VAVA 4K Laser Projector - Is It The Best Ultra Short Throw?

The VAVA 4K Laser Projector is an ultra short throw model with several high-end features. If you aren’t familiar with the term “short throw”, it means that the machine is meant to be very close to the wall it’s projecting onto. In this case, the VAVA projector is able to show a 100″ image from being placed only seven inches away. There are many benefits to this, including eliminating any shadows from people walking in front of the machine.

I know it can be a difficult decision when choosing which projector to get. There are so many different varieties and unique types on the market today. You may be in the position of not knowing which one is right for you. What features do you need? What technical specs should you be looking for? I’ll try to cover all of the important aspects of this machine, in plain English, to help you make a smart buying choice. How about we review the image tech to start things off, I have a lot to cover here.

Resolution

The resolution rating refers directly to how crisp and sharp your image appears to be. You have to be careful when reading the resolution claims from manufacturers though since many like saying they can take in a 1080p source but they only output a 480p resolution. The term you actually want to be looking for is called the “native resolution”, this is the internal spec that the picture is rendered in.

Thankfully, the VAVA projector has several advanced techniques, such as pixel-shifting, and is capable of producing over 8 million pixels. This means that you’ll be able to see 4K content in pristine clarity if you have a media device capable of 4K output. This is also 4 times the amount of pixels found in typical lower 1080p projectors. Watch this humorous and highly enjoyable short video from the company to see a bit more information.

You can get 4K content by using either a 4K Blu-ray player, a streaming service with 4K capability, modern video game consoles such as the Xbox Series X/S or PlayStation 5, among other similar media options. If you love playing FPS video games (first-person shooters), or other fast-paced games, you’ll be happy to know that the projector also supports 60fps, also known as a 60Hz refresh rate, for buttery smooth gameplay. The VAVA 4k gaming performance is super appealing if you’re looking for a high-end experience.

There is more and more 4K content being released nowadays and it’ll likely only increase in the future. The higher the resolution the sharper your picture will be. It’s especially beneficial to have a high-resolution for projectors because the image is spread over a much larger area.

Brightness

Another important factor when choosing a projector is the brightness rating. Having a high brightness will allow you to enjoy using the machine during the day or under less than ideal lighting conditions. The VAVA projector uses ALPD 3.0 laser light technology to produce a very impressive 6,000 Lumens. This is quite a large amount compared to other projectors I’ve seen and should give you many opportunities to enjoy using it whenever you want.

The “ALPD 3.0” is a patented technology that doubles the light efficiency versus regular projectors. This tech is actually used in over 17,000 laser theaters around the world. So you would own a projector that contains that same technology. Since the machine is laser-based it also has another benefit, an industrial lamp life of 25,000 hours. A few quick calculations means that if you used the projector for 3 hours a day, the lamp would last for almost 23 years. Basically, you wouldn’t have to worry about replacing the bulb inside for quite awhile. This laser-based system lasts up to 10 times longer than a traditional bulb variety.

It’s nice having a super bright projector but what if someone walks near the machine while it’s on? You won’t have to worry about anything, since the device has intelligent IR sensors that can detect whenever someone comes near it. If the projector detects that someone is too close, it will automatically dim the brightness to the lowest level to prevent any eye strain or issues.

Contrast

Contrast ratio is a technical term that relates to the luminance between the color white and black. The higher the ratio, the more vivid colors will appear and the darker black tones will be. It’s definitely a key point in overall picture quality. If you want to see accurate color the VAVA projector also covers over 85% of the NTSC color gamut. That means the image will produce colors that are more natural and authentic to their source.

This model has a native contrast of 3000:1; and by comparison this exceeds movie theaters which have a standard 2000:1 ratio. So, you’ll generally be seeing a more vivid picture at home than you would in the cinema with these ratings. The machine is also HDR10 compliant, which is a fancy term for “High Dynamic Range”, and refers to a wider range of colors that can be displayed compared to a projector without HDR10. More detail, more color, more saturation.

Smart Functionality

The VAVA 4K laser projector is actually a “Smart” device that’s capable of installing apps directly. It’s Android-based on version 7.1 so you can download a variety of utilities and programs to enhance your entertainment capabilities. Maybe you want to install a shopping app or chat messenger, you’d be able to do that with this. There’s also 32GB of storage onboard which should be able to hold plenty of apps for you.

If you have no interest in this functionality you don’t have to download anything extra and can just use the projector as is. It’s definitely nice to have though, just in case you want to see sports scores for example or something. Maybe you’d find something interesting while browsing through the app store.

Modern Connectivity

Having the right connectivity will allow you to hookup the media devices you want to use. This projector has support for both modern and older devices which is great if you want a mostly all-in-one box. To begin, there are a total of 3 HDMI ports that you can use for your latest devices. One of the inputs is an ARC (Audio Return Channel) variety, used for home theater systems and other audio receivers. The HDMI input is the port for media sticks such as an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, or similar boxes. It’s also used with Blu-ray players and modern video game consoles like the Nintendo Switch.

You have an S/PDIF audio port for a clean digital audio signal via an optical cable. This is commonly used in home theater systems and to a lesser extent in certain types of media devices. It’s a way to retain the audio quality between multiple devices and keep the signal “digital” with minimal degradation.

