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SubscribeOptoma has introduced the CinemaX P2, the successor to last year's CinemaX P1 4K ultra short throw living room laser projector.
Available at authorized retailers for $3,299 as of September 1, the CinemaX P2 currently costs $500 less out of the gate than its award-winning predecessor and improves on it in a number of ways, most notably with enhancements to image quality that will be visible and appreciated by movie lovers.
An Enhanced Gaming Mode has also been added to reduce input lag for gamers. And like the P1, the P2 has the ability to play Full HD 3D in all the mandatory formats.
Optoma, working off customer feedback on the P1, has improved the cosmetics in this new model, keeping the P1's modern form factor but opting this time for a white finish with gray speaker grille as an antidote to the P1's space-age, jet-black look. Behind the grille is the same 40-watt NuForce-designed soundbar system found in the earlier projector, which essentially turns the CinemaX P2 into an all-in-one entertainment system.
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The CinemaX P2 maintains the P1's list of smart features including app-driven SmartFIT geometry correction using your smartphone camera; on-board streaming apps from the Optoma Marketplace driven by the Android-based Aptoid platform; compatibility with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT automation; and Optoma's InfoWall app for customizing your own home screen. A TapCast mirroring app for Android and iOS mobile devices is available for assisting with at-home schooling or work-at-home activities.
New to the P2 is integration of the FRAMED digital art platform, which turns the projector into an art exhibit featuring a dozen unique works of animated digital art by emerging artists.
ProjectorCentral's review of the Optoma CinemaX P2 will appear later this month.
For more detailed specifications and connections, check out our Optoma CinemaX P2 projector page.
Comments (38)
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Nemesis.ie Posted Sep 2, 2020 1:24 AM PST
In the review, could you do a ceiling mount above e.g. a 75cm drop to evaluate how well it would work mounted close the the ceiling?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 2, 2020 5:37 AM PST
Victor, their CinemaX Pro model has the extra lumens. This P2 model would now be their most advanced, however.
Robert Posted Sep 2, 2020 5:07 PM PST
Is their an easy to assemble light rejecting screen you can recommend? Most seem to have horrible reviews for fixed frames.
Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 2, 2020 5:38 PM PST
Most of these frames are easy to assemble, just time-consuming with multiple steps, with the most time-consuming being the stretching and attachment of the screen to the frame.
I have had good results with Elite's Aeon CLR, which we reviewed. It is among the most affordable dedicated UST screens. It's a gray lenticular screen with ridges that direct light from the projector directly back to the viewer, and its only downside is that in return for deeper blacks and very good ambient light rejection from overhead lights you sacrifice noticeable brightness compared with a matte white screen (it's a 0.6 gain screen, so you get 60% of the lumens you'd have with a 1.0 gain screen. This 3,000 lumen projector, however, should look great on it. Unfortunately, most of the lenticular screens directly designed for UST projection, which provide the best overhead light rejection, are 0.6 gain. You could conceivably use a more general ALR screen intended for long-throw projection, some of which have gain higher than 1.0, but I honestly couldn't tell you what you'd sacrifice in the direct comparison.
I have had good results with Elite's Aeon CLR, which we reviewed. It is among the most affordable dedicated UST screens. It's a gray lenticular screen with ridges that direct light from the projector directly back to the viewer, and its only downside is that in return for deeper blacks and very good ambient light rejection from overhead lights you sacrifice noticeable brightness compared with a matte white screen (it's a 0.6 gain screen, so you get 60% of the lumens you'd have with a 1.0 gain screen. This 3,000 lumen projector, however, should look great on it. Unfortunately, most of the lenticular screens directly designed for UST projection, which provide the best overhead light rejection, are 0.6 gain. You could conceivably use a more general ALR screen intended for long-throw projection, some of which have gain higher than 1.0, but I honestly couldn't tell you what you'd sacrifice in the direct comparison.
FMT Posted Sep 2, 2020 6:10 PM PST
UST projectors are marketed as a TV alternative But I understood that UST projectors can’t be used with ALR screens So isn’t that a major drawback?
Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 2, 2020 6:13 PM PST
FMT, dedicated UST ALR screens are the preferred screens for UST projectors and work well as long as the projector has enough brightness to overcome both the ambient light and the loss from the screen's low gain. Most of them in the 2700 to 4,000 lumen range now and work fine. So, no, it's not a drawback at all. I haven't seen what happens when you use a UST with a more conventional ALR screen, but I gather it depends on whether the active optical elements reject light coming from below at the same time they're rejecting overhead and side lighting. I suppose a conventional gray screen that's just designed to boost contrast would accept the light from below, but also at the cost of some brightness as happens with the UST ALR screens. Perhaps someone who's tried this can comment on it.
