Are you looking for the ideal coffee table projector to turn your living room into a home cinema? Need an all-in-one solution that delivers solid picture and sound quality without having to spend more of your hard-earned cash on a sound system or media streamer?
You’re in luck, as one of our favourite “home cinema in a box” solutions is on sale right now, and we think it’s a deal worth sharing. The Hisense C1, which we reviewed at £1999, is currently down to £1299 at Amazon and other retailers; that’s a saving of £700.
In our full review of the Hisense C1, we said this: “The Hisense C1 has a lot going for it; easy set-up, fully-featured streaming, impressive sound and a sharp, punchy picture. All of this fits into a convenient enclosure that really sells the cinema-in-a-box concept.” That should say everything you need to know about this cuboid cinema system, which we sincerely enjoy, even if it doesn’t quite reach five-star expectations.
We praised the punchy picture, approving of its vibrancy, sharpness and brightness, even if it wasn’t what we’d consider to be totally accurate. The C1 delivers an engaging 4K image nonetheless with HDR support in all of the major formats (HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG) which is a huge bonus in our books. While contrast might not be a major strength of this projector, the vivid image is right at home with poppy animated content, or in rooms with lots of ambient light.
Furthermore, the C1’s built-in speakers are very solid by projector standards. We’re used to lightweight, condensed sound systems that detract from the movie-watching experience more than they add, so it is refreshing to hear the JBL-tuned speakers built into this box can reach high volumes with ample bass weight and plenty of detail. It even does a decent job of replicating spatial sound effects with Dolby Atmos.
Finally, the built-in Vidaa operating system is, by most accounts, an absolute dream to use. Most manufacturers opt for Android TV which often doesn’t include Netflix support, but this issue isn’t present on the C1. Generally speaking, the slick and fully featured operating system removes the need for a streaming stick.
If this convenient cinema-in-a-box sounds like just what you’ve been looking for, then now is a great time to snap one up. At £700 off the asking price, the C1 can be found for just £1299 at Amazon, Richer Sounds, Peter Tyson and Currys right now.
MORE:
Check out our picks for the best projectors
Want a rival to the C1? Read our Xgimi Horizon Ultra review
And for a more traditional projector, read our Epson EH-TW7100 review
