REASONS TO BUY
High contrast ratio
Built-in speaker
Morning screen option
Good brightness
REASONS TO AVOID
Warps image
Subpar color accuracy
Slightly out of focus
Loud
Zoom is fixed
Optoma CinemaX P2 Review
A super short-throw projector with great brightness, but terrible warping and a generally bad image quality
Credit: Optoma
RELATED: Best Projectors of 2023
Our Verdict
This short-throw projector is a great at-home theatre option as it allows you to place the device closer to the wall without sacrificing the projected image size. Unfortunately, the Optoma CinemaX P2 reveals some pretty serious warping issues through our testing. While it comes with a manual warp calibration option, it is cumbersome and somewhat ineffective. Skin tones are a little warm, and colors are a little off. Also, the fan is extremely distracting. On top of this projector's generally poor performance, it is terribly expensive. Overall we recommend you take a moment to read about some of the other options in our test suite.
Editor's Note: The Optoma CinemaX P2 review was updated on August 9th, 2022, to better convey our new testing procedure.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Optoma CinemaX P2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  |  | ||
| Price | $3,299 List | $3,000 List $2,944 at Amazon | $1,000 List $1,081 at Amazon | $899 List $799.00 at Amazon | $428 List $399.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | High contrast ratio, built-in speaker, morning screen option, good brightness | Excellent color accuracy, digital lens shift, digital lens focus | Great black and white contrast, lens shift, 3D capabilities, easy adjustments | Solid color accuracy, natural-looking skin, lens cover, full HD, good value | Impressive brightness, relatively cheap, WXGA resolution |
| Cons | Warps image, subpar color accuracy, slightly out of focus, loud, zoom is fixed | Very large, expensive, white contrast bleaches out surrounding colors | Skin tones are far too warm, generally poor color accuracy, loud fan | Subpar focus range, poor dark contrast, yellows turn very green, poor brightness | Poor contrast, color slightly off, buttons not backlit, loud fan |
| Bottom Line | A super short-throw projector with great brightness, but terrible warping and a generally bad image quality | If you desire a home cinema projector and accurate colors are your top priority, then look no further | A projector with great resolution, contrast ratio, a mostly intuitive interface, and streaming service capability via WiFi | With great color accuracy, besides yellows, and solid resolution, this projector is great for an at-home cinema | A bright projector at a reasonable price that is great for presentations but not movies |
| Rating Categories | Optoma CinemaX P2 | Epson Home Cinema 5... | Epson Home Cinema 2250 | BenQ HT2150ST | ViewSonic PA503W |
| Contrast Ratio (30%) | |||||
| Color Accuracy (25%) | |||||
| Resolution (15%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
| Brightness (10%) | |||||
| Fan Noise (5%) | |||||
| Specs | Optoma CinemaX P2 | Epson Home Cinema 5... | Epson Home Cinema 2250 | BenQ HT2150ST | ViewSonic PA503W |
| Projection Technology | DLP | 3LCD | 3LCD | DLP | DLP |
| Specification Brightness | 3000 Lumens | 2600 Lumens | 2700 Lumens | 1780 Lumens | 3600 Lumens |
| Measured Brightness | 2112 Lumens | 1732 Lumens | 1780 Lumens | 1449 Lumens | 2245 Lumens |
| Native Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 1920 x 1080 (With Additional 4K Enhancement Technology) | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | 1280 x 800 |
| Contrast Ratio | 2000000:1 | 1,000,000:1 | 70,000:1 | 15,000:1 | 22,000:1 |
| Apect Ratio | Native 16:9 | Native 16:9 | Native 16:9 | Native 16:9 | Native 16:10 |
| Zoom Ratio | Fixed | 1.0 - 2.1 | 1.0 - 1.6 | 1.0 - 1.3 | 1.0 - 1.1 |
| Throw Ratio (Wide to Zoom) | 0.25 : 1 | 1.35 — 2.84 | 1.33 to 2.17 | 1.15 - 1.5 | 1.55 - 1.70 |
| Backlit Remote | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Vertical Keystoning Correction | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Horizontal Keystoning Correction | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Lens Shift | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Measured Dimensions (L x D x H) | 22.68" x 15.08" x 5.12" | 20" x 17.75" x 7.13" | 12.2" x 12.4" x 4.8" | 15" x 4.8" x 11" | 11.6" x 4.3" x 8.6" |
| Measured Weight | 30.2 lbs | 24.8 lbs | 8.4 lbs | 7.3 lbs | 4.9 lbs |
| Lens Cover | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| 3D Capable | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The CinemaX P92 is a massive projector with a 22.68" x 15.08" x 5.12" body that weighs just over 30 pounds. The concept behind this projector is to offer a very large image of 120 inches in a house with a very short throw. While the concept is great, the execution is lacking. Read on to discover the nitty-gritty details about this device.
