- Bright, crisp picture up to 120-Inch wide,Maximum Resolution: 800x480
- Portable ultra compact
- Includes Roku Streaming Stick
- Up to 2.5 hours of battery life (on eco mode) per charge, or runs continuously on AC power
- Audio out for external speakers or headphones
1. The advertised resolution is only 854x480 (WVGA), but during boot-up and initial config the unit told me it was switching to 720p mode. Theoretically, that'll get you DVD quality or basic HD, depending on which you believe. HOWEVER, I've used it to watch several different kinds of media (animation, TV and film) and no matter what I throw at it, in practice the picture is very, very , very soft. There is a manual focus wheel, but it doesn't achieve anything like the kind of sharpness you can achieve with a regular full sized projector, much less a plasma, LCD or CRT display. Honestly, I'd say maximum visual sharpness is roughly on par with a good VHS tape player (i.e., maybe a 480i picture). My eyes have become so trained to expect tack-sharp LCD and plasma displays that it's really hard for me to enjoy watching this for very long. It brings back memories of watching broadcast TV on my parents' old Zenith tube TV.
2. At only 60 lumens, the picture is pretty dim. For comparison, most inexpensive consumer projectors emit 600-2000+ lumens. To put it into even starker contrast, I own three Coast LED flashlights that put out 251, 339 and 615 lumens. Yes, my smallest flashlight puts out 4x the light of this projector. So imagine shining a rather dim flashlight on your wall: that'll give you a good idea how (not) bright this projector is. In a dimly-lit room in the evening after sundown, the picture certainly is watchable, but you really want the room to be in darkness for best effect. Of course you can make it better with a specially reflective screen or white theater paint, but that may defeat the purpose of a portable projector.
3. The combination of low brightness and a soft picture means you really shouldn't get your hopes up that this will drive a big 120" screen like the advertising copy claims. Over around 45-50", the picture starts to get kind of washed-out, and of course the bigger it gets the more you notice its unsharpness.
4. On the good side, it is easy to use and ridiculously small I have coffee cups larger than this projector. That makes it very portable, very flexible, and easy to store when not in use. It was easy to set up (less than 5 minutes), attach to my WPA2 WiFi network, make a Roku account and start using Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. My kids were operating it five minutes after that.
5. Also on the good side, It does have a single MHL video input, which (although the ad copy is silent about this) is a standard HDMI port. That's a positive benefit, because it means the projector is NOT a one-trick pony. You can use it with your cable box, TiVo, DVD player, blu ray player, game console, computer, camcorder, camera, tablet, etc. That's awesome.
So what is this thing good for? In two words: uncritical viewing. Kids' use, sleepovers, outdoor projection at night onto a garage, holiday effects projected onto your house, etc. If that's what you're looking for, then this projector delivers a lot of fun, value and convenience. Still, I wonder if that's enough to justify the retail price for most people, most of the time. Caveat emptor, you might like this a lot if you have reasonable expectations, otherwise, stick to your regular TV for group watching, or use your tablet or phone for portable viewing.
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Before I got this, I read a lot of forums where people speculated about the quality to expect. They said things like "don't expect better than 480p resolution" and "at best, this will only work in a very dark room". Well I am happy to say that "they" were wrong. This is not an awesome projector, but it is awesome FOR THE PRICE.There are 4 reasons for me to recommend this:
1) It's bright enough to use during the day. Right now, it's 4:30pm, on an overcast day, and daylight is entering my two south-facing living room windows. With the projector 9 feet from a wall directly opposite the windows (giving me an image that is roughly 6 feet across), the image is acceptable. Pull the curtains, and the image is better. Wait until night time? Better still. The point is, although this is not a high-powered projector (it couldn't possibly be, for the price), it's quite acceptable. Are the kids having a sleepover? This would be a great way to entertain them.
2) The Roku Streaming Stick setup was as smooth as could be. In fact, I did all the setup without even opening the manual. Since I already have a Roku box, setting this up was even easier. Once I logged in with my Roku account, the setup included putting all the same channels on the stick that were already on the box. I also have the iPhone app that lets me control my Roku box. I tried the app with the Roku stick, and it worked flawlessly. Really, this could not have been an easier process. (Side note: Even though it put the Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu channels on there for me, I still need to go through the one-time "linking" of each account with the stick.)
3) The output is 720p. At first, I doubted this...the projector started up in 480p mode. But as soon as I connected the streaming stick, it automatically switched to the higher-resolution 720p mode.
4) It works with my iPad! This was a pleasant surprise. Knowing nothing about the Roku streaming stick, I had expected that the stick had a USB interface. I was wrong. It has an HDMI interface. So, I wondered, since I have an HDMI connector for my iPad: Could I connect the iPad to the projector? The answer: YES! I was able to mirror my iPad on the 3M projector. In fact, I tried the Netflix iPad app, and it worked perfectly (including pushing the audio through to the projector).
My ONLY complaint is that the sound from the projector is too quiet. For something that is supposed to be able to project a large image, one might expect that the sound would be comparable. It is not. In fact, the projector has a cooling fan that runs all the time, and I can actually hear the fan over the audio. Fortunately, there is a 3.5mm jack that can be used for external speakers or for headphones.
Don't expect to be blown away, and you won't be disappointed. This is a handy little projector, with better than expected versatility and image quality. Definitely good for the price!
