Screenshot: Sarah Kobos, With no built-in streaming services, the Mars Lite relies on HDMI and USB for sources. Now a novelist and professional writer, her writings on electronics have been published on top tech sites. This mini projector connects easily to a whole host of devices, including DVD players, smartphones, laptops and even PS4s. That said, it has the same usability issues.
Its easily portable and a great choice for a family movie indoors or a movie night outdoors with a few friends. Its automatic focus and keystoning, well-laid-out remote, and intuitive mobile remote app make the Mars II the easiest projector to set up and use, and its almost-four-hour battery life was the best of the bunch. The original Anker Nebula Mars offers the best overall image quality of any projector we tested in 2018, and it has many of the same features as the Mars II, including plenty of connection options, internal applications, automatic focus and keystoning, and a well-laid-out remote. Think of it this way: You could play a Blu-ray on an old tube TV. If you want to enjoy the occasional impromptu movie night but don't necessarily want a big-screen TV taking up space in your home, a portable mini projector lets you easily display video on a wall anywhere. Youll probably see the term lumens when youre researching projectors. Weight:The biggest upside to having a portable projector is its portability, so its important to factor in weight. You can fit them in a backpack, but it would be awkward to carry much else. These projectors have their own operating systems that let you access your own files and even use built-in apps. The pictures are both clear and bright, leaving you feeling like youre in a real movie theater. In determining what makes the best portable mini projector, we prioritized ease of use over absolute image quality. The internal Wi-Fi lets multiple people connect and project content for presentations, but this doesn't make up for its other issues. Mini projectors are designed to be portable enough to carry around while also packing the same punch as a much larger model. Vamvo Multi-Screen Sharing Mini Projector, 10. The Mars is not as user-friendly as the Mars II. Battery life:Portable projectors are a battery power balancing act: brightness, speaker size, weight, and resolution all play a part in how much time youll get to use them per charge. CiBest Built-In Speaker Portable Mini Projector, 6. Many of these models are battery powered and have apps like Netflix built in, so you don't need to lug around power cords and source deviceswhich makes them great to take with you to a friend's house or on vacation. Some projectors come with great speakers built-in, which means youll get high-quality sound when youre streaming or gaming. These projectors likely aren't bright enough for an outdoor movie night, but if you keep the image small and your yard is dark, it might work. Having such an elegant interface made it easy to toggle between an HDMI source like our Nintendo Switch, a USB source to see photos from a recent trip, screen mirroring with a mobile device, or one of the many internal apps. Along with our own experts, DWYM analyzes the top expert reviews of the leading products and generates a score you can actually trust. Adrienne Maxwell used SpectraCal's CalMAN software with a DVDO iScan Duo test-pattern generator and an i1Pro 2 spectrophotometer to measure each projector's light output, contrast ratio, and color accuracy. It even has 16GB of internal storage, so you can keep movies and TV shows on the projector instead of carrying around a flash drive. The image is also noticeably washed out. - A weekly roundup of our favorite tech deals. The projector can be used with just about any device, including a camera, cell phone, gaming console, television or laptop. You'll have no trouble understanding dialogue and hearing sound effects, although you might lose some of the details within an underlying orchestral score. Some of these mini projectors are impressively small and can weigh in at only 0.8 ounces. It has one of the following: HDMI, VGA, USB, AV, and Audio In. What We Liked: Youll love how quietly this mini projector runs, as it means youll be able to concentrate on the movie playing before you. DBPOWER Dual Fan Mini Portable Projector, 12. Ankers Nebula Mars II Pro stands out by balancing traditional projector specs with a bunch of useful smart features. Optomas LV 130 Mini lives up to its name: It weighs under one pound (0.8 pounds to be exact), but that extreme portability means making some sacrifices. We tested the following projectors in 2018 and decided not to recommend them. And although you can still connect external speakers directly via the 3.5 mm input, the Mars Lite doesn't allow you to connect external speakers through Bluetooth (even though you can use the Lite as a Bluetooth speaker itself). You won't be able to use a mini projector as a TV replacement if you tend to watch TV during the day or in a very bright