- Native 720p HD/WXGA (1280x800) resolution
- Up to 300 lumens of brightness
- Estimated 30,000 hours of operation
- USB and MicroSD slots for content and memory expansion
- 3D-Ready via DLP link
- Connectivity options: Mini-HDMI, Universal I/O, 3.5mm video-in, 3.5mm mini-jack audio-out
- Easy to take with you at only 1.4 pounds
- Single Pico DLP Technology by Texas Instruments
First let me state that I have only tested out the Qumi with the iPad 2 and not the first generation iPad (though I am guessing the experience would be comparable). I wasn't originally sure if the Qumi would be a good fit for the iPad and I was a little hesitant to make the purchase. For iPad users like myself it appears worthwhile.
Projecting the iPad screen through the Qumi works well. The projection is absolutely crisp. For 300 Lumens the image is pleasantly bright for such a small projector. While you can easily see the projected image in a room with reading level ambient light, if you are going to watch a full length movie with the screen diagonal being something like 100 inches, it is definitely preferable to view the movie in a darkened room. In a darken room, the colors are absolutely vivid and vibrant. When I first watched a movie with the Qumi, I was a little dismayed that the colors were off (tan colored skin tones appeared unnaturally red). Only after watching the movie did I find that Qumi 2 allows for adjusting color and other settings such as keystone correction. The Qumi 2 has a number of preset options for color correction. This can be found under IMAGE --> DISPLAY MODE. I found that when I set the display mode to BRIGHT, the color tones in the projection almost perfectly matched the iPad screen. The second closest match for color was when the display mode was set to sRGB.
On the issue of the focusing mechanism for the Qumi I read a lot of reviews being critical about this. My impression is that in the Qumi Q2 the issue is overrated. I found that the focus mechanism on the side of the Qumi to be perfectly adequate. Many reviewers say that unit goes out of focus quickly (because of thermal expansion) and doesn't stabilize until the unit has been on a while. I did not notice this to be an issue at all. The unit I have is a Qumi "Q2" and I am suspecting it is a second generation product. In any case, I found that i did not have to play around with the focusing once I set it. Also, I found the projected image to be equally sharp on the center and the edges. Having said all these positive things about the focus, I do have a couple of issues. To focus the projected image you have to rotate a focus ring. This makes it hard to nail the sharpest possible image. A tiny nudge up or down on the ring and the image is still reasonably sharp. You don't quite know if the image is as crisp as it can be. My suggestion for the manufacturer (maybe it's included but I haven't found it yet) is that in the settings there should be some visual test pattern that makes it easy to discern when the focus is spot on.
The Qumi has several cables. I've only used the HDMI connector cable. There appears to be one for VGA and this "should" work with your iPad if you have the VGA adapter for the iPad. Because VGA is analog, I would not expect the image to be as sharp as it is through the HDMI connector. I have used the VGA adapter for the iPad with other LCD projectors and have been very happy with it, save one exception... if you want to watch movies downloaded to the iPad from the iTunes Store and project it, you are out of luck. A stupid DRM (Digital Rights Management) mechanism senses you are using a non-HDMI device and won't let the movie play. I say this is stupid, because you can download the same movie from the iTunes Store to your laptop, use a VGA connector and a plain old LCD projector to watch the movie. I was worried that the same DRM mechanism would interfere with watching movies using the Qumi in conjunction with the iPad. Fortunately it is not an issue. Let me be explicit... If you have the iPad 2, purchase the Apple Digital AV Adapter (Model No. A1388 which has a list price of $39), and connect it through the HDMI cable that comes with the Qumi Q2, you will have no trouble watching movies downloaded to the iPad from iTunes, and view it in High Definition with a full 1080p resolution. Now that you are happy about all this I have to let you know about a wrinke (which has nothing to do with the Qumi itself)... for some reason whenever I download a movie from the iTunes Store it seems to take forever for the movie to be downloaded (something like a couple of hours -by comparison, it takes maybe 10 or 20 minutes to download a typical movie over the same network from my laptop). I don't know why downloading to the iPad is so sluggish. My advice is if you want to want to watch movies using the Qumi as the projector and want to use the iPad instead of your laptop to hold the movie, you'd be well advised to do the downloading several hours in advance.
Regarding cables with the Qumi, they are a bit short. I wish they could be longer, but I did not find it to be an overriding problem. Interestingly enough, the Qumi comes with a pair of magnetic sheaths or isolators to attach to the ends of the cable. These limit electromagnetic interference. It's nice that they include it. But they only provide one pair (one for each end of the cable). On a more expensive cable these magnetic isolators would be built into the cable. I view this as a cost cutting measure. It's not a problem, it's just something to be aware of. As far as practical issues are concerned (on the topic of cables), the Apple Digital AV Adapter detaches to easily from the iPad (this is an Apple/iPad issue, not a Qumi issue). The slightest little jiggle, and the digital signal to the Qumi breaks and entirely disrupts the movie watching. So care must be taken to make sure that the iPad and it's adapter are not disturbed during movie watching.