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I ordered this as a novelty for when we travel with our children and maybe for when I'm camping (standard def is roughing it, I know). I received it last week and took it on a weekend trip where it functioned as promised a a hotel suite. The image it creates is not quite bright enough to use in a normally lit room--forget about a naturally lit room--but was quite clear and very bright in a darkened room. I tried it on both a painted wall and ceiling because that's what was available and both were adequate. The only sources I used were an iPad and an iPhone exporting both a WiFi streamed and local content via the HDMI adapter. The SD image was fine for my purposes, just know ahead of time that you're not buying an HD projector.I'll be sending it back shortly. Although it was neat to have, the speaker doesn't get loud enough for anything other than a whisper-quiet room and the battery will not make it through a feature-length movie with the volume up. This wouldn't be an issue if the unit was to be stationary, but I bought it to travel and those issues are deal-breakers. I could certainly recommend this product otherwise, so if you're looking for something fun to use only in a hotel room or basement with available AC power, go for it. Bring separate speakers if you can.
I did not use the Roku stick at all.
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I picked this up in October, it is pretty nifty but maybe the next iteration will be better. It took 15 or so seconds to start up and then another 30 or so watching the bouncing Roku logo, I went through the whole set up process since I didn't have an account. Set up was pretty simple but using that the included membrane-style remote was a bit of a pain, I recommend using one of the smartphone apps or getting a Roku remote before adding account info for your other streaming channels. After setting up my accounts I started streaming a movie on Netflix, their were no issues connecting and and the image was clear (no blocky artifacts, stuttering, or A/V sync issues), I was using it in the area of my house with the weakest signal so I thought that was nice. Everything was going well but I could not focus the image, I had read some reviews that the focus was kind of soft but my issue was different. The bottom of the image was clear and focused but it got softer as it went up. It wasn't all that bad in the middle but the upper 1/3 of the screen was, if there was text it was unreadable and it was a bit frustrating. I tried cleaning the lens with a lint free cloth (a LenSavrz from RadTech) but it was not effective. I also tried making very fine movements with the focus dial and adjusting the angle of the surface it was sitting on, no matter what I did I could not focus the top third of the projected image.I contacted Amazon and they sent me a replacement, it had the same issue and the manufacture date was a few weeks apart so I just figured it wasn't the same batch and this probably is the same soft focus other reviewers where speaking of. I decided I'd hang on to, it isn't my primary viewing device so I could make due; then I was robbed on Christmas day and now this is my primary viewing device! Anyway, it's really not that bad or I've become accustomed to it.
As mentioned by other reviewers, the MHL connector is also an HDMI connector so it works with other devices (tested Mac Mini, PS3, also stolen). Although the capability exists I get the impression that this is not really the intention as it is extremely difficult to remove the Roku Streaming Stick, there is not much clearance when it is installed and I have hands that are comfortable typing on my tiny Vaio P so tension holding it in really tests my patience as much as my grip. On the plus side, since the projector is portable you definitely will not have to worry that your Roku Streaming Stick will wiggle itself loose. The speakers are pretty much there so they can say they included speakers, you will probably want to connect some external speakers via the standard 3.5mm connector unless the room is fairly quiet and the internal fan does not come on.
Also mentioned by other reviewers is the internal battery doesn't really last long enough for a feature-length movie. In fact, sometimes it doesn't even last when plugged in because the power connector is a bit finicky; if it isn't plugged in just so it will not continuously charge. A timely example: I was streaming a rental via Amazon Instant Video while I was typing this review, an image appeared on the screen that looked like a depleted battery and it was flashing red. The projector just shut off and the charging light will not come on, I guess I will be contacting Amazon again...when I started the review I was thinking half-star options would be nice so I could give it 3.5 but 3 stars is sufficient.
Well, maybe I did just get a dud since it seems to have died in less than two months, but before it just died on me I more or less happy with it. Also it starts up in 480p then switches to 720p according to notices on the screen, but I'm pretty sure the device is actually 480p upscaled, but it does a decent enough job. When I get this switched out, if anything changes from this review I will post an update. I think it has some utility, but if you are on the fence you may want to keep your expectations in check.
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I just got this as a combo birthday and early Christmas gift for my elderly mom. Set it up last night for her, took all of 10 minutes. I have a Roku at home (thanks for the parting gift of the Roku, Dish... bye Dish, it was a nice nine years), and knew this might be great for her. She is not technology-averse (she has an iPad, Macbook Pro), but isn't so good with technology setup. So far, I was right; she loves it! It is so versatile in placement, and it is *dead simple*. She got her Netflix set up, added The Smithsonian channel, and was watching a monitor lizard hunting a baby deer on her ceiling in no time at all. ;)Television is dead. No more cable bills for mom, and better options. I think she'll love the MIT Courseware, and some of the TED talks. So many channel options, and always more coming! I'm going to set her up with Nowhere TV, and then she'll be all set. :) (I'm excited that another reviewer hooked up their iPad to it, too! Mom will flip.)
There is one con: The speaker. It is toy-like. Get a pair of good headphones, or external speaker.
Yes, I have an Optoma ML500 at my house with a Da-Lite screen, plus my Roku. That setup rocks for me. But, comparing the two isn't exactly fair. This little gem delivers what it promises, and it is great for tech-loving, but not so tech-savvy folks. Just compare this to what a typical home would have in 2002, and be amazed.
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