XGIMI has announced the launch of the next generation of its Aura ultra-short-throw 4K laser projector. The Aura 2 boasts a new light engine, can throw 100-inch visuals from just 7 inches away, and sports a nifty dust cover to protect the optics.
It's been a while since the launch of the original Aura, which impressed us in testing, and XGIMI has used that gap to develop technologies that offer a best of both worlds solution to lighting up walls and screens.
The dual-light technology at the heart of the Aura 2 is a little different to the LED/laser hybrid that made its debut last year – but the overall aim of improving thrown visuals is the same. This flavor combines wide spectrum and narrow spectrum light sources "to create a continuous natural spectrum, unleashing the full potential of both sources for exceptional picture quality, contrast ratio, color gamut and color accuracy."
That shapes up with 99% coverage of the cinematic DCI-P3 color gamut, a Delta E measurement of less than one, dynamic contrast of 1,000,000:1, 2,300 ISO lumens of brightness, and an image resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels at up to 150 diagonal inches. The Aura 2 is certified for HDR10, Dolby Vision and IMAX Enhanced too.
The throw ratio is tighter than before, at 0.177:1 – which translates to 90-inch visuals from just 5.35 inches away from the vertical surface or screen, or 38.85 inches for the full 150. XGIMI takes some of the manual torment out of setup by including the latest version of its Intelligent Screen Adaption smarts, which has auto keystone correction, autofocus, wall color/surface adaptation and screen alignment among its toolset. And this model gets an automatic cover to protect the optics from dust when not in use.
But it's not all good news. Where many competitors in the home entertainment space are now rolling with Google TV as the operating platform for their projectors, the Aura 2 comes with Android TV 11. You still get access to thousands of apps, but the official nod from Netflix is lacking – meaning that users need to try and outsmart the Netflix police or plump for an approved dongle like the new Google TV Streamer.
That said, if your visuals are served up by the likes of Prime Video or Disney+ then you'll not need to bother with this extra effort or expense. Wi-Fi 6 is the wireless flavor here, along with Bluetooth 5.2, and there are three HDMI ports (one with eARC) for cabling up media devices, as well as USB and Ethernet LAN.
Digital and analog outputs cater for connection to external audio gear, but if our experience of the original Aura's 60-W Harman Kardon sound system is anything to go by, you likely won't want or need to. For this model, XGIMI has added in immersive Dolby Atmos support to the similarly powerful setup.
The Aura 2 goes on sale today for US$2,699, which includes a stylish Bluetooth remote with a microphone for Google Assistant searchers. The projector can also be bundled with a 100-inch Fresnel Ambient-Light-Rejecting screen but we don't have pricing for that option.
Product page: Aura 2
As to Google TV, it is just a rebrand of Android TV. Both are poorly designed in terms of UI, which is a problem Google faces across its portfolio and it is slower than molasses on a cold winter day.
Android TV 11 is 5 years old! Android TV 13 was the final release in Dec 2022.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_TV