As much as we love the big-screen TV experience here at Man of Many, the trouble with massive panels is that they’re heavy, fragile and take up a huge amount of wall real estate. Plus, unless you have something like the Samsung Frame – which can display a work of art when you’re not watching it – turning your TV off reduces it to little more than a big and kind of ugly black rectangle. Enter the short throw projector category to shake things up, which Philips is refining with its new Screeneo U4 home projector.
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Philips claims its new piece of home theatre kit is capable of projecting a crystal clear image up to 120 inches in size – that’s almost twice the scale of Australia’s most popular TV size (65 inches). To achieve this, the Screeneo U4 will need to sit just 22 inches from your wall, or – if that sounds a touch too far – a mere 12 inches will enable the U4 to project up to 80 inches, which is still pretty massive.
While the U4 doesn’t deliver the 8K resolution offered by the current generation of flagship TVs, it still packs a respectable 1080p along with what Philips describes as “vivid pictures, deep contrast and a bright image in any conditions.” Its compact form factor also boasts a 2.1 channel sound system or dual Bluetooth functionality so both you and a friend can chuck on a pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones for an immersive cinematic experience.
Oddly enough, Philips has decided to go down the Indiegogo route for sales of the U4 – we know it’s a slightly unconventional piece of gear but we say back yourselves, Philips! On the plus side, this short throw projector is currently being sold at a massive 45-per-cent discount with an asking price of just €649 (AUD$947). That’s half the price of the cheapest 85-inch TV currently available at JB Hi-Fi.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for something a little more portable, have a read of our review of Samsung’s Freestyle projector.
