The LSP9T laser light source can deliver up to 2800 ANSI lumens and has a rated lifespan of 20,000 hours. However what makes the LSP9T so special in not brightness but the amazing range of colors it can produce.
The Samsung LS9PT offers one of the most advanced light engines available in laser TV or projector. Most projectors struggle to maximize the DCI-P3 color gamut used in most movies these days. However, the LSP9T's triple RGB laser-light source can reproduce 147% of the DCI-P3 gamut and 106% of the BT2020 which is better than any flat-panel TV available on the market today.
DCI-P3 is a color standard defined by the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) organization. The DCI-P3 was developed in 2010 and is most commonly used by the film industry, particularly for professional, digital movie projectors. DCI-P3 is the most widely used color palette for movie and pre-recorded television content.
The BT2020 color gamut, often referred to as Rec2020, covers more of the visible color range than DCI-P3, While BT2020 is part of the HDR standard most HDR content is still mastered in DCI-P3.
It is also notable the LSP9T can reproduce this wider color range without the need for a color filter which would negatively impact brightness. Triple RGB laser-light source-equipped Laser TVs are capable of projecting a wide range of bright colors accurately. For example, the red of a London bus is beyond the REC709 color gamut but the LSP9T has no problem reproducing that color.
HDR10+
Due to their limited light output, most HDR projectors can’t produce the required brightness to faithfully reproduce the material. Therefore, HDR projectors rely heavily on tone mapping – which is a compromise between maintaining bright highlight details and delivering full-screen brightness.
The Dynamic metadata included HDR10+ content help the LSP9T tone map on a “scene-by scene or even frame-by-frame basis.”While you are starting to see more projectors that support HDR10+, the LS9PT was the “world’s first HDR10+ certified projector with triple laser technology”. HDR10+ was introduced by Samsung and Amazon in 2017 as an alternative to Dolby Vision.
This format is based on HDR10 but in HDR10+ content, like Dolby Vision, the luminance information for each scene is embedded into the content as dynamic metadata, so tone mapping can be performed according to the specific scene. This helps the projector faithfully reproduce the HDR images as intended by the creators.
While HDR10 and Dolby Vision is the main way HDR content is currently distributed, Amazon Prime Video has announced support for HDR10+. There is also a limited number of 4K UHD Blu-ray discs available and a select number of UHD BD players from companies like Panasonic support it
SMART CAPABILITIES
Samsung is the leading manufacturer of Smart TVs and Samsung leveraged this expertise to provide users with a comprehensive, smart TV experience. The LSP9T uses the same Tizen OS smart platform found in their newest flat-panel TVs. The smart operating system has been refined over several years and it is utilized in over 190 million Samsung smart TVs.
This system gives easy access to popular streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, HBO Max, and YouTube, It is notable that Tizen Smart TV OS used in the LSP9T supported Netflix while the version of the Android-based OS utilized in most competitive Laser TVs do not.
Most users use a variety of services so sometimes searching for something to watch across multiple platforms can be difficult. Samsung LSP9T includes a Universal Guide is a simple on-screen interface that organizes streaming and live TV content into one simple, easy-to-read content guide. In addition to managing all of the content feeds, the Universal Guide can make intelligent content recommendations for users.
Voice recognition makes it possible to search for specific content to watch. Samsung has chosen to include multiple Voice Assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant, and Bixby voice giving you the ability to control the projector and much more vocally.
Tap View makes it easy to project content being displayed on a smartphone on the LSP9T's bigger screen. Simply touch the compatible smartphone, play the content, and it will be mirrored automatically on the LSP9T's screen. This enables users to quickly showcase pictures or videos they have taken on a bigger screen. This feature can come in particularly useful.
FILMMAKER MODE
As an additional perk for movie lovers, the LSP9T supports Filmmaker mode, which Samsung says is a first for a projector. Filmmaker Mode was created by the collaboration of filmmakers, Hollywood studios, consumer electronics companies, and the UHD Alliance.
According to the UHD Alliance, Filmmaker mode will allow viewers to enjoy "a more cinematic experience on their UHD TVs when watching movies by disabling all post-processing (e.g., motion smoothing, etc.) so the movie or television show is displayed as it was intended by the filmmaker, preserving the correct aspect ratios, colors and frame rates."
The Filmmaker Mode can be manually switched On from the projector’s setting menu, it can also be automatically activated by metadata embedded in the video bitstream. Engaging this picture mode does the following:
Maintain source content frame rate & aspect ratio
Set White Point to D65
Switch Off Motion Smoothing/Interpolation
Switch Off Sharpening
Switch Off TV Noise Reduction
Switch Off any additional image “enhancement” processing
The goal of Filmmaker Mode is to display SDR and HDR content exactly as the creator intended by switching off all post-processing for a more cinematic experience on a projector or flat-panel TV.
SOUND SYSTEM
To compete in the premium Laser TV market you need to include a premium sound system. While many Laser TV manufacturers outsource audio design to companies like Harmon Kardon, Samsung leverages their years of experience producing high-quality soundbars to ensure the LSP9T sounds great.
The audio quality for the LSP9T is far better than most flat panel TV delivering clear room-filling sound. This all-in-one sound system is enhanced with Acoustic Beam technology designed to maximize sound from all angles. This is done by using the chassis to emit sound from 44 individually-tuned sound holes located on both sides of the projector. The end result is that the projector's sound always seems to be coming from other parts of the room rather than only the projector in front of you.
While the LSP9T sounds good, there are many enthusiasts that will want to connect it to an A/V receiver in a home theater system. The LSP9T has an HDMI input with Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) which allows the pass-thru of high-bitrate audio to an external sound system. HDMI eARC supports multichannel audio, including Dolby Atmos.
If you do not use eARC or ARC, the only other option would be to connect a display to an external audio system via optical audio. However, a display's optical output usually cannot pass the latest immersive surround formats to an external sound system. Apps like Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime are loaded with multichannel content. eARC is very important because the alternative, using the optical output, will only provide your external sound system stereo or Dolby Pro Logic information.
BUILT-IN TV TUNER
The Samsung LSP9T is presented as an alternative to your living room flat-panel TV. So why is it that so many manufacturers who want to replace your television don't offer a built-in television tuner? Samsung is one of the few companies that actually provides multiple built-in television tuners, which are critical when replacing your television with a laser TV.
The LSP9T has an analog tuner with a rear RF terrestrial cable input. The LSP9T also supports digital broadcasting via an ATSC tuner for over-the-air digital signals and ClearQAM compatibility to receive digital channels from cable providers.