room, but in the dark they look fine and are great space savers. It also charges over USB-C, has a more powerful speaker, and includes Google Assistant. The best portable projectors are also used in conference centers, offices and other larger spaces for presentations, screenings and more. But a growing demand for home theaters among all demographics continues to push sales upward. Even if you're using the Mars in an environment with some ambient light, you should be able to enjoy a well-saturated image with a nice amount of detail, and the higher light output lets you go larger on the screen size and still get a bright picture. Plus, it has the most accurate color temperature, which means the "color of white" won't look too blue or too red. The Mars II works with the Nebula control app, which makes navigating the built-in streaming apps like Netflix much easier. The unit supports 1080P full HD and can project as far out as 150 inches. Mini Projector, PVO Portable Projector for Cartoon, Kids Gift, Outdoor Movie Projector, LED Pico Video Projector for Home Theater Movie Projector with HDMI USB Interfaces and Remote Control (Electronics), Mini Projector,HOMPOW Portable Projector 1080P Supported 2022 Upgraded Movie Projector and 176" Display, Compatible with TV Stick/HDMI/VGA/USB/TV Box/Laptop/DVD/PS4 for Home (Electronics), AuKing Mini Projector 2022 Upgraded Portable Video-Projector,55000 Hours Multimedia Home Theater Movie Projector,Compatible with Full HD 1080P HDMI,VGA,USB,AV,Laptop,Smartphone (Office Product), Mini Projector, 2022 Upgraded CiBest Video Projector Outdoor Movie Projector 7500L, LED Portable Home Theater Projector 1080P and 200" Supported, Compatible with PS4, PC via HDMI, VGA, TF, AV and USB (Electronics), Mini Projector, GooDee W18 WiFi Movie Projector with Synchronize Smartphone Screen with 1080P Support and 200 Video Projector Support TV Stick, HDMI, VGA, USB, Laptop, PS4, and iOS/Android Phone (Office Product), DWYM simplifies the research process by aggregating the reviews of the top product review sites. 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This is because all of the Nebula projectors can automatically focus and vertically keystone their image so that it's always optimized for your desired throw distance and angle. LG PF50KA: This projector has plenty of connection options (it even includes a TV tuner) and a well-designed user interface. DWYM is focused on helping you make the best purchasing decision. This was so much easier than with the other projectors that require you to fiddle with a dial to focus (like the LG PF50KA) or trapezoidal buttons on the remote to keystone (like the AAXA P300)and the resulting image looked more crisp and clear than what I was able to dial in manually with some of the other models. It's easily portable and a great choice for a family movie indoors or a movie night outdoors with a few friends. Don't Waste Your Money is supported by our readers. You can attempt to use the remote anyway to perform very basic navigation, but you'll find it doesn't allow you to select specific episodes or adjust settings as well as the smartphone controller app. She is an ISF Level II Certified Calibrator, so she's aware of what makes for a good image and how to get that out of a projector.
Unfortunately, you can't say the same about its included remote, which is crowded with tons of buttons that don't serve essential functions. Youll likely want to factor in size and weight when choosing a portable projector, especially if youre hauling it around the country. The result is a ranking of the best . To determine which projectors to test for our latest update, we considered the following elements: With these parameters in mind, we narrowed the list to six projectors to test against our previous pick, the AAXA P300. Its internal speaker is decent enough that you shouldn't need to hook up external speakers for a casual movie night, although you can easily connect speakers directly or through Bluetooth. We were able to navigate the Android TV interface using both the included remotewhich is laid out cleanly and features only the buttons you'll useand the smartphone app. at It's also much dimmer than the Nebula Mars Lite. Political Groups, Grrrrrreat! Despite the fact that the original Capsule employs the same easy-to-use software as the Nebula Mars II, we dismissed it from consideration because it can display images at a maximum resolution of only 480p. In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: We also incorporate user reviews from the leading retailers including. at But whether youre buying a projector for personal or professional use, a smaller, more portable version can open up opportunities. At max volume, the Mars Lite's speaker is a little quieter, but you'll still be able to understand dialogue and hear the score. With enough models available that offer battery power, it didn't make the cut. Its four-watt stereo speaker system (two watts per speaker) is also impressive.
