Tag Archives: pocket projector

Kodak Luma 150 Vs. AAXA HP2 Portable Mini Projector Comparison

What features do you look for in a projector? Are you looking for something portable and ready for any occasion? Well if you are, then you’re in the right place. Today we’ll be discussing the Kodak Luma 150 portable projector and AAXA’s HP2 DLP Mini DLP Special FX Halloween Projector. Also before we start off do NOT let its title fool you, this AAXA product is way more than just a Halloween projector. You can use it to watch your favorite movies or share your necessary meeting presentations like any other portable projector, providing quality projection anywhere and anytime. 

For today’s breakdown, we decided to highlight three main categories – image quality, price, and portability.

*Scroll down for shop links of the two mini projectors.

Image Quality

The Kodak Luma 150 offers a native resolution of 840x360p and does not specify what its maximum support is, along with a contrast ratio of 1,500:1. While the AAXA HP2 offers a native resolution of 640x360p with a maximum supported resolution of 1080p full HD resolution along with a contrast ratio of 2,000:1.  On top of that, the Kodak Luma offers a brightness of 50 ANSI Lumens (converted to about 100-110 LED Lumens) while the AAXA HP2 is listed at 100 LED Lumens. All in all these projectors offer very similar key specs when it comes to image quality but see the images below to decide for yourself!

 

 

Portability

Next up  we have Portability; The Kodak Luma 150 weighs in at only 0.3 lbs with the dimensions, 0.87″ x 3.90″ x 3.90″. Whereas the AAXA HP2 projector weighs in at 0.31 lbs with the dimensions 2.75″ x 2.25″ x 2.5″. Once again when it comes to portability, you cannot go wrong with either projector. Both of these devices are extremely light, miniature, and can be used practically anywhere. 

 

Price 

Lastly, we have price; The Kodak Luma 150 is listed at $219.99 MSRP while the AAXA HP2 is listed at $129.99 MSRP. Luckily for those of you interested in AAXA’s HP2 I see it going for even cheaper on Best Buy right now for $20 off at a generous price of $109.99 which I will provide in a link below. Nonetheless when it comes to price, the HP2 offers an unbeatable price at over $90-$100 off (with the current discount).

 

Results

In conclusion, both the Kodak Luma 150 and AAXA’s HP2 DLP Mini DLP Special FX Halloween Projector are outstanding projectors that will get the job done. For key specs like image quality and portability, both these devices are second to none. The only thing the Kodak Luma 150 sacrifices is a little bit more money out of your pocket with the HP2 being over $90 cheaper at MSRP. Although, regardless of which mini projector you decide on they will both give you a bang for your buck. 

Link: Kodak Luma 150 $219.99

Link: AAXA HP2 $119.99

Link for Limited Time Discount Best Buy Deal: AAXA HP2 $109.99

Best Projectors for Camping and Outdoor Movies 2021

So, you love hiking and you are a movie lover, what’s more ideal than watching a movie with your family and friends by the campfire? The idea is brilliant yet you might be hesitant to host an outdoor movie night during your trip since the gears you need might add extra weight. The good news is that in 2021, we have seen new portable projectors which are lightweight enough for a fantastic movie night under the stars! Below are the 4 best portable projectors for outdoor movies that we like

  1. XGIMI Halo True 1080p Portable Projector ($799)
Halo

At 1080P Native Full HD Resolution and 800 ANSI Lumens brightness, the XGIMI Halo portable projector is perfect for streaming content and watching movies while camping. The XGIMI Halo Projector is also equipped with 10W Harman Kardon Speakers that would be decent for an indoor movie night. The battery of the XGIMI Halo Projector is advertised to last for 2 hours at maximum. Equipped with Android TV, the XGIMI is capable of providing various streaming apps to the viewers such as Hulu, YouTube, Disney +, HBO Max, and so on. However, this smart feature will not come in handy if you camping in a location where wifi is not available.

Cons: expensive ($799), bulky (4.47 x 5.71 x 6.75 inches), and heavy (3.53lbs)

AAXA Tech M77 Mini Projector Full HD 10180p 20" DIsplay

Like the XGIMI Halo Projector, the new movie projector by AAXA Technologies called M7 Mini Portable Projector is also equipped with Native 1080 Full HD Resolution and it is also 4K FPS Ready. The AAXA M7 also has a better battery life at 3-hour runtime in ECO Mode, and a better brightness at 1200 LED Lumen (650 LED Lumens on battery). At half the price of the XGIMI Halo Projector, the AAXA M7 Projector is smaller (7.3″ x 6.4″ x 1.85”) and lighter (2.99”). The price of the AAXA M7 Mini Projector is fantastic for what it offers. However, the AAXA M7 Projector has less competitive speakers (4 Watts) and no wireless mirroring technologies nor smart features. Hence, you might want to load your movie to a media player such as a flash drive, USB Stick, MicroSD/ TF Card and connect it to the M7 Mini Projector. The AAXA M7 Mini Projector is compatible with HDMI devices such as laptop or Nintendo Switch.

