useable. The X1300i is brighter than the Horizon Pro, and the X1300i has lower latency (input lag) than the Horizon Pro.

The BenQ X1300i has two rear-firing 5W treVolo stereo speakers with Bongiovi DPS technology. My demo Horizon Pro has two 8W Harmon/Kardon speakers, one on the left and one on the projector's right side. Out of the box, I could comfortably listen to the X1300i at maximum volume without any distortion. The Horizon Pro at maximum volume was also free of distortion and provided impressive depth for such tiny speakers. The Horizon Pro can get too loud to be comfortable for casual listening; however, it would give the loudness required in a noisy environment, like a small gathering of friends. It should be noted that the X1300i does allow adjustments to the sound with preset Sound Modes and a User Mode where the end-user could fine-tune the sound to meet or exceed their audio expectations. Both are great projectors.

XGIMI HORIZON PRO - PROS AND CONS

Pros

Portability
AI-Powered Object Detection
Auto Screen Detection
Intelligent Spatial Sensor
Auto Keystone Correction
Autofocus
LED light source
25,000-hour lamp life
An impressive amount of brightness
HDR10 and HLG Support
Built-in Harmon/Kardon 8 watt speakers
Android TV 10 OS
Google Assistant

Cons

Remote control lacks a backlight.
Some movies had intermittent digital noise in them.
Some on-screen menus have not been made available in English.

XGIMI Horizon Pro 4K Smart LED Projector Review

Table of Contents

Overview

HIGHLIGHTS

Special Features

LED LIGHT SOURCE

INTELLIGENT SCREEN ADAPTION TECHNOLOGY

HDR COMPATIBLE

X-VUE IMAGE TECHNOLOGY

X-VUE IMAGE TECHNOLOGY

Voice Control

Built-in Apps

Wireless Connectivity

Media Playback

Hardware

CONTROL PANEL

Lens

REMOTE CONTROL

MENUS

PERFORMANCE

COLOR REPRODUCTION

BRIGHTNESS

VIDEO QUALITY

SOUND QUALITY

AUDIBLE NOISE

SUMMARY

HIGHLIGHTS

VALUE PROPOSITION

XGIMI HORIZON PRO - PROS AND CONS

Pros

Cons

Quick Links

Reviews

Other Information