Optoma aims for the ultimate place-and-play projector with its new GT5500

By Kris Wouk September 26, 2016

optima gt5500 ultra short throw projector announced optoma — Image used with permission by copyright holder

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Samsung Freestyle portable projector to ship by February 8

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

Audio / Video

HD to 4K: these home theater projectors are up to $2,000 off

The Optoma UHD55 projector.

While TVs are great, if you want to have a large screen TV that goes over 80 inches, you're liable to spend thousands of dollars, and if you want to go over 100 inches, you may not even find any options at all, especially at the consumer level. Luckily, there are a lot of great projectors that can not only hit those targets but exceed them and do it at a much cheaper cost than a regular TV. Even better, there is quite a big sale right now at Crutchfield on home theater projectors, with everything from budget-friendly options to top-of-the-range stuff.

What you should buy in Crutchfield's projector sale
Not all projectors have to be incredibly expensive, and you can grab a great project for a good price with the Optoma HZ40HDR, which is , saving you a solid $450 in the process. It's an FHD projector, although it can handle 4k and HDR sources, and the bulb has a 30,000-hour life span, which is pretty great for a budget-oriented projector. On the other hand, if you want 4k, Optomo has a good budget option for that too, the Optoma UHD35STx, which is a 4k short-throw projector with HDR10 and HLG HDR going , which isn't a massive discount on the usual $1,549, but it's still pretty good.

Audio / Video

Best AirPods Max deals: New and refurbished for $440

A woman wearing the Apple AirPods Max.

Shopping the best headphone deals will turn up a number of options from a wide variety of headphone brands, but if you’re interested in what Apple has to offer in terms of premium audio, the Apple AirPods Max are where you’ll want to turn. The AirPods Max are Apple’s top-of-the-line headphones, and while they churn out some impressive audio experiences, they also churn out a hefty price point. With the rumors of AirPods Max 2 going on you’ll be able to find some decent AirPods Max deals out there. We’ve done that hefty lifting for you, however, and have laid out the best AirPods Max deals below. You’ll find deals on both new and refurbished AirPods Max, but click quickly if one of these deals works for you, as Apple deals can be unpredictable and we don’t know how long these will last.
AirPods Max -- $519, were $549

The AirPods Max are Apple's first attempt at a set of over-the-ear headphones. They got a lot of things right. We love these headphones, even when compared against some audiophile options that prioritize sound quality. The AirPods Max have awesome noise cancelling. Everything Apple learned with the earbud-style AirPods works even better with the cup style of the AirPods Max. Along with great ANC comes a great transparency mode. With a twist of the Max's massive knob, you'll go from complete silence to feeling like you're not wearing headphones at all. The audio on phone calls is great as well, and they pair better with the iPhone than any non-Apple headphones could ever hope to.

Audio / Video

Best AirPods Pro deals: Get Apple’s flagship earbuds for $122

The Apple Airpods Pro in their charging case.

Apple’s lineup of headphones has grown over the years. It currently makes a number of AirPods models that can be talked about among the best wireless earbuds. Among them are the AirPods Pro. The AirPods Pro are regularly in contention to be among the best headphones overall as well, and because of their popularity it can be difficult to track down AirPods Pro deals worth shopping. We’ve managed to find some out there, however, and below we’ve rounded up all of the best AirPods Pro deals you can shop right now. You’ll find discounts on both new and refurbished AirPods Pro models, as well as some information on why each model might be best for you.
Apple AirPods Pro (Refurbished) — $122, was $220

While there’s a newer model of AirPods Pro available, the first generation Apple AirPods Pro can still hold their own against some of the best wireless earbuds. Made for a slightly more premium user than something like the Apple AirPods 3, the AirPods Pro have higher end features, including active noise cancellation and a transparency mode, which allows you to hear and interact with the world around you while you have the headphones on. Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking is another impressive feature. This makes watching movies and other content a truly immersive experience. This refurbished model of the Apple AirPods Pro comes with free 30-day returns and a 1-year warranty.