TVs might be gaining on projectors in terms of screen size and other factors, but nothing says ‘actual theater in your home’ like a projector. On the other hand, screen sizes can require some major space to work effectively. That is where ultra-short throw projectors like Optoma’s new GT5500 come in to play.
The GT5500 offers HD 1080p playback, a 25,000:1 contrast ratio, and the ability to project a 100-inch screen from just 13 inches away. The 3,500 lumens of brightness means that you will not have to lower the lights in the room to pitch black to see the image on display and ambient lighting will not distract from the action on screen.
“The GT5500 is a big step forward in home entertainment — it represents the future of gaming and home theater projectors with an ultra-short throw and specs that deliver a truly great picture,” Optoma Technology head of product management Brian Soto said in a statement. “We believe that projectors are the future of gaming and home cinema, with a price-per-inch and flexibility that flat screens TVs just can’t deliver.”
While you will want to use a dedicated audio setup for ultra-immersive sound, the GT5500 features something we do not often see built into projectors: a speaker. Specifically, it uses a 16-watt integrated speaker for what the company calls “plug and play audio,” making this an even better option for portable playback.
The projector features dual HDMI ports and several analog ports as well, meaning that hooking up your playback sources and audio playback setup should be fairly easy. 3D sync is featured as well, as is support for all of the mandatory 3D formats featured in the HDMI 1.4a standard.
The Optoma GT5500 is available now for an estimated street price of $1,300 from Amazon, B&H, Projector People, and Visual Apex. For more information on the GT5500, see the Optoma website.
