HISENSE 100L5F LASER TV REVIEW - HARDWARE

Hisense 100L5F Laser TV Review – Hardware: Inputs and Connectors, Lens, Control Panel, Remote Control, Menus

The 100L5F is larger than a traditional 2,700 Lumen DLP home entertainment projector. This is probably due to the UST lens system and its robust internal sound system. The unit is about 21½” wide x 13 1/2” deep x 6” high and weighs a little more than 24 pounds.

The included ambient light rejecting screen ships disassembled in a 91” x 7” x 20” box that weighs about 30 lbs. While the box for the screen is not heavy, it is awkward for one person to handle due to its length. Properly maneuvering and installing the screen is a two-person job.

With the lens positioned on the top of the chassis, the front of the 100L5F is very clean. There is just a power light, IR sensor, and a non-removable fabric speaker grill that stretches across the entire front. Behind the grill is the sound system’s stereo speaker array.

On the top of the projector's chassis is just the lens, eye protection sensor, and a power button. There are air intake/exhaust vents located on the rear of the projector as well as the left and right sides. All the inputs and connections are located out of sight on the rear of the chassis facing the screen.

The Hisense 100L5F doesn’t have a control panel on the chassis There is just a power button located on the top of the unit. All setting adjustments need to be made using a remote control.

The inputs and connections are all located on the rear of the 100L5F. There are four HDMI inputs on the 100L5F. All four HDMI inputs support up to 18Gbps which allows playback of 4K HDR content at up to 60FPS. To support the 18Gpbs of bandwidth, the HDMI 2.0 FORMAT setting in the menu needs to be set to “Enhanced Format”.

HDMI#2 also supports ARC (Audio Return Channel) to send multi-channel audio from the 100L5F to a compatible sound system. The 100L5F is also able to control connected devices like an A/V receiver via CEC. This means you can use your TV remote instead of having to reach for a different remote to control each connected device.

Other available inputs include two USB ports, gigabit Ethernet, optical-digital and L/R analog audio outputs, and an RF antenna input for the unit’s built-in ATSC 1.0 tuner.

The optical systems of an ultra-short throw projector like the 100L5F is different from a traditional projector. Normally a UST optical system uses a complex series of mirrors to project images at a steep extreme angle. Even with the projector placed only a few inches away, the 100L5F did a good job spreading light evenly across the screen.

While we don’t measure the roll-off in brightness to the edges and corners, but based on my viewing experience, the evenness of light seems to be on par with most traditional projectors and better than a number of smaller portable projectors, some of which lose up to 30% brightness in the corners.

Like most ultra-short throw projectors, the Hisense 100L5F does not offer any lens shift or zoom so proper placement is critical. If the projector and screen are misaligned even slightly, it produces a massive amount of image keystoning. The projector does have a Geometric Correction feature, which should be used just to fine-tune the image once the unit is properly placed.

Since the Hisense 100L5F is a Smart projector it has a complex menu system but compared to previous Hisense TVs it is easier for users to navigate. Pressing the Home button, which literally looks like a house, provides access to inputs, apps, the TV tuner, and the media player. Since the 100L5F is a Smart projector, there are dozens and dozens of menu/entertainment options.