This 4K Sony short-throw projector is ultra-cool and ultra-expensive

CES 2018 is very much up and running in Las Vegas, with the world's biggest tech companies busy showing off their new gear for 2018. Amidst the flood of gadgets making an appearance, Sony's new 4K short-throw projector is instantly a challenger to the best projectors on the market – if you've got the cash to afford it.

Cunningly disguised as a table, so it'll fit seamlessly into your home theatre setup, the LSPX-A1 can sit at a distance of just 9.6 inches (24 cm) from the wall and still cast a 120-inch (3 metre) projection in glorious 4K resolution.

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It's all handled via a slit in the top of the artificial marble surface that crowns the projector, so visiting friends and family may well be baffled at just where this gloriously rich and detailed image is coming from. The peak brightness is rated at 2500 lumens.

Sony says the sound is just as good as the visuals, thanks to a Glass Sound Speaker featuring something called Advanced Vertical Drive Technology. You've got two tweeters in the projector legs, three midrange speakers in the body, and a separate subwoofer underneath to create a 360-degree sound experience alongside the picture.

Maybe throw up a picture of a forest alongside some realistic nature sounds, suggests Sony – if you've watched everything on Netflix.

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With an aluminium frame and a wooden shelf, this is a much better bet for your living room than one of those ugly black box projectors. Simply hook up a Blu-ray player, an Apple TV, or any other Ultra HD source you fancy, and the LSPX-A1 will take care of the rest. Even the remote control has been specially designed for extra aesthetic appeal.

Ready to make a purchase? Hang on just a minute, eager buyer, because when this goes on sale later in the spring it's expected to cost in the region of $30,000 (that's roughly £22,175). You're going to need to have a seriously big home cinema budget for this.

Even if you don't buy yourself one, this is an ultra-cool bit of hardware, featuring technology which will hopefully make its way down to cheaper devices given time.

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