The Hisense PX2-PRO TriChroma Laser Cinema projector ($2,999.99) is a small but significant step up from the PX1-PRO it’s in the process of replacing in Hisense’s Laser Cinema line. Differences include a modest boost in brightness, to 2,400 ANSI lumens; the substitution of integrated Google TV for Android TV; and the addition of a native Netflix app. What hasn’t changed are the key features that made the PX1-PRO one of our top picks for an ultra short throw (UST) projector. And that’s enough for the PX2-PRO, which is widely available for less than its list price, to replace the PX1-PRO as an Editors’ Choice pick for both casual TV viewing and traditional home theater in a dark room.Triple-Laser Design Offers Exceptional ColorThe PX2-PRO is built around the most common display choice for 4K projectors: a single 1080p DLP chip that puts 3,840 by 2,160 pixels on screen courtesy of TI’s XPR fast-switch pixel shifting technology. Where it differs from most other 4K projectors is its light source. Hisense’s TriChroma laser engine uses three lasers—red, green, and blue—for its primary colors, rotating through them in sequence. A key advantage for the light engine is its wide color gamut (range of colors). Hisense rates it at 107% of the gamut defined by BT.2020 (aka Rec.2020), the spec for 4K UHD projectors and TVs.
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Setting up the PX2-PRO is straightforward. The projector weighs 26.5 pounds and measures 6.3 by 20.5 by 12.8 inches (HWD). Physical setup consists of little more than moving it into place and connecting cables to the ports on the side facing the screen. Connection options include three HDMI ports (two HDMI 2.1 and one HDMI 2.0), plus a choice of Ethernet or Wi-Fi for connecting to your network. Unlike the PX1-PRO, however, the PX2-PRO doesn’t include a TV tuner, which means no coax connector for an antenna or cable TV input. Hisense specs the lens as suitable for a 90-to-130-inch diagonal image.
(Credit: M. David Stone)
One particularly nice touch is the PX2-PRO’s powered focus, which is controlled from the remote instead of the projector itself. Not only is it hard to see the entire screen from arm’s length away, but reaching for a focus control on most UST models tends to get picked up by sensors that turn off the lasers as an eye-protection feature. Using the remote, you can stand back far enough to see the entire screen easily. It also adjusts focus in fine steps that make it easy to get a crisp, sharp image.
The PX2-PRO isn’t bundled with a screen. However, because image brightness and contrast for any projector will always depend partly on the screen, and because it’s always best to pair a projector with an ambient light rejection (ALR) screen if the room has a significant level of ambient light, we ran our viewing tests twice—once with a standard white screen and once with a Hisense Cine100 ALR screen. The ALR feature is designed to reflect light coming from the projector to the viewing area while reflecting light coming from other directions elsewhere. The combination can improve image quality dramatically in rooms with daylight coming through windows and even improve the image noticeably in rooms with no more light than reflections back to the screen from the image itself.
(Credit: M. David Stone)
As with many ALR screens, the Cine100 has a gain lower than 1.0, which means images won’t be as bright as they would be when using a standard 1.0-gain white screen. The 0.6-gain Cine100 paired with a 1,000-lumen projector, for example, will give the same image brightness as a 1.0-gain screen paired with a 600-lumen model. However, most lower-gain screens, including the Cine100, are also gray, which has the advantage of increasing contrast. (There are also some ALR screens with higher gains, which increases image brightness by reflecting most of the projector’s light into a narrower viewing angle, so the image looks dimmer from the side than the front. For more details, see How to Choose the Right Screen for Your Projector.)As a point of reference, at the rated 2,400 lumens, and using the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers recommendations for a dark room, the PX2-PRO should be bright enough to light up a roughly 225-inch 1.0-gain screen or a roughly 175-inch 0.6-gain screen. In our tests with both screens, using lower-brightness picture modes and our preferred setting adjustments, it was suitably bright for viewing in a dark room and with moderate levels of ambient light.
