Awol Vision LTV-3500 Review

Projectors offer significantly better price to screen real estate ratios when compared with traditional panel televisions. However, the average long- or short-throw projector is slightly more difficult to set up requiring somewhat tricky wiring. But ultra-short throw (UST) projectors solve many projector pain points, letting you generate a 100-inch or larger image from mere inches away from the screen. The Awol LTV-3500 is an outstanding 4K ultra-short throw tri-color laser projector that delivers a big, bold, bright image. Learn why this might be the ultimate UST for your living room or home theatre in our hands-on Awol Vision LTV-3500 review!

Overview: What is the Awol Vision LTV-3500?

The Awol LTV-3500 is a 4K tri-chroma laser projector, or laser TV. It boasts up to 3500 lumens and sports a 4K resolution. Onboard, you’ll find high dynamic range (HDR) support which includes the HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG standards.

On the audio side, the Awol Vision packs a 36-watt built-in soundbar. There’s also audio return channel (ARC) and enhanced audio return channel (eARC) for piping audio into a soundbar or receiver. Dolby Atmos audio handling processes signals which are either sent to an external audio device, or downsampled to stereo when using the baked in speakers.

Under the hood, the Awol Vision LTV-3500 4K ultra-short throw projector features a Texas Instruments 0.47-inch DMD chip that’s compatible with 4K 60Hz signals. A game mode drops input lag down to a perfectly playable 30ms. Its 0.25:1 throw ratio lets you cast a 100-inch image from merely 9.8 inches away from the screen.

Awol LTV-3500 Projector Specs

• Chip: TI 0.47-inch 4K ultra-high definition (UHD) DMD
• Projector light source: Triple laser projector
• Lamp life: 25,000+ hours
• Onboard operating system (OS): Android 9.0
• RAM/storage: 3GB/128GB
• Projection image size: 80-150 inches
• Brightness: 3500 lumens
• Color space: 107% BT.2020
• Contrast ratio: 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast
• Maximum resolution: 4K @ 60Hz HDR with HDR10, HDR10+, HLG support
• Throw ratio: 0.25:1 (100-inch image @ 9.8 inches away from the screen)
• Image adjustments: 8-point keystone correction, electric focus
• MEMC support
• Audio: 36-watt soundbar
• Audio handling: Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual X
• Connectivity: 3 x HDMI (including 1 with eARC), 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x Ethernet LAN, 1 x S/PDIF optical audio out, 1 x analog RCA AV input
• Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Power consumption: 320W
• Dimensions: 23.6 x 13.9 x 5.7 inches (599 x 353 x 145 mm)
• Weight: 27 pounds (lbs.)/12.3 kilograms (kg)
• In the box: 1 x projector, 1 x manual, 1 x remote control (dual function Bluetooth and IR), 1 x power cord, 1 x AV input cable, 1 x cleaning kit

Awol LTV-3500 Review Verdict: A Superb 4K Tri-chroma UST Laser TV

The Awol Vision LTV-3500 produces an enormous image of up to 120-inches. It delivers a high 3500 lumens of brightness without sacrificing color accuracy. Out of the box, I was impressed with its excellent colors and sharpness.

Even with some ambient lighting, the LTV-3500’s bright, punch image remains easily watchable, especially paired with a proper ambient light rejecting (ALR) or ceiling light rejecting (CLR) screen. Its high brightness makes the Awol Vision suitable for living room use. In a dark room, picture quality is simply stunning.

Movies and TV shows looks absolutely fantastic. HDR content really pops. In my testing, I was wowed by the lifelike image of television shows such as “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” with its vivid color palate. Similarly, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” looked gorgeous.

Animated content really shines. “Raya and the Last Dragon” appeared resplendent blown up to 120 inches. Even fast-moving scenes such as action sequences in “Black Widow,” “Inception,” and “Blade” were buttery smooth. There’s MEMC, or motion estimation motion compensation which aids fast-paced video such as sports on live television, although it introduces a slightly unnatural feel known as the soap opera effect, so I preferred leaving MEMC disabled.

Gaming performance is great. Although the Awol projector is limited to 4K 60Hz, its 30ms input lag in game mode is perfectly adequate for casual and even serious gaming. Hardcore competitive gamers might need a true gaming projector with 120Hz support, though the Awol Vision LTV-3500 should suffice for all but the most advanced players.

