A genuinely bright 4K all-in-one with JBL 2.1 sound and 240Hz gaming — living-room-ready for well under $3K.

Hisense C2 Ultra

Hisense

Measured brighter than its 3,000-lumen rating, with elite color, JBL 2.1 sound, a gimbal that aims anywhere, and 240Hz big-screen gaming — the best-value bright all-in-one. The catch is native contrast (2,000:1): blacks trail the Nebula X1 in a dark room.

The C2 Ultra is the compact, do-everything 4K that's actually happy in a normal living room. Its TriChroma RGB triple-laser engine — 28 laser diodes, the same family as the PX3-Pro — is rated at 3,000 ANSI lumens and measures right there or higher (Tom's Guide clocked 3,231), so unlike dim lifestyle projectors it holds a vivid picture with the lights on. Color is elite: 110% BT.2020 coverage and one of the most accurate out-of-the-box images you can buy, with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and IMAX Enhanced. It's built for convenience. An integrated gimbal swivels 360° and tilts up and down, a 1.67x optical zoom fills 65–300 inches without cropping pixels, and auto keystone/focus/screen-fit get you aligned fast (if a touch slowly). The JBL 2.1 sound system — twin 10W drivers plus a 20W subwoofer — is genuinely room-filling, and it's a real gaming projector too: 'Designed for Xbox' with a 240Hz mode and ~12–15ms latency for big-screen play (competitive players will still want a monitor). The trade-offs are modest. Native contrast is only about 1,600–2,000:1 — lower than the Hisense USTs and the Anker Nebula X1 — so in a fully dark room its blacks don't sink as deep, leaning on dynamic dimming. Vidaa (Netflix included) is fast but shows ads on its home screen and has a smaller app store than Google TV, the 240Hz gaming mode runs at 1080p (4K caps at 60Hz), and the eye-protection sensor is a touch over-eager. But at a street price around $2,499 for a bright, sharp, JBL-equipped, gaming-ready 4K triple-laser you can carry to the backyard, the value is hard to argue with.

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Last reviewed Jul 6, 2026

What we like

• ✓Measured brighter than its 3,000-lumen rating — genuinely usable with the lights on
• ✓110% BT.2020, elite out-of-the-box color with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and IMAX Enhanced
• ✓JBL 2.1 sound with a real 20W subwoofer — room-filling on its own
• ✓Gimbal stand plus 1.67x optical zoom — aim anywhere, 65–300", no pixel cropping
• ✓'Designed for Xbox' 240Hz mode with ~12–15ms lag — a real big-screen gaming projector

Trade-offs

• −Native contrast is only ~1,600–2,000:1 — blacks trail rivals in a dark room
• −Vidaa is smooth but shows ads on the home screen and has a smaller app store than Google TV
• −240Hz gaming mode is 1080p only (4K tops out at 60Hz)
• −Eye-protection sensor is over-sensitive and can interrupt viewing