In context: Laser TVs are a special breed of ultra-short-throw projectors that only a couple of companies in the world currently make. They use laser light sources to beam the picture onto a special projection screen just a few inches away. The key advantage over traditional projectors is the ultra-short throw, letting you place the unit closer to the wall for a simpler setup.
Chinese electronics giant Hisense has just dropped a new laser TV with a screen that can fold. Called Starlight S1 Pro, it comes in 75, 80, 88, and 100-inch models – all rocking 4K resolution.
Under the hood is Hisense’s own LPU digital laser engine using RGB lasers to crank out a color gamut that covers 151% of the DCI-P3 spectrum. It also supports IMAX Enhanced. The TVs boast peak brightness between 400 and 450 nits, depending on size, to complement those cinema-grade colors.
The laser TVs also use ‘AI cameras’ to automatically adjust focus, screen alignment, and image parameters to display the perfect picture no matter the conditions.
The highlight is, of course, the screen on the 100-inch model which folds for easy setup. Hisense likes to call it the “Foldable Screen 2.0.” It can come in handy for when you need to move the TV around – a 100-inch screen isn’t exactly portable especially if you live in a high-rise building where elevators are necessary.
As for audio, Hisense teamed up with Harman Kardon for custom speaker systems with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support. The 75-inch gets a 2.1 channel setup, while the larger sizes bump it up to 2.1.2 with added height channels.
Under the hood, the Android 11 TVs are powered by a MediaTek MT9649 processor with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. Ports include HDMI 2.1 with eARC, Ethernet, and USB connectivity. There’s even a voice control remote with NFC.
The package doesn’t come cheap. Prices in China start at 9,999 yuan (around $1,380 USD) for the 75-inch and top out at a wallet-scorching 26,999 yuan ($3,721) for the 100-inch model. There’s no word yet on whether these will make it stateside, but Hisense already sells laser projectors in the region and has a growing presence.
In case you are wondering why laser projectors come bundled with a screen (why not use the wall instead?), it’s because the surface plays a huge role in the quality of the image. These screens are perfectly optimized for the projection. Try any other surface and you’ll likely deal with blown-out colors, terrible contrast, and an all-around sub-par image.
Laser TVs like the Starlight S1 Pro are designed to work seamlessly with their companion projector screens to deliver that theater-quality experience.
At CES earlier this year, Hisense also revealed a Rollable Laser TV, which featured an ambient light-rejecting screen that rolled inside the ultra-short throw projector when not in use.
