Yes, the resolution of the Predator Z850 Gaming Projector is only 1920 x 720 but that is a small sacrifice for what this projector is capable of. The minimum throw of the projector is 18.5" (47 cm) or about the same distance as you are sitting from the monitor you are reading this on, if not shorter, and at that distance it projects a 120" screen. That means you can set up a gaming session anywhere with power and a large display surface with ridiculous ease and since your laptop might not handle 4K gaming, it is not like you are missing out on that higher pixel count; leaving aside the fact that with a projector you are not dealing with pixels.
There is an optional Wireless HD-Kit you can pick up if you have enough wires cluttering your home or bag already, or use the two HDMI or VGA ports available in addition to the usual sound inputs. The projector is also DLP 3D ready if you are one of the few who enjoy that feature and it can also project in 1080p if you plan on watching movies. The laser diode used in this projector provides a 100,000:1 contrast ratio and 3,000 lumens so even in bright lighting you will still see a great picture. The diode does not create the same amount of heat as a bulb and so the unit can be packed up immediately without needing a cool off period and will last significantly longer, up to 30,000 hours according to the PR. There is one bit of bad news though, the projector will cost you $5,000 which does put it out of range of most peoples budgets.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (March 30, 2016) Acer, the world’s third largest brand for projectors, today announced the availability of its award-winning Predator Z850 gaming projector. The Predator Z850 is the world’s first ultra-wide HD laser projector designed for gaming, and expands Acer’s Predator gaming product portfolio, which also includes desktops, notebooks, tablets and monitors. For its outstanding design featuring red accents and a black chassis with geometric lines, the Predator Z850 was lauded as a CES 2016 Innovation Award Honoree.
Command the Battlefield
Whether gamers are sniping hostiles in the jungle or defending the mothership from alien invaders, the Predator Z850’s 24:9 ultra-wide HD resolution (1920 x 720) expands the battlefield like never before. The Predator Z850 displays a 50 percent wider image compared to traditional 16:9 screen resolutions. This feature augments a gamer’s peripheral vision to present a competitive edge over enemies in all types of games.
Ideal for Tight Spaces
Thanks to innovative mirrorless ultra-short-throw technology, the Predator Z850 projects a 120-inch screen at a remarkably short distance of just 18.5 inches (47 cm). This means no more shadow interference at crucial moments during gameplay. A top-mounted lens and adjustable feet allow for effortless deployment without any drilling or mounting required, ideal for quick setup at LAN parties. The Predator Z850 can be packed immediately after use without requiring a cooling period and automatically performs a safety shutdown after a set time.
Laser Diode Lighting the Way
The Predator Z850’s advanced laser diode delivers bright images up to 3,000 lumens with a wide color gamut that brings games to life. An astounding 100,000:1 contrast ratio allows the projector to deliver vivid images with deep, rich blacks and incredibly crisp whites, even at massive screen sizes. In addition, its laser diode lamp lasts up to 30,000 hours, while Acer ColorBoost3D improves color performance for both 2D and 3D visuals, and Acer ColorSafe II minimizes color decay.
Freedom from Wires
Pair the Predator Z850 with an optional Wireless HD-Kit to enable 1080p lossless wireless streaming. This keeps the living room clutter-free from unsightly cables, a very useful feature in premium homes with a modern décor.
The Acer Predator Z850 projector is available in the United States for $4,999 (MSRP).
$4999 price tag? for that
$4999 price tag? for that price, it’ll stay a niche product.
even as niche product it
even as niche product it sucks. I would rather get a good gaming pc plus a full HD projector and a 21/9 aspect ratio monitor and still save money.
Hey, but, it looks cool…,
Hey, but, it looks cool…, for a projector.
It was all great until the
It was all great until the price. Sad now.
While the price and
While the price and resolution would keep me from seriously considering this, the contrast and bulb life is definitely impressive. Of course, CRT projectors did that a long time ago, and at much higher resolution.
Yeah, but there’s no way to
Yeah, but there’s no way to replace the bulbs in these laser projectors 🙁
Well, given that there is no
Well, given that there is no bulb, that is probably appropriate.
And you can get a very decent
And you can get a very decent 1080P projector for less than 800 USD (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016JYOQ3W/ref=psdc_300334_t1_B00LTMPOUO)… What were they thinking with this price tag???
Acer marketing guy :”Yeah,it is red and black, so we can increase the price by 500%, this is fine. And who needs 1080P in 2016???”.
Just LOL.
Well, it’s expensive because
Well, it’s expensive because it’s a laser projector, If you have ever messed with a laser projector they are VERY cool, but yeah extremely expensive.
Retarded price. NO way to
Retarded price. NO way to justify it…
even if this was 3840×1440 @ native 180hz capping out DP1.3 while having 0-180hz adaptive sync built in.
You can still buy 3x 1080p 55″ OLED TV`s and make an FINITY setup for this price.
This has to be an early 1st
This has to be an early 1st April joke. Because this is retarded. I’d never switch out my Sony for this shit, and that was half the price.
This is obviously way to
This is obviously way to expensive to be of interest to most people. I would be curious as to what justifies the price. Portablability often comes at a price premium, but not as much as this cost. Is the laser diode super expensive? Does the short throw optics cost a lot? I don’t know how hard different colored lasers are to make. Perhaps in the future they could take advantage of quantum dots to produce the light for these.
I wouldn’t mind having a short throw projector. It would be nice to have a device that can sit on a stand only a short distance in front of the screen. Which very large screen sizes, flat panels become very bulky.
The competition; similar
The competition; similar projectors are priced in the same range although this one does have a bit of a premium attached to it because of the housing design.
Stupid price since you can
Stupid price since you can get a 1080p full hd 3D projector for about 1200$ cdn
Funny, it says 10,000 to 1 on
Funny, it says 10,000 to 1 on Acer’s website:
http://us-store.acer.com/predator-z850-gaming-projector
…which is half the contrast ratio of their Z650 projector which retails for $1299.00:
http://us-store.acer.com/predator-z650-gaming-projector
Complete fail, Acer.
Yeah, after looking in more
Yeah, after looking in more detail at the specs I don’t see the draw for this thing at all, other than it has ‘LAZ0RZ!!1!’ and the Predator logo and black/red color scheme.
I didn’t research too much, but already found a full HD laser projector for $2055 cheaper:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2473118,00.asp
Total failure on Acer’s part.
24:9 aspect ratio as well,
24:9 aspect ratio as well, but still…. $5000? come on, Acer.
It would have to be 144hz or
It would have to be 144hz or have Nvidia gsync included to come even close to that price. Gaming projector for 5000, can anyone tell me what the refresh rate is, or for 5000 what kind of lag the projector has. I own the Sony vpl40, 60 hz, 24.8 total lag, amazing picture, on sale 2000 dollars. The comvenience of being somewhat portable is nice, but for 5000 it better be more than just nice.
It actually does 1,920 x
It actually does 1,920 x 1,200 maximum, good for it’s form factor (and being laser) but not 5000$ good. Funny that you can’t find any reviews online right?
I’ve considered it for my mancave, but won’t seriously do so until it drops below the 4000$ mark. And by then someone else will have a replacement for my Sanyo plv-z4, god rest his soul.
Why don’t you do some reviews
Why don’t you do some reviews of LED projectors, they are getting less expensive and the game experience is said to be awesome.