AWOL VISION LTV-2500 4K UHD Ultra Short Throw Triple Laser Projector with Dolby Vision & Atmos, Active 3D, 150", HDR10+, UST Laser TV Projector (Fire TV Stick 4K Max included)

After way too much research time, I decided upon this UST 4K 3-D ready projector. With Amazon's relatively generous return policy, I don't feel that I'm making a mistake since I have a good amount of time to check it out thoroughly, before deciding on keeping it forever. It's a big ticket item for me, I never planned on spending 2,000 plus on a projector, but I've enjoyed my Epson 3700 FHD long throw projector so much over the last 6 years or so, that I found the motivation to upgrade the experience to a longer lasting and potentially much improved image while enjoying all the streaming offered today as well as my growing collection on 3-D FHD movies. I just wish that content creators made 4K 3-D movies, but as I have found out the max resolution for 3-D is still the full hi-definition blu-ray format. This is easily the best viewing experience I've seen for 3-D, so it does seen like a real boost in resolution. I could be even better I can imagine with one of AWOL's brighter projectors, since brightness is lessened when watching in 3-D. It doesn't dim as much as my Epson 3700 however, so it is a real improvement. I have found that there is some stuttering in moving scenes however, but I'm forgiving at heart when the overall experience is so richly rewarding as a nicely made 3-D movie like Avatar "Way of Water" can be, for example.Back to the AWOL 2500....I have found the menu system to be satisfyingly thorough and consequently it takes some time to feel like you've semi-mastered the many nooks and crannies that comprise the relatively complex menu structure. Like other reviewers have noted one of the peskiest things is the lack of integration of a 3-D button which could have been placed on the remote, and some kind of 3-D recognition ability so that when a 3-D disc is inserted and "played" the system would recognize it and make settings that jive with the native format of the disc. The 3-D menu part of the remote is full of details I've not been used to, and still don't fully comprehend, but trial and error leads to a good result with a minimum of fussiness it turns out. Don't forget to close out 3-D using the menu or else your next disc will be affected in its output in a negative way, like creating unwanted red black bars and some kind of super-highlighted sharpening which isn't appealing at all. All was well when I checked the menu while trying to watch a Ultra HD blu-ray and discovered the 3-D was not in the "off" position in the menu tree. I understand that AWOL gave the 3-D ability to the projector in an update, so that says something about the less than stellar integration of the format in its menu system. It should have automatically "offed" the 3-D functionality when a different type of disc was started......in my opinion. I have found that in controlled lighting environment which is my setup in a decent basement-based 127 inch screening room with a 5.2 s.sound configuration where I imaged the AWOL to about a 120" 16:9 size.......that the black levels could be adjusted in pretty well in my opinon, at least as good as my long throw Epson could manage and possible somewhat better. I'm not a "nit" nerd and cannot objectify the technical details of the projector's performance, but I can notice what looks very good compared to what looks 'unsatisfyingly' washed out, for example. I'm a retired photographer so I am very sensitive to fine details in images generally speaking, and a 4-K Ultra disc like Wonder Woman looks satisfyingly vibrant and dark scenes show pretty darned "inky" black to my eyeballs. Overall, in the low ambient light environment on my hand-made white screen produces a highly respectable image quality in all respects. I'm about to move homes and am a little perplexed by the much-stated hype over screen quality that suggests I won't be able to fully appreciate the image quality unless I get into a fresnel screen product, or at the very least an ALR screen with CLR ability as well. This screen resolves very nicely the 4K native image of a Ultra 4K blu-ray movie, with pixels very detailed upon close inspection of the screen. I like the relatively simply adjustment features of the AWOL like focusing and the image correction mechanism, but feel like other projectors with much faster and competent auto-adjusting features for these details make that set-up chore much easier to get through. So, all in all, I'm pleased with the 2500 and don't feel that I'm lacking in brightness, but then again I'm not using a light-absorptive screen like those ALR screens are by their very nature, and my white screen material seems to be making an excellent image. I would hate to put out all those benjamins only to find that my white screen in my controlled lighting room was superior in the end of it all. What to do....what to do??!!

Thought about getting a 4K laser projector for quite some time. Researched what was out there and found that most reviewers had good things to say about AWOL. A friend had the LTV-2500 and I got to see how well the projector performed first hand. I was impressed. My viewing space is not large - a 15x16 foot second floor loft, and with that limitation in mind, I decided that the LTV- 2500 and a floor rising ALR projector screen would fit those requirements. When they arrived, I admired the design and simplicity of the projector - it looks good. And I found set up to be incredibly easy. To ensure proper placement of the projector to the screen, I built a platform with adjustable legs so I could get the projector at the right height and distance to the screen. The initial set up of the LTV-2500 was very easy, with menus that were not vague or unclear, but specific as to input and next steps. The follow-on adjustments for projector alignment to the screen and focus were quick and not difficult to accomplish. I have my own Dolby ATMOS AV system, so connecting that to the 2500 was simple: nothing more than an HDMI cable and a Sound menu entry to specify an external sound system. Out of the box, using the standard Modes provided: Std, Game, PC, Movie, the colors were good. But there are plenty of reviewers out there with recommendations on the more complicated adjustments for white balance and color hue, brightness and saturation. And I utilized User Mode and these recommendations to dial in color balance for a picture I liked. Not as difficult as I thought it would be, and if you don’t like the result, you can always get the projector back to factory settings using the Restore function. My 2500 did not come with Dolby Vision (AWOL specs list it as Dolby Vision Ready), but per AWOL it was available as an update. So I contacted AWOL Customer Service and requested the update. Customer Service were very accessible and responsive via email and within a day or so, the update for Dolby Vision appeared in the projector Update menu. The update completed in just a minute or two, and WOW! What an improvement! The update adjusted mode and color settings specifically for DV and this made all the difference in picture quality bringing the 2500 up to near perfect. I adjusted white balance only slightly, to fine tune skin tone and didn’t touch color balance at all. One thing discussed in most LTV-2500 reviews is the overall brightness of the picture, and some reviewers think the 2500 is not bright enough under daylight ambient light conditions rather than a dark room. Specific to my room, which has a window behind the projection screen, this hasn’t been an issue when viewing during the day. Also, 3D seems to a major topic in reviews of AWOL projectors, and though I’ve viewed a few 3D dvd’s at my friends house through his LTV-2500, I don’t have a dvd player with 3D capability but hope to aquire one and check out this feature in the near future. For now, the LTV-2500 has proved to be the right choice in all the areas important to me: design of the unit, image quality, ease of use, price-point and customer service.

I love having a large screen. There's nothing like the movie experience. However, a projector is still a projector. This one came with high ratings, but I'm not impressed. It's a pain to set up, but the remote is fairly easy to use. Don't really think I would recommend this one as my 100 inch TCL was cheaper plus it's picture blows this projector away.

After years of negotiation with my wife to turn a bonus room into a theater room, I finally got approval and decided to try the AWOL since it was a laser projector. I received this projector and immediately pulled it out of the box and WOW. Even with no calibration and no screen, this picture is stunning. After reviewing some AVS forum's and getting some picture settings dialed in, installing a screen, and mounting the projector on the ceiling, this picture quality is on part with my best 4K OLED tv. I will say, if you are going to ceiling mount this projector, you need to have a 9' ceiling and a LOT of patience. Using the throw distance chart wasn't exactly the best fit for the screen but with time, we eventually got it to fit as close as it can get on a 120" screen. Overall, very pleased so far with the purchase! Pictures don't do this view justice, you have to see it for yourself.