However, this is the first projector I’ve ever used and I don’t feel like I need blackout curtains (or major modifications to my home). During the day, I can play music videos or shows and still get a good view of what’s going on. As night falls, the lights are naturally perfect for movie night, the overwhelming screen is almost (almost) makes going to the theatre obsolete.
I do wish the projector had better control over color profiles and calibration.I watch content through my PS5 a lot, and while the HDR Vivid presets work best on other devices, I had to switch the projector to HDR for gaming to make up for the PS5 my own HDR color calibration, otherwise bright scenes are overwhelmingly blown up.
While there are tools for creating custom HDR color profiles, adjusting white balance, or setting color corrections, they all involve relative fiddling rather than adjusting to a reference template (which, to be fair, is the case for most TVs and projectors very common) ).
However, I was more impressed with the tools for aligning the frame of the projector. The alignment map helps you physically align the projector itself until the projected rectangle matches the screen you are projecting on. If you need to make more adjustments later, you can use the manual correction tool to further adjust the alignment in the software.
Finally, there’s a focus tool that adjusts the motorized lens in case the projector goes out of focus. When I set it to a 120″ screen, I got good focus, but I did need to refocus when lowering the screen and moving the projector closer to the wall for a more reasonable 90″ projection.
Screen
The ALR screen that AWOL also sent for review is a huge benefit – but it comes at a huge price. Without a bundle or sale, the 100-inch screen costs $1,100, and the 120-inch version I tested was a whopping $1,800. The price of the screen alone rivals the cost of many TVs. But once they’re established, it’s hard to deny the changes they’ve made.
Setting up the screen is a test in itself. The huge 120″ version was so big that I had to move the furniture to lay it flat when the frame was installed. The whole process took a few hours, and it was best to have at least two people help lift it to the wall. It also required careful measurements, not only to make sure the screen fit my wall and mount correctly, but also that it was mounted high enough and the projector was far enough from the wall to get a full 120-inch screen.
Once installed, the projector’s image quality is significantly improved. ALR screens are designed to reflect light from below where the projector is located, while rejecting light from above (such as overhead lights). In practice, it gives the image better contrast and gives a brighter picture.
