Hisense L9Q ultra short throw projector review

A 0.18 throw ratio putting 200 inches on the wall from inches away, and a contrast ratio that tells you what you are giving up.

Specifications

Specifications above come from Hisense's published specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

• Five thousand ANSI lumens is the number that makes a lit room possible. Every other projector on this page is a dark room device; this one is not.
• A 0.18 throw ratio is unusually short even among ultra short throw projectors, which means a bigger picture from a shorter distance and more flexibility in tight rooms.
• Triple laser covering 110 percent of BT.2020 produces a colour volume that beats most televisions, and Pantone validation is at least an external check rather than a self-declared number.
• It sits on a cabinet against the wall rather than being ceiling mounted, which removes the installation project entirely.
• Two hundred inches is a picture no television will ever produce, and that is what people actually buy a projector for.

Where it falls short

• Five thousand to one contrast is the honest weakness. That figure is fine for a lit room, where contrast is being destroyed by the ambient light anyway, and it is nowhere near an OLED or a dark room long-throw projector.
• Ultra short throw projectors are unforgiving of wall geometry. A wall that is not flat, or a screen that is not perfectly aligned, produces visible geometry errors at the edges that a long-throw projector hides.
• It needs an ambient light rejecting screen to deliver its promise. Projecting onto a white wall throws away most of what you paid for. Check whether a screen is included and budget for one if not.
• Triple laser projectors can show laser speckle, a fine shimmering texture that some viewers see and others do not. It is worth checking before the return window closes.
• Five thousand dollars plus a screen is close to the price of a very large premium television, which will be sharper, higher contrast and simpler.

What owners report

Owner reports on high-brightness UST projectors are consistent about what they are for: a big picture in a normal room. People who bought one for a family room and paired it with a proper ALR screen describe it as the right answer. People who compared it with a dark-room projector on contrast were comparing two different products.

Our best UST projector guide covers the category and our projector testing guide covers what to check on arrival, including geometry at the edges, which is the specific UST failure mode. Our projector test patterns are what you check it with.

Before choosing between this and a television, run our viewing distance calculator. Two hundred inches is only useful if the room is deep enough to sit back from it, and a great many UST buyers would be happier with a large TV.

Who it suits

• Rooms with daylight and light-coloured walls that cannot be darkened.
• Anyone who wants a very large picture without a ceiling mount and cable run.
• Households where the projector has to look like furniture rather than equipment.

Who should skip it

• Dedicated dark rooms, where a long-throw projector produces far better contrast for the money.
• Rooms with uneven walls, where UST geometry problems are visible and permanent.
• Buyers who have not budgeted for an ambient light rejecting screen.

Alternatives worth considering

Common questions

Do I need a special screen for a UST projector?

Effectively yes. An ambient light rejecting screen designed for ultra short throw geometry is what makes a bright-room UST work, because it reflects light from the projector's steep angle back at the viewer and rejects light coming from above. Projecting onto a bare wall throws away most of what you paid for.

Is 5,000:1 contrast bad?

It is modest, and in the room a UST is designed for it matters less than it sounds. Ambient light in a lit room destroys contrast regardless of the projector, so a bright projector with modest native contrast can look better in that room than a high-contrast projector would. In a dark room, the opposite is true.

What is laser speckle?

A fine shimmering or sparkling texture in the image that some viewers perceive with laser light sources, particularly triple laser designs. Some people see it and are bothered; many never notice. Watch bright, flat scenes before the return window closes if you are sensitive to it.

How close does it sit to the wall?

Very close. A 0.18 throw ratio means a large image from a few inches of distance, which is what lets it sit on a media cabinet against the wall. That also means alignment is fussy: small movements of the cabinet produce visible geometry changes on screen.

UST projector or a big TV?

A television is sharper, higher contrast, brighter and simpler, and it stops at whatever size you can afford. A UST gives you a picture no television reaches, in a room you do not have to darken. If a large TV covers your wall, buy the TV; if you want a hundred inches or more, buy the UST and a proper screen.

Keep reading

• Best UST projectors
• Projector testing guide
• Best 4K laser projectors
• Projector test tools
• Viewing distance calculator
• Epson LS11000 review
• LG OLED evo M3 77 inch review

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.