It does have Harmon Karden stereo speakers, though, so it should sound better than average. If you want a projector to watch movies on the wall and still be able to occasionally take it with you, one of those might be what you're after. If you prioritize image quality over usability, the Anker Nebula Mars is an excellent alternative to the Nebula Mars II. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commissions. Reviewer must be active in respected high-profile communities or blogs, Must be able to post pictures/videos of the product and write a clear and concise review, Reviewer must be active in Social Media, online communities, or a YouTuber, IG, or TikTok content producer with a reasonable amount of subscribers, All reviewers must meet our qualification standards. Optoma ML550: Compact and portable with a rated 500 lumens, this projector has no battery option. But it has shorter battery life, and it's less intuitive to use than its successor because it lacks support for a mobile remote app, so the menu system and apps like Netflix and Amazon Video are more difficult to navigate. Photo: Sarah Kobos, All of the Nebula projectors have a slide-up cover to protect the lens. The result is a ranking of the best of the best . The result is a ranking of the best . What We Liked: This mini projector connects easily to a whole host of devices, including DVD players, smartphones, laptops and even PS4s. Businesses arent the only ones using projectors today. Budget PickAlthough this mini projector has a budget-friendly price tag, it's still a top-quality choice. Native Resolution:A lot of projectorsaccept HD content, but very few of them can actually produce an HD image. DBPOWER Portable High Contrast Mini Projector, 14. Until recently, the idea that you could bring a projector anywhere you go was a work of science fiction, or at the very least technology for people with a lot of cash to burn. It does have a built-in carrying strap, but the Nebula Mars II will still be the most difficult to carry. Optoma LV130 Mini Projector In order to use it, you must connect an external device to its HDMI or USB port. But given the intended use case for this type of product, we think that light output and contrast ratio are the most important parameters, so here are the numbers we got in those areas: After these measurements were complete, Adrienne sent the projectors to Daniel in New York for real-world testing. When testing TVs, we've found that the Android interface can be laggy and unresponsive. Their work builds off of the testing that was conducted in previous years by staff writers Chris Heinonen and Sabrina Imbler. When she isn't writing about technology, she's often checking out the latest news on the upcoming iPhone release. It manages to produce all those lumens by adding an excessive blue tint to the image, which makes it appear brighter but produces a horrible image. First, the good: the M1 gets six hours of battery life, weighs 1.65 pounds, and has a very healthy mix of ports (one HDMI, a MicroSD Card slot, a USB port, and a USB-C port). Photo: Sarah Kobos, The Mars II uses the Android TV OS, and the interface is clean and simple. Although it's a little light on bass, the sound from the Nebula Mars II is undistorted and full. It offers plenty of connection options, and it features the Android TV operating system to stream services like Netflix and Hulu. Theyre directly connected to the brightness and quality of the image youll get. Buy: House Passes Bill to Safeguard Big Cats, Hosting Saudi Golf Tourney, Trump Has Forgotten He Used to Blame Kingdom for 9/11, Shakira Prosecutors Call for 8-Year Prison Sentence Over Alleged Tax Fraud in Spain. We identified the majority of the available to purchase. The Mars II employs the Android TV interface, like one of our favorite media streamers. What impressed us most about the Mars II is its ease of use, great Android TV interface, and long battery life. Some internal apps, including Netflix, require you to use the control app to navigate within their interfaces. $279.99. The Anker Nebula Mars projectors are the biggest mini projectors we tested. Perhaps more important, the Mars Lite has the same auto focus and keystone system as the Mars and Mars II, which makes the Lite's crisp image just as easy to attain without much extra effort. Screenshot: Sarah Kobos, The Mars II remote offers only the buttons you really need, in an intuitive layout. Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in a category. Theyre small enough to not take up a lot of space in your room, but portable enough to take with you to someone elses place too. Although it also offers the same set of inputs (HDMI and USB), screen-mirroring support, remote, auto focus and keystone system, and Android TV applications as the Mars II, the lack of support for a control app makes the Mars less intuitive to use on a daily basis.
