There are so many different kinds of display technologies in 2024 that hunting for a new TV often has people perplexed, looking like the Math Lady meme. Cutting through your OLEDs and Mini LEDs, however, are projectors. Your first instinct might be that they need too much space to beam onto the wall, they’re not bright enough, or they’re simply too expensive. Fortunately, Philips Screeneo UL5 Smart UST projector is here to quell all these concerns in one fell swoop.
Ultra-short-throw (UST) projectors aren’t anything new, but they’re getting better with each iteration. Screeneo UL5 Smart UST can chuck up a 100in (254cm) display from just 20in (51cm) away, letting you place it just about anywhere. This scales down so you can use it as your own personal screen and even goes slightly higher to a 120in cinematic masterpiece – although the latter will likely come at the sacrifice of brightness.
Staying within Philips’ recommended parameters, you’ll get a 1080p resolution screen with 550 ANSI Lumens of brightness and HDR10 support. Since the company doesn’t highlight the refresh rate, it’s safe to assume this will be no more than 60Hz. It should still be fine to play games, but you will be on a limited frame rate.
Alongside clarity, the device touts exceptional colour gamut coverage, spreading across 200% Rec. 709 (sRGB), 150% DCI-P3, and 108% Rec. 2020. Philips emphasises that this is wider than most alternatives out there, accounting for more than 75% of all the colours a human eye can see, at least as defined by CIE 1931 colour space. And, since projectors have a floating picture, auto-focus and vertical keystone features are on hand to keep your image steady.
I’m still amazed at how small technology is nowadays. While Philips doesn’t list dimensions, you can tell Screeneo UL5 Smart UST isn’t much bigger than an old satellite phone, making it incredibly portable. Since it doesn’t run on battery power, you’ll need to be close to a set of mains to use it, but you could easily pack it up and take it to a hotel room. After all, it has built-in stereo speakers and a bunch of apps courtesy of LuminOS.
The operating system already has access to Netflix, AppleTV, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, YouTube, Plex, and many more. If you prefer physical media or don’t have access to hook up the dual WiFi bands, you can also plug in consoles, DVD players, and media centres in using the HDMI port or external hard drives in using the USB slots.
Instead of a traditional release, Philips is going the crowdfunding route with Screeneo UL5 Smart UST going live on Indiegogo on June 11. Unfortunately, this means it won’t be ready for Euro 2024 and there will be a short wait for the month-long campaign to run its course before production begins. On the plus side, this means you can get the projector at a hefty discount, costing just €699.