STACK #249 July 2025

TECH REVIEW

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4K all the way Equipped with Hisense’s most advanced pure triple colour laser projection system to date, the picture quality is an absolute knockout! Boasting 3000 ANSI lumens peak brightness, the C2 Ultra performed well in a room with some ambient light, but really excelled in darkness. There are dedicated picture modes for Day or Night viewing, and you can further refine the image quality if needed. Your settings will then be saved and automatically applied according to the type of content. When watching 4K Ultra HD content in Dolby Vision or HDR10, the picture retains all the exceptional detail, vivid colour and contrast you would expect from a HDR image displayed on a high-end smart TV. Filmmaker mode gives movies a cinematic sheen, accentuating the visual punch of 4K HDR, while IMAX Enhanced mode can automatically optimise picture and sound for compatible Disney+ movies. Moreover, 4K AI upscaling can bump SD and HD content up to near 4K quality (depending on the source), so even DVDs and Blu-rays can gain a significant quality boost. Quality sound Sound quality is where many projectors can disappoint, but not the C2 Ultra. Packing a JBL 2.1 stereo system – comprising 2 x 10W speakers and a 20W subwoofer built into the base, with support for immersive DTS Virtual:X Surround – the overall sound quality is very impressive, with discernable stereo separation and bold bass. There was no need to connect a soundbar or external speakers during testing.

REVIEW

HISENSE C2 ULTRA 4K TRICHROMA LASER MINI PROJECTOR

This knockout 4K projector brings the cinema home in a BIG way! Words Scott Hocking

Out of the box Although described as a “mini” projector, the C2 Ultra is bigger than the average portable projector and looks like it means business! This impressive looking unit is mounted on a solid gimbal base that allows 360° horizontal and 135° vertical rotation for flexible projection. At 6.3kg, it does have some weight but is still fully portable for easy room switching. If you have a dedicated home theatre room, the C2 Ultra makes a perfect addition.

seem spot-on. The clever C2 Ultra can even detect the colour of a wall and adjust to deliver the best possible picture. Go big The C2 Ultra can project a screen size from 65” up to a massive 300”. Around 200 inches was the extent of our available wall space and the sense of immersion was fantastic – just like being at a cinema, albeit with the comfort of the couch. The projector doesn’t need to be positioned far from a wall to get a super-sized picture, and the Optical Zoom function allows you to easily adjust the screen size without compromising picture quality. Simple streaming Streaming from your favourite apps is as simple as connecting the projector to Wi-Fi, then using the remote’s Home button to bring up Hisense’s VIDAA OS, where you’ll find Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Stan, Foxtel and more conveniently preloaded.

Game on The C2 Ultra has gamers in mind, too, and is the world’s first mini projector certified for Xbox. Auto Game and DLP Turbo modes deliver fast input response with 12ms lag, along with a 240Hz refresh rate and ALLM for smooth play.

The rear of the unit provides easy access to input ports – HDMI, HDMI eARC, 2 x USB 3.0, LAN, and S/PDIF – for connecting external devices and playing media from a flash drive. Picture adjustment This is done during the set up process – a ‘Correction’ test pattern will be displayed momentarily to focus and properly align the picture. If the projector is moved during use, the picture is quickly realigned to suit. During testing, we didn’t have to manually adjust the picture at all – the default settings

The bottom line The Hisense C2 Ultra is a real beauty that’s versatile and portable enough to suit wherever you need a home cinema to be. Delivering high brightness, stunning 4K HDR images, great sound quality, and super-sized screen flexibility, it comes highly recommended.

42 JULY 2025

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