Its small form manages to contain a long-lived laser light source, Android TV, Google Play Store apps and games, and even good audio. The Anker Nebula Solar is a portable projector that's absolutely stacked with features. Many come with soft carrying cases, but they could just as easily be slipped into a travel bag or backpack. Its incredibly easy to set up, auto-adapting for different heights and angles, with a superb auto-focus. Lamp-Free is what to look for. Many manufacturers have introduced mini projectors that are generally a bit larger than palmtops, but considerably brighter. As a rule of thumb, the more you spend, the brighter the image and the higher the resolution, giving you a better experience overall. In our experience, the built-in Android apps are usually flaky or seem to struggle to find the best-quality streams. Plus, with Google Assistant support via the bundled voice remote, it's incredibly easy to search for new apps and content. Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 Smart Streaming Laser Projector, Best for Movie Watching Away From a Power Socket, Best for Playrooms, Watching Movies Away From Home. By If your projector is going to sit on your coffee table, make sure it says its a short throw.. Although most pack standard Android builds, we have also seen ones running the Android TV OS. With battery-powered operation, built-in speakers and lamps that last for tens of thousands of hours, these portable projectors are perfect for take-anywhere entertainment. Many models come with built-in rechargeable batteries so you can use them away from a power outlet. This means you wont get the pin-sharp clarity youre used to from todays 4K and HD TVs. Its bigger than most, with an unconventional vertical design, built to incorporate both a bundled Android TV streaming stick and a 2.1 audio system. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, You can use Google's Movies and TV service to purchase and watch video or download Android TV apps. The listed 400 lumens brightness means the Nebula Solar Portable will struggle to remain visible in bright environments, while dark scenes are difficult to make out even in ideal viewing conditions. But as projectors have come down in size, portable models have come into their own, making it possible for you to project your data and video anywhere you go. Read on for our labs-tested favorites, followed by the buying basics you should know when shopping for one. This distorts the picture so that the rectangular image looks like a trapezoid (or worse) an effect known as keystoning. The Miroir Synq M189 delivers impressive color accuracy and robust audio, plus it packs a compartment big enough to hide your favorite streaming stick. If you want to go one better, some include a headphone socket or better still Bluetooth connectivity. Home cinema doesnt get more portable than the Anker Nebula Capsule. Better yet, because theyre small, light and relatively cheap, you wont mind lugging them around. They used to be massive things, ran hot, were power-hungry and needed a chunky stand or coffee table to sit on if not a dedicated home cinema room. ViewSonic's M1 mini is a highly portable palmtop projector that counters its modest brightness with a cleverly designed stand, decent image quality for photos and videos, and the ability to play music files. The 1080p Anker Nebula Solar Portable offers lots of desirable features, including support for 4K and HDR, built-in Android TV, and good brightness for its size and weight. Meanwhile, other portable projectors have a simple USB output, which allows you to connect laptops and other compatible devices to it. For those who enjoy camping, and just want some form of entertainment next to the campfire, a lower resolution works. Its important to know what to look for when buying a smart projector. Most of our favourite battery-powered projectors have a resolution of 720p or lower, which casts the Acer C250i's 1080p in a very favourable light. The biggest downside is the lack of Bluetooth audio output, although you can plug in a pair of headphones. Its built-in rechargeable battery lasts up to five hours, there's a full array of connectivity features, including HDMI and USB-C video inputs. As a result, you get a fairly convincing 360 sound with a bit more space and a spot of boom and rumble although distortion creeps in as you push up the volume. Most portable projectors will have a built-in battery, which should last you long enough to watch a film, although often only with the brightness turned down. Its a bigger and more expensive projector roughly the size of a coffee-table hardback, and its more than twice the price of the smaller model. Of late, due to the pandemic, many of us have been less mobile than our devices. Projectors are best positioned with the lens facing directly at the centre of the screen, but in practice this isnt usually practical, so the projector has to be placed above or below or even to one side and angled up or down and left or right. Single-chip DLP projectors often show potentially annoying rainbow artifacts (little red-green-blue flashes), but this so-called rainbow effect tends to be more of a problem in standard projectors than in pico or palmtop models. Needless to say, budget is a factor. In a dark room, you can still get a decent