4k projectors as a Gaming alternative

High frequency gaming projectors arrive

Normally what we ask of a gaming monitor is that it have a high vertical refresh rate, appropriate to the hardware we have, with reduced latencies to improve our reaction time. Support for variable refresh technologies, controlled by the GPU, also helps for a smoother and more professional gaming experience.

Until now all this could be found in a very specific format, flat PC screens with the usual panels and their different evolutions. Acer now offers us two additional alternatives in the format of a gaming projector with high resolution and variable speed and high frequency refresh modes for both PC and next-generation consoles.

Acer has currently placed its first model on the market, of the two that will be available at the beginning of 2022, which is also the most capable of the two, called Predator GD711. It is a projector with 4k mode for multimedia, with great functional features that will allow us to take our gaming experience to another dimension.

both models Predator GD711 Y Predator GM712 (both of the DLP type) share a good part of their features, but the first, with a price of 1499 euros, is for me the most suitable option since it uses a led lamp that will offer us more brightness (4000 ANSI lumens), a 10 % more, in addition to a much longer lamp life, from 15,000 to 30,000 hours, not to mention the more adjusted consumption. The price of the GM712 is 1,399 euros, so honestly, with these amounts, it’s better to go for the model with an LED lamp.

Acer has managed to maintain the fundamental use that we usually recognize in a projector, which is none other than being a multimedia center for those for whom a LED screen falls short or because they want a more or less transportable medium to improve their multimedia experience. wherever they go The new ones Predator GD711 and GM712 are still great multimedia projectors with 4k mode and support for HDR10 which will allow us to enjoy the best online content with the quality we expect from a state-of-the-art DLP projector.

These projectors also add usb connectivity to reproduce contents autonomously and have a system of Smart TV with wireless Internet access, which also allows us to use the most widespread streaming applications (through AptoideTV, which supports widespread applications such as YouTube or Netflix). It also supports wireless video (Miracast) and sound connectivity with local devices so nothing is left to chance. It even supports 3D modes with the DLP Link3D standard with compatible players. Its connectivity includes two HDMI 2.0 input portsVGA input and audio output.

Other interesting features of these models are, for example, the possibility of turning on the projector when we connect a video source, or when we turn on the light in the room where we have it installed. It has an automatic trapezoidal correction system or manual detailed adjustment and a complete remote control made of antimicrobial materials. The projector, in addition to the appropriate outputs, also has a 10w speaker that can allow us to get out of the way when we take it away from home.

These projectors have enough power to generate screens with 300” diagonal with adequate image quality, although they are optimized to work with a maximum width of 72” and at a distance of approximately 2 meters from the projection surface. It supports both standard 4:3 and widescreen 16:9 aspect ratios.

DLP projector with led lighting

The DLP (Digital Light Processing) technology revolutionized the projector concept a few years ago with the introduction of an encapsulated chip where up to millions of micro mirrors are located, as well as a color wheel, which are digitally controlled to redirect the light source and achieve the entire color spectrum of which These types of projectors are capable. In the case of Predator GD711 It is capable of covering 95% of the REC.709 spectrum which is an industry standard.

The revolution came mainly from the hand of costs and the use of LED lamps that substantially increase the useful life of the essential light source that a projector requires to function properly. These projectors are cheaper to manufacture and in the case of using LED lamps they are also much cheaper to maintain because it will be rare for us to have to maintain the lamp throughout the projector’s useful life.

The sizes are also reduced, which is why we will now find pocket projectors, but the high-resolution ones, like the one we are showing you today, require a more conventional size due to their high degrees of complexity and resolution. They’re not quite as good as the latest generation LCD projectors, but they’re cheaper and allow for high-speed setups like this one from Acer.

During the first months of 2022 Acer will also put on the market a model with similar features but with a traditional lamp, the price of the Predator GM712 It will be somewhat lower, with an RRP of 1,399 Euros, and it will have a durability of about 15,000 hours of use before lamp replacement, which is quite a number. The advantage of these traditional models is that the lamp is usually easier to change, and cheaper, and therefore maintenance will be easier and requiring technical service will also be cheaper.

Among its drawbacks we find that they are somewhat less bright, they usually have less resolution, although this does not seem to be the case, and the color wheel can produce a rainbow effect in rapid changes in lighting in the image. An LCD projector with these characteristics that we are showing you today would cost at least three times more, DLP has democratized these display technologies.

High frequency on PC and console

The Acer Predator GD711 It is not just a gaming projector because it has a “cool” design and is painted in black. It has true features that make it a more than capable alternative to any high-performance gaming monitor on the market.

It has two gaming image modes, bright and dark, as well as other features that make it very attractive both for playing with personal computers and with the latest generation game consoles. With PC we can have a high frequency mode, with a maximum resolution of 1080p, where the projector can develop up to 240Hz vertical frequency.

This mode does not support VRR, which we know as Freesync in the PC world. If we want to activate this mode, which will reduce the “input lag” and improve the fluidity of the image, we will have to limit ourselves to 120Hz. This mode is also supported by the latest generation consoles, so the Predator GD711 is the ideal companion for consoles like the playstation 5 and the xbox series x.

To make everything more comfortable, this generation of projectors offer us remote control and also self-adjustment of proportions to achieve a perfect image at any distance. Its DLP technology with LED lighting also offers us we can use it 24 hours a day No limitations or heating problems.

Advantages and disadvantages

Changing your home monitor for a projector is probably not the option you need or the one you are looking for, but it is true that many people use projectors because they are a very smart option to contain a large multimedia screen in various environments in a very economical way. , especially since the contribution of DLP technology to the sector. LED lighting has also made them more durable, with less maintenance and now seems like a good time for large-format multimedia content to also have the features we expect from a next-generation gaming screen.

These screens offer huge formats for a very tight investment, and now they also offer gaming features such as variable vertical refresh or high sampling rates for computers or next-generation consoles.

This generation of Acer projectors, where its greatest exponent is the Predator GD711, combines the best of the projector format, with all its multimedia and transport capabilities, with the best we expect from the latest generation gaming screens. The price of 1500 eurosIt may seem high, but a gaming television with these capabilities is the same or more expensive and its image sizes are not even close to what we can obtain with a projector. Its transport capacity, also much higher, can allow us to take it with us anywhere.

The disadvantage is clear to me, these types of devices are great for multimedia playback, especially if we have the right projection surface, but they are useless for work. We will be able to watch films with cinematographic quality, with HDR10 supportand play at high frequencies with a higher brightness, but we will not be able to, or at least with the same quality, carry out our work tasks, office automation or otherwise, with this type of device.

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