“Here honey, do you want to watch a film projected on the sailboat tonight?”
© Leica
If everyone knows Leica for its iconic cameras, the manufacturer has a few other products in the catalog, smartphones, watches and… video projectors. Leica launched the Ciné 1 in 2023, an interesting and stylish ultra-short focal length model, but at a price that is prohibitive to say the least since it is sold for no less than €7,000.
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Leica has just done it again, this time with a portable model with a more classic focal length, like what Hisense and Xgimi offer with their C1, C2 and Horizon ultra. The Leica Cine Play 1 thus revealed is interesting on paper, but it seems to have a lot of characteristics in common with the Hisense C2, so much so that we are entitled to wonder about the origin of this Cine Play. An enigmatic thriller which is not by Stephen King, and which will only keep you in suspense for about 30 seconds, but here is the outcome.
The Leica Cine Play, a Hisense C2 in disguise?
Design-wise, the Cine Play looks a lot like the Hisense C2 recently presented by the Chinese brand and which we will soon test on Les Numériques. The case is certainly slightly different, but overall everything is there, from the optics to the circular integrated foot. In terms of connectivity, we find the two HDMI ports, the two USB-A ports, the optical audio input, as well as the Ethernet port, and the characteristics are also the same:
“Honey, shall we watch a movie in the garage tonight?”
© Leica
As on the C2 Ultra, the brightness is announced at 3000 lumens with a projection size of 65 to 300 inches. A decidedly high-end configuration, and both the Leica and the Hisense should offer a good viewing experience. The most striking element remains the video projector's OS which is none other than Vidaa, Hisense's in-house interface which integrates most of the current streaming applications.
Game of 7 mistakes – Video projectors often look the same, but this time a little more than usual.
This is not the first time that Leica has released existing products from other brands “rebadged” with its signature red logo – we remember the Panasonic LX100 rebranded under the name D-Lux at Leica – but everything is of course a question of price. The Hisense C2 Ultra was released at a price of €3,000 while the Leica costs €3,600 for undoubtedly identical service. Even worse, the C2 Ultra differs from the C2 Pro and the C2 by the integration of a woofer in its aluminum base for better bass reproduction. Woofer which appears absent on the Leica Cine Play 1… In short, while waiting for our complete test of the C2, if you are hesitant about buying a new video projector, we can only advise you to choose the best value for money!
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