Skip to main content

Optoma aims for the ultimate place-and-play projector with its new GT5500

optima gt5500 ultra short throw projector announced optoma
TVs might be gaining on projectors in terms of screen size and other factors, but nothing says ‘actual theater in your home’ like a projector. On the other hand, screen sizes can require some major space to work effectively. That is where ultra-short throw projectors like Optoma’s new GT5500 come in to play.

The GT5500 offers HD 1080p playback, a 25,000:1 contrast ratio, and the ability to project a 100-inch screen from just 13 inches away. The 3,500 lumens of brightness means that you will not have to lower the lights in the room to pitch black to see the image on display and ambient lighting will not distract from the action on screen.

Recommended Videos

“The GT5500 is a big step forward in home entertainment — it represents the future of gaming and home theater projectors with an ultra-short throw and specs that deliver a truly great picture,” Optoma Technology head of product management Brian Soto said in a statement. “We believe that projectors are the future of gaming and home cinema, with a price-per-inch and flexibility that flat screens TVs just can’t deliver.”

While you will want to use a dedicated audio setup for ultra-immersive sound, the GT5500 features something we do not often see built into projectors: a speaker. Specifically, it uses a 16-watt integrated speaker for what the company calls “plug and play audio,” making this an even better option for portable playback.

The projector features dual HDMI ports and several analog ports as well, meaning that hooking up your playback sources and audio playback setup should be fairly easy. 3D sync is featured as well, as is support for all of the mandatory 3D formats featured in the HDMI 1.4a standard.

The Optoma GT5500 is available now for an estimated street price of $1,300 from Amazon, B&H, Projector People, and Visual Apex. For more information on the GT5500, see the Optoma website.

Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
There’s a rare deal on the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones today
Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones seen in black.

The massively popular Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones rarely appear in headphone deals, so if you've had your eye on them for quite a while, you're in luck because they're currently $51 off on Walmart. From their original price of $400, you'll only have to pay $349, but only if you hurry because we don't expect stocks to last long. You're going to miss out on the offer if you take too long, so don't hesitate -- add the wireless headphones to your cart and check out as fast as you can.

Why you should buy the Sony WH-1000XM5
The best headphones that you can buy right now are the Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones, and it's not even close. At the heart is their outstanding wireless sound, supported by top-quality active noise cancellation that uses two processors and eight microphones to block all unwanted sound, as well as crystal-clear hands-free calling using four beamforming microphones and advanced audio signal processing. The wireless headphones also offer Bluetooth multipoint connection so that you can quickly switch between different devices, touch controls for functions like adjusting volume and calling your digital assistant, and Speak-to-Chat and Quick Attention features to stop your music and let ambient sound in without having to take them off.

Read more
Sony’s premium soundbars will finally get support for VRR, ALLM
Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar close-up of top panel.

It's been a long time coming, but the wait is almost over. Sony's premium home theater soundbars are set to receive a software update that will add support for variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low-latency mode (ALLM), two HDMI 2.1 gaming features that have been absent since these products launched.

The soundbars in question are the Sony HT-A5000, HT-A7000, and the multi-wireless speaker HT-A9 system. All three are scheduled to receive the update this fall, but Sony has declined to share specific timing, saying only that there will be more information closer to the rollout date.

Read more
What is Roku? The streaming platform explained
A roku powered TV hanging on a wall running Roku OS 12.

How do you get your Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, or Prime Video fix? Chances are it's through a streaming device or smart TV, and there's a good chance that it's through a Roku device or one running its pioneering streaming operating system. At this point, cord-cutting is old news, and Roku was one of the earliest companies to drive the adoption of web-based streaming with its self-contained, app-driven devices.

Today, watching something "on Roku" is standard parlance and the company's popular platform can be found baked into some of the biggest TV brands in the world as well as in its own lineup of streaming devices sticks, and set-top boxes. Even so, that doesn't mean you totally get what a Roku actually is. What is Roku? How does Roku work? Do you need a subscription to use it? Is it just a device you buy, or is it software?

Read more