Performance Comparison
The CinemaXP2 is an awesome projector but the warping issues caused by the short throw negatively affect the viewing experience.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Contrast Ratio
With a contrast ratio of 2000000:1, you'd think this projector would produce some stellar detail, but there's one major issue: warping.
The dynamic white is not as bright as some of the higher-performing options in our test suite, but it's not bad. It's easy to differentiate between grey mid-tones, and there is a clear transition in the black grids. Overall, the CinemaX P2 does a great job of portraying a full range of bright to dark. Unfortunately, the image quality is completely ruined by extreme warping, rendering the solid contrast ratio somewhat obsolete.
The short throw is convenient for small spaces, but unfortunately it distorts the image around the sides.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Color Accuracy
Like many projectors we test, the CinemaX P2 falls slightly on the warmer side. Sometimes the red undertones make pale skin look splotchy, and darker tones turn slightly red. This does not affect the viewing experience too much but can be a little unflattering for some actors.
The color wheel test reveals a slightly darker shade than most other projectors. Reds are slightly purple, and purple is a little pink. Yellows and oranges fall on the red side of warm, and blues are ever so slightly green.
Overall the color accuracy of the CinemaX P2 is pretty good, albeit a little warm.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Resolution
Unfortunately, even with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, the CinemaX P2 does not produce a very clear picture. Eyelashes in HD images and the Siemens Star both appear blurry. In our video testing, you can sometimes see the pixels vibrating, which is very distracting. It also falls out of focus near the top, where the warping is most prevalent. This is one more area where the heavy warping negatively affects the viewing experience.
The top and bottom of the image seem to blur a bit with the heavy warping.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
The CinemaX P2 is enormous. Its dimensions are 22.68 by 15.08 by 5.12 inches, and it weighs just over 30 pounds. This shouldn't matter if you plan to keep it home, but the lack of a bag and lens cap make it clear that this projector is meant to be portable. The remote is sleek and simple but somehow still confusing. The backlight is not very bright, and the buttons are not intuitively labeled. There is an app available, but the recognition is so slow that it becomes frustrating rather than convenient.
The CinemaX P2 is massive and heavy.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The zoom works okay, but the adjustable focus is a little bothersome since you can't see the range while adjusting. The major warping is adjustable, but it's very cumbersome. You have to go on grid mode and adjust point by point to move around. It takes a long time and ultimately doesn't even work properly.
The CinemaX P2 it adjustable but making adjustments can feel cumbersome.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Brightness
Generally speaking, home-theatre projectors do not require out-of-this-world brightness. That said, it's nice to be able to watch your movies in ambient light if you can't completely black out a room for a matinee. The CinemaX P2 has a claimed brightness of 3000 Lumens, while our own measured brightness is 2112, which is 30% less. Even with this advertised and measured brightness discrepancy, it is still an admirable performer in this category.
In a dark room the CinemaX P2 offers a nice bright image.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Fan Noise
The CinemaX P2 is both loud and higher pitched. At 79 dBa, it is difficult to ignore. It's not terribly distracting when music or louder scenes are playing, but it's difficult to drown out during quieter scenes.
The fan on the CinemaX P2 can be loud and distracting.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Should You Buy the Optoma CinemaX P2?
A short-throw projector is the perfect option for a home cinema. Unfortunately, the CinemaX P2 is better in theory than in practice. The painfully noticeable warping and moving pixels make for a low-quality image, and the loud, high-pitched fan is distracting. On top of all that, this hefty piece of incompetent machinery is insanely expensive. We can't in good conscience recommend this projector to anyone.
What Other Projectors Should You Consider?
If you're looking for a better at-home theatre projector, consider checking out the Epson Home Cinema 5050UB. If you're looking to save a few bucks and don't mind poor color accuracy, the Epson Home Cinema 2250 might be more up your alley. Lastly, if you're looking for the most budget-friendly option, the BenQ HT2150ST is a good choice, although it lacks in contrast ratio.
While the CinemaX P2 short throw projector is a great idea for an at home theatre, the execution is lacking significantly.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
—
Hayley Thomas and Jessica Riconscente
You Might Also Like
Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by Testing.
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
Learn More