IFA 2022: Leica Cine 1 Laser TV projector presented

While classic projectors are increasingly disappearing in the face of ever larger TVs, the far more user-friendly laser projectors are enjoying ever greater popularity. The new Leica Cine 1 Laser TV Projector was presented at IFA 2022. This wants to enrich the living rooms of the nation not only with a chic design. On top of that, it is supposed to be technically up to date.

The path to a real home theater

At this year’s IFA, we have already been surprised with some highlights in the home entertainment sector. LG in particular has a few hot irons in the fire, which became clear at the Funkausstellung in Berlin. On the one hand, the electronics company based in South Korea brings the OLED TV LG Flex LX3, a monitor or TV in a bendable design. If the 42-inch screen is too small for you, the LG G2 OLED evo Gallery Edition with a 97-inch diagonal should be your holy grail. It gets even bigger with the Leica Cine 1 Laser TV – at least in the top version. The traditional German company wants to launch its upcoming laser TV projector in two versions. One is supposed to offer a screen diagonal of 80 inches, the flagship in turn up to 100 inches. Who still needs to go to the cinema?

Matching screen is recommended

Of course, the manufacturer raves about the picture quality of its Leica Cine 1 Laser TV. However, you should only be able to get the maximum out of it if you buy a separately available screen. This is supposed to have a special surface that not only promises a strong contrast. According to Leica, the screen also makes better brightness values possible. A look inside the laser projector reveals that Leica uses an RGB laser. According to the manufacturer, it can last up to 25,000 hours. The maximum brightness also varies depending on the size. The “small” version with 80 inches probably achieves 2,100 lumens. The huge 100-inch version is supposed to have 2,400 lumens. A 4K resolution is again supposed to provide sharp screen content.

Practical TV features

The Leica Cine 1 Laser TV comes across as a full-fledged TV replacement. Meaning that you don’t need a separate tuner or anything like that to enjoy the standard feature set of modern TVs. The projector comes from the factory with an integrated TV tuner and HDMI ports. The whole thing can be controlled via remote control and the VIDAA user interface. Since the projector is located in front of the viewers, unlike a conventional projector, Leica also installs a sound system with surround sound thanks to Dolby Atmos. WiFi and Bluetooth support for Smart TV features are of course also included.

As with other projectors of this type, the laser unit looks very vulnerable. To prevent damage from dirt getting in, the Leica Cine 1 Laser TV is given a practical dust cover. This is automatically closed when the projector is not in use. According to Leica, the perforated aluminum chassis gives the projector a very high-quality look in the first pictures. Consequently, it should probably be a real enrichment for many living rooms.

Price and availability

We still have to be a little patient until the 13 kg projector hits the stores. Leica itself is aiming for a release in the second quarter of 2023. As pleasing as the technical data and first pictures may look, the price is likely to be sobering for many. The 80-inch version of the Leica Cine 1 Laser TV will be launched at an MSRP of 6,900 Euros. The manufacturer wants to charge 8,000 Euros for the large 100-inch version.