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

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

And this one could significantly shake things up in its class.

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

The new Cine Play 1 Plus is no longer a UST standing a few centimeters 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 delivers even a 300-inch 4K image if you have a large enough living room.

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

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

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

• support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+,

• LED lifespan of approx. 25,000 hours.

Inside is the prestigious Summicron lens – the same type that Leica mounts in its high-end cameras for thousands of dollars. In addition, there is a proprietary image processing system and LIO – Leica Optimisation Engine, which enhances colors, contrast, and the naturalness of the image.

Smart features and audio

A full automation package is used for image settings: autofocus, fit-to-screen, object avoidance, trapezoidal correction.

The sound 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 the most important streaming applications. Connections? HDMI 2.1 with low latency, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Apple AirPlay.

Price That Can Make a Difference

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

The global premiere has not yet been confirmed, but looking at the brand's history – it will likely arrive in Europe and the USA sooner rather than later.

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