After posting this review, another reviewer [Thanks Ticlar!] pointed out that the Qumi does have a tripod thread mount. Removing the tiny square sticker on the bottom of the unit reveals the tripod mount. :-)
When watching long running movies with the Qumi/iPad there can be issue that the iPad goes into a power save mode. The power save mode is when the iPad screen shuts off to conserve power after a certain amount of inactivity. Normally it is awakened if you do anything like tap the screen. When watching movies, the iPad can go into this power save mode (the timeout is based on your iPad settings which you can easily configure). This power save mode doesn't interfere with the movie projected by the Qumi. It continues to play even as the iPad enters the power save mode. When you want to pause the movie you would tap the Pause button on the iPad screen. When the iPad enters power save mode while watching the movie, it's screen goes blank and no amount of tapping the iPad screen wakes it up. My advice is that before watching your movie, change the iPad's power management settings (i believe this is in the General --> Auto-Lock timeout) so that timeout is set to Never. You can always change it back to your original settings after watching the movie.
One more comment about the Apple AV Digital Adapter... while you are using it to project your iPad screen on the Qumi, it's dual connector lets you simultaneously keep the iPad powered, so the batteries on the iPAd don't run down. My personal opinion is that powering it in this way adds one too many cables (but at least you are given options).
I should say a couple of more things about the Qumi. The top of the Qumi has touch controls for accessing the Qumi's menu options. Additionally, the Qumi comes with an (infrared) remote control. But in a darkened room it is very difficult to read and click the correct buttons on the remote control even though the buttons are slightly raised. The Qumi comes with a nice little travel pouch. The travel pouch only accommodates the Qumi unit itself. There is really no room for the full complement of cables, let alone the separate A/C adapter.
The Qumi Q2 does appear to be a solid quality product. I would not characterize it as very rugged. I think they cut corners to keep the price down (like the clip on magnetic sheaths, anemic built-in speakers, and poor documentation) but didn't drop the ball on important features.
Please understand that I have restricted this review to iPad users who are unsure if the Qumi Q2 plays nicely with the iPad. To address this it was necessary to take into account how the two are used together, and identify some of the gotchas along the way.
Bottom line: The Qumi Q2 does deliver near private theater quality viewing but be prepared for some initial fidgeting/configuring to make it work well. In this context I can safely say that I am satisfied with the purchase of the Qumi Q2 and would recommend it.
Buy Vivitek Qumi Q2 300 Lumen WXGA HDMI 3D-Ready Pocket DLP Projector (Black) Now
Let's just say I have own an Optoma HD65, due to the lamp and power outages around here, I've opted for an LG HX300(G). I was able to live with it fine and dandy but wanted something around 720p instead of 1080p. I don't need 1080p to live since most of the stuff I watch are from Netflix or YouTube. 720p is enough for HD quality and everything else that I do.Then I researched for more LED projectors and ran into LG HW300 and Qumi Q2. To be honest I would've gone with the LG HW300 for the DLNA so I could stream videos/musics easier without bunch of cables around my room and in my closet.
As for the Qumi Q2, the 300 lumens is enough for me. I can live with it since the LG HX300 is about the same but I would have to say the Q2 is slightly brighter. My only major gripe is having to buy adapters for my HDMI cable and component (still need to find an adapter for it). No accessories/adapters for other video inputs (for example the Wii).
The menu is really really basic. Can't calibrate much at all. Cannot change R, G, B to suit the situation. The presettings were ok. Brightness was way too saturated but not too bad for me.
Now for the good stuff, pixels are much more less noticeable when compared to the LG HW300, thanks to the increase pixels. Videos played nicely no stutter, no rainbow effect that I could notice, and the fan was not too bad (bad during silent scenes).
**One little trouble, I had a defective one prior to this review. The red led was broken or something because Mario's red under clothing was pure black. So did other images and videos where red didn't show up. Amazon was willing to replace it without any hassle. Thank you Amazon. Vivitek took awhile to respond but I took up on Amazon's offer because they were much more speedier in their replies.
Overall though, I am pleased with the product.
UpdateAfter using it for like 2 weeks. I'm actually getting quite frustrated with the projector. It appears that after shutting off the projector and turning it back on later, you are required to refocus again. If you are using it as a dedicated theater and mounted on the ceiling, you literally have to climb up every time, turn the focus wheel and not turn it off ever again. That's very inconvenient and a major flaw for me. I wish Vivitek would address something on this issue other than telling us to just refocus when it reaches operational temperature.
