AWOL Vision is not a model that might be acquainted to many; I did not hear of the model till final 12 months, after I was researching extremely brief throw (UST) projectors with a excessive brightness. While most manufacturers have a number of merchandise — principally aimed on the finances and mid-range tiers — AWOL Vision does issues a bit in another way; it solely sells UST laser projectors, and given the tech on supply, they’re aimed on the high-end section.I used a half-dozen UST projectors over the course of the final 5 years, and there was a gradual improve of latest entrants rolling out attractive new options within the final 18 months. AWOL Vision’s LTV sequence stands out due to Dolby Vision; there aren’t many UST projectors that supply the characteristic, so I used to be mechanically eager about having a look at what the model is doing on this class.The solely different projector I examined that had Dolby Vision was the XGIMI Horizon Ultra, but it surely was a daily laser projector. What makes AWOL Vision’s LTV-3000 Pro all of the extra alluring is that it makes use of UST tech, so you possibly can place it proper up towards a wall and nonetheless get a big picture. I used the LTV-3000 Pro for simply over three months now, and here is what I consider the UST projector.AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro: Pricing and launch date(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)AWOL Vision unveiled the LTV-3000 Pro in December 2023, and the projector is now out there in choose international markets. It retails for $3,999 on Amazon U.S., however you will get $500 off, bringing the associated fee all the way down to $3,499. The LTV-3000 Pro sits in the course of AWOL Vision’s portfolio; the bottom variant is the LTV-2500, and it’s out there for $2,599 as of writing. There’s a high-end mannequin dubbed LTV-3500 Pro that has 3,500 lumens of brightness, and that’s at the moment retailing for $5,599 on Amazon.All three fashions have the identical design and connectivity, and the one distinction is the brightness of the projection; the LTV-2500 goes as much as 2,600 lumens, and the LTV-3500 Pro hits 3,500 lumens. You get Dolby Vision and a 4K projection as commonplace, and loads of customizability in relation to coloration stability and film modes.AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro: Design(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The LTV-3000 Pro has a daring design that instantly grabs consideration. I beforehand used the XGIMI Aura as my go-to UST projector, and whereas it additionally has a definite styling, it does not look fairly as futuristic. The clean traces mixed with the liberal use of steel trim offers the LTV-3000 Pro a whole lot of visible aptitude, and I really like the best way the projector curves across the entrance.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The LTV-3000 Pro is simply as large as a few of the different 4K UST projectors I examined, and it delivers all of the options you want in a trendy bundle. My solely quibble is the selection of coloration; the projector is on the market in black, and the shiny plastic that is used on the perimeters is a mud magnet.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Outside of that, there aren’t any points with the design. There are massive vents on the perimeters to ship airflow into the chassis, with the vent on the best serving because the consumption and the one on the left the exhaust. There’s an influence button up prime, and also you get AWOL Vision branding together with the same old Dolby labels, and a Tri-Chroma Laser moniker on one aspect.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The 4 rubber toes on the backside make it simple to place the projector, and you may make any vital changes to elevation. The projection lens sits in an island, and it has a bigger outlet than a few of its rivals, with AWOL Vision noting that it delivers higher readability even at a 150-inch projection.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)There’s the same old proximity sensor that switches off the laser when it detects an object, and I discovered that it was a tad too delicate — it could swap off the display even after I was strolling by the projector. Overall, the LTV-3000 Pro actually appears to be like the a part of a high-end UST projector, and the daring design mixed with the construct high quality make it an important alternative on this class.AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro: Features(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The LTV-3000 Pro is not missing in relation to options; the UST projector is ready to ship a projection of as much as 150 inches, and it makes use of a Texas Instruments 0.47 Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) together with a customized Ricoh lens to ship a 4K projection with a distinction of 2500:1.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)As the Tri-Chroma Laser branding suggests, it makes use of a three-laser mild supply that goes as much as 3,000 lumens of brightness, and AWOL Vision touts a long life of 25,000 hours for the laser, which is considerably greater than what you get with conventional projectors.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)In phrases of connectivity, the LTV-3000 Pro has Wi-Fi ac and Bluetooth 5.0, and also you get three HDMI 2.0 ports on the again (one with eARC), two USB 2.0 ports that allow you to join an exterior drive to the projector, digital audio out, and Ethernet. As for the {hardware}, you get 3GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage.There’s 8-point keystone correction, and like different UST projectors, the LTV-3000 Pro has a standby mode the place it consumes simply 0.5W of energy.AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro: Picture high quality and sound(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The greatest promoting level of the LTV-3000 Pro is that it is ready to ship a picture that goes as much as 3,000 lumens. That’s considerably increased than the 1,800-lumen that the XGIMI Aura manages, and having used that projector for the higher a part of two years, there was an instantaneous distinction when switching over to the LTV-3000 Pro.Most UST projectors do not get as brilliant, and that does not make them as versatile as TVs; you may principally have to place them in a darkish room with the blinds closed. But this isn’t a difficulty with the LTV-3000 Pro, and even with loads of ambient mild within the room, the projector was in a position to ship a brilliant picture that is greater than serviceable. Heck, this UST projector will get brighter than most common laser projectors, and that is no small feat.