(Credit: M. David Stone)
The onboard audio, built around dual 15-watt stereo speakers and a Dolby Digital sound system with Dolby Atmos, delivered high enough volume to fill a large family room at high enough quality to be useful. If you want still better quality, however, you can connect to an external audio system using Bluetooth, WiSA, or the one HDMI port with eARC support. There’s also a lag adjustment to keep audio and video in sync for Bluetooth speakers, a particularly welcome touch.Testing the Hisense PX2-PRO: A Myriad of Picture ModesThe menus offer lots of picture modes to choose from: eight predefined color modes for SDR content, plus seven for HDR (shared by both HDR10 and HLG input), and four for Dolby Vision (Dolby Vision Bright, Dark, Custom, and Game). However, the menus show just those modes that are appropriate for the current input, which keeps the available choices at any one time down to a reasonable number. (The projector lacks 3D support, so it doesn’t have a 3D picture mode.)You can customize each mode and can specify whether any changes you make should apply to input from all sources or just the current source, a highly welcome feature if different sources require different settings. The PX2-PRO also offers a color management system that will let you do a full calibration if you know how, or pay someone to do it for you. However, the out-of-box color accuracy varied from more than acceptable by most standards to definitively good, depending on the picture mode. Most people will see no reason to adjust it. After some preliminary testing, I chose Theater Night mode for SDR viewing tests, HDR Theater for HDR10, and Dolby Vision Bright for Dolby Vision.
(Credit: M. David Stone)
With default settings, I noticed some loss of shadow detail for both SDR and HDR in our standard test clips. But after adjusting the Brightness and Active Contrast settings for both, shadow detail held nicely, both dark and brightly lit scenes showed good contrast and sense of three-dimensionality, and dark scenes retained all the shadow detail and visual impact that I expect from those clips. For Dolby Vision, the same general description for image quality applies, but without any need for adjustments. However, I didn’t have Dolby Vision versions of the same clips we use for SDR and HDR, so can’t make a direct comparison for quality.Note also that for both SDR and HDR, and for Dolby Vision to a lesser extent, there are other settings you may want to experiment with and set to your taste. For example, I usually turn off frame interpolation (called Motion Enhancement in the PX2-PRO menus). It’s meant to smooth motion by adding frames, but for most projectors the feature also adds a digital video effect, making filmed material look like live video even at the lowest setting. With the PX2-PRO, I wound up using the Film setting, which, for me at least, hit the right balance of smoothing motion with no other noticeable effect.
(Credit: M. David Stone)
One potential problem is that I saw frequent and obvious rainbow artifacts (the red/green/blue flashes that DLP projectors can show). On the other hand, I didn’t see any of the speckle effect that triple-laser projectors can add to an image. That said, keep in mind that for both issues, some people see them more easily than others, and both can be affected by the screen you’re using, as well. I saw far fewer flashes when viewing using the ALR screen than the standard white screen, for example. If you’re concerned about either or both of these issues, be sure to buy from a retailer that allows easy returns so you can test the projector out for yourself.The PX2-PRO’s input lag time is easily short enough for casual gaming. I measured it with a Bodnar meter at 34.8 milliseconds (ms) for 1080p/60Hz input and 35.6ms for 4K/60Hz input.Verdict: A Top Contender if You Don’t See RainbowsThe PX2-PRO’s strongest feature, and the reason to put it on your short list, is its top-tier image quality for both SDR and HDR content, with HDR support extending not just to HDR10 and HLG, but Dolby Vision as well, which is still unusual for projectors. It also doesn’t hurt that it has lots of additional features: Google TV support, a powered focus, and myriad useful settings options.If you’re particularly sensitive to seeing red/green/blue flashes with DLP projectors, you’ll probably be better off with the Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS800, which is also one of our top picks for a UST model, or the Epson LS650. Neither has as wide a color gamut as the PX2-PRO, but both offered good image quality in our tests, higher brightness than the PX2-PRO, and a three-LCD design, which guarantees they can’t show rainbow artifacts. Between them, the LS650 is less expensive, while LS800 is a touch brighter, offers a wider color gamut, and has the shortest throw of any UST model we’ve seen. Finally, if you want 3D support—which the Hisense and Epson models lack—along with a top-notch sound system for a UST projector—also consider the Nomvdic P2000. But if rainbow artifacts aren’t an issue, and you don’t need 3D, higher brightness, or a shorter throw, the Hisense PX2-PRO is the model others will need to beat to earn a place in your living room or home theater.
Hisense PX2-PRO TriChroma Laser Cinema
Pros
4K (3,840-by-2,160-pixel) resolution
Hisense TriChroma technology delivers a wide color gamut
HDR support includes Dolby Vision
Bright; rated at 2,400 ANSI lumens
Supports 90-to-130-inch image sizes
Integrated Google TV
View
More
The Bottom Line
The Hisense PX2-PRO projector leaves out 3D support, but it offers almost anything else you might want in a 4K HDR smart TV—especially a sharp, high-quality image as large as 130 inches.
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