Hisense PX1 Pro ultra short throw laser projector review

One-minute review

The Hisense PX1 Pro is a brilliant ultra short throw (UST) projector that manages to squeeze itself neatly in between some serious competition from the best projectors on the market. At $3,499 (about £2,850, AU$5,035), it's no budget piece of home theater gear, but it does bring a meaningful upgrade over some pricier projectors and doesn’t fall too short of the ones that it undercuts in price. 

Despite taking up just a small space on a shelf or media center, the Hisense PX1 Pro can beam a 90-to-130-inch picture using a triple laser light source. It’s on the bright side at 2,200 lumens, though that’s well beneath the 3,000 lumens of the L9G sitting above it in Hisense’s UST projector lineup.

The PX1 Pro’s bright picture is wonderfully complemented by its color, which comes by way of those three red, green, and blue lasers. Altogether, the PX1 Pro dazzles when it’s in a dark room, though it doesn’t do so well showing dark scenery unless the ambient lighting in the room is clamped down. 

Hisense’s package here is pretty well rounded. The built-in speakers will do the job in a pinch, though they’re easily beaten by even a modest soundbar. However, those speakers can still come in handy as the projector is easy to move around at just a hair over 20 pounds and can adjust focus for different setups, connect to Wi-Fi, and pull content through its Android TV interface.

The PX1 Pro doesn’t put on as strong a show as the L9G, but it’s more flexible and much less expensive. The L9G costs $2,000 more, though part of that cost covers an included ambient-light-rejecting screen. It exceeds the $2,499 / £2,149 (around AU$3,550) Xgimi Aura, which doesn’t have as good color performance. There’s strong competition from Epson for those who don’t have a preference for the UST design, as the LS1100 (slightly stepped-down sibling to the phenomenal Epson Pro Cinema LS12000) goes brighter at 2,500 lumens and costs just a little more, though it lacks a smart TV platform and speakers. 

If you’re after a great all-in-one cinema system, the PX1 Pro can certainly deliver. Ultimately, the setup will be what you make it. An extra $200 for a soundbar and some black-out curtains can give the PX1 Pro a big boost that all but erases its weaknesses. If you’ve already got a streaming stick and speakers, you may be better served by the Epson LS11000, while other UST projectors like the LG HU85LA CineBeam and Optoma CinemaX P2 could serve as upgrade options for a higher price. 

Price and availability 

The Hisense PX1 Pro is available for $3,499 (about £2,850, AU$5,035) though it can regularly be found with a discount. 

Design and features

• All-in-one unit
• Modest built-in speakers, but with many options for external sound
• Android TV built-in

The Hisense PX1 Pro UST laser projector makes for a beautiful addition to the living room not only for the awesome home theater experience it can bring but also its elegant profile when placed next to the wall. It has a stylish little housing that takes up about as much space as you might expect of an AV receiver. In that footprint, the PX1 Pro is packing in a three-laser DLP projection system, a smart TV platform, and a pair of 15W speakers. The all-in-one unit only weighs 20.3 pounds as well, making it that much easier to set up.

Hisense settled on a somewhat old school aesthetic to go with this more futuristic tech. The silver accents and asymmetric style look like they wouldn’t be out of place next to a record player. Curiously, just like the Hisense L9G, there’s a little slab at the back of the projector that looks like it could serve as a cover for the optics, though it doesn’t move. The PX1 Pro uses a pair of sensors to detect if anyone gets close and will dim the lasers, ultimately turning them off, to protect people’s eyes. 

Unlike its “Laser TV” Hisense siblings, the PX1 Pro is designed for more flexible setups. To that end, it has a variable focus so it can be used to provide a 90-to-130-inch picture. It uses separate red, green, and blue lasers as light sources, providing 2,200 ANSI lumens while also offering a 25,000-hour lifespan. 

The PX1 Pro has Android TV built-in, making it quite effective without doing much more than plugging it into power and connecting it to Wi-Fi. It’s one of the many smart projectors that can’t get Netflix, though. Fortunately, that shortcoming aside, it’s got plenty of smarts in the way of settings to adjust the picture how you like it. (Whether that’s Filmmaker Mode or as bright and saturated as possible with tons of motion smoothing is up to you.)

The system can connect to plenty of other gear as well. It has two HDMI 2.1 ports, including one with eARC, optical digital and 3.5mm audio jacks, antenna, two USB and Ethernet ports. Both Bluetooth and WiSA wireless audio are supported.

Picture Quality

• Flexible 4K picture (90-130-inch 4K) that’s bright (2,200 ANSI lumens) and vivid (107% Rec.2020)
• Low input lag

When the conditions are right, the Hisense PX1 Pro makes for a fantastic watch. Its 2,200 lumens of brightness paired with a wide color gamut for HDR can put on a spectacular show. Bright content can sing even at daytime in a room with a bit of light filtering, like basic blinds, and when you dim the lights at night the PX1 Pro will continue to excel. 

That beautiful image even works when stretching the projection out to considerable sizes. Given that this projector takes up less than two square feet of space on a media center, it’s staggering to see how good a 100-inch image it can make. With 4K resolution, that big picture remains satisfyingly sharp as well.

The projectors biggest shortcoming is displaying dark visuals in a bright room. There’s really no winning in those conditions for a projector, though some exceedingly bright options like the Epson LS12000 fare a little better. The situation could be improved by a projection screen, but getting black-out curtains would also make a huge difference. The latter solves the brightness issue, but a projection screen can also resolve any issues with projecting onto a wall that’s not perfectly smooth or flat.

Though the Hisense PX1 Pro may not go beyond 4K/60Hz, it manages a low enough input lag to make for a fun gaming display. Our inputs in Smash Bros are promptly displayed on screen, keeping up with the frenetic pace of the game.

Pretty much the only piece of package not holding up its end here is the speakers. They can fill a small room with enough sound, but it’s lacking on the low-end, a bit crowded in the mids, and doesn’t stand up to even a budget soundbar with a subwoofer.

Should I buy the Hisense PX1 Pro UST projector? 

Buy it if...

You want everything with one purchase

Just like getting a TV, you get your picture, sound, and access to content all in one with the PX1 Pro. 

You have good light control

As long as you can dim a room, the Hisense PX1 Pro can handle the rest. Its picture is excellent in a dark room, though it can still do well for lighter cartoons and sitcoms in a modestly lit room.  

You love a bit of portability

The Hisense PX1 Pro benefits largely from its all-in-one nature and decent portability. You can get a better picture or lower price, but this projector makes the power something you can readily move from place to place.

Don’y buy it if… 

You can’t dim your room

While many rooms are easily dimmed with a few shades, that’s not necessarily true for everyone. If you like daytime viewing but can’t cut down on ambient light, this projector (and many others) will struggle with some content.

You care about frame rates in games

4K/60 may be nice, but there are options that can go faster than this. Some require a dip down to 1080p but can ramp up to 240Hz while others, like Epson’s LS12000, can hit 4K/120Hz. 

You aren’t picky about picture quality

The PX1 Pro costs a pretty penny, but that gets you a pretty picture you can tune to your liking. If you’re not all about that, you can save a bit and still enjoy a similar experience from the Xgimi Aura. 

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