There’s a USB port where you can plug in a flash drive to play video files from directly. The VAVA can read DAT, MPEG, MPG, TS, M2V, DVD ISO, TS, TP, VOB, AVI, MP4, MOV, and 3GP containers and supports MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4 ASP, and MJPEG codecs. This is convenient if you have files on your computer and just want to easily transfer them and play them on your projector.

Legacy Connectivity

You’ll be using the legacy inputs pretty frequently if you have a lot of older media devices like a DVD player, VHS, or classic game console. Do you remember those old yellow, white, and red cables from the 90s/00s? Well, the projector has an AV/Composite input available to use those things. Maybe you have a vast DVD collection or home videos you’d like to be able to watch from time to time. Having an AV input will give you that ability via an additional AV adapter.

There’s a standard 3.5mm audio out port that’s been around for quite awhile. It’s analog-based instead of being digital, so it’s not as good as the S/PDIF port. However, it is possible you have a pair of external speakers you want to plug in or something.

Wireless/Internet

The wireless solution used is 802.11ac and to get a bit technical it supports both 2.4G and 5G bands. It has “2T2R”, which means it has 2 transmit/2 receive antennae installed for a better connection to WiFi. There’s also DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) which will allow it to automatically switch its operating frequency to prevent interference.

If you prefer to use a direct connection you can also plug in a LAN/Ethernet cable from the projector into your wireless router. This tends to give you a more solid connection while streaming along with a higher throughput speed. If you don’t have any problems using wireless things in your house then this probably won’t be a factor, but the port is here just in case.

Audio/Speakers

Most projectors have pretty weak speakers due to the limited size and other factors. Surprisingly, the VAVA 4K laser projector has a pretty huge 60-watt speaker system inside. It’s a powerful Harman Kardon speaker with both Dolby and DTS decoders and additional vocal enhancing technology. I think most people will be totally pleased with the sound quality and how loud it can get.

You can use Bluetooth (In) to connect your smartphones; or Bluetooth (out) to play audio on wireless Bluetooth speakers. If you’re a big fan of being wireless and clutter free this could be a big benefit for you. Having wired and wireless choices should make everyone happy in the end.

To get the best experience you can still plug in a complete surround sound theater system into the projector. Then you’ll have sounds coming from all areas of your room and be fully immersed. Overall, it’s a solid performer in the audio department and supports a nice set of tech thanks to the Dolby and DTS decoders. Check out this 55 second video that shows some of the features and functionality.

How Noisy Is It?

A common complaint people seem to have with projectors is that they’re noisy because of the internal fans. There are fans inside to keep the light bulb and electronics cool so that they operate safely. The unfortunate result of that is a whirring sound you may hear in the background while you’re trying to enjoy a movie. The VAVA projector has a loudness rating of just <32dB, which is close to a whisper or quiet rural area in volume. The low noise is extra impressive due to the fact that there are 3 fans inside the projector. There are dedicated air channels that optimize ventilation which helps in maintaining low noise operation.

Summary

Resolution: Advanced 1920×1080 pixel-shifting x4 for 4K resolution
Brightness: 6000 Lumens (HDR10)
Native contrast: 3000:1 (laser theaters are 2000:1)
Dynamic contrast ratio: 1,500,000:1
Display Size: 80″ – 150″
Operating noise: <32dB
Smart System: Android 7.1 (32GB storage)
Supports 60fps motion
Harman Kardon speakers: 60-watts with Dolby/DTS decoders
3 HDMI ports, 1 being ARC (Audio Return Channel)
1x USB
3.5mm Audio Out
AV Composite in
S/PDIF audio
Lan/Ethernet
Bluetooth In/Out
25,000 hour lamp life
7.2″ away from the wall to throw 100″ image (18.3cm)
ALPD 3.0 Laser Light Tech – 85%+ NTSC Color Gamut
Ceiling mounting capable
Model: VA-LT002

Conclusion

The VAVA 4K laser projector is a very solid ultra short throw machine. Its image technology alone puts it in the upper-class and would be able to give you the cinema experience right in your own home. The outstanding brightness gives you the opportunity to enjoy using the device more frequently during the day. That’s a good thing, because with the lamp life being 25,000 hours you won’t have to really worry about constantly buying expensive replacement bulbs. The “short throw” aspect also lets the machine be out of your way and reduce clutter. You can even mount in on your ceiling if you want to.

VAVA 4K Black Edition The projector has support for a ton of your media devices. You’ll be able to hook up modern ones like Blu-ray players and video game consoles along with legacy ones you may have around the house like VHS or DVD players. There’s a VAVA projector app for iOS and Android; with this app you can cast music, photos, and videos wirelessly from your phone to the projector.

Something I haven’t had a chance to mention yet is the appearance of the projector. The design is such a sleek and high-end looking box that people probably wouldn’t even know it’s a projector. It definitely has a professional design that you’d be proud to show off in your living room or wherever you end up placing it. You may not have heard of VAVA but the company started in 2015 and won their first Red Dot award in 2016. If you’re looking for the best ultra short throw projector this seems like a very solid choice overall.

If you’re looking to compare the VAVA 4k vs Epson 5050ub be sure to read about that model here: Epson 5050ub.

VAVA 4K Laser Projector Offers

Coupon Offer Are you interested in finding offers and deals for the VAVA ultra short throw projector 4k? Visit the following links to see the current prices and more information. Sometimes there are even coupons offered, which you can find near the price area on the product page.