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Televisions are ugly. When not in use, a 55 incher creates 1,300 square-inches of eyesore. I had to live with a tiny TV for longer than I wanted to admit because my spouse does.
TV replacements are often marketed as ultra- short throw projectors. They are small and can project a large image when placed just inches from the wall. UST projectors have always been expensive. We bought a 55-inch TV while in Covid lockdown.
The all-in-one Xgimi Aura is a projector with an integrated sound system that runs an operating system and is capable of tossing 2400 lumens onto my white walls for $2,499. It is not cheap, but it is less expensive than other 4K short-throw projectors that start at $2,800 for a VAVA, jump to $3,300 from established brands like Optoma, and reach prices as high as $15,000 for a top-end Sony.
Xgimi markets the Aura that your next TV is not a TV. Can a projector really replace a TV?
Maybe.
Xgimi has a price of $2,499.00.
For those of you not familiar with Xgimi, let's take a step back. The company started in China and then moved to Western markets. It has built a loyal fan base around nice looking all-in-one portable projectors that are still inexpensive. The Z4 Aurora and Horizon Pro 4K were reviewed by The Verge.
The Xgimi Aura is not portable. It is big compared to traditional long-throw projectors, measuring 606 x 401 x 139.5mm and weighing in at 14.9 kilogram. Most of the volume is on a cabinet, not a television.
To replace a TV, the Aura needs to turn on as quickly, be just as enjoyable to view in all lighting scenarios, offer a similar selection of streaming apps, and deliver comparable sound with the option to enhance it for home theater setups. It also needs to justify a price that is at least twice that of a 55-inchOLED.
Each item is addressed one-by-one.
Time to watch TV.
Quick Start+ is turned off and my TV boots into webOS in 25 seconds. It turns on in just a few seconds with the enabled. The Xgimi Aura boots into the OS in 55 seconds, twice as fast as the LG TV. It takes about 11 seconds to turn on from the stand-by.
The Aura can be turned off to stream music, for example, which will allow it to come back to life. I use this option a bit because of fan noise and excessive power draw.
The Aura has faster apps launch than my TV. The TV takes a few seconds to open, but Apple TV, Prime Video, and Plex all launch about three times faster.
If my apps are responsive, I can deal with a few extra seconds of startup time.
Aura was the winner.
Noupscale is a file onchorusasset.com.
You need a deep cabinet to get a full 150-inch display.
Noupscale is a file onchorusasset.com.
Children and pets are protected from the curious eyes of the laser light source.
Noupscale is a file onchorusasset.com.
Don't lose the remote because the on-device controls aren't working.
Noupscale is a file onchorusasset.com.
The inputs and outputs are on the floor.
The experience of viewing.
It's really comparing apples to oranges when you compare the viewing experience of a projector to a TV. For most people, a 100 plus inch display is only financially viable with a projector. Others want high-contrast, color-accurate displays. Unless you are looking for a super yacht, you can't afford both size and image-popping HDR from a single display.
The XGIMI Aura has some specifications.
There is a built-in Google Assistant and Chromecast support in the OS.
The single chip is from Texas Instruments.
3840 x 2160 at 60Hz
There are 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
There are two things that are available: a wireless device, and a network of computers and electronics.
The laser light source is rated for 25,000 hours.
The throw ratio was 0.233:1
The support for the HDR10
3x HDMI, 3xusb, and 3xHDMI inputs.
There are outputs: miniusb, 3.5mm headphone, optical.
The Aura has a 150-inch max display. There are a few catches. Spreading all those lumens across a large space will dim the displayed image. The Xgimi Aura needs to be at least 17 inches from the wall to achieve such a large image, which can easily be defeated by a TV stand that is a bit too narrow. Buying a bigger table is cheaper than knocking down a wall to get the same display size as long-throw projectors.
In my setup, where the Aura sits on a narrow Ikea sideboard, the furthest I can move the projector from the wall is about 15.3 cm. It is enough to create a 90-inch projected rectangle. It is large but not as bright as my 55 inch screen.
It's bad to view the Aura during the day. It's fine for watching the news, I guess, and catching up on some of my YouTube subscriptions as long as the blinds are closed, but the image is washed out severely even on dreary rainy afternoons.
The daytime viewing with the blinds open is bad.
It's bad to view daytime with the blinds open.
At night, the Aura's giant 4K projected image really comes to life. The Xgimi Aura still gives me a cinematic experience I have been looking for, even though blacks suffer from having to be projected over distance using light, and the more spacious screen evokes the type of cinematic experience I have been looking for. Sports look great on the Aura when viewed in a dark room. The bigger image makes it easier to keep track of the ball.
