Leica Cine 1 I 100"

The Leica Cine 1 I 100 is the German manufacturer’s first ultra-short-throw projector, developed in collaboration with Hisense. It combines a Summicron lens that meets Leica standards with triple RGB laser technology, enabling it to project a 100-inch 4K image from 25 cm away from the wall. It is equipped with DTT tuners, a Dolby Atmos audio system, and a Smart TV interface.

A Bauhaus-inspired aluminum chassis

The Leica Cine 1 I 100 features a clean, geometric design that draws on the Bauhaus aesthetic vocabulary. The housing is entirely clad in silver brushed aluminum, a material choice that gives it a robustness and level of finish rarely seen on this type of device. Its dimensions of 600 × 378 × 149 mm and weight of 15.1 kg attest to a substantial build.

The top surface is uncluttered, punctuated only by the power button, a few LED indicators, and the brand’s iconic red dot. The side panels are regularly perforated, providing both thermal ventilation and sound dispersion from the built-in speakers. The result is an object that fully assumes its presence in a living space without trying to hide.

One feature sets the Cine 1 apart from many competitors: the motorized dust cover that protects the optics. When the device is switched off, a metal flap automatically closes over the lens, preventing dust from accumulating on the glass elements. This mechanism, still too rare on ultra-short-throw projectors, preserves image quality over the long term. Presence sensors located on the top can also interrupt the laser beam if someone comes too close to the light source.

The Summicron lens: four aspherical elements serving image quality

The optical core of the Cine 1 I 100 is based on a Summicron lens developed specifically for this projector. This lens incorporates four aspherical elements manufactured to Leica’s strict tolerances. Unlike many projectors that offer a zoom to adjust image size, the Cine 1’s Summicron is factory-set for a fixed 100-inch diagonal.

This technical choice is far from trivial. Leica believes that a fixed focal length lens optimized for a specific image size guarantees superior sharpness and uniformity across the entire projected surface. The 80- and 120-inch models in the range each have their own dedicated lens, tuned for their respective formats. Moving the projector to change the image size would impair projection quality.

With a throw ratio of 0.25, the Cine 1 can operate at around 25 centimeters from the projection surface to produce a 100-inch image. This ultra-short throw allows it to be placed on a low piece of furniture, without a person walking in front of the unit interrupting the projection. The benefits of the optical design are evident in the uniform focus from the center to the edges of the image and the reduction of chromatic aberrations—those colored fringes sometimes visible on high-contrast transitions.

Triple RGB laser and LIO processing

The Cine 1 I 100’s light source uses three separate lasers for the primary colors red, green, and blue. This configuration, more sophisticated than systems that rely on a blue laser with a phosphor wheel, enables an extended color gamut. Leica claims coverage of more than 100% of the BT.2020 color space, the reference standard for HDR content.

The light output reaches around 3,000 lumens, which allows viewing in moderately lit conditions. For optimal performance, a darkened environment is still preferable, and using an ambient light rejecting (ALR) screen significantly improves perceived contrast in the presence of stray light sources. The laser source’s lifespan exceeds 25,000 hours, equivalent to several decades of use at a few hours per day.

The proprietary LIO (Leica Image Optimization) processing applies correction algorithms designed to reproduce natural colors and smooth gradients. This processing focuses on skin tone handling, transitions between bright and dark areas, and the rendering of detail in highlights and shadows. Compatibility with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG formats makes it possible to leverage the dynamic metadata of recent content to adjust the image scene by scene.

DLP XPR technology: simulated 4K resolution

The Cine 1’s display engine is built around a 0.47-inch DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) chip supplied by Texas Instruments. This array has a native resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels. The 4K resolution (3840 × 2160 pixels) is achieved through XPR (Expanded Pixel Resolution) technology, which successively projects multiple slightly shifted images at a high frequency.

This pixel-shifting technique, common to many DLP projectors in this category, produces an image perceived by the human eye as 4K. The result offers a higher level of detail and finesse than native Full HD projection, although some purists distinguish this approach from true pixel-by-pixel 4K resolution. In practice, the Cine 1 delivers a very sharp picture with rich detail that meets the expectations of home cinema use.

The claimed dynamic contrast ratio reaches around 2,000,000:1, while native contrast is around 1,000:1. In real-world terms, this translates into relatively deep blacks for a projector and an ability to reproduce dark scenes with a good level of detail. It should be noted that a slight colored fringing effect (green or red) may appear at the borders of very high-contrast areas, an inherent characteristic of triple laser technology that the Summicron lens mitigates but does not completely eliminate.

An integrated Dolby Atmos audio system

The Cine 1 I 100 features a 4.0-channel audio system delivering a total power of 50 watts (2 × 25 W). Six speakers are distributed inside the chassis, projecting sound through the perforated side grilles. Dolby Atmos processing creates an immersive soundstage around the listener, simulating height and depth effects.

