The Paris Rhone SP005 makes some big promises, especially at the $699 price point, which could see it become one of the best bang-for-the-buck projectors out there. While it does get a lot right, and I’ve greatly enjoyed my time spent watching movies and playing games using it, there’s a big caveat that potential buyers should know before investing.
4K?
The projector’s main selling point, its “True 4K UHD” resolution, is somewhat misleading. Each input I tried showed a native resolution of 1080p. While a 4K signal can be accepted, it appears downsampled.
It’s likely that the Paris Rhone SP005 uses pixel-shifting technology to simulate a full 3840×2160 output. While it still looks good at smaller screen sizes, those looking to push past beyond 100” or so would surely desire the advertised “True 4K UHD” resolution.
Bright enough
Capping out at 600 ANSI Lumens could be a dealbreaker for some, but I’ve been happy enough with the brightness in my dimly lit lounge area. If you’ve got a semi-treated space where you can block out any sunlight, then I think, you’ll be happy enough with the output.
The Paris Rhone SP005 doesn’t suffer from the washed-out contrast and colors that other lower-brightness projectors often do, and I feel like its brightness output is fairly consistent across the board.
Turn it up
The Paris Rhone SP005’s sound quality is a definite highlight, able to stand on its own for movie-watching sessions. Obviously, a dedicated solution is preferable for home theater setups, but the dual-speaker system is more than good enough to satisfy on its own. The volume gets loud enough to deliver Avengers: Endgame’s battle scene in epic fashion.
Almost auto
Features like auto-focus, keystone correction, and intelligent obstacle avoidance are designed to simplify the setup process. They work well enough to get users 90% of the way there, but I found that I needed to manually tweak the settings for optimal sharpness.
To game or not to game
When it comes to gaming, the Paris Rhone SP005 holds up well against other similarly-specced projectors. For casual use, it’s perfectly fine and any single-player games work well. However, for competitive shooters and hardcore titles like Elden Ring, the latency can become a hindrance. It isn’t awful or anything, but gamers looking for a “4K gaming projector” that prioritizes lower latency above all else, will likely want to look elsewhere.
Final Verdict
At its price point of $699, the Paris Rhone SP005 should have been a no-brainer with the advertised specs. However, with the promised “True 4K UHD” not holding up in my testing, this projector isn’t quite the must-buy product that it first seemed to be. Instead, it’s a solid option for the price that ticks a lot of lower mid-range boxes.
However, potential buyers may opt for a better-known brand or, for GameRevolution.com readers in particular, a projector that is better-suited to gamers.
Disclosure: SP005 review sample provided by Paris Rhone.
Positives and Negatives
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Good image quality, though not "true 4K."
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Solid sound output.
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Quiet operation.
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Subtle and stylish design with good build quality.
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Lack of true 4K output is disappointing given the spec sheet.
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Auto-features are good but not perfect.
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Latency becomes apparent in competitive games.