Connectivity is terrific with a trio of HDMI ports including one with eARC. Because of its eARC compatibility, the LTV-3500 passes through uncompressed audio signals including Dolby Atmos to soundbars and receivers with eARC. The built-in speakers won’t rival a high-end surround sound or soundbar set up, but sound excellent nonetheless.

Although there’s solid HDR support for HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG, the LTV-3500 lacks Dolby Vision. Granted, only a handful of projectors offer Dolby Vision HDR. Additionally, the Awol 4K UST lacks 3D capabilities. Thankfully, Dolby Vision and 3D compatibility are theoretically possible via future firmware updates.

For its onboard operating system, the Awol Vision runs Android 9.0, but the app experience is severely limited. You can sideload apps like Netflix, though you’re much better off using a standalone streaming device such as an Android TV box, Roku, or Amazon Fire TV. Luckily, Awol throws in a clever design choice with a streaming stick compartment which houses devices like the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max or Roku Stick+.

At 23.6 x 13.9 x 5.7 inches (599 x 353 x 145 mm) and 27 pounds (12.3 kilograms kg), it’s fairly heavy. And with a regular retail price of $5,999 USD, the LTV-3500 has a hefty price tag too. Of course, most tri-chroma laser TVs are pretty expensive, so that’s not much of a surprise.

Overall, the Awol LTV-3500 is an exceptional 4K tri-color ultra-short throw projector. I’d like to see 3D support and Dolby Vision HDR would be great, however the LTV-3500’s versatility makes is a solid projector for cinephiles and gamers alike.

Awol Vision LTV-3500 Design and Build

The Awol Vision LTV-3500 clocks in at 27 pounds (12.3 kilograms kg), measuring 23.6 x 13.9 x 5.7 inches (599 x 353 x 145 mm). In front, you’ll find a speaker grille, IR and ambient light sensor, plays a status indicator.

On top, there’s a power button, PIR sensor, blocked sensor, and lens.

Around back, you’ll find an array of different inputs and outputs including an optical S/PDIF audio out, micro USB debug port, USB for media playback, ethernet LAN jack, analog RCA AV input, power port, a trio of HDMI ports including one with eARC and one concealed in a streaming stick compartment, plus a second USB port for power.

On either side, you’ll find ample ventilation to keep the LTV-3500 cool under load, and a USB service port on the right-hand side.

Underneath the unit, there are four adjustable feet and four mounting holds for ceiling mounting the Awol Vision.

Awol LTV-3500 Image Quality

The Awol Vision LTV-3500’s out-of-the-box image looks magnificent. A 107% BT.2020 color space ensures extremely good color accuracy. Its super bright 3500-lumen laser light source holds up well even with a modest amount of ambient lighting, making the LTV-3500 a worthy choice for both living rooms and home theatres.

Normally, projectors and televisions require a bit of fiddling to achieve the perfect image, but the Awol Vision LTV-3500 arrives nearly flawless. Its impressive best-in-class contrast prevents small details from getting washed out. Black levels are great and, while not quite OLED-caliber, are phenomenal for a projector.

The LTV-3500 4K laser TV handled everything I threw at it with ease. HDR movies and TV shows were resplendent, as were standard dynamic range (SDR) 1080p and 720p high-definition videos.

Live TV, both pre-recorded shows and real-time sports matches, were lovely. Even standard definition content was perfectly adequate, since there’s not much in the way of improving 480p videos that the Awol can accomplish. All in all, the LTV-3500 delivers terrific picture quality.

Awol Vision LTV-3500 Gaming Performance

Many projectors feature high input lag, but the Awol LTV-3500 slides in at just 30ms in game mode. I tested out some video games with cloud gaming services including Amazon Luna, NVIDIA GeForce Now, and Google Stadia as well as native gaming using my NVIDIA 3070-powered Kubuntu Focus laptop.

1080p and 4K gaming works great. Granted, the LTV-3500’s TI 0.47-inch DMD chip limits its resolution to 4K 60Hz, so you won’t enjoy high refresh rate gaming. Nevertheless, most casual and even hardcore gamers should be just fine, particularly for offline single-player or multiplayer titles.

Alien Isolation looked beautiful, with the Awol Vision’s high brightness and HDR support benefitting the dark environments.

Control played wonderfully, and was incredibly responsive. Blown up to 120 inches, gameplay was extremely immersive.

