Xiaomi, one of the first brands to launch a high-end ultra short-throw projector at a reasonable price tag, has come up trumps again with its latest model, the Xiaomi Laser Cinema 2. 

It’s said to be the world’s first projector that supports Dolby Vision HDR at 4K resolution and will be sold for just ¥14,999 (around £1,720).

Unveiled last week, the new model can project a 100-inch image from a distance of just 20 cm from a wall, though Xiaomi says it can be adjusted to anything from 40-inches to 200-inches at the most. Still, the company recommends staying within a range of 80-inches to 150-inches for the best results. 

The outstanding feature of the Xiaomi Laser Cinema 2 is of course its support for 4K Dolby Vision, but it also adds HDR10. In addition, the picture is said to be 20% brighter than its predecessor, the Xiaomi Laser Cinema, with an average brightness rating of 2,400 lumens, according to the company. It promises high-resolution images even with the curtains drawn open. 

The projector offers a contrast ratio of 3000:1 with 4K content, and it covers 113% of the Rec.709 colour gamut, Xiaomi said. 

The laser is based on ALPD RB+ technology, which is an upgrade from the standard ALPD laser tech used by most projectors in this price bracket. The ALPD RB+ tech adds more red lasers to improve the red display effect, and the deviation of colour reproduction degree is said to be less than 2.9, which adds to the realism. MEMC at 60Hz is also supported. 

As for the innards, the Xiaomi Laser Cinema 2 is powered by a beefy 64-bit MediaTek MT9669 system-on-a-chip that includes a quad-core ARM Cortex-A73 chipset that clocks in at 1.9Ghz. That’s paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage space. The projector also features AI Image Enhancement tech that helps to reduce noise and clean up the pictures to make them appear more realistic. 

Xiaomi said the Laser Cinema 2 runs its MIUI TV platform, a derivative of Android TV, providing the same apps and features found on Xiaomi smart TVs. 

On the audio side, the projector is equipped with a pair of 15 watt full range speakers and supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS surround sound. Also on board are far-field microphones that power the Xiao AI virtual assistant. So that should add up to a pretty impressive sound experience, all the more so if the user connects to external speakers.

Connectivity is well covered too, with three HDMI 2.0 slots, two for USBs, one optical connection, an Ethernet port and single headphone jack.  

The hardware also boasts a smart fan for temperature control to prevent the unit from getting too hot. On the safety side, there are two anti-direct view sensors on either side of the lens that work by automatically reducing the laser’s brightness to the lowest level when a person approaches them, so as to minimize any damage to human eyes. Finally, Xiaomi said the projector supports far-field voice controls. 

All in all it’s lookng like a very capable ultra short-throw laser projector with a very tempting price tag. With Dolby Vision 4K fully supported, big screen fans are in for a real treat if they can get their hands on Xiaomi’s latest gadget. The question remains, will the company bring it to markets outside of China? Xiaomi does at least have a good track record in that respect, so keep your fingers crossed.