XGIMI Horizon Review: You’ve never seen a projector like this

XGIMI may not be the most popular brand in India, but the company has built up quite a reputation abroad for its premium projectors. Not long ago, the company launched its Horizon projector series that offers up to 4K viewing experience with a built-in sound system from US-based Harmon Kardon. Aside from that, both regular Horizon and Horizon Pro projectors run out of the box on Android 10 TV, giving you the benefits of a smart TV too.

For our review, we tested the entry-level XGIMI Horizon for nearly a month, and the company also sent their own XGIMI projector floor stand. Both by no means fall into the affordable product category and are designed for a niche market. To be clear, the XGIMI Horizon has a price tag of Rs 1,25,000, and the floor stand costs Rs 11,999 separately. Here’s our breakdown of the two:

Design: There is no doubt that the XGIMI Horizon is one of the most attractive home and office projectors on the market. It has a square design with a mesh-like finish around the corners for the speakers. At the top, you get the power button, volume buttons, and play/pause button. Interestingly, volume buttons and play/pause button support touch; however, they still have a tactile texture that can come in handy when you’re in a dark room. The package also includes a slim remote to control the projector in addition to a power adapter.

At the back, you get vents for heat dissipation and all the ports for connectivity. The XGIMI Horizon has two HDMI and USB 2.0 ports and a single optical port. Apart from the power or DC port, there is also an audio jack for headphones or external sound systems. The projector comes in a black color finish, which takes the premium look to the next level. At the front, of course, we get the lens, but unfortunately there is no lens cap.

The XGIMI Horizon isn’t the heaviest projector (about 3kg), so carrying it from home to office or from room to room should not be a problem. That said, it’s not the sleekest projector on the market and measures 208.4 × 218.4 × 136.2 m. It also runs on power, so users should pre-determine the right spot for the best viewing experience.

Performance and features: In terms of performance, the XGIMI Horizon comes with features that are easy to use and most importantly, easy to navigate. In its original form, the Horizon project runs on Android TV 10 that powers many smart TVs. It means that users can use their regular Alphabet apps like YouTube and even Gmail. In addition, you can download all popular OTT platforms from the Play Store. The projector aims to provide 32 GB of built-in storage along with 2 GB of RAM. There is support for the Google Assistant virtual assistant which we thought was a great addition to the smart projector.

One of the many things one would expect from a premium projector, especially when the cost is above 1 lakh, is the display settings. In that respect, the XGIMI Horizon meets all requirements and is super easy to operate. The remote has a dedicated autofocus button, although we didn’t experience any problems even when projecting photos onto a flat wall. There is also an automatic keystone correction option that fits the screen according to the frame. If you’re still not happy, you also get the manual keystone correction option. The projector is also responsive and takes just under 10 seconds to start up. All users should ensure stable internet connection through dual band Wi-Fi or LAN option. Overall, the XGIMI Horizon performed surprisingly fast, and if we have to nitpick something at this price, the addition of Wi-Fi 6 support might have been enough.

Display: Regardless of all the features, there is no point in buying a projector if the display quality is not up to standards. As mentioned, we tested the vanilla XGIMI Horizon which offers Full HD video viewing quality. If you want to amp up the experience, there is also the XGIMI Horizon Pro which offers a 4K resolution but it costs higher at Rs 1,87,500.

There is no doubt that XGIMI Horizon offers vivid and sharp viewing quality. One of the best ways to check if the projector is providing good image quality is to analyze the angles. If the corner misses colors or blurs too much, you’ll see inconsistencies. In that case, XGIMI Horizon provided uniform image quality across the corners with rich colors and accurate blacks. All this is possible with its peak brightness of 2200 lumens and support for HDR 10 and HLG formats. The XGIMI Horizon also supports a maximum resolution of 4096 × 2160 pixels at a refresh rate of 60 Hz. The company claims a lamp life of 25,000 hours with a one-year warranty.

In terms of projection parameters, the XGIMI Horizon can project a screen size of up to 300 inches, depending on the projection distance. Most of the content we viewed was at about a 70–inch screen (diagonal), and the picture quality was fantastic. But when you watch live programs like football, the projector still stumbled slightly with dynamic movements. In this case, the tiny football flickered on the huge screen when we streamed a live game via Disney+ Hotstar. XGIMI also claims that the projector can be used in rooms with ambient light, but that can be a stretch compared to TVs. Overall, the XGIMI Horizon is still limited to dimly lit rooms (at least) or dark rooms at best. There is also a game mode, but we have not been able to test it.

Sound: The vivid display quality of XGIMI Horizon is complemented by the sound system, which may not be the best, but certainly doesn’t limit the projector. We get a dual 8W (each) Harman Kardon speaker system with DTS and Dolby Audio support. The sound quality is good, but the lack of powerful bass can affect the overall viewing quality. But the built-in speakers were loud enough in a bedroom of about 420 m².

Remote Control and XGIMI Floor Stand: The XGIMI Horizon comes pre-bundled with a remote that’s easily one of the favorites I’ve tested. The Bluetooth remote control has a minimalist design with a metal finish. While it may feel heavy at first, you will get used to the overall balance. On the back is a button that quickly pulls out the dual triple-A battery slot. The remote control has dedicated buttons for autofocus, Google Assistant, Settings.

Likewise, XGIMI Floor Stand is a separate monopod that not only allows users to adjust viewing angles, but also solves loose wire problems. The round base has a special compartment where users can properly place the power adapter, and the wire can be maneuvered internally through the hollow bars. Each rod measures 49cm and in its fullest form the XGIMI Projector Floor Stand can reach a height of 89cm. Unfortunately, the company has yet to release a base that will fit the XGIMI Horizon’s power adapter, but you can still mount the projector on the top and adjust the viewing angles. It can also be used with cameras and other projectors. So if you have the budget, it’s a great addition that also improves the overall look and feel of the room. [A quick note: the manual guide for the Floor Stand does not come in English, therefore a few YouTube tutorials could suffice.]

verdict: So far, it’s clear that the XGIMI Horizon and Floor Stand are well thought-out products, and the projector is particularly perfect for modern home theaters, both in terms of looks and functionality. But if you think the projector can replace your everyday TV or monitor, the short answer is no. This is mainly because the image quality has limitations in a bright environment.

That said, the XGIMI Horizon is one of the best projectors on the market, and the addition of Android TV 10 takes the overall smart viewing experience to another level. XGIMI has yet to impress the Indian market, but with products like this it won’t be long before competitors like ViewSonic and BenQ start to feel the heat.