Acer Vero HL6810ATV 240Hz

The market is full of relatively cheap projectors that provide access to 4K. However, these are typically based on LCD panels with a mediocre light source and optics - although there are actually an impressive number of projectors just above or just below £1,000 these days. For some reason, they still haven't ditched the VGA connector, despite the fact that it's probably been 15 years since I last used one.

Acer wants to give you something that's just a little bit better, and that's where their HL6810 model comes in. Our test unit is the slightly more expensive ATV version, which has an integrated Android TV module, making it about £100 more expensive.

However, this also means that it comes with two remote controls, which seems a bit strange and inconvenient. You learn to live with it though - once the projector is set up, you don't use the remote control for anything other than switching on and off anyway. I do wish both HDMI ports supported eARC, but not as much as I wish the Smart TV remote had backlit buttons.

Overall, the projector has pretty solid standard specs for a cheap DLP projector, but what really makes a difference is the 4,000 lumens of brightness from an LED/laser hybrid light source, which also provides really good contrast. In addition, the light source has a significantly longer lifespan. Where a cheap projector usually lasts 3,500-4,000 hours, this one can last up to 20,000 hours - and up to 30,000 hours in Eco mode. That's pretty impressive. However, you have to assume that a new light source costs a little extra, but on the other hand, no heavy metals are used in production and the light source should be easier to replace. At the same time, the projector will need to run continuously for over two years before it reaches the end of its lifespan...

This all sounds great, but the most important thing is whether the projector delivers a good image. Unfortunately, 4K HDR10 is no guarantee of top quality. As far as I can find out, a DMD 0.65" DLP chip is used. However, I think I've seen somewhere that pixel-shifting is actually used, but this is not mentioned in Acer's official material.

When it comes to gaming, you're unfortunately limited to 1080p at 240Hz. It's a shame, because a game like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II deserves a screen size of 120" or more. I strongly recommend gaming on a projector with the right type of game - and then you may have to live with 60Hz.

There are a number of display modes - far more than I've seen before - and there was even DICOM SIM, which I think is used to display X-rays and the like. I'm struggling to see the point of that though. Fortunately, there are also three custom profiles if you really want to experiment. I normally use Dark Cinema, but ended up with Rec.709 as it required the least correction. Primarily, the blue colour was turned up a bit too much, and Bright and Football are best avoided. On the other hand, you generally lose some brightness in Rec.709, and even with HDR I don't think we reach the 4,000 lumens that more hardcore laser projectors can deliver. Unfortunately, we don't have the equipment to measure colour and brightness on laser-based devices.

The easiest solution is to run Eco Mode, otherwise the projector is unfortunately quite noisy - we measured it at 42 dB, however, you can also adjust the fan manually. I mention this because I found the image to be significantly better with Dynamic Black - which ironically isn't compatible with Eco Mode. For non-critical use, however, it consistently ran in Eco Mode, I must admit.

I think there are a couple of built-in speakers - I consistently don't use them. It's deeply stupid and should be banned. There's a jack for audio, but that's not the point - it's a projector, not a boom blaster. It even supports Bluetooth, so I guess you can use that too, but it typically causes synchronisation and latency issues.

Setup is simple and once you've sorted out focus and zoom with the physical buttons, everything can be controlled via the remote control. If you need more than just keystone correction, there's even a nice digital zoom. The Throw Ratio is 1.15 to 1.5, which is perhaps a little on the low and high end - it limits how far from the screen you can place the projector. I would have liked to see a little more horizontal shift, as it's quite limited in terms of how useful it really is. Therefore, you should plan to mount the projector relatively centrally in relation to the projection.

There was no observed rainbow effect, the image was sharp throughout and for a cheap projector, the black level was surprisingly good with pleasant, vibrant colours. I actually think a little credit should be given for this, as cheaper projectors often suffer from this. If you really look closely with test images, you can see small colour deviations and errors, but I have to admit that I didn't notice them at all in normal use.

Overall, the colours are clear and natural and the colour balance was very close to optimal straight out of the box. This is a big plus for an easy-to-use projector that might even be the owner's first. I actually don't think there's much negative to say about the image quality for the price.