Optoma debuts its low-lag UHZ50 4K laser projector

MW
Mike Wheatley

Optoma has unveiled a new, high-end 4K laser projector for home use that promises to deliver a decent big picture for live sports, TV shows and low-lag gaming.

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The newly announced Optoma UHZ50 incorporates the company’s DuraCore laser technology and is powered by Texas Instruments single-chip digital light processing solution.

One thing that seems guaranteed is that the UHZ50 should throw up pictures that are clearly visible in almost any setting, thanks to its high brightness rating of 3,000 lumens. And those images should be of pretty high quality too, thanks to the 2,500,000:1 contrast ratio that helps to ensure they’re both vibrant and clear. The projector supports 100% of the Rec. 709 colour gamut and features DCI-P3 Wide Colour Gamut downscaling, as well as HDR mode brightness adjustment and 4K HDR and HLG. It can throw up images of anything from 85-inches to 300-inches, the company said.

There’s a long lifetime too, with up to 30,000 hours of use guaranteed, the company added.

Optoma also aims to please next-generation games console owners too, with the UHZ50 featuring the same Enhanced Gaming Mode that was first seen on its more affordable Optoma UHD35 and Optoma UHD38 projectors earlier this year. With Enhanced Gaming switched on, Optoma promises a low-lag, 16.7 millisecond response time for fast-moving games in 4K at 60Hz, and as little as 4ms in 1080p at 240Hz.

Another fine feature with the Optoma UHZ50 is its easy setup and installation, with image adjustments made via four corner correction, 1.3X zoom, keystone and vertical lens shift all helping to ensure the image shines nice and correct on any screen or wall.

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Buyers will also be able to download the Optoma Creative Cast app on their Android or iOS smartphones and use that to cast content such as videos and photos over 5Ghz Wi-Fi to the projector. Other connections include three HDMI 2.0 ports, with one that supports enhanced Audio Return Channel, and two USB drives.

On the sound side, the projector packs a decent punch with two 10 watt speakers, while the device itself is said to hum along at a more than bearable 26db at the very maximum, so users are unlikely to be disturbed by it. Of course, the company helpfully includes a remote control.

"With the introduction of the Optoma UHZ50, we are bringing true 4K laser technology home to even more consumers by reducing overall costs without compromising the quality of their personal home entertainment experiences,” said Optoma Product Manager Billy Harrison. “Consumers are seeking more home entertainment and content options that fit their unique needs whether they're gamers, streaming movies or viewing personal photos.”

Optoma said the UHZ50 is going on sale soon in the U.S. for a suggested price of $2,799 (around £2,050) but there’s no word yet on if or when it might come to the U.K.