picture, but if youre expecting true cinema quality or something thatll work with the curtains wide open, you may end up feeling disappointed. , The Bluetooth speaker functionality is a great addition to the Solar Portables feature set, effectively delivering two devices in one. By considering how youre going to use it, youll get the right mix of features. Whats more, image quality isnt as good on the built-in Netflix as it is on Netflix running from a Roku Streaming Stick. It's neither the lightest nor slimmest machine, and it isn't battery-powered, but if you're after a cheap and cheerful portable projector for watching occasional films, sport or TV programmes with the family or friends, the Yaber V7 Pro is an excellent choice. It might be a bit on the pricey side, but there's no denying it: the Anker Nebula Capsule II is the king of portable projectors. If home entertainment is your preferred use, opt for 4K resolution. PCMag is obsessed with culture and tech, offering smart, spirited coverage of the products and innovations that shape our connected lives and the digital trends that keep us talking. Remember that your maximum size will also be affected by the brightness. On top of all this, it's also possible to connect to the projector via Bluetooth and play music via its built-in 8W speaker. Though convenient and snazzy, they tend to be of low brightness and relatively expensive for their performance. Since 2004, I have worked on PCMags hardware team, covering at various times printers, scanners, projectors, storage, and monitors. They are highly portable, but you pay a premium for their svelteness, and they usually have a limited set of connection choices. In normal or bright mode, the image is crisp and well-defined and colour performance is solid, enabling you to project a bright, watchable image up to 100in in size in dim or dark rooms. Also battery life, so you'll be able to able to get through a 2-hour movie without a re-charge. Some of the best portable projectors also offer wireless connectivity, which makes broadcasting from your smartphone or tablet easy. You wont get the same levels of contrast and brightness with a portable projector, either. The Acer C250i truly is a multi-talented portable projector with good image quality and a great range of connectivity, plus it's slightly cheaper than the Anker Nebula Capsule II. Best Android phone 2022: The best Android smartphones, Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro review: Mid-range perfection, Anker Soundcore Life Q30: Effective ANC on a budget, Huawei MateBook D15: A thoroughly decent laptop, Samsung Galaxy Book Go: Youre better off with a Chromebook, BenQ W1800 review: A 4K treat for home cinema fans, BenQ TK700 review: 4K gaming on a massive scale, BenQ GV30 review: A convenient, portable projector, Yaber V7 Pro review: A superb budget projector, XGIMI Halo+: Nearly the perfect portable projector, The best projector screens for movie night. Some palmtops have 480p or lower resolution, and a few have resolutions up to 1080p (1,920 by 1,080), but most are 720p (1,280 by 720 pixels). The projectors we highlight here are relatively lightweight, with the heaviest weighing just more than 2 pounds and the lightest right around 3 ounces. There are some aspects of the M2 that were not convinced by, particularly the built-in Android OS with its dated versions of the most popular streaming apps youll get a better experience and better image quality by plugging in your own Roku or Amazon Fire TV stick. Picture-wise, the M1 is a big step up from the bargain-basement projector crowd. When you want to use it a projector, you just switch it into Projector mode. -, Read Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 Smart Streaming Laser Projector Review, Read Kodak Luma 350 Portable Smart Projector Review, USB, Wi-Fi, USB-C (power only), Bluetooth (audio in), Direct Wireless (Chromecast), HDMI, 3840 by 2160 using 1920 by 1080 DLP chip with XPR fast-switch pixel shifting. Heres why you can trust us. For those that dont, the standard HDMI connection means you can plug in an Amazon Fire TV, Roku or NowTV stick, and you can usually play video files directly from a USB port (which can also be used to power your choice of streaming stick). Finally, some standard projectors are still small and light enough to be easily portable, whether you're moving them between classrooms or taking them on a cross-country flight. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. Mini projectors have the hardest time with resolution. However, the sound is full and powerful enough for some casual viewing without speakers or a soundbar connected, and the image quality is as good as portable projectors get. Whats more, this projector optimises itself, taking care of keystoning and focus for you, although you can tweak all the settings (and maybe turn the rather aggressive motion interpolation settings down). 