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The projector has six modes — Standard, Vivid, Movie, Sport, Game, and User — and in my utilization, I discovered the Movie mode to have the very best coloration rendition. Both SDR and HDR content material was rendered with loads of element and coloration vibrancy, and AWOL Vision did an important job calibrating the colours out of the field. What I additionally like is the sheer customizability on supply; you possibly can simply change the white stability, distinction, saturation, and tweak the colour stability as wanted (in User mode).I streamed a whole lot of content material on the LTV-3000 Pro within the three months I used the projector, and I had zero points with image high quality. Color stability and black ranges are terrific all through, and it does a far sight higher than another UST projector I examined to this point, together with the VAVA Chroma.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The projector does a terrific job with HDR content material, and it performed Netflix’s Dolby Vision titles with out breaking a sweat. It is simply as satisfying for watching motion pictures in addition to sports activities, and its greatest differentiator is the excessive brightness ranges. What’s significantly nice is that you simply get a 24fps possibility, and on the different finish of the size, there’s MEMC.You can even use the projector for gaming, and the devoted Game mode lowers the latency all the way down to 15ms. It does not handle 4K at 120Hz, however in the event you’re seeking to join a console to a big display, the LTV-3000 Pro is a superb possibility. You can get 120Hz in 1080p, and the latency is as little as 8ms on this mode.I arrange the LTV-3000 Pro to ship a 95-inch projection, but it surely goes as much as 150 inches, utilizing a throw ratio of 0.25:1. . The projector has two built-in audio drives that ship 36W of sound, and it does an honest sufficient job in its personal proper. That stated, you may ideally have to pair it with an excellent soundbar.AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro: Remote(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)While the design of the LTV-3000 Pro is clearly futuristic, the identical can’t be stated of the distant. It appears to be like a bit chintzy and one thing out of the ’90s, and it does not have any similarities to the projector itself. The silver design appears to be like gaudy, and it has too many buttons which are of little to no use.The greatest problem is that there is not any backlight, and that makes utilizing the distant extra cumbersome than it must be. The solely advantage of it’s that you simply will not have to make use of it after establishing the projector to your preferences.AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro: Software(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)AWOL Vision has a barebones software program interface primarily based on Android 9.0, and it does not supply any smarts; there is not any method to set up the same old set of streaming companies, or do a lot with the UI in any respect. Other than switching HDMI sources and altering the projector’s settings, you do not get many options.Thankfully, AWOL Vision offloaded the software program downside by bundling Amazon’s streaming stick to the bundle. Most Chinese manufacturers miss out on Netflix certification on their projectors — it is a fixed bugbear on XGIMI’s merchandise — so by simply bundling a streaming stick within the field, AWOL Vision does not have to fret about any of that.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)As such, there is not a lot to speak about on the software program entrance. There is a provision behind the projector to deal with the streaming stick — and energy it natively — and it’s a respectable workaround to establishing a customized software program interface or go along with Android TV and fear about Netflix certification.I used the LTV-3000 Pro with my go-to streaming machine, NVIDIA’s Shield TV Pro, and it turned out to be a terrific mixture. The Shield TV Pro is extremely fluid in day by day use, has loads of customizability, and lets me obtain all of the streaming companies I care about.AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro: The competitors(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The XGIMI Aura shares a whole lot of similarities with the LTV-3000 Pro; it additionally makes use of an identical laser mild supply and delivers terrific colours out of the field. It does not get as brilliant because the LTV-3000 Pro, however it’s greater than satisfactory if you do not have an excessive amount of ambient mild. And at $1,699, it’s way more reasonably priced.AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro: Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)You can purchase this if:You want a UST projector that will get brilliantYou desire a projector with Dolby VisionYou want correct colours with loads of configurabilityYou should not purchase this if:You need Android TV out of the boxHonestly, AWOL Vision ticked all the best bins with the LTV-3000 Pro. The projector is the brightest I examined but, and it does a terrific job even in case you have a whole lot of ambient mild coming via. You get glorious colours and distinction ranges, and there is sufficient customizability which you can tweak the colour stability to your preferences.The LTV-3000 Pro does a standout job with HDR content material and Dolby Vision specifically, and the varied modes make a distinction in day by day use; it is a versatile projector that can be utilized in quite a lot of settings. A giant downside with most new entrants on this section is the software program, and that is not a difficulty right here. The solely draw back is the distant, however apart from that, I haven’t got something to fault with the LTV-3000 Pro.It is costlier than its rivals, however if you need a brilliant projection with Dolby Vision and an honest quantity of customizability, the LTV-3000 Pro is a standout alternative.
The LTV-3000 Pro is brighter than most UST laser projectors, has Dolby Vision, and delivers terrific colours out of the field.