Do you want one of those cool LG roll-up OLED screens but can’t afford to drop the cost of a car (or several) on a TV? Xgimi has unveiled a solution, one that will also work if you just want to hide your screen altogether. The Ascend is a retractable ambient light-rejecting screen with built-in speakers and an ultra short-throw projector.
The long main box looks more like furniture than tech, which is good since it’s huge. And it needs to be — fitting inside a 100-inch diagonal screen and the motorized supports needed to keep it vertical. Also inside are Harman Kardon speakers, letting the entire Ascend function as a soundbar. One particular feature will no doubt be a hit at parties: The Ascend can descend to half-height, letting you show a fireplace on an ultrawide screen for some implied warmth and virtual coziness.
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Paired with the Ascend at CES is the Aura 2 ultra-short throw projector. This 4K DLP PJ has a claimed 2,300 lumens, runs Android TV and is already available.
A simple UST solution?
We at CNET, and me especially, have been fairly skeptical of ultra-short throw projectors. They’re expensive and aren’t easily capable of the “TV replacement” common in all their marketing. One of the main issues is they really need a screen. This is true of any projector, but especially one that’s throwing its image almost vertically, potentially spilling light on the ceiling.
Like any projector, they also can’t compete with ambient light. An ambient light-rejecting screen can help considerably, but they aren’t cheap. When you can get a 100-inch TV for $3,000, which will be brighter, have better contrast, and be fully visible in the daylight, USTs are a hard sell.
The Ascend, however, offers an interesting proposition. One thing about a huge TV is that, when off, it’s just this massive, oppressive, black box looming in your room. When the Ascent is off… there’s literally nothing there. The ALR screen does a decent job of letting you watch shows when there’s some light. When we viewed it at CES it was in a well-lit room. Dark scenes were still a bit murky, but bright scenes were watchable. It seems like a rather elegant-looking solution to someone who wants a big screen but doesn’t want to live with a big screen.
There’s no pricing yet on the Ascend. It won’t be cheap, but it will be way cheaper than a roll-up TV. The Aura 2 is available now for $2,700.
For more from CES 2025, check out the solar-powered EV that doesn’t need to be plugged in and the most innovative products from the show that you can actually buy now.
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