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I replaced my TV with this long-throw projector, and it's absolutely worth it - especially for $600 off

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Kerry Wan/ZDNET

The Xgimi Horizon Ultra is on sale for $1,099 (save $601) during Amazon's Prime Day sale. You can also shop this offer at Xgimi directly.

When it comes to reviewing tech, a lot of the things that fall into my wheelhouse revolve around mobility, from flipping smartphones to thumb-sized action cameras. When I'm not out and about, I like to dedicate my downtime to electronics that make life at home more enjoyable, like this projector I tested last year.

The Horizon Ultra from Xgimi (pronounced "ex-gee-me") is the latest entry on my running list of projector candidates for my bedroom. When you have a large white wall across from your bed -- and you're not overly passionate about anything enough to get some posters -- projecting movies and videos just makes sense.

Also: The best Prime Day deals live now

Here's the thing: Finding the best projector is not as simple as looking at the specs alone. You really have to set the thing down, get a feel of how it fits in with that houseplant beside it, determine if the output looks satisfactory both in the daytime and nighttime, and finally answer the question of "Is this worth it?"

Here's another thing: The Horizon Ultra may be the end game of my home projector quest. It delivers some of the best picture quality I've seen, doesn't sound like a blow-dryer when I increase the scaling, and dare I say, at $1,699 (or $1,359 at the time of writing), is not expensive at all.

I'll talk about the elephant in the room first, especially if you're at the beginning stage of projector shopping: that price. $1,699 is half the commitment of Apple's Vision Pro headset, and easily a month's worth of rent someplace, somewhere. If you're at the deeper end of the rabbit hole, you'll know that $1,699 (or $1,499 following Prime Day) is the starting price for flagship projectors.

Also: Samsung's biggest ever outdoor TV sports an enormous price to match

In fact, the previous-gen Horizon projector started at $200 more, so my initial estimation for the Ultra model, which fields a brighter output, dual LED and laser technology, Harman Kardon speakers, and a motorized lens cover, among other things, was closer to $2,000. (I had mentally prepared to call Xgimi out for up-charging on its new projector, but that clearly won't be necessary.)

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