Hisense vs Optoma Projectors

Hisense and Optoma differ most on price. The Hisense C2TUK costs £1,599 and the C2TUK-ULTRA £2,299. Optoma's entries run from the ZW340e at £530.99 to the ZK810TST at £9,576.99, with the ZH450ST at £1,382.99 and the ZU500USTe at £2,979.99 in between. Hisense's range spans £1,599 to £2,299, while Optoma's spans £530.99 to £9,576.99, so the two brands serve very different budgets.

Both brands use laser light. Hisense's C2 models are triple laser, with separate red, green and blue lasers, and include 4K Ultra HD, DTS Virtual X, a 4K AI Upscaler and built-in smart apps. Optoma's ZU500USTe and ZH450ST use DuraCore laser technology, and the ZU500USTe is an ultra short throw model with a 5000-lumen WUXGA output. The ZK810TST is a 4K UHD DLP model with 7200 ANSI lumens, full motorised lens shift and an IP5X rating. Several Optoma laser models are rated at 30,000 hours.

Hisense suits cinema-scale viewing at home. A 65 to 300-inch picture suits a large wall, and built-in smart apps make it simple to set up without a streaming box. Optoma suits business and installation buyers. The ZW340e is a WXGA business projector with 3600 lumens, the ZH450ST suits smaller rooms with its short-throw lens and portrait projection, and the ZK810TST is built for immersive installations. For a home cinema, the Hisense is the more natural fit, since Optoma's range leans towards business and installation work.

Bottom line: choose Hisense if you want a home cinema laser projector with built-in apps and a 300-inch picture, starting at £1,599 for the C2TUK. Choose Optoma if you want a business or installation projector, such as the ZW340e at £530.99, or a short-throw laser model like the ZH450ST at £1,382.99.