Leica is showcasing a new version of its flagship projector. This time… with long throw and a much lower price!

Leica – a company mainly associated with astronomically expensive cameras and perfect optics – is boldly entering the world of projectors. Following last year's debut of the ultra-short-throw Leica Cine Play 1, the manufacturer is back with another model.

And it’s one that could seriously shake things up in its class.

Leica Cine Play 1 Plus – classic throw, same quality, significantly lower price

The new Cine Play 1 Plus is no longer a UST standing a few centimetres from the wall. It's a projector with a more traditional character – throw 0.9–1.5:1, so it needs to be placed further away, but it can deliver even a 300-inch 4K image, if you have a sufficiently large living room.

The specifications are very similar to its predecessor, but Leica has made solid upgrades in a few areas:

• 3,500 CVIA lumens (instead of 3,000),

• 110% BT.2020 coverage (previously 100%),

• support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+,

• LED lifespan of approx. 25,000 hours.

Inside, there’s a prestigious Summicron lens – the same kind used by Leica in their high-end cameras costing thousands. Additionally, there’s a proprietary image processing system and LIO – Leica Optimisation Engine, which enhances colours, contrast, and the naturalness of the image.

Smart features and audio

The picture settings are managed by a full automation package: autofocus, fit-to-screen, object avoidance, trapezoidal correction.

The audio is handled by 2×10 W with support for DTS Virtual:X.

The projector runs on the Vidaa system from Hisense – it may not be as popular as Google TV, but it has a full suite of essential streaming apps. Connections? HDMI 2.1 with low latency, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay.

Price That Can Make a Difference

Here’s the interesting part: Leica is launching in China at a price half as much compared to the UST-priced Cine Play 1. The difference? Gigantic. If Leica maintains a similar policy in Europe, then the Cine Play 1 Plus could turn out to be one of the most attractive premium projectors in its class.

The global premiere hasn’t been confirmed yet, but looking at the brand’s history – it’s likely to arrive in Europe and the USA sooner rather than later.

The amounts listed are for guidance only — the actual price in a given country may vary due to taxes, margins, exchange rates, and transportation costs.