Among Samsung’s many product announcements at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, the Korean electronics giant breathed some new life into its popular Premiere projector lineup. New models are bringing some bold firsts to the projector space, including the Premiere 8K that boasts wireless connectivity and sound that emanates from the screen, and the compact Premiere 5, an ultra short throw (UST) projector that can project onto 3D objects and has touchscreen features.
Samsung Premiere 8K
And while we’re waiting for full details and demos of the projectors from CES 2024, here’s what we know right now. Starting with the big guns, Samsung first announced The Premiere 8K UST (ultra short throw) projector last year at CES 2023, but released very few specs outside of it being capable of projecting a monstrous 150-inch image. A year later, it’s still not available to purchase. And while full specs, pricing, or release dates still haven’t been announced, we’ve gotten a few more details on the projector.
Samsung says The Premiere 8K “achieves several new feats. For starters, it’s “the world’s first 8K projector with wireless connectivity,” by way of Samsung’s new Wireless One Connect Box that beams images from up to 10 meters (32.8 feet) away to the actual projector unit. All peripherals (such as steaming devices and DVD players) are connected to the box instead of the projector, making messy wires easier to conceal.
Not only is the Wireless One Connect Box a first in The Premiere 8K, it’s also the first of any Samsung product to offer this wireless tech. But the idea of a separate box to connect all your peripherals to so you can reduce wires to your TV isn’t new. The wired version — the One Connect Box — has been around for a while and can be found in several of its current TVs. LG, meanwhile, debuted its own wireless version — the Zero Connect Box — in its M-series TV at CES 2023 to much fanfare. So far, none of Samsung’s 2024 TVs feature the tech.
The other first with the Premiere 8K regards its sound features. Samsung says that it’s the first 8K projector to offer 100-watt output and a new “patented Sound-on-Screen” feature that it says is capable of creating “theater-like” 8.2.2-channel Dolby Atmos sound that feels like its coming from the screen instead of from the speakers in the unit.
But what of the 8K image, you ask? A triple-laser light source with 4,000 lumens of brightness is in the driver’s seat, which should bode well in even bright rooms, and that 8K resolution comes by way of AI upscaling (AI is the big theme of CES 2024) that can transform any 4K content to 8K . That’s good because 8K content has yet to really make itself available in any meaningful way.
Other features worth noting with the Premiere 8K is that the UST projector can throw its behemoth 150-inch picture when it’s just 12-inches from the screen, which is great for those with limited space, and it has auto keystone, autofocus, screen scaling, and other smart features built in. And if it’s anything like Samsung’s previous Premiere projectors, such as the LSP7T and LSP9T (more on that below), we’re in for a treat.
Samsung Premiere 5
The second new projector Samsung announced at CES 2024 is what the company is touting as the “do-it-all” Premiere 5, “the world’s most compact (7.9 by 5.4 by 5.4 inches) triple-laser ultra short throw projector and touch interaction device,” according to a press release. And yeah, the “touch interaction device” part had our eyebrows raised, too, so let’s jump ahead to that.
From the press release: “In addition to a large-screen projection [up to 100 inches], you can use it as a second monitor or to decorate your own space. And its included tabletop accessory stand allows it to project onto a desk or table, turning the display into a touch-sensitive projector.” And while we’ll have to check it out to see for ourselves, the Premiere 5 is marketed as a diverse lifestyle device with a touchscreen feature that can be used “as a touchscreen display for interactive tutorial videos or educational apps.”
Specs are still limited at this point, but the 3.7-pound triple-laser UST projector can throw an image from just 17 inches, and it has several connectivity options (such as smartphone mirroring by tapping your device to the top of the projector) that can be quickly toggled through with a multifunction key.
Brightness and contrast specs weren’t shared in the release either, but it does mention autofocus, keystone, and color balance features. And like many smart projectors these days, The Premiere 5 can double as a Bluetooth speaker.
Lightwarp and other surprises
Lightwhat? Projecting movies, TV, and sports onto walls and projector screens is one thing, but Samsung also introduced another new feature to its 2024 Premiere projector lineup called “Lightwarp.” It uses projection mapping tech that’s mostly been used in professional and commercial settings, and it allows Premiere projectors (we are awaiting full confirmation if that includes the Premiere 7 and Premiere 9 mentioned below) to turn “any object in the room into an interactive display surface,” the press release says, adding that “you can project any content on your surface and even create a customizable dashboard with widgets, like a clock or the weather.”
Samsung also announced that its Samsung Gaming Hub, which owners of 2022 and newer Samsung smart TVs, monitors, and its Freestyle projector (Gen 2) have enjoyed for some time, is also coming to the Premiere lineup, opening up cloud gaming on services such as Xbox Game Pass, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Utomik.
And lastly, Samsung announced upgrades to two of its most popular laser UST projectors, the LSP7T and LSP9T, which have new, much cleaner names: the Premiere 7 and Premiere 9. Again, details are slim, and we may learn more from the show floor at CES 2024, but all the press release mentions about the two new projectors is they’ll be brighter (the current models feature 2,200 and 2,800 ANSI lumens, respectively), feature a “Quantum 4K processor” (up from the existing UHD processor), and will include Dolby Atmos (an improvement from having to use eARC passthrough for Dolby Atmos).
Stay tuned for more details on Samsung’s new projectors from CES 2024 and beyond.
