CES 2014: Sony 4K Ultra Short Throw Projector

Just as 50" 4K televisions are becoming an affordable reality, Sony has announced its Ultra Short Throw projector, which is capable of transforming an 11-foot-wide wall into a 147" 4K picture.

Editor's Note: this post was written by Steven Gladstone

Offering a 4K viewing experience and displaying an image with a 12-foot-plus diagonal size, the new Ultra Short Throw projector promises to avoid common issues associated with overhead projectors, such as mounting, cabling, and the shadows that are created when people pass in front of the projector.

The appearance of the unit itself is subdued. It looks more like something you would find in an art-and-design museum, rather than the average home. This is obviously a showpiece product, designed to perpetuate and popularize the concept of in-home short throw 4K projection.

When it ships, it will be an impressive item, and the specs may be even more impressive than the projector’s elegantly simple exterior, with 3 SXRD chips delivering 4096 x 2160 pixels each.  Its 1.6x zoom lens allows you to adjust the picture size significantly, in the event that you don’t have an 11-foot-wide wall available. The unit also features a laser light source, which provides long lamp life. There are five modules in all: the projector, two speakers, and two end cabinets for storing electronic devices such as your cable box and game consoles. All of the modules share the same design, giving the system a unified look.

This 12-foot-diagonal image is a big dream—one that could come really close to providing a veritable cinematic experience in your home. You could watch 4K video and easily imagine you were in a movie theater. You could lose yourself in landscapes on the wall, projecting sunny images to take away the rainy day blues. This system would be awesome for gamers who want a truly immersive experience. You can gather around to watch your old home movies in standard definition, or even those DVDs you’ve got hidden away. Mass affordability may take some time to catch up to this concept; however, it may not be too long before you turn a wall in your living room into a picture window on the world.