This is the first projector I've purchased and so I did a lot of research before making my decision. I know I wanted to go with an ultra short throw (UST) projector due to my living room setup. I also wanted great picture quality and a price that wouldn't break the bank. When I heard about the Formovie Theater, I began narrowing down my research. I quickly learned that this was the one to get due to it's features (Dolby Vision support) and price. I am happy to say that I made the right decision.

Setting the projector up took a bit of trial and error as I needed to change the physical position of it on my media cabinet, but once I got it dialed in, I made a few minor tweaks in the keystone configuration and was ready to go. I would recommend changing the projector to Office Mode from the default Viewing Mode to get the white balance looking more like an OLED TV, if that is what you are coming from like I was. I would also recommend using a Google Chromecast (or similar) streaming device if you want to watch Netflix as the app that was created for this projector will not work within the US.

Overall, I'm very happy with this product and can't wait to rewatch all of my favorite movies!

     

I am embarking on a journey to have an incredible home theater in a very small space. We loved the house but the media room was tiny in comparison to my dream media room, far from the purpose built, multi-level speaker and accent lamp/led rich media rooms that others have boasted on youtube. Had to be creative and think how can I get the most out of room with a small throw distance. I wasn't going to compromise on sound, quality or size of the picture!

I am new to the world of Ultra Short Throws and started to do research. Budget wasn't in the 10's of thousands. I went to large stores with theater setups - the Samsung triple laser UST was demonstrated with a $6000 UST screen. Incredible picture, but with a combined price tag of greater than $12,000, way over plan. Continued and came across the Formovie review. Review after review this was in the top 2, if not number 1. At a $3,000 price tag, this was the one for me. 

Since my small media room had built in speakers and was designed for a large television to be mounted on the wall (the previous owners removed the brackets), I was now looking at acoustically transparent screens. There was no such ALR, CLR or dedicated UST projector screens that were acoustically transparent. Not much data/reviews/tests on using the Formovie with an acoustically transparent screen. So had to take a leap of faith and purchased an Elitescreen Aeon Cinemawhite A8k acoustically transparent 123" screen for ~$1000. Assembled it and mounted it on the wall. The distance between my media seating (6 wide) and the screen is about 5 feet. 

Now ordering the Formovie was a challenge due to the backlog and availability. Projector Screen informed me that it was to be 4-8 weeks leadtime. I enquired every 2 weeks and they were happy to give me updates on the delivery expectations, very quick to respond and honest about the situation. I was in the meantime using my Optoma HD 4000 lumens lamp projector, with the maximum possible throw distance from behind my media seats gave me an 80" projection size. Was beautifully bright though. However, looking at the white spaces around this projection, unfulfilled potential, I was restless and started to look at other projectors (Samsung, VAVA and AWOL), but the folks at Projector Screen assured me I was the next on the list since I had ordered early. 

The Formovie Theater projector arrived, 1 week ahead of the planned ship date. It came on a Monday evening and there was no way I was going to wait for the weekend. I set this up immediately in my makeshift space for a UST. I had to place this directly on the floor as the bottom edge of the 123" projector screen (due to the angled dimensions of my ceiling) was very low. Setup for the Formovie was incredibly easy. The keystone is very advance, being able to move individual corners and edges to fit the frame of the projector screen. Naturally, being so close, a slight movement would force the image to shift drastically, but this will be with all USTs. The only issues I have with the keystone and the focus, they could have more reference points projected so we can better understand stretching/compression of the image at different points of the screen. I am currently flipping back and forth between a detailed projected image and the keystone correction utility to overcome this. I have the projector now setup to a level of accuracy that works for the time being. I intend to have this projector ceiling mounted and will perfect the image then. While adjusting the projector image, there is an automatic reduction in laser power when my head went too close to the projector as a safeguard. This would not only protect me from eye injury, but due to the automatic dimming, it would be an attention activator in which I reacted and moved back immediately. 

Going through multiple streaming high-quality trailers was a huge joy. The picture, the color, everything was incredible. Better than what we had wanted. The picture was very bright and worked seamlessly with the acoustically transparent screen which wasn't a UST perfected screen. We have a very bright spotlight above, and with the lights on in the media room, the picture was still very bright and detailed. I have the projector connected via the ARC HDMI socket to my Marantz receiver and this works well. Multiple apps and casting works very well directly with this projector. I have read that you cannot cast Netflix, but since there is a built in Chromecast, I have downloaded the Netflix App on the projector and that has taken care of that. The HBO Max, Disney+, Youtube, etc work excellently with the casting. No issues there.

