Chinese premium UST projector maker Formovie has partnered with Bowers and Wilkins to create a new ultra-short-throw projector that incorporates a premium sound system designed by the venerable British audio brand known for its world-class speaker systems. The new projector is called the Formovie T1, and it is a tri-laser 4K model that offers 2800 lumen brightness and compatibility with Dolby Vision HDR as well as HDR 10 and HDR 10+.

The onboard audio system of this projector features a pair of two-way speaker systems, comprised of 70 mm glass fiber mid-woofers and 20 mm titanium tweeters. The drivers get their own dedicated enclosures and are located towards the outer edges of the baffle, for maximum dispersion. A ported cabinet design helps improve bass response. Power comes from TI amplification with a dull BMS 12 decoder, the speakers receive 15 W of power each.

According to the press release, the result of this effort is impactful sound with "crisp dialogue, uncolored midrange, and good bass extension."

"Bowers & Wilkins currently enjoys anumber of partnerships with like-minded, world beating companies and we are delighted to add Formovie tothat list. Our partnership will allow the superior performance of Bowers & Wilkins True Sound to be included ina new product category and a new form factor. I look forward to working on many more projects together’."

Dave Sheen at Sound United

Of course, things will get more interesting if this projector comes stateside. because one of the most interesting features is not audio related, but rather the fact that this projector supports Dolby Vision and is positioned as a high-performance UST. For those not familiar, Dolby Vision has thus far not made an appearance on consumer projectors in in North America, and the reason for that is the variability in screen sizes and projection surfaces. However, UST projection benefits from a much more constrained relationship between the projector in the screen, with predictable performance characteristics that allow Dolby Vision to do its dynamic HDR thing.

My suggestion, keep a close eye on news coming out of CES 2022, because what comes out in mainland China first might very well make its way over to the U.S. soon enough. And with that, we might finally see a projection-based solution that supports Dolby Vision.

As for the question of why you would want a high-performance speaker system built directly into a UST projector, it's basically because the front of the projector is a good place to put what amounts to a soundbar. This allows a UST projector to have better built-in sound than you would typically find in a TV. And while in a permanent installation you would probably want to add an AVR based surround-sound system that does proper justice to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, one of the great things about the UST projectors, is that you can temporarily set it one up shining on a wall, dim the lights, and have a cinematic multimedia experience with barely any set up required. And when you take this approach, the better the built-in speakers, the more enjoyable the overall viewing experience.

A few more fun facts about the Formovie: It uses ALPD RGB+ laser tech with TI DLP and advertises a 3000:1 native contrast ratio.

'We believe that Formovie is the world’s best laser projector company, so we are delighted to be able to partner with Bowers & Wilkins as the world’s leading specialist audio brand. Together we have created an excellent product that redefines what is currently available in the marketplace. The outstanding performance of the Formovie laser projector T1 is a huge credit to the work of both companies’ engineering teams."

Mike Liu, Business Development Director at Formovie

No word on if/when we'll see this Formovie T1 in the U.S., but it's surely a sign of things to come.

More info (taken from the press release)

About Bowers & Wilkins

Bowers & Wilkins, founded in the U.K. in 1966, has been at the forefront of high-performance audio technology for more than 50 years. It designs and manufactures precision home speakers, headphones, custom installation and performance car audio products that set new standards for innovation and sound quality, earning countless awards and accolades from the world’s leading recording studios and musicians. Bowers & Wilkins’ reputation is based on the unwavering pursuit of the best possible sound and an unsurpassable music listening experience. Bowers & Wilkins joined the Sound United LLC family of brands

About Formovie

Formovie Technology is a world-leading laser TV and projector enterprise. The Formovie brand has been ranked 1st for four consecutive years in the 618 and Double 11 promotions for domestic sales in the laser TV space. Formovie Technology, founded in 2016, is a Xiaomi ecological-chain company jointly established by Appotronics Technology and Xiaomi Technology. Proudly carrying the slogan of “Cinema In Your Home”, Formovie strives to make innovative breakthroughs in Research & Development which is the key factor in how well the products are received by customers.