I chose the C1 largely on faith after watching (and re-watching) trusted video recommendations from a few online sources. Admittedly, this is my first ever projector, so I don't have a good handle on how it compares in person with other current options. I was expecting something compact and portable with a very good picture, passable stand-alone sound and clean design (not needing dongles/adapters sticking out). In my research I found that there wasn't much coverage beyond the Dolby Vision aspect, despite the projector having some features of interest like HomeKit integration, bluetooth speaker mode and native Netflix support (meaning no other hardware needed). I've now been using it for three weeks, and have some thoughts to share on the lesser-known aspects of this model that I didn't find in other reviews.

My current setup: I am projecting from about 7 feet away (about a 100" image) onto a plain, light brown painted wall. Chairs on either side. No external speakers. I mainly use at night, and if in the day it is reasonably dark with blinds closed. In other words: far from the ideal setup in which to judge picture, etc.

Overall I am happy with this purchase. In fact, I'd recommend it to a friend. The couple of DV movies I've watched so far (Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and Avatar 2) looked incredible. I thought brightness might be an issue, but it was not. Whites were too bright for me at full and needed to be backed down. Even sports during the day (pictured - COYS) are very watchable. But other reviews cover performance better than I could. Here is what I've found the Hisense C1 to be like in a few little-covered areas.

OS: Vidaa is a disappointment. I will use it in a pinch if traveling, but in 3 weeks (perhaps 20 hours of operation) it has been glitchy in switching between apps, completely froze on me once, and lacks several of the channels important to me. There are ads on the home screen and when pausing video (I suspect this is just the way most are now) but for ~$2,000 I could do without that. I'm looking at adding a Shield TV or similar soon for more control. I will say that the autofocus and positioning have been spot on, so it's not all bad. I wish there was a setting to have the projector start on the home screen rather than on the HDMI 1 input. As it is I have older Roku (4k but not DV/HDR) plugged in for the apps I want to access.

Sound: Very, very loud and clear. I sit just a couple of feet away in my setup and 15/100 is comfortable for me. I did have one issue with audio cutting in an out on a rhythm when steaming 'Jack Ryan' from Amazon Prime. It hasn't happened before or since. Might be wifi-related. I do appreciate the different sound modes and find myself forgetting to switch them - why can't there be a default?

Bluetooth/AirPlay: I was hoping that I could use this as a smart speaker throughout the day. You can do this, but not without the display being on. When playing podcasts through AirPlay, for example, the static podcast artwork is beamed onto my wall. It seems unnecessary and I'd like to have the option to do audio only. It was very easy though to also project an iPad display onto my wall.

Heat: positioning the projector next to my seat as I do, I definitely notice the heat emitting from the sides. It's uncomfortably warm (at least in early October in NY) Ideally this would be ceiling-mounted or at least 4-5 feet away from the viewer.

Remote: there is a backlight, albeit for a very brief time after a button press, which in my opinion isn't long enough especially when new to a user. It's taken some practice to operate by feel.

Power Adapter: smaller than I had imagined and tucks away under the table. I haven't attempted ceiling mounting with it yet though.

Eye-protection: when enabled, the screen dims for about 5 seconds when someone walks in front of the unit. There is a little leeway though - if you accidentally block a corner while grabbing the remote it won't trigger.

I'm happy with my purchase, and some of the issues I have might in the future be resolved by firmware updates. It's not perfect though and there have been a few hiccups that cause me to downgrade it slightly. We were coming from a 36" off-brand 1080p lcd tv, so to say it has been a night and day difference would be appropriate. I imagine that using a proper screen, ceiling mounting it, hard wiring into Ethernet, adding a Shield TV Pro and integrating some surround sound would make the experience even more impressive.

 

I am a movie goer, not game player at all. This is the first projector I have ever owned. Brightness, Color, sharpness, contrast are my main concerns. I only target LED or laser ones and have done a lot of research. I was struggling among JmGO N1 Ultra, BenQ X3000i, XGIMi Horizon Ultra and Hisense Cube C1. Once the Thanksgiving deals come out, I pulled the trigger to C1. Kind of a purchase by faith, but I am happy with it after more than one month watching.

I am using 135" 1.1 gain 16x9 screen and external sound system.

Here are what I found:
(1) Brightness: Maximum 1600 ISO lumen output for dark room viewing is good. My eyes feel much more comfortable than watching my 82" Samsung RU9000 LED TV (a 3-year old model, not even QLED). But during daytime with window curtains, it is watchable but obviously not bright enough. However, non-movie online programs look brighter than 4K disc, 1080P Blu-ray disc and online movies. I am not a tech guy, so no clue why. My score is 3.5 of 5.
(2) Color: This is the selling point. I selected Vivid for SD materials such as YouTube. Wow, it is too colorful for me. I selected Dolby Vision Custom for 4K and 1080p disc viewing. Honestly, the image is amazing and skin tone is very natural. My score is 5 of 5.
(3) Sharpness: C1 has no zooming and the auto focus works pretty well. The image is very sharp and meets my expectation to 4k. My score is 5 of 5.
(4) Contrast: There is a saying that Contrast is the King. Even though other reviews say C1's contrast is really good, it cannot match my Samsung 82" LED, kind of disappointed. But considering the price range, I should not expect that "ink like" level to come. My score is 3.5 of 5.
(5) Sound: The built-in speakers are really powerful. Turning the volume to 25 for disc and online movies, you will say WOW. Since I use external sound system, this is not a plus for me.
(6) The built-in media player works very well with USB 3.0 input.
(7) My Sony 4K disc player has wifi streaming. Somehow playing YouTube free movies failed (a lot of buffering). However, using C1's wifi has no problem, very smooth.