1080p and even 4K content can look fantastic in a dark room. However, you need to buy a dongle for Wi-Fi access. If you dont already have a premium sound system integrated into your home theatre, opt for premium speakers. Theres no Netflix support, though, so youll still need to plug another source into the HDMI port if you want to watch that. Go for the Solar or the M2 if you prioritise image quality, but as a quick-and-dirty, all-in-one home cinema, the GV30 works a treat. Al Griffin We have lately seen a growing number of small multimedia projectors that can double as Bluetooth speakers. I currently focus my testing efforts on 3D printers, pro and productivity displays, and drives and SSDs of all sorts. Or can it fold into a travel-ready container? Thin-and-lights and standard-sized portable models are often in the 3,000-lumen range, use standard projector screens, and can tolerate ambient light. This time around, the resolution has been bumped up to 720p from 480p and the brightness has been doubled from 100 to 200 ANSI lumens. The ML550 handled our 90-inch test screen with impressive results, and peaked at a 60-inch-or-so size. Key specs Brightness: 1,200 ANSI lumens; Native resolution: 1,920 x 1,080; Speakers: 3W stereo speakers; Throw ratio: 1.23:1; Max recommended image: 100in; Inputs and outputs: USB-A, USB-C, HDMI 2.0, SD card, 3.5mm headphone/audio; Wireless: 802.11n, Bluetooth 4; Lamp life: 30,000hrs; Dimensions: 224 x 224 x 51mm; Weight: 1.32kg. Not only that but this unusually shaped projector is also capable of projecting a bright image of up to 300 lumens, making it more than a match for the best battery-powered machines we've tested. You cant expect the kind of experience youd get from a good, dedicated home cinema projector. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. The price isn't bad either. Despite its small size, it can project images up to 120 inches in size, and it has a built-in 6,000mAh battery that can power the projector for up to 5 hours, which makes it rather flexible, as you don't have to worry about finding a plug socket to power the device. Anker makes its own mini-Bluetooth speakers, and we suspect the same drivers and technology are used here. We have seen a few small laser-based projectors and a smattering of liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) models. The ViewSonic X10-4KE delivers 4K UHD resolution, HDR, and built-in streaming, plus an excellent audio system. It has a built-in rechargeable battery so you can use it on the go without having to faff around with a power cord, and it comes with integrated speakers and a range of connectivity options. They pack a relatively high resolution, and their larger frames let them include more physical ports than their smaller brethren. Is it the best projector? All of the projectors in this list have been hand-picked by us to provide you with the best options when it comes to portability, taking into account such factors as picture quality, connectivity, battery life, and of course, price. You can use them with a big screen in the living room or pair them with a portable screen when you take them away on holiday. Also note: At the very end of this article is a detailed spec breakout of our top choices. Bath The Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K is not your average compact projector. Key specs Brightness: 200 ANSI lumens; Native resolution: 1,280 x 720; Speakers: 8W 270 internal speaker; Throw ratio: 1.3:1; Max recommended image: 100in; Inputs and outputs: HDMI 1.4, USB-C; Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth; Battery life: Up to 2hrs 30mins; Dimensions: 80 x 80 x 150mm; Weight: 740g. Color accuracy isn't perfect, but it's good enough for most people to accept without a second thought. Using a streaming stick will give you a better experience without making your setup less portable or, in some cases, you can stream to the projector from your smartphone. Sure, it isn't the cheapest option on this list, but it's definitely the most polished, providing users with everything you could possibly want in a portable entertainment experience all you need to provide is a blank surface to project onto. Still, it's a great portable projector, especially for work presentations. The highest-end smart projectors will call themselves True 4K projectors. While the picture quality is pretty adequate for the price and form factor, the projector is letdown on the brightness front. TechRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Still, they are lightweight enough that you wouldn't think twice about packing one in a bag or a backpack. If too much ambient light is introduced, or the image is enlarged too much, it will look washed out and detail will be lost. When you switch one of these projectors to Bluetooth mode, it operates purely as a speaker. It comes with one MHL-ready HDMI input, a USB 2.0 slot for thumbdrives, a universal I/O slot, and a microSD card slot. This isnt as much of a plus point as you might expect theres no Google Play store and no official apps for Amazon Prime or Netflix, leaving you to navigate the browser-based apps using a virtual trackpad on Ankers connected smartphone app. It's a similar shape to the original, albeit slightly larger, and just as easy to sling in a bag or pop in a cupboard when you've finished using it. Portable projectors are not only perfect for a backyard movie screening, giving you the opportunity to have a large home cinema projector experience whenever you want, but also for students who want big screen entertainment in their dormitory, and for people who travel for business and need to make presentations in various locations.
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