An exciting find at Design Junction this year (part of the London Design Festival) was the Sony ‘Short Throw’ projector series which allow you to watch TV and films close up and personal…

Film from Furniture

One new addition to the home electronics range known as Life Space UX, is an elegant piece of furniture which can project films onto your wall. What’s new about that you might ask? Well, this one projects at really short distances so whereas traditional projector technology needs to be placed high up and/or far back from the surface you wish to view it on, the Sony 4k Ultra Short Throw projector produces high quality beautiful moving image and stills from only a few centimeters away – hence “Short Throw”.

This new technology has allowed Sony to create a contemporary, low, sleek sideboard-style piece of furniture which can sit against a wall. The innovative lens can project a giant, 147-inch image against that same wall. Viewer shadows won’t interfere with the picture and it allows more open floor space. You can therefore literally watch films from your furniture! It also negates the need for that big black TV screen that hangs around in your front room, eating up eye space.

The SXRD™ panels provide four times the resolution of Full HD which lets you sit closer (ideal in a smaller room) while still enjoying a crisp, colorful picture without distracting pixilation.

The cover closes automatically when the projector is turned off, keeping the unit inconspicuous while also protecting its interior from dust. 

The speakers are integrated into the design which also eliminates exposed cables.

Two cabinet units accommodate any additional electronics, providing an uncluttered storage solution for your entire home theater system.

Currently available in USA from Sony >

At around $50,000 dollars the Sony 4k Ultra Short Throw ‘sideboard’ is not to everyone’s budget of course.

Luckily there as a more affordable version: The Portable Ultra Short Throw Projector represents an equally exciting advancement in technology and because of its portability, creates a new viewing experience at home as it allows any surface to become your TV. Despite its compact size, the 10cm wireless cubic projector is capable of throwing up to an 80” image onto table, wall or any other surface you want to bring to life.

The innovative projector is a wireless unit with built-in speakers that displays images straight onto any wall or floor in your space, taking home cinema a to a whole new level. You can project everything from movies and TV shows, to home videos and family holiday photos. You can watch a film or look at photos directly on your desk surface, bedroom ceiling, or a blank piece of paper on your lap. Sync and stream from your smartphone or tablet with the projector’s dedicated app, or connect to your Blu-ray player, PC, the internet and more through HDMI or Wi-Fi. Additional apps suchs as clocks, weather information and image galleries are also available.

The portable projector is around £1,000 and can be elevated with the use of a separate floor stand, available for approx. £200.

Where can I buy one?

In the UK, the Portable Ultra Short Throw Projector can be bought instore or online from The Conran Shop, at Harrods (instore only at the moment) or direct from Sony.