Even twitchy single-player and multiplayer titles like Bloodstaind felt snappy. With its respectable 30ms low-lag game mode, the LTV-3500 should suffice for all but the most demanding situations like competitive online gaming.

Awol LTV-3500 Audio Quality

When using a projector, I recommend investing in a quality soundbar or surround sound system since you’ll want sound big enough to match the massive on-screen picture. Thankfully, the Awol Vision LTV-3500’s eARC connection lets you send uncompressed Dolby and DTS audio tracks to soundbars and receivers that support eARC.

However, its built-in 36-watt soundbar provides enough oomph to fill a small to medium-sized room with ease. There’s robust bass response that delivers booming low end without overpowering the mids and highs.

Since Awol Vision packs in a great soundbar, the LTV-3500 offers a self-contained home theatre experience-just set it up by a blank wall (or better yet, a proper UST projector screen), and you’re ready to go. But even a budget surround sound system or soundbar is still a worthwhile investment.

Awol Vision LTV-3500 Installation and Set Up Features

Set up and installation of the Awol LTV-3500 is pretty simple. Because it sits up close to the screen, there’s no need to run wires or cables around the room. Electronic focus and 8-point digital keystone lets you achieve a perfectly rectangular image. However, I’d recommend getting the image as straight as possible without electronic image adjustments since digital focus and keystone somewhat degrades picture quality.

The four adjustable feet let you raise and lower the Awol Vision LTV-3500’s height to manually focus as well as keystone the picture. Additionally, the underside of the LTV-3500 features mounting holes for ceiling mounting the projector.

Awol LTV-3500 Software Experience

The LTV-3500 runs Android 9.0. You’ll find 3GB of RAM alongside 128GB of storage space. Its software experience is great with an easy to navigate on-screen-display (OSD). You can easily change various audio and video settings.

Unfortunately, despite the Android OS, the Awol Vision comes without any streaming apps. You can sideload apps like Netflix with an APK, but the best solution is simply using a dedicated streaming box or stick. There’s even a hidden compartment that fits devices like the Amazon Fire TV Stick or Roku Stick.

Awol Vision LTV-3500 vs. The Competition: Awol LTV-3500 Alternatives

Plenty of laser TVs pepper the projector market. The Vava Chroma triple-color laser projector boasts gorgeous color accuracy, a powerful sound system, low input lag, and a great Android interface. Its 2500 lumens are lower than the Awol, but the Chroma is slightly cheaper.

The JMGO U2 is a spectacular 4K tri-chroma laser UST is a reasonably-priced laser TV with high color accuracy, good contrast, and low input lag. Awol’s LTV-3500 delivers a better overall image, albeit for a higher price.

Epson’s LS500 is an excellent gaming ultra-short throw projector with best-in-class input lag, a terrific built-in soundbar, and high brightness. However, it’s limited to a 2K resolution.

In the end, the Awol LTV-3500 stacks up well against the Vava Chroma, JMGO U2, and Epson’s LS500, and remains one of the best laser USTs on the market.

Awol Vision LTV-3500 vs. LTV-2500

Awol Vision offers two 4K ultra-short throw laser projectors: The LTV-2500 and LTV-3500. Both feature nearly the same specs, although the LTV-2500 has 2000 lumens to the LTV-3500’s 3500 lumens. For a living room installation, I’d recommend the LTV-3500, although the 2500 should suffice for many situations, especially with the right UST projector screen.

Awol LTV-3500 Review: Final Thoughts

With high 3500 lumens of brightness, low 30ms input lag, and excellent color accuracy plus contrast, the Awol LTV-3500 is one of the best 4K ultra-short throw laser projectors on the market. It offers a lush, lifelike image out-of-the-box with nearly unrivaled versatility as a projector for cinephiles and gamers. The built-in soundbar alongside advanced features such as eARC make the LTV-3500 a phenomenal value. 3D support would be nice, as would Dolby Vision HDR.

The price could be a bit lower, as its standard $5,999 cost is a bit high, although its Indiegogo price of $4,499 USD is aligned with most other 4K laser TVs. Ultimately, the Awol Vision LTV-3500 is an exceptional 4K tri-color ultra-short throw laser projector that should satisfy everyone from film buffs to gamers.

Your turn: What 4K laser TVs do YOU recommend?