The sun sets at 5pm so I don't have to worry about watching in darkness. In the summer, I would need blinds that are dark in the evening. If you live in a northern climate, that is something to consider.
Noupscale is a file onchorusasset.com.
Aura lacks the contrast and brightness to rival the best TVs on the market.
The Aura's colors are rich, even if they skew green, and the focus is uniform throughout. The Aura is not bright enough to produce the contrast that modern TVs produce.
Casual game play is great on that giant display, especially in split-screen modes that can be cramped on even large TVs. You won't be taking home any professional titles because of the lack of HDMI 2.1.
I had to tilt the Aura review unit to keep the power outlet from obscuring the projection. Thanks to Aura's integrated legs that were removed from beneath and 8-point keystone correction, this was easy to do. The image brightness suffers as a result of those angles and the light shadows become visible in dark scenes. The Aura should be sitting flat and pointing at the wall.
Light from below makes wall deformities more prominent.
The shadows on my wall make it more noticeable that the light is projected from below. The holes, nicks, and undulating plaster on my walls are obscured by front-projection devices. A projection screen would make my setup better, as it would smooth out the images while improving image brightness and contrast. It would really defeat this as a TV replacement unless I wanted to pay more for a screen that automatically unfurls from a ceiling nook. No thanks.
The Aura has the same sound system as Xgimi's other projectors. This time, it is a big setup with a 4 x 15W power source and two speakers. It has a decent audio separation that blows my TV out of the water. The Aura has an S/PDIF optical output for expansion, a headphone jack, and support for both audio and phone calls.
A light hum is easily visible from the Aura fan noise. I can hear the buzz from ten feet away. I am unaware of the noise, but it makes me cringe when my attention is drawn to it. Aura slows the fan down when the display is off. If you want to use it as a music player, this can be useful.
Sometimes a giant display is better than a smaller one that is great, so it is a tossup.
There are smart apps.
The Aura is a smart television. There are a lot of streaming apps to choose from, like Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and more. Xgimi is not certified by the steamer under its Open Connect program to make it more efficient. Even though the app can be installed via workarounds, it stopped working half-way through my testing. The experience of Aura is not as good as a local app, and the performance is not as good.
The NFL GamePass app was bad on both mobile devices. The only way to fix the problem was to attach the old Chromecast to the HDMI port.
The Apple TV app errored out a few times during my testing, but it was solved by restarting the Aura.
It comes back to us at the same time. Over 200 million people use the service around the world. Spending $2,500 on a projector that is supposed to replace a TV is troubling for families with small kids who don't have phones for casting.
The TV was the winner.
There are other observations.
The Aura has built-in eye protection that will cut the laser light source if it is interfered with. It will protect the eyes of kids and pets.
Upscaled content looked good.
The Aura has the same remote control with a dedicated button as the Horizon Pro. There aren't any on-device controls, so don't lose it. There is always the software remote for the Home.
Noupscale is a file onchorusasset.com.
Aura does well.
Over the years, I proposed a variety of less ugly TV solutions to my wife, only to be turned down. Don't want to open the walls for cable runs. To hide the TV, a giant cabinet has to be built. Rollable TV is too expensive and prototype-y. Do you think I'm a fool when I see a picture frame on a TV?
The Xgimi Aura all-in-one 4K ultra- short throw projector can replace a TV if you install it in a dark room. If you want a good picture for the price of a game console and two 55-inch TVs, you have to put up with fan noise.
The $2,500 Xgimi Aura is a projector that can fit in a narrow room and is as good as it gets, if you don't want a giant TV ruining the look of your living room or you want the biggest image possible in a narrow room.
Every smart device requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it. It is not possible for us to read and analyze all of these agreements. We started counting how many times you have to agree to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don't read and can't negotiate.
To use the Xgimi Aura, you must agree to the following.
The terms of service of a company.
The Privacy Policy of the internet giant, GOOGLE.
The following agreements are not mandatory.
Allow apps with your permission on your Chromecast to use the location estimated from the internet.
Send usage and diagnostic data.
If you want to use the Google Assistant, you must agree to let the company collect.
App info from your devices.
The data from your devices may be used in any service where you are signed in. You can change your settings at account.google.com.
The privacy policies of streaming services are also different.
There are at least two mandatory agreements and at least four optional agreements.
Thomas Ricker is a photographer.
