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Ultra-Short Throw Xiaomi Mijia 4K Laser Projector AU~$2537 [US $1719] (RRP AU $4860.96) + ~$51 Shipping + $398 GST @ GearBest

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Hey guys,

Another day, another Xiaomi deal.

I only caught this one at the last second though, only 14 hours left on it. You'll probably have to pay GST on import.

Apparently it actually 4k, not just "4k supported".

Reviews seem pretty good, and the price is what I can see the old 1080P version still going for in most online places. I think this one has just been superseded by the new "Fengmi" version which has 2400 ANSI lumens vs, this one's 1500. I'm not that into projectors so I'm not sure how much of a change that is, really.

I never thought I'd be buying a projector, and I probably won't, but the craziness of isolation and the discount of this are making my finger wave over the 'buy' button…

Anyway, cheerio!

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  • +1

    I have the pretend 4K version and absolutely love it

    • Most of them are pretend 4k but do a very good job that it looks like 4k.

      HDR is another matter unfortunately

      • +2

        Yeah pixel-shifting 4K is often indistinguishable from "true" 4k chips in side-by-side comparisons, though not always: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXlDZxBIO8U

        For this projector, you worries are more likely to be other aspects of the image quality. You always need a professional review (or to see it in action) to make a judgement on projectors.

        And even more importantly, there are non-short-throw 4k projectors from the best brands for closer to $1600 AUD now so you have to be sure you want to spend the extra for the short throw.

        • +3

          No your biggest worry would be about it breaking down after the short warranty (if there is even one?) expired, and having to return it to china for repairs.

          Edit:
          Q
          What’s the warranty? and if something is wrong, or projector some default, or damaged. how can I return or have refund.
          By Nouman Mar-13/2020 03:00:41

          A Hi! We offer a 45 day warranty.For more :https://www.gearbest.com/about/warranty-and-return.html

          ….
          That's like my LG 1080p 87k projector i bought off ebay for $1800 sent from Korea, died after 5 years, we loved it, but yeah good luck getting it repaired in Australia.
          Called around and no one had heard of this model of projector. Sent it to a LG repairer They held onto it for 4 months and in the end they said it was irreparable. :(

        • I'm 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ready to spend extra for short throw, so can you recommend an example of the $1600 AUD product?

    • whats a pretend version and how much are they ? thanks

      • +1

        It can accept a 4K signal but is a 1080p projector. They mention that it is a 1080p projector so it's not like they are hiding the fact.

        Not sure about the price, I got it about a year ago

        • +9

          That's different.

          There's 3 kinds:

          1. Bold-faced lie "4k": The projector is advertised at 4k but isn't 4k in any way, it's just a 1080p projector that takes 4k inputs and displays them at 1080p. (Actually these are often not even 1080p, many are 720p or even 480p). No reputable stores stock these, only dodgy ebay sellers, etc, since the 4k is simply a flat-out lie, intended to scam people (and the image quality is always awful in other just-as-important respects, like brightness, contrast, colour, uniformity, etc, etc).

          2. Pixel-shifting 4k: The projector can actually display 8 million pixels onto the screen, just like "true" 4K, but it does it by clever fast shifting of pixels using a 1080p chip. This is extremely close or identical to real 4k, depending on the projector. Name brands that make projectors with decent visual quality do use this technique.

          3. True 4k: 4k from a 4k chip. Expensive.

  • +12
    • +2

      Classic, complete with, "That's what she said" joke

    • +1

      Very thorough review.

    • +1

      WOW 150 INCH!!! Why has no-one mentioned this? Imagine if Samsung or Sony started mass producing projectors like this, the possibilities…

      • +1

        Welcome to the world of projectors.

        (Sony do make these, they are just more expensive - though better quality and with full warranty).

        • +1

          Yeah Sony Laser printers are unbelievable, but about 3x the price.

  • Are there any Australian manufacturers of projectors in existence?

    • +14

      Are u happy to pay more and get less?

      • +4

        I am happy to pay a bit more for aus made

        • +16

          If there was one, I think you're going to have to pay a lot more, unfortunately.

        • +10

          and inferior quality

            • +22

              @outlander: I can't think of a consumer electronics manufacturer in Australia who would have more experience than Xiaomi. xiaomi make quality stuff mate. I don't think you should make assumptions based on race.

                • @outlander: If you talk about about craftsmanship, there are some decent individuals.
                  But mass production is differnet.

                • +5

                  @outlander: That sounds pretty racist to me mate.

                  How are you saying a non existent Australian projector would be better than this xiaomi one?

                • +4

                  @outlander: AHAHAHAHA, when it comes to projectors or most (probably any) other electronics buying Australian is almost always going to be more expensive and worse quality than what you can get from China/Korea/Japan/etc….Salin never said Australian made is garbage in general, you made that assumption.

                  And then you ramble about state-sponsored CCP shills….get a grip.

                  The simple fact is that Australia doesn't have much of an electronics industry, most people here recognise this and downvoted your nonsense because it is precisely that.

            • +2

              @outlander: Find me a superior Australian made UST projector then.

