Peerless-AV PRGS-UNV Mount Review

We purchased the Peerless-AV PRGS-UNV Mount so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.

The Peerless-AV PGRS Projector Mount is a heavy-duty universal mount that’s easy to install, easy to adjust, and capable of handling all but the largest and heaviest of projectors. This low profile mount includes thumbscrews for easy pitch and roll adjustment, and it even has a standard pipe thread if you have high ceilings and need to offset the mount to get a straight shot at your projector screen.

We recently installed a PGRS-UNV in a home theater setting, testing out how easy it is to install and adjust, how well it performs in regular usage, how sturdy it is, and more.

Design: Compact and flexible

The Peerless-AV PGRS-UNV consists of a ceiling mount with built-in pitch and roll adjustments, and what they call a spider universal adapter plate that’s designed to fit most projectors. The two fit together via a sliding mechanism that’s secured by a quick-release thumbscrew. The combined assembly is very compact, allowing you to mount your projector less than four inches from the ceiling.

The overall design looks a bit sturdier and more professional than budget-priced projector mounts, but this mount also has some thoughtful design touches that make it very easy to use. The most important feature is that the pitch and roll are adjusted by large thumbscrews instead of tiny bolts, and the mechanism is designed to hold in place without loosening or tightening any set screws.

The other key design feature here is the spider adapter plate, which provides a huge level of flexibility in terms of the projectors that you can use with this mount. The mount arms can be moved and adjusted with a much greater degree of freedom than you get out of most universal mounts.

Setup Process: Couldn’t be easier

When you’ve spent all day snaking cables through your walls, the last thing you want is a complicated projector mount setup process. The PGRS-UNV delivers here big time, with a totally painless setup process that only takes a few minutes to complete.

The first step is to slide the ceiling mount and adapter plate together, and tighten the thumbscrew that prevents them from separating. This is much easier, and a whole lot faster, than most other projector mounts we’ve worked with.

Once the mount is assembled, you can loosen the mount arms on the adapter plate, position them to line up with the mounting holes on your projector, and bolt the mount to the projector. You’re then ready to attach the mount to your ceiling.

In many cases, it’s easier to attach the mount to the ceiling first, then attach the adapter plate to your projector, and then slide the assemblies together. Attempting this type of installation is difficult with a lot of projector mounts, but it’s actually quite easy with the PGRS-UNV due to the way the assemblies slide together. 

Construction: Rock solid materials and thoughtful design touches

The PGRS-UNV is constructed primarily out of fairly heavy-duty steel, with the adapter plate, arms, and ceiling mount all being made from steel that feels sturdy and strong. The thumb screw knobs are plastic, and the clamps that attach the arms to the adapter plate are some type of die-cast pot metal.

Overall, the construction feels rock solid. It’s well designed and compact, works well, and really feels like it’s built to last. The only exceptions are those four clamps, which do present a bit of concern.

It’s impossible to say how well the die-cast clamps will hold up in the long term, but previous experience with this type of metal has shown that it doesn’t hold up that great in load-bearing applications. We would be hesitant to hang a 50-pound projector on this mount with the arms extended to the full 17.63-inch reach, but don’t expect any issues as long as you stay under the weight limit and avoid extending the arms all the way.

To be safe, you may want to inspect the clamps for signs of stress from time to time if your projector is especially heavy or has mounting holes that are really far apart.

Compatibility: Great projector coverage

This mount can handle all but the biggest and heaviest of projectors, thanks to solid construction and the highly flexible design of Peerless-AV’s spider universal adapter plate. The arms can extend out far enough to accommodate mounting holes that are up to 17.63 inches apart, and you can also adjust the offset between the mounting plate and the projector by about an inch.

The reason this mounting design is so flexible is that each arm connects to the adapter plate via a clamp, allowing each arm to freely rotate a full 360 degrees around the body of the plate, pivot a full 360 degrees around its clamp, and also slide in and out the full length of the arm.

Range of Movement: Rotates on two axis and also swivels

This is a low profile mount, so there is no vertical adjustment by default, and there is also no way to adjust it from side to side once it’s installed. You can adjust the pitch by 15 degrees up and 20 degrees down, and adjust the roll by five degrees to either side. You can also rotate the entire assembly 15 degrees in either direction, or 360 degrees if you install it on an extension column.

The actual range of movement isn’t that much of an improvement over less expensive models, but the method used to perform adjustments is massively superior to a lot of mounts that we’ve seen.

Instead of using set screws and pivot screws that have to be loosened and tightened independently, this mount uses one thumb screw for pitch and another one for roll. You don’t have to loosen anything to perform an adjustment, and you don’t have to tighten anything after.

Price: On the high end

Peerless-AV sets an MSRP of $202 for the PRGS-UNV Projector Mount, but it’s usually priced in the $90 to $110 range. That’s significantly more expensive than low end competition, but it’s priced quite well for a mount of this quality that’s this easy to use. You can save a lot of money by going with a budget-priced mount, but the PRGS-UNV provides an experience that’s superior to anything you’re likely to get out of a similarly-priced unit, let alone anything in the budget range. 

Competition: Tough to beat

VIVO PV01W Projector Mount (View on Amazon): Typically priced at less than $20, this unit is indicative of what you can expect to get out of a budget-range projector mount. It can handle up to 30 pounds, has arms that are capable of reaching mounting holes up to 12.5 inches apart, and includes pitch, roll, and rotation adjustments. It’s also much more difficult to adjust than the PRGS-UNV and less sturdy, in a clear case of getting what you pay for.

QualGear Pro-AV Projector Mount (View on Amazon): This mount from QualGear is typically priced in the $50 to $70 range, so it’s a bit cheaper than the PRGS-UNV. It works with a smaller range of projectors, as it can handle up to 70 pounds, but the mounting arms can only stretch about eight inches. It does have some extra flexibility as it’s available in a package that includes an extension pipe, but it’s harder to adjust than the PRGS-UNV.

Amer Universal Drop-in Ceiling Mount (View on Amazon): The Universal Projector Drop-in Ceiling Mount from Amer is designed for use with drop ceilings, so it’s easier to install than the PRGS-UNV if you have a drop ceiling. It’s also harder to adjust, only supports 30 pounds, and is typically priced between $120 and $170.

Still can't decide on what you want? Our round-up of the best projector mounts can help you find what you're looking for.