Overall, C1 worths every penny at this price range and I am very happy with it. True, nothing is perfect. The brightness and contrast fail me. But this baby is still highly recommended.

The attached pictures are from 4K disc with Dolby Vision.

                 

This 4K projector has exceeded my expectations, making me rethink the need for a trip to the cinema. The phenomenal image quality, coupled with its excellent performance in my living room during the daytime, ensures a cinematic experience at home. I'm genuinely thrilled with this purchase and can confidently say, movie nights will never be the same! See the photos (color is off obviously due to low light condition) taken from 140 inch screen.

             

World-class picture + loud, clear sound + treasure trove of settings = must-buy

To serve a wide range of use cases, I've bought an extraordinary number of projectors in the past 18 months from brands such as XGIMI, JMGO, Optoma, Samsung and even lesser-known companies. It was on my third attempt at finding the ultimate ultra-short-throw projector that I struck gold with Hisense's PX1—only it didn't come with the Dolby Vision that was promised on an Amazon sales page. Within six weeks, Hisense worked with me to download a special firmware update and then a regular internet software update, and Dolby Vision in all her glory threw her contrast-loving weight around my screen.

This experience showed me Hisense is a force to be reckoned with and a company that goes the extra mile. The projector is simply the best ultra-short-throw projector I’ve seen. So when Hisense launched the Cube C1 Smart Mini Projector, my antenna went up. The Hisense PX1 was crushing it on my 120-inch screen, but the 100-inch screen at the foot of my bed was showing an image that increasingly looked disappointing by comparison. The PX1 teems with rich, juicy color, magnetizing my eyes, transfixing my mind and immersing my soul. Dare I say that the C1 model pops with even more color, bringing 110 percent of the BT.2020 color profile, making for a revelatory viewing experience.

The C1 is plenty bright for almost all my needs, and I am finding that I’m dialing down the tri-color laser luminance setting to a meager 3 at nighttime. I push it back up to day on weekend afternoons, if I’m watching football games. The C1 should be bright enough for most, especially if the bulk of your viewing comes in semi-light-controlled environment and at nighttime.

The C1 brings loud, clear, resonant sound. Even at volume 20 out of 100, this little unit was roaring with might. If you plan to rely on these Dolby Atmos-certified speakers for outside use, overnight stays in hotel rooms and business meetings, you’ll be plenty satisfied. I have my C1 connected to a Vizio Dolby Atmos soundbar.

I truly value the level of thought the Hisense team puts into their projector line’s settings, and the C1 delivers tons of options, including keystone correction and obstacle avoidance, to help you get the picture you desire. I especially appreciate the laser luminance setting, enabling you to dim the light output without tampering with other settings such as brightness, throwing off the entire picture. One ultra-short-throw projector I bought didn’t offer this key setting on its flagship projector despite its second-best projector’s offering this very setting. Hisense’s special added touch is also found in the highly functional and time-saving remote control, with quick options for input, focus, laser luminance, mute and settings available. Most remote controls from other brands don’t come close to matching this level of value. The Hisense C1 remote control is also the first I’ve found that delivers what I’d argue are the four best choices for app buttons: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and YouTube. I can’t imagine a better lineup for the majority of customers.

The Hisense C1 Laser Mini Projector delivers bigtime on lots of fronts, as you can see. So where does it struggle? It struggles in its software, outside of settings. Its Vidaa software touts the fact that Netflix is a true and legitimate app on this projector (not having to be sideloaded, capped at 720p or 1080p and resembling a mobile phone app). This might be true, but I could not find other major apps such as Vudu, Movies Anywhere, Hulu, ESPN and Fox. Ironically, a Vidaa add promoted a show airing on Fox and replaying on Hulu—neither of which you can install on this projector.

Projector companies have been launching lots of lifestyle projectors in recent years. These offerings aim to give you picture, sound and an apps experience in a single self-contained unit. With the Hisense C1 projector, the company gets most things right. Any projector enthusiast values picture first and foremost, and you’d be hard-pressed to find too many—if any—projectors that put out such a sharp and colorful image. It is also plenty bright for most use cases. The Hisense C1 projector also impresses in the sound department. I couldn’t believe how loud and crisp the audio sounded in my test of the Disney movie “Moana,” especially considering movies are mastered at much lower volume compared with live TV. Hisense hits a grand slam in the settings and remote control departments. Its Vidaa software disappoints, however, but could be rounded out in time, if the company grows the platform quickly. This last part can easily be rectified by adding a Chromecast, Android TV box such as NVIDIA Shield, Apple TV 4K, Amazon Fire device or Hulu box to the mix.

Hisense is a newcomer to the projector world, but it is a giant out there, shooting for the stars with specs and delivering on the assembly line with well-crafted, awe-inspiring machines that light up your screen and light up your life!