            • +6

              @outlander: Yeah, I much prefer Aussie mobile phones to any made in China. 🤣

        • +3

          Xiaomi was a brand even Chinese people didn't like due to many facts but it caught up very quickly, the quantity of mass-production helped to make the price down, plus Xiaomi is an internet company, you really shouldn't compare the price with ordinary manufacturers, they make money from other areas to cover the production cost, therefore the low cost doesn't mean low-quality material

        • +2

          You are very likely to find Australian made projector screens, I cannot find a single Australian company that manufactures projectors.

    • To my knowledge, no. If there are, they would cater to the high end professional market.
      Even then, most of the manufacturing would be done overseas.

    • +3

      There's not going to be an Australian made projector. Don't think there ever has been. We stopped making TV sets here over 30 years ago, and even then the last of the sets made here were being assembled from Japanese parts to Japanese design.

      You can still get an Australian made projector screen though.

    • A country with a population (ie. domestic market size) of only 20-30 million and with more than USD $60k GDP/cap and generous welfare system (ie. much higher labor cost and less stable low-cost labor resources vs. not only China but even the States) is very unlikely to support mass-production of that scale. However, I do believe Australia will have this kind of manufactury industry back once AI-powered factory can make products from stone and sands.

  • +7

    I'm thinking about buying this so I wanted to say thanks.

    The website also gave me a chuckle. To get out of the mode it uses to protect nearby people from the laser it says 'Press any key to exist'. It must be the modern equivalent of 'I think therefore I am'.

    • +1

      Where's the any key?

      • +1

        Next to catarl

    • Are you planning on using a screen with it? I've heard conflicting things about how necessary they are.

      • I have an existing 120-inch screen. But I'm just doing some research on how suitable it will be. I'm not sure of the angle of the light hitting it will be an issue - it may well be if the screen is designed to reflect perpendicular light from a standard projector.

        • +4

          You'll need a UST screen. They are no cheap options for them. Looking at $1K+ depending on size.

          From what I've read, other projector screens actually makes the image worse for UST projectors as they are built to reflect; as UST comes from an angle, it means more light gets reflected to the ceiling instead of to your eyes.

          • +2

            @aaronaldo: An ALR, ambient light reflecting, screen to be exact, which minimises light reflected from the top and maximises light coming from the bottom - which is where the UST projector throws the light from.

            I've been looking at one for a long, long time, and there are a couple from Elite Screens & XYScreens<— video here, which are good (XYScreens are on AliExpress).

            There are also options to DIY and paint your own screen for a fraction of the cost:
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2yh4olrBBU

            • @khomeini: ALR = Ambient Light Rejecting (error above)

            • @khomeini: From what I've seen in the market, there are many different types of ALR screens (some blocks ambient lights from all directions except for straight in front of the screen).

              For a UST projector, you would need a specific UST ALR screen which has the specifications you described. Unfortunately from what I've seen, they're the most expensive ones in the market :(

      • +1

        I have the previous Xiaomi UST model and I project on to a bare plaster wall. The image is more than acceptable for me but that may be because my wall is clean and has no imperfections I can see. I have no doubt an expensive UST screen would improve image clarity dramatically.

  • To get the best out of this short range projector, you also need a special screen which is not cheap :(

    • +7

      The BEST, sure, but a white wall is already very good. Used to live with someone who had an older LG short throw and it just went on the wall. We could watch stuff and use it as a PC even during the day when it was dim, but at night it was amazing. Any quality issues compared to a tv become irrelevant when the screen fills the entire room.

      • +13

        Interesting thing with projectors, which is obvious when someone says it, but not until someone does.

        Projectors cant project darkness
        Whatever you see, with your projector off, is your black reference.

        If you're in a dark room, where screen brightness is not an issue, a dark screen is always better than a light one.

        Ive found a nice mix of a dark dark almost black paint, with "silver Pearl" or "white Pearl" mixed in from any pigment store.

        Im not one of those screen paint formulator nerds, I just noticed a common trend of black screen + reflective material.

        You lose less light thanks to the reflective, but get better blacks.

        If you have a dedicated wall, spare time, and a Bunnings nearby, its worth trying a black or grey screen.

        White is actually the worst, unless you're purely chasing brightness.

        • +1

          TVs almost always look way better in a light controlled (aka very dark) room. I wouldn't get a projector if I didn't have the right room.

    • The best yes but so long as you have clean smooth wall the image quality is still great.

  • +2

    Short throw projectors are great if you have a blank wall. Unlike regular projectors they don't need any particular setup and don't get in the way at all. And unlike TVs they don't take up any visual space in the room when not in use.
    So they are very discreet, and then fill up the room better than almost anything else.

    The only real downsides are cost, daytime use, fan noise (some run silent), and absolute quality if you are a pixel peeping nerd.

  • +1

    i have the 1080p one 2 years ago. love it.

  • Is this battery powered?

    • +1

      Nope. There are no ultra short throw battery powered projector as far as I know.

      • TY

  • That's an amazing deal. There are more variants of these coming onto the market, so I'm going to wait, but they're well over $4k. Check out youtube - you can use these in rooms with a lot of natural/ambient light if you pair it with an ambient light rejecting (ALR) screen.