GooDee Bulit-In Stereo Speaker Mini Projector, 9. With the Mars, we were unable to use the supplied remote to pick an episode other than the one we were previously watching. Consumers have realized the value of having a device around for streaming video, watching movies or gaming with friends. On the audio side, its speaker was one of the best that we tested. One thing to consider as you shop for a projector is mobile connectivity. You can keep the screen as small as 30 inches or make it as big as 200 inches. We'll consider testing the Capsule II once it is released. Choose Your Screen SizeThis mini projector can be used both indoors and outdoors. The further away the projector is from the wall, the larger the image will be. Photo: Sarah Kobos, The Mars and Mars II remotes are identical, as well. On the upside, this projector gets better-than-average battery life: 4.5 hours, and its portability shouldnt be overlooked. DWYM Electronics Experts plus The Nebula Mars offers the best overall image quality of any projector we tested for this update, and it has the same inputs, Android TV interface, remote design, and size and shape as its newer sibling. This makes it a little harder to just sit down and cue up something to watch, and it makes the system less portable because you have to take source devices along with you.
All of the projectors on our list weigh less than five pounds, and will fit in a backpack, but this is definitely a factor to consider if youre planning on carrying your projector around a lot. With some mini projectors, you wont even need the mobile device. But if you need something even more portable, a battery-powered mini projector should do the trick. Many of them use a technology called downsampling, which means it takes a high resolution image, and scrunches it down to a lower quality one. All things considered, if youre looking for a high resolution projector, or plan on using it in conditions with a lot of light, this is a great choice. If you need a projector that's portable but you don't need it to run off of a battery, check out our guide to the best cheap projector. We think you'd be better off with something that has internal apps, automatic focus, and automatic keystoning. Photo: Sarah Kobos, The Mars Lite lacks the Android TV OS and built-in apps of its more expensive siblings, so the user interface is very basic. Unfortunately, not all projectors come with good speakers, and youll probably find that applies to miniature projectors, as well.
All Rights Reserved. Its not the highest-resolution projector, and youll need to plugged in at all times, but VANKYOs Leisure Mini has a lot to offer. For use in extremely dark rooms, though, youll probably find models focused on movie and video projection to be better. Anker is dominating the category right now. Vamvo L4200 Multimedia Dual Stereo Mini Projector, 11. DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Two of those ports arent available on any of the other options on this list. $309.99. Not only does this mini projector have an advanced cooling system, but its lamp life is 55,000 hours! Photo: Sarah Kobos, The Mars and Mars II have an identical design, with a convenient carrying handle. SCRIPPS CO., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The Mars II has a clean interface, a well-designed remote, and an optional iOS/Android control appall of which make navigating between connected sources and built-in streaming video apps like Netflix and Amazon Video simple. With these projectors, you wont even have to install anything to start watching your favorite TV shows. . Measuring 4.3 by 3.27 by 1.14 inches and weighing 11 ounces, it's smaller than even the Asus S1 (and with a 6,000 mAh battery, it lasts for five hourstwo hours longer than the S1). Anker doesnt say anything about its throw distance, but in our experience, its been able to project a screen up to 150 inches. That said, once your devices are connected and ready to go, the Mars Lite's simple interface makes it easy to toggle between inputs and adjust the projector's settings. Instead of leaving the house to see a movie in the theater, a family can stay home and watch a great movie or TV show with a display that rivals what theyd get on the big screen. If youre going to be streaming, youll need to make sure you can connect to wireless where youll be using it. After testing seven models this year, we think the Anker Nebula Mars II is the best portable mini projector for the occasional movie night or Netflix marathon. The Mars Lite's battery life is about three hourslong enough