Qaz Posted Sep 3, 2020 8:41 AM PST
WHITE? oh my what are they thinking? But otherwise a really nice surprise. Going to pick this one up if the reviews are good. Looking forward to you guys really testing it out. Glad there is a gaming mode, hope it's good.
Jos Posted Sep 3, 2020 10:52 AM PST
Is there any change (improvement...) in the throw ratio compared to the P1?
Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 3, 2020 11:01 AM PST
No, Jos -looks like exactly the same optics. 0.25 throw ratio.
Victor Posted Sep 6, 2020 12:54 PM PST
Can I use a non clr or non alr screen with this projector because I want to use A regular screen so I can put my speakers behind it?
Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 8, 2020 7:05 AM PST
Victor, you can use a regular screen with this or any other UST, with two consequences compared to using a UST ALR screen. The first is that you obviously lose the deeper blacks and improved contrast in any kind of ambient light. But if you plan on watching in the dark or with very moderate low light not washing directly on the screen, you should get a very usable image. The second consequence is that the steep upward angle of the light from the UST projector means a fair amount will bounce off the screen and wash onto the ceiling directly above the screen, which can basically bounce around and further affect perceived contrast of the image. This can be mitigated by having some kind of dark ceiling paint or ceiling cover in the area directly above and in front of the screen.
Chad Posted Sep 8, 2020 7:37 AM PST
I haven't seen if 3D is still included on the P2. I'm hoping it is. Has this been confirmed?
Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 8, 2020 9:23 AM PST
Yes, Chad, the P2 supports all the mandatory Full 3D formats just like the P1. We'll be double-checking the implementation for our review.
Joey Posted Sep 10, 2020 5:17 PM PST
Hey there Rob,
First of all, want to thank you for fielding all these great questions and providing such helpful responses.
For folks who do not have a deep media console, are you familiar with any slider/mechanism which the UST projector can rest on and then slide out when using projector? I would like to project to the P2's max of 120" screen size but my newly built media console is only 25" deep...
Appreciate the help...
Best, Joey
First of all, want to thank you for fielding all these great questions and providing such helpful responses.
For folks who do not have a deep media console, are you familiar with any slider/mechanism which the UST projector can rest on and then slide out when using projector? I would like to project to the P2's max of 120" screen size but my newly built media console is only 25" deep...
Appreciate the help...
Best, Joey
Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 10, 2020 8:42 PM PST
Joey, Aegis AV #Cabinets has produced motorized cabinets that do just what you describe, but this means buying a new, expensive piece of furniture. We included a video of this piece in action at the 2019 InfoComm Show in the Screen Innovations booth. You can find that in the SI section of this report. Otherwise, I'm not familiar with a manufactured accessory slider tray made for this purpose, but I imagine such a thing would not be terribly hard for a determined DIYer to build with a kitchen cabinet slider mechansim or perhaps drawer slides. These 20-inch deep undermount kitchen sliders from Knape and Vogt, model KVM-8000P20, cost about $70 and would seem to be a good solution. 130 pound capacity. The description even mentions AV equipment. Good luck!
Jos Posted Sep 12, 2020 4:23 AM PST
Will Optoma also be updating the EU version of the P1 (the UHZ65UST)?
Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 12, 2020 8:41 AM PST
We have no information on this, but I'd be surprised if they didn't.
White Posted Sep 17, 2020 10:43 AM PST
Is the P2 really better in delivering color than the 01 as claimed by Optoma?. By specs it's a better product than the P1 but is it also in real life ?
Also, is the Pro still performes the best ?
Also, is the Pro still performes the best ?
Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 17, 2020 10:56 AM PST
White, we are working on our review of the P2 now and will have it up shortly with some answers to this question. The Pro remains the brighter of Optoma's three models released to date, but even without testing it I am assuming its extra brightness comes at the expense of color gamut and accuracy, so it would not be the preferred model from that perspective.
Garrett H Posted Sep 18, 2020 9:21 PM PST
Does the "gaming mode" reduce the input lag to lower than the 67ms listed on the spec page or is that the lowest lag with "gaming mode" on? Because 67ms input lag is still useless for gaming.
Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 20, 2020 10:46 AM PST
We will confirm in our review, but this is the new low number compared with the initial results on the P1, which we measured at 121.8 ms for 4K signals and 171.6 for 1080p.
