XGIMI is pitching its new Titan Noir 4K projector lineup at a very specific home theater problem: big-screen projectors can look great at night, but blacks often turn gray the moment there is light in the room.
The Titan Noir series of 4K projectors, which just launched on Kickstarter, is built around what XGIMI calls its Dual Intelligent Iris System. Instead of relying only on software to darken the image, the projector uses two physical shutters inside the light path that open and close in real time based on what is on screen.
This matters because most people do not have a dedicated theater room. In a living room, basement, or multipurpose space, some ambient light is almost always present. When a projector cannot control that light well, dark scenes lose depth, shadow detail gets muddy, and the picture looks flatter than it should.
The dual-iris system is designed to address that. In bright scenes, the shutters open to let more light through. In dark scenes, they narrow to limit excess light, which should help blacks look deeper without crushing detail. XGIMI says the top model can reach up to a 10,000:1 contrast ratio.
Read More: How to Set Up a Projector for a Huge Screen at Home or Outside
Three models, three price points
There are three models in the Titan Noir lineup. The base Titan Noir costs $2,499 on Kickstarter and puts out 4,800 lumens of brightness. The Titan Noir Pro bumps up to 6,000 lumens for $2,699. And the Titan Noir Max sits at the top with 7,000 lumens, an RGB triple-laser engine for more accurate colors, and support for Dolby Vision, all for $2,999. XGIMI says that is half of the Max's planned $5,999 retail price.
All three models come with built-in Harman Kardon speakers, three HDMI ports, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth. If you're a gamer, the Max supports up to 240Hz at 1080p with 1ms input lag. XGIMI is also offering a bundle with the Ascend – a motorized 100-inch floor-rising screen with a 170W soundbar built in – for $3,999 when paired with the Max. The screen ships separately in September.
The Max is clearly the crowd favorite so far, with over 2,700 backers compared to around 125 for the Pro and 30 for the base model.
These are enthusiast-grade projectors, and the pricing reflects that even at the Kickstarter 50% discount. But the dual-iris system is the kind of feature that could matter to anyone who doesn't have a dedicated dark room for their projector, which is most people. I've been testing XGIMI's flagships since the Horizon Ultra, and I'm currently putting the company's latest Titan through its paces. XGIMI has been getting noticeably better with every generation, and based on the specs and my past experience with their projectors, I'd back the Noir Max without hesitation. I look forward to testing it soon. All three models are expected to ship in June.
[Image credits: XGIMI]