Cons: not “smart”, no horizontal keystone (it has 40-degree vertical keystone)

The AAXA P7 Mini Projector is probably one of the most popular projectors in its category. Measures just 4.7″ x 4.4″ x 2.7″ and 1.48 lbs – the P7 projector fits nicely in your laptop bag or briefcase for business travel and outdoor camping.  This is the most compact projector in our list that has native 1080P Full HD Resolution for an outdoor movie. The AAXA P7 Mini projector has multiple inputs: USB, USB, USB—C for Mirroring, HDMI, Composite AV, and TFCard/ MicroSD. The AAXA P7 projector is cheaper than the AAXA M7 Projector for a reason: its battery lasts only 90-minute and its brightness is also lower (600 LED Lumen).

Cons: not “smart”, no horizontal keystone (it has 40-degree vertical keystone)

 Creativity  Scene 3

Weighing just 104lbs, the Anker Nebula Capsule is the smallest truly portable projector for an outdoor movie in our least. The Anker Nebula Capsule is also slightly more affordable than the other projectors as it costs only $299.99 on Amazon. Notice that its native resolution is quite humble at 480P and its image brightness is just 100 Lumen. Regardless, the Anker Nebula Capsule has various connections: HDMI, USB, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.

Cons: low brightness, low resolution

Top 5 Essential Accessories For Your Home Projection Experience

Projectors have become an important part of modern homes and offices. Newer models of projectors have extensive range, with more connection settings and ports that enhance the user experience with different options to play and connect your devices. With the increase in projector’s capability, there is also an increase in accessories available for different projectors. There are a few essential accessories that help to improve the image quality while others enhance the viewers’ experience. Some projector accessories include tripods, carrying case, adapters, HDMI cables, etc…

  • Projector Screen: The most important accessory to have with your projector is a good projector screen since it allows for a steady, clear image. The size and quality of the screen depends on the type of projector that you have. Most modern projectors can handle projection up to about 200 inches. It is also important to know how far to position your projector screen based on the projector’s throw ratio.  For rooms that have high ambient light, a light-rejecting projector screen is a must unless you can shut out the light completely.
  • External Speakers: Even though projectors have improved over the years, some still don’t come with built in speakers or come with very low quality speakers. Having one speaker will be enough to improve the sound quality, enough to enhance the quality of your viewing experience. 
  • Streaming Devices: Many projectors have video input through HDMI, which allows for the use of streaming devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, and Chromecast. These devices provide more options to watch your favorite shows and movies without the need to stream videos from your laptop or phone directly to the projector. 
  • Display Adapters: If the connector on your computer or smartphone is different from those on the projector, then you will need to include an adapter in your projector accessories list. The most popular display connectors are Apple Lightning to Digital AV Adapter, USB-C to HDMI adapter, and Mini HDMI to HDMI. It is important to get the right adapter accessories as you will encounter display errors when using incorrect adapters for iPhone or Samsung smartphones.
  • Carrying case or mounting brackets: The last accessories you should have with your projectors are the mounting brackets and carrying case. If you have a portable pico projector, you can get a carrying case that allows you to carry the projector wherever you go. A mounting bracket is nice to mount the projector into a fixed position.

New! AAXA P6X Mini Projector – World’s Brightest Battery-powered Pico Projector

2021 Mini Projector 100% Portable with 4- Hour Battery 1080P Support

The well-respected brand AAXA Technology who lives and dies in the pico projector world has released its newest product – the P6X “World’s Brightest Battery-Powered Pico Projector”. Aiming at the business projector market, theP6X Pico Projector is fully portable with a massive 12,000mAh battery, which allows 4-hour playtime in native WXGA HD resolution. In partnership with Texas Instruments DLP and Osram LED Technology, the projector delivers crisp text
and amazing color quality for presentations at up to 160” projection display. The P6X’s exceptional brightness level of 1000 LED Lumens in Eco Mode promises to light up your meeting, boost your confidence, polish your public speaking skills while efficiently eliminating the struggle of tangled cords and power supplies.

Multiple-input Mini Projector

AAXA Technologies’ products are known for their multi-input interfaces, and this time the P6X Pico Projector does not fail to meet your expectations. In contrast with its tiny size and light-weight of only 1.8 pounds, the projector is equipped with any input option that you need for a presentation. Besides the old-but-gold full size 2.0 USB input which is sufficient for PowerPoint slides, Photo & Video streaming, and even Smart Phone charging, the P6X Pico Projector has a wide range of connection input such as HDMI input, composite AV 3.5 mm jack, 3.5mm Stereo Headphone output jack, and Micro SD/ TF Card slot. You name it, the P6X Pico Projector has it.

