Though probably known more for its computers and laptops, Taiwan's Acer also outputs a healthy line of projectors for both work and play. The latest addition is a 4K ultra-short-throw laser projector for home theaters large or small.
As the name suggests, ultra-short-throw projectors can be positioned up close to a vertical surface (such as a blank wall or light-rejecting screen) and still throw up huge visuals. And unlike a room-dominating big-screen TV, they can be packed away out of sight when not in use.
The Acer L811 was launched at the company's next@acer 2021 press event, and offers 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution with support for HDR10, and can put out up to 3,000 ANSI lumens for the promise of daylight-friendly viewing. The projector is reportedly capable of throwing 120-diagonal-inch images from just over 12 inches away (312 mm).
It boasts a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, sports the company's LumiSense technology that automatically adjusts brightness levels on a frame-by-frame basis, and can support 3D Blu-ray playback at 144 Hz. Big-screen gamers will no doubt appreciate the low input lag of 240 Hz at 1080p resolution, and there's a special Football Mode that enhances the displayed colors during matches.
The laser light source is reckoned good for 20,000 hours of standard operation, and up to 30,000 hours in eco mode. The projector has been marked safe to use in dusty or outdoor environments thanks to IP6X sealing, and focus adjustment and keystone correction are undertaken manually.
Inside are quad-core ARM Cortex A53 processing brains and ARM G31 MP2 graphics supported by 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory. There are HDMI and USB inputs for cabling up to a media source, though 802.11ac Wi-Fi is included for downloading apps from a third-party marketplace called Aptoide TV, which is kind of like Android TV in that users can access thousands of entertainment apps, including Netflix, Hulu and Disney Plus. Miracast is included too, for wirelessly mirroring content displayed on an Android smart device or Windows machine.
There are two 10-W speakers built in, with Acer including its TrueHarmony surround-sound tech for audio immersion, but analog and digital audio outputs are also included should users wish to cable the unit up to external speakers.
The Acer L811 goes on sale in Europe in November for €2,599 (that's about US$3k, though there's no mention at this point whether it will be available in the US).
Product page: L811 4K UST projector