Review: Hisense Class L9G TriChroma Laser TV

Join the fun with us over on our YouTube channel. Click below to subscribe:

Hisense's L9G TriChroma Laser TV Raises The Home Cinema Picture Bar

Hisense's all-new L9G laser TV, is a laser projector that comes paired with a projection screen. Placed only inches from the wall, it casts a massive and stunning 100 or 120-inch projection in beautiful 4K resolution, and delivers impressive audio quality from an all-in-one package for a superior home cinema experience. We talk more about laser TVs vs projectors vs LED/LCD TVs further down the page. This is a new category and Hisense is really setting the bar high while making immersive home cinema experiences more affordable/accessible.

The L9G uses a tri-laser system (aka TriChroma) which employs red, green, and blue lasers to reach "107% of the BT.2020 color space", according to Hisense. That far exceeds the color expanse coverage of their L10E series and is a whole lotta WOW when it comes to picture quality. That, paired with a light output of 3,000 lumens and 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, you get all the brightness, a super wide color gamut, and voluminous blacks that make everything POP off the screen. Plus, the motion rate is said to be "ten times faster than LED" and buttery smooth.

The L9G comes with either a 100-inch or a 120-inch Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR) screen. For reference, a 100-inch screen is 2.5x more screen than a 65-inch TV. And a 120-inch is 4x the size of a 65-inch TV. Trust us, that's a BIG picture. The "light rejecting" in the ALR means that you don't need to kill the lights or install blackout shades to get an incredible picture. The 100-inch version is available paired with two different kinds of screens depending on where you place the laser TV in your home:

• ALR Cinema Screen - Best for dedicated media rooms and light controlled spaces. Produces beautiful colors over a wide 150-degree viewing angle. Screen assembly required. 0.4 gain.
• ALR Daylight Screen - Best in bright rooms with lots of space and light. This screen looks a lot like a flat-panel TV with a sturdy design and hard screen surface. This screen comes preassembled out of the box. 1.2 screen gain.

Those buying the 120-inch version will receive the ALR Cinema Screen.

On top of the brilliant picture, the L9G delivers an impressive audio soundstage with 40-watt speakers built-in - certainly an upgrade from the built-in speakers of your traditional flat-panel TV. Even with an all-in-one solution audio though, you still get clear speech, crisp highs and rumbling lows. High-speed HDMI with eARC support allows for pass-thru of high-bitrate audio to your surround system for those that want to up the ante. The L9G is also WiSA Ready, so you can still hook up your multi-channel wireless surround sound system in the case you want the option of a true home theater setup paired with your image.

The L9G also supports Dolby Atmos, HDR10 and HLG, and an HDMI 2.1 port with eARC as mentioned above. Built-in Android TV provides access to the top streaming apps like Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, and more. And Google Assistant lets you control it all with your voice. A convenient side-access USB port allows for connecting media drives and other USB devices to the console for viewing. Oh, and there's a Gaming Mode, too. Just imagine playing hooking up your game console or PC to a 120-inch screen. Doesn't get more immersive than that.

Things to know:

• With a 0.25:1 throw ratio, the L9G will need to sit 11.375 inches from the 100-inch screen, or 14.625 inches from the 120-inch screen.
• Hisense recommends a TV stand that's 20-inches tall and 16-inches deep for either screen size.
• 25,000 hours of laser life
• 40-Watt Dolby Atmos speakers built-in
• High-Speed HDMI with eARC and multiple audio outs
• WiSA Ready
• Built-in TV tuner, LAN, and USB 3.0 to connect all your devices
• Proximity sensors to protect your eyes and keep children (and pets?) from touching the laser console
• Android TV
• Smart-home ready with built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Google Assistant, Alexa, and Control4 compatible
• Filmmaker Mode and Game Mode to auto-tune the picture or hookup a gaming console or PC
• L9G dimensions: 6.1 x 24 x 13.6 inches (HWD)
• L9G weight: 24.7 lbs

More about this new Laser TV category:

What is a Laser TV?

A laser TV is a TV and projector hybrid that is essentially an all-in-one entertainment center. But don't misread that as "home theater in a box". It's the only component you need for a premium home theater experience in that it integrates many functions into one piece of hardware containing the video and audio - the speakers and the screen - and does not require other equipment. Laser TVs will typically be more expensive than your average LCD or LED TV, but a laser TV can get you a much bigger image and a nice selection of built-in features that use the advantages of both TV and projector technology (and are much more affordable than premium laser projectors).

Laser TVs use ultra-short throw projection technology and an Ambient Light Reflection projection screen (ALR for short) to deliver a fixed-size stunning image back to the viewer. Like ultra-short throw projectors, they allow for flexibility of placement within a room: you can place a laser TV near flush against the wall you're viewing on without the hassle of dealing with throw distance, space in the room for furniture to put them on, or ceiling mounting - as you would with a traditional home cinema projector. And, the picture is stunning - crisp and bright - even in a room with ambient or daytime light.

Laser TV vs Projector

A home theater centered around a projector allows for a larger screen (100-inch plus) and, like a trip to the movies, an overall more immersive experience. Plus, you can hide away a projector screen when not in use - something that you can't do with a laser TV. A projector also provides flexibility around the projected image size, audio system and expansion and upgrades, additional channels, connectivity, screen choices, etc. But, you'll need to make sure you have a large enough space (unless you're looking at an ultra short-throw projector option), a dark enough room (hello shades), and, for the big suckers, we recommend professional installation. Without proper installation, you could be seriously missing out on proper calibration, throw distance, amongst other things, and simply not getting the most out of what you paid for. And yes, there are projectors with speakers built in, ones that are portable and/or can be placed on a table... but for the sake of this comparison, we're speaking only to premium home theater projectors here.

In terms of form: a home theater experience that contains a projector requires a projection screen and an AV amplifier. A laser TV is an all-in-one system.

In terms of delivery of image and distance to screen: a home projector utilizes a telephoto projection which requires a long-distance projection to properly place the image on the screen - therefore requiring more space. One way to get around that is to get an ultra- short-throw projector.

A laser TV uses a reflective ultra-short-focus projection technique utilizing a projector head and fiber optic cable to project the image. The laser TV's light source uses continuous lasers of R,G,B wavelengths, while a projector relies on lamps for the R,G,B colors.

A laser TV is a good solution when you're looking for a more flexible option for your space - where you don't want to dedicate a room for your home cinema or install blackout shades. It will provide a stunning image, even with ambient light.

Laser TV vs LED/LCD/OLED

A laser TV is essentially a new category of TV... and projector. It's not an emissive TV like an LED or LCD, but instead an ultra-short throw projection TV with incredible brightness. A 100-inch laser TV can be more affordable than many 100-inch TVs. And, often easier to install because of how lightweight they are. All of the hardware is in one piece with the separate, perfectly paired screen installed on the wall.

The projection size of the laser TV should not be changed. So, like a flat-panel TV, you have a fixed-sized image. Note that you can change the size of the projected image, but laser TVs are built and tuned to match the included screen size for optimal viewing and there is no manual focus option if you wish to cast a larger or smaller image.

The audio quality of a laser TV will also blow those tiny LED/LCD TV speakers out of the water.

When you want a bigger screen than most flat-panel TVs out there and you don't want to break the bank doing so, a laser TV would be good option to consider before making the leap to a home cinema projector. It's a great option for those that want the bigger image size, but are still limited on space and good lighting control within the room. It's a simple all-in-one setup that comes with everything you need for audio and smart TV capabilities and connectivity for a pretty spectacular home cinema experience.