XGIMI Horizon Pro review

You don’t have to sacrifice the quality of a projector just because you need flexibility.

The XGIMI Horizon Pro is a portable 4K projector that’s an upgrade to the 1080p XGIMI Horizon.

The only difference is the resolution. Both projectors have the same operating system and share the same apps, speakers, brightness, case, and selection of speakers.

Top rivals: the best 4K projectors

Should you buy the Horizon instead? Continue reading to learn more.

XGIMI Horizon Pro Design

The XGIMI Horizon Pro projector is not a portable model, nor does it require a full installation and mounting to a ceiling.

This projector falls somewhere between. It’s light and small enough to fit in a car or be moved around your home.

You can watch movies outside in summer, play a game in your kitchen or even watch TV on holiday. Imagine this as a portable cinema that you can take anywhere. You will still need an electrical outlet, however, as the box does not have a battery.

This model does not come with a lens protector.

The XGIMI Horizon Pro has AndroidTV built-in and a variety of apps, but it also features two HDMI 2.0 ports at the back for external devices such as gaming consoles or streaming stick.

The HDMI output that supports Audio Return Channel (ARC) can be used for sending sound to a soundbar or home cinema system. For older sound systems, there are also S/PDIF optical and headphone outputs.

You can also play direct content and off-line using the two USB ports.

The Ethernet port is for networking. However, with Wi-Fi already built in, you won’t need to use it.

The projector does not have feet and therefore sits flat. The screw mount allows you to use any standard tripod with it.

XGIMI includes a Bluetooth Remote in the box. The remote has the perfect number of buttons to control volume and navigate. You can also access Google Assistant through its built-in mic.

The projector has play/pause and volume controls on the top of the device, right next to the power switch.

XGIMI Horizon Pro Android TV and Apps

The XGIMI Horizon Pro runs Android TV just like all other XGIMI Projectors. This is a big step up from some projectors that use a modified version of Android for mobile, and it has an interface designed specifically for the large screen with IR remote control.

Android TV gives you access to Google Play Store, where you can download apps.

It’s great that you can download Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Paramount Plus. However, some apps on TVs may not be available: iPlayer or NOW for the UK, for instance, are not available.

Netflix is also a problem. Netflix certifies apps to be able to run on all devices, but XGIMI is not certified.

The Netflix app will not run if you launch it from the Google Play Store. It will display an error message.

It’s a shame. I wish XGIMI had gotten its projectors certified. There are currently two options.

You can first side-load a Netflix alternative app. Secondly, you can power a streaming stick such as the Amazon Fire TV 4K Max using one of your USB ports. This is what I do.

XGIMI Horizon Pro – Sound and image quality

Remember when I said that the XGMI Horizon Pro is an upgrade to the Horizon standard?

It’s true that both devices are powered by a Full HD chip DLP, but then there is a little bit of magic.

Here’s an XPR Module that shifts the pixels displayed. The pixel shifting is done four times here, drawing four Full HD pixels, giving the illusion of 4K.

It’s not quite 4K, but the image is close enough to a real 4K device that it’s hard to tell.

You’ll notice that the XGIMI Horizon Pro is sharper, more detailed, and crisper when compared to the XGIMI Horizon. This is especially noticeable at large picture sizes, such as 80-inches and above.

Horizon Pro is a great upgrade for watching movies. It offers a more cinematic experience than the 1080p version.

Horizon Pro has a 2200 lumen lamp. It can be used in a room at any time of the day as long as you are not in direct sun. I was able to use a 60-inch display during the day in a room that was relatively bright.

If you close the blinds, or wait until it’s dark outside, you can get up to 300-inch screens. However, finding large projection surfaces is difficult. You can use a screen up to 150 inches outside. This is still a large screen.

The projector is at its best with brighter content. The latest episode of andor is a great example.

This projector is HDR10 compatible, which makes it a great choice. HDR can bring out more details in the picture, even though it doesn’t have the brightness of a good LCD TV.

Blacks tend to be more grey than black, which makes darker content less enjoyable to watch. Werewolf by Night is a good example of a picture that loses detail in darker areas.

This is a good deal. You get an awesome picture in bright colors and epic size, which you can easily move to wherever you like.

The TV will be primarily located in one place and you must choose the size at the time of purchasing.

This projector has a limited number of picture settings: you can adjust the motion compensation, toggle HDR, and change brightness, contrast, and saturation.

XGIMI’s AI and automatic setup routines make it easy to set up a projector. The projector will automatically focus itself when it is moved.

Second, it automatically avoids keystones and objects. Simply point the XGIMI Horizon Pro at a blank surface and it will automatically square the image and resize to avoid any objects on the wall such as a switch.

If I need to, I can manually correct the image after the projector finishes its work.

These digital corrections reduce the quality of the image, so I recommend that you align the projector as well as possible before letting it do the final adjustments.

The XGIMI Horizon Pro offers a lot of power, and is easy to set up.

Harman Kardon has tuned dual 8W speakers. The speakers don’t provide a cinematic surround sound experience, but are loud with a surprising amount bass.

The speakers were so good that I didn’t want to buy an external set.

This projector has a lot to offer.