For occasional viewing or use in a living space, this audio system can be sufficient. Dialogue remains intelligible, sound effects have a certain breadth, and bass is present, though it does not reach the depth of a dedicated subwoofer. For a more advanced home cinema setup, connecting a soundbar or separate audio system via the HDMI eARC output or the optical S/PDIF output is still recommended.

VIDAA and Smart TV functions

The VIDAA operating system, developed by Hisense and used on more than 30 million connected devices, powers the Cine 1’s interface. This platform provides access to the main streaming apps: Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, MyCanal, Molotov, among others. The interface is organized into horizontal rails grouping apps and recommended content.

The system’s responsiveness allows for smooth navigation between menus and applications. The built-in media player supports a wide range of video, audio, and image file formats stored on a USB stick or external hard drive. VIAA Voice control, accessible via the microphone built into the remote control, lets you launch searches or control certain functions without pressing buttons.

The Cine 1 also includes DTT tuners (DVB-T2/C/S2/S) with an electronic program guide, enabling it to operate as a fully fledged television. Program recording to USB storage is supported. AirPlay compatibility allows content to be streamed from Apple devices, while screen mirroring extends this capability to other smartphones and tablets.

Game mode and latency

The Cine 1 I 100 offers a dedicated game mode that reduces display latency. In 4K at 60 Hz, the measured input lag is under 60 milliseconds, an acceptable value for most types of video games. The HDMI 2.1 ports allow connection of the latest-generation consoles and gaming PCs.

It should be made clear that current DLP chips cannot display 4K at 120 Hz, even though the HDMI 2.1 inputs can technically receive such a signal. 4K/120 content is displayed at 60 Hz. For competitive gamers seeking minimal latency, specialized projectors or traditional displays remain better suited.

Technical specifications

Projection and display

• Native screen size: 254 cm (100 inches)
• Native resolution: 4K (3840 × 2160 pixels)
• Display technology: 0.47-inch DLP XPR (Texas Instruments)
• Throw ratio: 0.25 (ultra short throw)
• Resolution enhancement: yes

Image quality

• Light output: ~ 3000 lumens
• Dynamic contrast: ~ 2,000,000:1
• Contrast ratio: ~ 1000:1
• Rec. 2020 color gamut coverage: > 100%

Light source and image processing

• Light source type: triple RGB laser
• Light source lifetime: > 25,000 hours
• LIO image processing: Leica Image Optimization (yes)

HDR and video formats

• Supported HDR modes
  • Dolby Vision
  • HDR10
  • HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma)

Integrated TV and smart features

• Operating system: VIAA U6
• Tuner: DVB-T2 / C / S2 / S with EPG
• Unicable support: Unicable 1 / Unicable Jess
• DiSEqC: DiSEqC 1.2
• Web browser: built-in
• HbbTV: yes
• Voice control: VIAA Voice
• Parental control: yes
• Noise reduction: yes

Integrated audio system

• Output power: 2 × 25 W
• Supported audio formats: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus
• Configuration: 4.0 channels
• Headphone / audio output: 1 × 3.5 mm jack

Connectivity and interfaces

• HDMI: 2 × HDMI 2.1 + 1 × HDMI 2.0 (with eARC support)
• USB: 2 × ports (1 × USB 2.0 + 1 × USB 3.0) with USB recording
• LAN: 1 × Ethernet RJ45
• RF antenna inputs: 2 × inputs
• Optical S / PDIF: 1 × Toslink
• CI+: 1 × slot (Common Interface)
• Wi-Fi 6: 802.11 AX (2.4 / 5.0 GHz)
• Bluetooth: 5.0
• AirPlay: yes
• Screen mirroring: yes

Gaming performance

• Game mode: yes
• 4K 60 Hz latency: < 60 ms

Supported file formats

• Containers: AVI, MP4, MKV, TS, FLV, OGG
• Video: AVI, WMV, MP4, MOV, 3GP, MKV, MPG, MPEG, VOB, FLV, WebM, OGM
• Audio: WMA, MP4, FLAC, MP2, MP3, AAC, WAV
• Image: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, WEBP

Dimensions and weight

• Dimensions (console only): 600 × 378 × 149 mm (W × D × H)
• Weight (console only): ~ 15.1 kg

Power supply and power consumption

• Mains voltage: 120 V – 240 V
• Power consumption
  • Standard mode: max. 300 W
  • Standby mode: 0.5 W
  • Network mode: 2.0 W
• Auto standby: 15 minutes without signal

Environmental conditions

• Operating temperature: +5 °C to +40 °C
• Storage temperature: -20 °C to +65 °C
• Noise level: < 32 dB(A)
• OTA updates: yes (Over-The-Air)

Remote control

• Type: Bluetooth with aluminum housing
• Function: with microphone (voice control)