Update 8/27/11I'm beginning to notice the projector is not focused in some areas strangely enough. Like along the bottom right portion of the screen is blurred out and middle left. Apparently it's a common problem. Please buy at your own discretion. Dropped it to 3 stars.
Read Best Reviews of Vivitek Qumi Q2 300 Lumen WXGA HDMI 3D-Ready Pocket DLP Projector (Black) Here
So now I have the qumi for 4 days already. Its looks very nice & bright on a white wall. Qumi was connected via HDMI to Xbox 360
experienced super low barely noticeable audio from the stock qumi 1w speaker but you can connect your surround sound system and you are good to go
other than that the qumi is great & best Led Projector out there for the price
100" IMAGE PROJECTED ON WHITE WALL @ 1080p
CONNECTED TO XBOX360 VIA MINI-HDMI TO HDMI FOR NETFLIX AND GAMING (AWESOME HD QUALITY)
CONNECTED TO SURROUND SOUND SYSTEM
--------
haven't tried 3D or BLU-RAY yet
also note that i am first time projector owner
this video clip was taken with Droid X Camera (only 8 Megapix which is not great)
Want Vivitek Qumi Q2 300 Lumen WXGA HDMI 3D-Ready Pocket DLP Projector (Black) Discount?
I've owned this projector for almost a week now, 6 days to be precise. Being a "portable" projector I must admit, I had fairly low expectations from the start. However, I must say that the projector has far exceeded my expectations. Currently I have it set up 11ft from a white block wall in my basement. It projects an image that is 110" diagonally. The picture is crisp running an Apple TV 2 @ 720p. The colors are vivid and bright. The white balance is great! Overall the picture is very nice. As for settings, it does lack in that department. Not a whole lot of settings, but enough to get the job done.I've noticed some people have commented on some flaws of the unit, and I'd like to explain what I've noticed and how to correct some.
1. "Greenish tint to the black and white areas" Check to see if you have the LED MODE set to ECO instead of Normal. The setting is located in the main menu under Installation II.
2. "I have to refocus it every time I turn it on" This projector has a warm up time before the lens get to the operating temperature. Typically I've ran into a 10-15 minute warm up time. Once it gets to this point, the setting you last had it at will be perfect again.
3. "Some parts of the screen won't focus and are blurry" Check the lens for fingerprints. I had a similar thing happen, and once I cleaned the lens it was fixed.
4. "It goes to sleep but doesn't wake up" I've noticed this and try as I may, I still haven't found a way to wake it up once it goes to sleep. So if anyone has, please comment!
5. "It only has a physical power switch and no power on the remote" This is true and like another user had commented, it gives the ability to toggle with a switched outlet. In terms of the remote, I also wish it has a power button; however, it's a rather basic remote and doesn't surprise me with the projectors hard switch.
6. "I need to buy new HDMI cables" It has a mini HDMI input on the back of the unit. It does come with a 1m Mini HDMI to HDMI cable. You can purchase HDMI to Mini HDMI adapters here on Amazon for under $5.00.
6. "I can't find a component cable for the Qumi" Unfortunately I can't confirm this, but I have heard you can contact Vivitek and they can send you one. I've heard anything from it's free to it's $9.99. At any cost it's worth a try. You can contact them here: http://www.vivitekusa.com/v_contactus_usa.asp
Overall, I would definitely recommend this projector! It's not a "permanent" home theater projector, but it is a great projector for media hobbyists.
Price Paid: $499.99
Retailer: Best Buy
Date Purchased: 3/3/12
Accessories Included:
Mini HDMI to HDMI Cable
VGA to VGA Cable
Mini HDMI to Mini HDMI Cable
Power Adapter
Carrying Case
IR Remote
After the projector warms up it is not possible to get a clean focus top to bottom
or side to side,
A standard (TRRS) av cable will not work for composite video as A proprietary cable is
required and is not supplied at the moment. Also not supplied is a component cable
Don't bother call tech support for technical information
they will not give the pin outs for the mini av jack ( Tip sound, Ring sound, Ring ground,
Sleeve video )
It is hard to believe in the advertising about 720p as 720p blurred looks
like LDTV ( 240p ) looks OK if you are half blind
5 Star price for a 2 Star projector with focus problems
Because of the floating focus this negates the projectors great features
and makes it over priced by $150 to $200
Don't get me wrong this is a nice tech toy but for $499 it should have
A uniformed focus, It's one of only two jobs A projector has to do.
In today's economy I try to get the best value for my hard earned cash and have
become more critical of products that struggle to keep up with the brand Name and message.
Wait six months to a year the market will be flooded with similar devices at
the right price point.
So Shop wisely Shop Amazon
Vivitek Qumi Q2 300 Lumen WXGA HDMI 3D-Ready Pocket DLP Projector (Black)
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