to last through most movies and several TV episodes, but not as long as that offered by the Mars II. However, the older Mars doesn't support the iOS/Android app, which makes it difficult to use some of the updated versions of the internal Android apps, like Netflix. That lightness does have a downside: this projector only has two 1w speakers, and gets 2.5 hours of battery life, which is the lowest on this list. With some mini projectors, youll be able to link up to a smartphone or tablet, which means you can conduct a presentation or show a movie directly from the device you have with you. But the image wasn't as bright or clear as that of the original P300, sporting a contrast ratio under half that of the AAXA P300, and we couldn't get the keystone correction to work. (Season 2, Episode 22: Andy brings a puppy into the office, and it licks Ron's mustache.) This projector has a native resolution of 800 x 480 (480p), and has a maximum screen size of 170 inches; thats the biggest screen of any projector on this list, but itll need to be 18 feet away from a wall to create it. Projectors have come a long way in recent years, as consumers have discovered the benefits of beaming an image onto a large surface. Some of the internal apps are optimized for use specifically with the mobile app controller and don't quite work as expected when you use the remote. In fact, the thin handle on the top actually makes this easier. If you're attempting to watch a movie from the comfort of your couch, you might have to put the projector on a tripod in order for its image to appear at eye levelyou can't just prop it at an angle with a book. Considering that other projectors we tested from AAXA and LG sounded compressed and actively unpleasant, we don't think the shortcomings of the Mars II are a big dealespecially since you can easily connect external speakers via a 3.5 mm input or Bluetooth. The best projector can depend heavily on what youll be using it to do. For example, when streaming Netflix on the Mars II, we were easily able to use the app remote to select the specific season and episode of Parks and Recreation that we wanted to show to our friends. There are posterization artifacts with moving objects, especially on faces, which makes it a worse choice for movies. AAXA P6: The P6 is brighter and more color-accurate than its predecessor, the P300. If approved we will email you at the selected venue, blog, forum, etc. Thankfully thats no longer the case, and theres never been a better time to pick up one of these portable projectors, which let you easily cast a large image for movie nights, Netflix binging, live sports and karaoke from the comforts and convenience of home. AAXA M6: This projector is extremely bright, more than twice as bright as the Anker Nebula Mars II. DBPower T20: This frequent Amazon best seller claims to produce an extremely bright image (1,800 lumens) and a 1080p resolution. In a pinch, the brightest portable mini projectors can also show a PowerPoint or other presentation in a room with the lights on, but these aren't primarily business projectors. Though its picture quality was not the absolute best of the group, the Mars II doesn't have any major flaws on this front, emitting a picture that's bright, detailed, and relatively color-accurate. The result is the, 1. Despite being portable, some projectors dont run on battery power, so youll have to consistently find somewhere to plug in your adaptor. Fits on Any TabletopThe lamp in this mini projector is designed to last for up to 500,000 hours. Its possible to carry this projector in any bag without using up much room, or adding too much weight.
We began our evaluation by testing each projector's objective performance. When you open these apps, a pop-up appears on the screen telling you to use the control app. Buy: AAXA Technologies Pico Tripod Mount Mini Projector, 20. There are hundreds of good portable projectors out there, and each one comes with its own set of pros and cons. Anker Nebula Capsule Tripod Mini Projector, 18. The image is notably brighter (336 lumens compared with 252 lumens for the Mars II), and this projector has a higher measured contrast ratio than any projector we tested for this round. But it's just not bright enough. $89.99, In This Article: AAXA P4X: Although it's small and portable, this projector isn't bright enough for most situations, and owner reviews are generally negative. It can throw an image up to 100 inches from 8.9 feet away, or 60 inches from 5.1 feet away, but the image will look worse than the native HD projectors above.
Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. But its 854480 resolution is just too low for streaming movies. $616.99. Our experts reviewed the top 20 and also dug through the reviews from 36 of the most popular review sites including and more. at They are small enough to carry from room to room and can show a 50-inch-plus image on a wall or screen. The projector can be used with just about any device, including a camera, cell phone, gaming console, television or laptop. To see the current recommendation, please go here. DWYM simplifies the research process by aggregating the reviews of the top product review sites. And even when you've optimized the image for your placement, it looks a little dim and reddish. The headphone jack might be necessary because the LV 130 only has one two-watt speaker. ViewSonic M1 Portable Projector Look for a projector that is compatible with iOS and Android devices, letting you grab documents, photos and videos from your phone. Brightness:The image thrown by a projector is highly susceptible to light pollution, which will dim its image before it hits your screen or wall. Since the device is able to connect wirelessly, you wont even need to use an adapter. These are all great features, but they come at the cost of resolution (854 x 480; 480p), and brightness (250 lumens). Anker Nebula Mars II USB Mini Projector, 16. First, it runs a full operating system (Android 7.1), so you can download popular streaming apps like Hulu and Netflix directly onto the projector. It runs on the same Android software as the Mars and Mars II, which means it is just as easy to use and claims its battery lasts up to four hours. Color accuracy was not very good with any of the projectors we measured, and though some offered multiple picture modes and/or limited picture adjustments, none of it really helped. It's also just large and heavy, but with no internal battery and none of the perks. Its important to look at compatibility if youre choosing a projector to work with your existing mobile device, especially if you dont have iOS or Android operating systems. In our tests, the projector's battery lasted about three hours, 45 minutes while continually streaming video from Netflixas long as it was in battery mode, which decreases the brightness of the projector slightly to conserve battery life. The most surprising thing about this projector is its ports. LG has done a good job balancing tech specs and size; at 2.1 pounds, the PF50KA is a fairly light option. Some projectors connect up to your favorite smartphone or tablet to let you access your files or stream from your favorite apps. There are many factors to consider when choosing the best portable projector for you; below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list. Throw Distance:This is a math equation that calculates how big a projectors image will be based on how far away it is from the screen or wall its projecting onto. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. VANKYO LEISURE 3 Adaptable Mini Projector, 8. LG PF50KA Portable Projector
Unlike the Mars and Mars II, the Mars Lite doesn't use the Android TV operating system, so it lacks internal streaming apps, as well as support for screen mirroring. Its ports are also limited to one HDMI, one USB, and a headphone jack. It also features built-in speakers and has a 32 to 170-inch projection display size. You can connect the projector to your cell phone, laptop or Fire TV. AAXA P300: Our previous top pick, this projector features very few connection options. The unit is widely compatible, so you can use it with everything from a TV to a Nintendo Wii to a notebook. It has a maximum screen size of 100 inches, which is on-par with most portable projectors and can throw a 40-inch screen from a distance of 4.1 feet. We found five of the best portable projectors you can buy online, which all strike a balance between performance, extras, and price. If you plan on using your projector at night, brightness wont be as big of a factor, but its something to consider if youre going to use it to replace your TV in a well-lit room. What We Liked: Enhance your home viewing experience with this mini projector. Buy: That said, the speakers are generally smaller, and less powerful because of space restraints, and can add to power consumption. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. Stephanie Faris is a former information technology professional who spent most of her career working with computers and printers. They are not bright enough, and their black-level performance and color accuracy are not up to home theater standards. Its picture is also relatively color-accurate with a high contrast ratio, but the color temperature looks overly green. Vivitek Qumi Q6: This projector has dual HDMI inputs and supports 3D, but it exhibits video processing bugs that reduce the image quality.