  • I forgot but I think there's a significant difference between the Xiaomi projectors with curved edge and sharp edge ( sharp is better). Both are 4k.

  • +3

    Its this price because the new one gets released this month, as you mentioned.

    https://www.gizmochina.com/2020/06/09/xiaomi-mi-laser-projec…

  • What would be the warranty on this in Oz anyone know.

    • +2

      I'm gonna assume zero warranty.

  • +5

    Guys, I feel compelled to warn you- Don’t buy this model as it has known issues that will surface in about 6m+, better buy from reputed seller eg bargaindingo who replaced this under warranty when my projector failed

    • +1

      What is the issue?

      • +6

        The casing is super compact that presses the data cable which will eventually fail in a couple of months, folks you’ve been warned by a fellow ozbargainer, save your money!

    • +1

      Youtube resources:

      https://youtu.be/geVQZxHYTXM

      Better try to find it on ebay and pay warranty insurance. Should still work out buying and Australia stock 4K UST.

      You can use paypal with GB which gives you a 6 months protection which is not good enough for a 2.5K purchase.

  • +1

    FYI they may be getting rid of stock as Xiaomi announced the release of their latest model yesterday…

    https://www.gizchina.com/2020/06/08/mijia-laser-projector-1s…

  • Does this projector support cinemascope?

    Have yet to find a short throw laser projector that does.

  • -1

    Does this projector support cinemascope?

    Have yet to find a short throw laser projector that does.

    Just checked specs 16/9 or 4/3 ratios only…pass.

    • Does it really make that much difference? I don't know how many digital sources of 1950s/60s cinemascope films have high enough quality that a 2.66:1 source on a 4K 16:9 screen will be inferior.

  • +2

    So often I think who will be interested in this item, and lo and behold the comment section is full of interested buyers/reviewers and people commenting.

    • My thoughts exactly. I guess I have a problem buying a projector for 2.5k when I can buy a decent 75" TV for 2k.

      • +1

        Id compare a projector to buying a 100" to 140" TV to be fair. Wouldnt buy a projector to only get 75".

      • +2

        A projector isn't 2.5k, only this short-throw laser one is.

        There are better rear-mounted 4k projectors in the $1600 range.

        Projectors aren't for everybody - if you watch all your TV in the daytime and don't care what it looks like because you only watch reality TV, they are OK.

        But if you have a day job, and like movies or cinematic games, a 120" projector image makes a 75" TV look pretty underwhelming, for a much lower cost.

  • +4

    For those wanting concise information about why you would use an Ultra Short Throw screen with your Ultra Short Throw projector

    https://darkenergyscreens.com.au/ust-alr/

  • +4

    I got this in March for isolation from Kogan. $2000 at the time and i have been absolutely in love with it. Best purchase this year so far. I only have a white wall and images look great. Living in a high rise apt and only have to close some curtains for early morning. Highly recommended.

  • Anyone comment on how these go projecting on a wall or non stretched projector screen? Worried that the angle of projection would amplify imperfections of the wall

    • "Worried that the angle of projection would amplify imperfections of the wall"

      Absolutely it does. Just shine a torch up your wall from near the floor 6 inches from the wall to see if that will be an issue.

    • You will notice imperfections. But if the wall is relatively clean and smooth its not going to matter too much. I looked into getting a UST screen but decided im happy with the image quality of mine. Best purchase I've made in years.

  • +3

    i got tthis a while ago and about 6 months in it started to produce dots on the screen.
    the dlp chip has failed and xiaomi wont repair it.
    gearbest wont take it back or repair it.
    the dlp chips are made specifically for this projector and can not be bought to repair it myself.
    i believe the chip is also sealed within the laser unit so you need to do quite a delicate surgery to get to it.
    I am not alone, there is thread after thread of the same thing happening.

    while it worked it was awesome, bare wall in daylight was crisp and bright and i would have no hesitation in recommending it on picture quality but its a big gamble to take.

  • +1

    The other great feature of this is the decent quality built in speaker. Xiaomi make subwoofers specifically designed for these projectors.

  • +1

    Isn't GST 10%?

  • This one better, Amazon, warranty, 300$ more expensive

    https://www.amazon.com.au/Fengmi-Cinema-Projector-Chinese-Or…

    Still both are not a great deals IMHO

  • Is this chroma 4:4:4 ?
    Can I use this as PC Monitor for work 8hrs a day (not gaming)?

  • +1

    No Gearbest for me!
    I have purchased 2 items from gearbest.
    Neither has turned up and I received only a small amount in return (compensation).
    I purchase online daily and I will never purchase again…

  • +1

    People spending so much with no warranty or support,when(some cases) we have to fight for consumer rights forlocally aquired products?

  • I have the similar 4K (pixel shifting) Wemax A300 from https://nothingbutlabel.com/ and a 120" PET crystal screen.
    It's really unbelievable good once setup properly.

    Sure it was expensive, but not much more than what I originally paid for the old 58" Samsung plasma it's replaced.

    Zero regrets so far.

  • Seems like the deal is still on, saying Flash sale Ends In: 01 days.

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