Last year, Leica partnered with a Chinese home entertainment hardware company to launch a FHD UST projector named the O1 Pro. Now the premium camera optics veteran has launched its own model at IFA 2022, the 4K Cine 1 Laser TV.
The Cine 1 is not the company's first projected-image outing, having released a number of slide and moving picture projectors under the Pradovit brand for many years, in addition to its industry collaborations.
Leica hasn't actually given too much away in its official info drop, but we do know that the ultra-short-throw (UST) projector will produce 4K UHD resolution visuals at 80 or 100 diagonal inches, depending on model selected, while snuggling close to the wall.
The Cine 1 is promised to offer "bright images and breathtaking color rendition" thanks to a triple RGB laser light source rated for a usage life of more than 25,000 hours, and developed by Hisense following a technology cooperation agreement inked last month.
This is combined with Leica Summicron optics and tuning, a Common Interface slot for pay-TV and a VIDAA smart TV launcher to cater to streaming entertainment needs, HDMI and USB inputs, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and Dolby Atmos audio.
The whole shebang is wrapped in an aluminum body that rocks premium Leica style and features a nifty automated dust cover that protects the lens when not in use.
Thanks to The Verge bagging some show-floor time with Leica's Ross Slavov at IFA 2022, we also know that the model designed to throw up 80-inch images will put out 2,100 lumens while the 100-inch flavor comes in at 2,500 lumens, and that ambient-light-rejecting screens will likely be available direct from Leica for improved reproduction.
The Cine 1 4K Laser TV will launch in Europe from the second quarter of 2023 for a starting price of €6,900 (that converts to around US$6,850), which is much pricier than much of the competition at this specs level – but this is Leica. Other markets are expected to follow later in 2023. The video below has more.
Update September 6: Leica has now provided a few more details. The DLP imaging technology at the heart of both models features a 0.47-inch DMD chipset with XPR pixel-shifting, the projectors boast a dynamic contrast of 2,000,000:1 and support for 95% of the BT.2020 color space, and have a throw ratio of 0.25:1. There are two HDMI 2.1 ports and one HDMI 2.0 (one of which supports ARC for easier integration with home theater audio), each has one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 port, an Ethernet interface caters for cabled internet, and audio output is via a 3.5-mm jack or S/PDIF. Both units come with a built-in four-channel, 40-W speaker system that supports Dolby Digital Plus in addition to Atmos. US pricing has yet to be confirmed.
Product page: Cine 1