Want a home cinema setup without the hassle? Hisense's all-in-one projector drops to a temptingly low price

Save £700 on this home cinema-in-a-box

Are you looking for the ideal coffee table projector to turn your living room into a home cinema? Need an all-in-one solution that delivers solid picture and sound quality without having to spend more of your hard-earned cash on a sound system or media streamer? 

You're in luck, as one of our favourite "home cinema in a box" solutions is on sale right now, and we think it's a deal worth sharing. The Hisense C1, which we reviewed at £1999, is currently down to £1299 at Amazon and other retailers; that's a saving of £700.

Hisense C1 £1999 £1299 at Amazon (save £700)
The Hisense C1 is a charming all-in-one solution, cramming everything you'll need for a cinema night at home into one convenient box. It's stylish and produces a punchy if not totally accurate picture, alongside a genuinely enjoyable sound from its JBL-tuned speakers. Rounding things out is the built-in Vidaa smart system which means you can stream directly from the C1.
Also available at Richer Sounds, Peter Tyson and Currys

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In our full review of the Hisense C1, we said this: "the Hisense C1 has a lot going for it; easy set-up, fully-featured streaming, impressive sound and a sharp, punchy picture. All of this fits into a convenient enclosure that really sells the cinema-in-a-box concept." That should say everything about this cuboid cinema system, which we sincerely enjoy, even if it doesn't quite reach five-star expectations. 

We praised the punchy picture, approving of its vibrancy, sharpness and brightness, even if it wasn't what we'd consider to be totally accurate. The C1 delivers an engaging 4K image nonetheless with HDR support in all of the major formats (HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG) which is a huge bonus in our books. While contrast might not be a major strength of this projector, the vivid image is right at home with poppy animated content, or in rooms with lots of ambient light. 

Furthermore, the C1's built-in speakers are very solid by projector standards. We're used to lightweight, condensed sound systems that detract from the movie-watching experience more than they add, so it is refreshing to hear the JBL-tuned speakers built into this box can reach high volumes with ample bass weight and plenty of detail. It even does a decent job of replicating spatial sound effects with Dolby Atmos.

Finally, the built-in Vidaa operating system is, by most accounts, an absolute dream to use. Most manufacturers opt for Android TV which often doesn't include Netflix support, but this issue isn't present on the C1. Generally speaking, the slick and fully featured operating system removes the need for a streaming stick.

If this convenient cinema-in-a-box sounds like what you've been looking for, then now is a great time to snap one up. At £700 off the asking price, the C1 can be found for just £1299 at Amazon, Richer Sounds, Peter Tyson and Currys right now.

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Check out our picks for the best projectors

Want a rival to the C1? Read our Xgimi Horizon Ultra review 

And for a more traditional projector, read our Epson EH-TW7100 review