Overall an excellent choice, works perfectly and for a price that is a steal for a UST that competes with the big brands. I spent just over $4,000 for the projector and screen and have total relief that this experiment has paid off dividends. I can spend the money saved on the media room furniture and decor. The image is the basic setup, until we start to decorate (the camera used wasn't the best).

 

The purchase process was smooth. I got in touch with one of the sales reps via the chat and then on the phone. The projector screen shipped almost immediately however, I had to wait for the projector for almost 2 weeks. Over all, I am impressed by the quality of the product and the image that it produces. One of the immediate items that popped up was on HDMI3 eARC port, my receiver was not receiving the input audio from the Android TV system and the input/screen refreshes every 30 sec or so thus pausing the externally sourced video (like Amazon Fire Stick). I raise a support ticket and waiting for an update from the seller. As long as I am on HDM1 or 2 or while on HDMI3, turn of the eARC on T1, no issues observed. Unless you plan to use external player like Fire Stick or Apple TV, this might be a deal breaker.

As it is already mentioned in lot of the reviews, the top right corner does have some focus issues but I felt it was negligible. The projector could have been a bit more luminous or brighter for my room (as it a basement with a window and bright ceiling lights) but when no ambient light present, the image is outstanding. The built in speaker is not bad but I would anyways not use it for theater experience. Still exploring the options on the device. The KeyStone setting needs some understanding for new bees like me. While I was not able to adjust the height exactly to get 120" screen but was able to get the screen to fill most of the screen, almost like up to 118 to 119". I do see some spilling of the screen in the darkest setting of the room but otherwise, no issues.

The experimental USB dongle provided works excellently with the system for shutting the VivdStorm roll down as soon as the T1 is shutdown. Liked it. Still working on setting up one remote for all the devices. Definitely need to tinker some settings for that to happen.

I wished there were more user defined profiles available to save for brighter room setting and a darker rooms setting. Otherwise, it is constant adjustment according to the ambient lighting. Still exploring the product.

           

When the packaging arrived I was refreshed at how well it was packed and knew I wouldn’t struggle with a product damaged out of the box. After unwrapping I noticed the packaging was so bulky because the projector is very large, it’s somewhat sleek and leaves everyone wondering where the projection is coming from even when they are standing over it. 

Why did I give this 5 stars?

• The fans are fairly quiet. 
• Without a sound system the Formovie produces great sound quality. 
• The resolution is great on walls and ALR screens (I’m moving so I’ve been using walls and outdoor screens in the interim). 
• The design is very sleek and the dark color helps in blend or hide in plain sight. 
• This is my first UST but I don’t feel like I will need to upgrade because I purchased a poor product, this gives premium vibes. 

Anything I would like to see change? Yes!!

• This is much larger than I thought so projector stand shopping is taking longer than expected. 
• There is a logo on the front that lights up.. I don’t want it to light up.. ever. Black tape will work but no logo or no backlight would work much better. 
• No Netflix!! Not a deal breaker because of external devices but still. 

Still 5 stars despite my petty gripes. 

If you’re new to the UST market Formovie isn’t just a great place, it’s a great place to end up. 

     

I have had this projector for about three months, now and it is superb for movies and other streaming at 4K, UHD, HDR, Dolby Vision. I truly enjoy doing movie nights with the family as well as just watching my own stuff, too. It really does give an incredible picture. And the brightness is completely fine even with some light in my room. I usually go pretty dark to get the full effect though. One of the first movies I watched was Interstellar and that was incredible. I’ve also watched Top Gun: Maverick and that was amazing as well. I have a Sonos system hooked up, but I will say the speaker on the projector was plenty loud and full during setup. I will attach a couple photos later on. 

There are two areas where I do see a couple issues, however, and that’s why I’m giving it 4 stars. I have noticed that standard to 720p content isn’t quite as solid when compared to a normal TV. I’ve also noticed some motion issues with basketball games from time to time. It’s not bad but I have noticed. One last issue is that I just don’t think this is usable for gaming. I have a ps5 hooked up and even with game mode (which lowers latency/input lag) and at a lower resolution it’s just not responsive enough for my baseball or golf game. There’s a clear delay from when I press a button to the action on the screen. I’m not a competitive gamer by any means. If anyone has some other suggestions for this, I would love to hear them. 

In total, the projector is perfect for its most common use. Movies and high quality content are absolutely stunning. And it’s really fun to have over 100” of a screen in my own home. I e Beautiful picture for a great price. Thank you!