Peter Posted Sep 26, 2020 10:07 AM PST
The alt screen I have current is just 72 inches. P2 can project 85 to 120 inches. Can P2 with digital zoom project without any issue using the 72" screen? will there any lost of image quality?
Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 26, 2020 10:50 AM PST
Peter, I actually don't know the answer to this question off-hand. I do know that you enter dangerous territory when you attempt to push one of these USTs past their max image size, but I don't quite understand what happens when you go much lower than the minimum. I gather you can't achieve sharpness if you just move the projector closer to the screen and use the optical focus, but your idea of using the geometric correction (there's no specific digital zoom function on the P2) isn't misguided. Just for kicks I tried pulling in the four corners on our review sample to acheive a 72 diagonal and it seemed to work without contributing any obvious artifacts, at least with my 1080p output cable box. I didn't bother trying to acheive perfect width and height dimensions so my aspect ratio was a little off in this experiment, but with some precision I think this concept generally works.
White Posted Sep 26, 2020 11:12 AM PST
Thank you for all the valuable answers.
May I kindly ask when are you expecting to post the P2 in depths review?
Also, from your experience so far, is the P2 really superior to the P1 in overall quality?
Thank you kindly!
May I kindly ask when are you expecting to post the P2 in depths review?
Also, from your experience so far, is the P2 really superior to the P1 in overall quality?
Thank you kindly!
Natch Posted Sep 27, 2020 8:59 AM PST
Hello,
Is it possible to mount it in the ceiling with a non UST screen? Will this set up work?
Many thanks!
N.
Is it possible to mount it in the ceiling with a non UST screen? Will this set up work?
Many thanks!
N.
Rob Posted Sep 29, 2020 3:07 AM PST
From the specifications this projector uses a Texas Instruments 0.47” 4K UHD ECD DMD chip, which is a 1080p x4 pixel shifter. As opposed to the 0.66 vertion, a 2k x2 pixel shifter (used in the optoma UHD65 for example). Is there any evidence of this downgrade in the picture. I ask because I am considering upgrading from a UHD65, and I dont want to spend a ton of cash for a worse picture.
Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 29, 2020 3:10 AM PST
Rob, I won't say conclusively that this is the case given the other vagaries associated with perceived detail on the screen, but it's been suggested to me from reliable sources who have experienced both types that the 0.66 inch is the preferred chip. We did our own resolution test in which we found that our one sample with the 0.47 inch chip was softer when viewed close to the screen compared with the 0.66 inch DLP chip or a native 4K reference projector, but I regret that the one sample we had on hand with that chip was a portable with a fairly small lens and not a serious home theater projector. I think most people viewing at normal distance between two matched projectors would have a difficult time seeing any difference.
The LG UST uses the 0.66 inch chip, and I'd be surprised if Samsung's new top model set for release soon won't also be specified with the same chip. Both are in the $5500 to $6,500 range.
But I'd also caution against thinking that any UST projector is going to perform quite like a state of the art dark room home theater projector. The USTs are designed to provide good to excellent performance in a lit environment. It's a lifestyle choice.
The LG UST uses the 0.66 inch chip, and I'd be surprised if Samsung's new top model set for release soon won't also be specified with the same chip. Both are in the $5500 to $6,500 range.
But I'd also caution against thinking that any UST projector is going to perform quite like a state of the art dark room home theater projector. The USTs are designed to provide good to excellent performance in a lit environment. It's a lifestyle choice.
Rob Sabin, Editor Posted Sep 29, 2020 7:17 AM PST
The P2 has a setting for an inverted ceiling mount in a front projection arrangement. You could use a standard screen with it, which will work for dark room viewing with the caveat that you do get some bounce of light onto the floor whatever furniture is below the screen. A UST screen can be flipped in this instance to capture the light and direct it back toward the viewers with better contrast, however it won't be terribly effective at rejecting ambient light coming in from overhead nearby the projector and could very well wash out from side lighting that would normally be pretty well rejected. Perhaps someone with a setup like this could comment on the effectiveness.
Kengineer Posted Oct 8, 2020 7:22 AM PST
I have already purchased the Optoma P2 but I would still like to a hear a pro review on this projector. I been following this website for quite awhile. My first projector purchase was back over 20 years ago with the Infocus 350. Keep up the good work but please hurry. Thanks!!
Mike Posted Oct 11, 2020 5:09 PM PST
Always great info. When you review can you also try going 135" although not supported? I am curious as to the quality of the image when stretched a bit out. I like this projector but downgrading from135" to 120" will hurt. I would be okay losing a bit of image quality for it.
