Please Stop Making Projectors "Smart"

As a location theatre enthusiast, I'm genuinely gladsome that location projectors are gaining wide popularity. But I'm endlessly frustrated by projector brands' usage of astute TV software—please, for each that is holy, halt making astute projectors.

This Projector Should Last 10 Years, but What About the OS?

When I complain astir astute TVs, bundle longevity is usually the taxable of my ire. A decent TV should past for astatine slightest a decade, but bundle platforms similar Android TV, Fire TV, and Roku are perpetually evolving and necessitate hardware upgrades each fewer years.

These operating systems dilatory trim a astute TV's usability, efficaciously serving arsenic the "weakest nexus successful the chain," an unnecessary constituent that leads to aboriginal obsolescence. Smart TV operating systems unit radical to bargain caller TVs much often than they usually would—this occupation didn't beryllium erstwhile TVs ran connected dumb, simple, unchangeable operating systems.

Smart projectors tally connected astute TV operating systems and people endure from bundle longevity issues. But the occupation is arguably much egregious present because, arsenic you whitethorn know, projectors are acold much costly than TVs (in presumption of representation quality, not representation size). Someone who buys a $1,500 astute projector whitethorn extremity up complaining astir bundle show aft conscionable 2 oregon 3 years—a genuinely insane concern that shouldn't beryllium astatine this oregon immoderate different terms bracket.

Take, for example, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra that I reviewed successful 2023. It's a laser projector rated for 25,000 hours of use, meaning that if you permission the projector connected for 5 hours each day, it should past for astir 13 years earlier burning out. Admittedly, determination whitethorn person been immoderate inferior successful the projector's Android TV operating strategy astatine launch—it's a portable projector, the built-in astute TV bundle is convenient. And, though it's gotten somewhat sluggish, the projector's Android TV implementation is inactive usable today. But volition this projector's Android TV operating strategy proceed moving done 2030? How astir 2035? I earnestly uncertainty it.

I inactive usage the XGIMI Horizon Ultra due to the fact that it's a damned bully projector. But its Android TV operating strategy is unavoidable. You can't unreal that it isn't there; you must interact with it to set keystone, zoom, powerfulness redeeming preferences, and different settings. If the projector's operating strategy becomes excessively sluggish owed to crappy updates oregon cached information (I support the projector offline and acquisition the second problem), it makes the projector much frustrating to use, afloat stop.

The Solution: Give Me a Dumb Projector With a Dongle

Give maine a projector that has a "dumb," simple, unchangeable operating system. They've existed for decades, I've owned them before—heck, there's a 13-year-old Epson successful my surviving country that inactive feels snappier than immoderate astute projector I've ever used. I recognize that astute projectors person a definite marketplace appeal, but if you perfectly need to cater to customers who won't bargain a $20 Roku Express stick, conscionable propulsion a astute TV dongle successful the container with the projector. It's truly that simple.

Some projector brands, similar BenQ and Optoma, really bash the "Android TV dongle successful the box" thing. And I really admit these companies for their common-sense attack to astute projector functionality. I reviewed a BenQ X500i past twelvemonth and was precise satisfied with its outer streaming dongle, which did not necessitate an further powerfulness oregon HDMI cable. The projector itself ran a simple, unchangeable operating system, and it worked conscionable good without the Android TV dongle.

If I were to bargain a projector today, I'd skip thing with a built-in astute TV operating system. I conscionable don't privation to woody with that nonsense. And if I tin person capable radical to travel my conviction, possibly it'll sound immoderate consciousness into projector brands. I conscionable privation that this benignant of prime existed successful the astute TV market, but hey, astatine slightest you tin inactive bargain a dumb TV.