A LED Projector for Business Use

The average human attention span has been decreasing to an extent that our attention length is no better than a notoriously ill-focused goldfish, and that does not help with your presentation at all. Wondering how to spice up your presentation and get more people to engage? The P6X’s premium speakers are the answer: the built-in dual 4W High-Low stereo speaker delivers immersive & impressive sound quality to any motivational TED-talk video you would like to share with your co-workers.

Best Outdoor Projector for a Movie Night

Screen mirroring is another interesting feature of the P6X Pico Projector. If you have a mirroring cable, you can connect your smart devices to the P6X’s HDMI input and watch YouTube vlogs, Netflix & Hulu movies & shows, viral TikTok stories, Instagram’s reels & IGTV videos, Twitch live streams on a bigger screen. At this point, the P6X Pico Projector is not only a modern business projector but also a versatile entertainment device that brings joy to your next camping trip, outdoor movie night, and at-home work-out session. Without the need to be connected to a power source, the P6X Pico Projector brings about extreme portability and limitless fun at an
affordable price (only $3xx). Check it out yourself on AAXA’s Website or Amazon for free 2-day Prime delivery! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SHZKRHC/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

New Projector Tablet – Lenovo Yoga Pro 2 Review

Recently, Lenovo released the newest member of the Yoga Tablet line, the Yoga Tablet 2 Pro.  A new type of tablet targeted at professionals on the move that need to be able to set up and give a presentation quickly and effectively.  There are a few major differences with this tablet that make it stand out from the other ones on the market currently.  The first, and one of the main marketing points on the tablet for Lenovo is the integrated Pico Projector, the tablet has a round base where the battery, projector, and power button are located, and this round part also has additional functionality as the stand for the projector when it is in stand up mode.  The tablet also sports a HUGE 13” screen at an awesome resolution for HD viewing, this screen is so big that it almost feels like you’re using a touch screen desktop.  The aluminum body of the tablet only helps to make the product feel solid and well made, however with this comes a lot of additional weight.  All of these features add up to make a solid product that could help most professionals (or even those who just want a sweet tablet) get things done faster and more effectively, so without further ado let’s get onto the review of this unusual tablet.
lenovo-tablet-yoga-tablet-2-pro-13-inch-android-front-13 lenovo-tablet-yoga-tablet-2-pro-13-inch-android-back-14

lenovo-tablet-yoga-tablet-2-pro-13-inch-android-sides-15

Size and Usability:

With a screen clocking in at 13.3” no one can call this tablet small, in fact as far as tablets go this thing is a behemoth clad in an aluminum body that brings the weight of the device to a whopping 2 pounds which for a handheld device can start to get heavy after a while.  The huge screen allows for a huge keyboard, which really helps when using the tablet, it’s so big that it almost feels like using a normal keyboard on a desktop or laptop and it’s crisp resolution of 2560 x 1440 allows for a clear image no matter what size image you are viewing.  It’s an IPS display to boot which means it’s got a good response time and good color temperatures, the touch sensing technology is capacitive which means you get a nice smooth glass feel to the screen and that there is a much lower chance of scratching the screen.

The body of the tablet is designed very well, the cylindrical hinge at the bottom of the unit is the heaviest part of the unit and is generally the surface that the tablet will sit on while in use.  The hinge used is made of aluminum and is very rigid to the body of the tablet, this makes it very hard to move but is also a good thing because when the tablet is sitting up straight it allows for easy typing and no movement of the tablet when the screen is touched (a common issue with stand cases for tablets).

lenovo-tablet-yoga-tablet-2-pro-13-inch-android-stand-mode-2

One thing we’d like to point out is that this is no Nexus 7, you aren’t going to be using this with one hand, in fact you’ll probably be cradling it in one arm while using it due to its large size and weight, we found it very uncomfortable to hold in a standing position for more than 5 minutes at a time, at that point we found ourselves opening up the stand and setting this beast down.

The sound is an 8w UBL speaker located on the back of the projector which produces great sound, actually the best we’ve ever heard out of a tablet, for the first time ever bass tones are audible and the treble is clear and crisp.  This may be due to the massive amount of space that Lenovo was allotted to fit a speaker however we were impressed by its quality and volume, it’s definitely something that could produce enough sound for several people to hear while watching a video on the built in projector.  As for the projector, we’re going to be talking about that later in the review for several reasons, mainly though we felt that it just deserved its own section for good and bad reasons.

Projector

Now for the most juicy part of the review, the part that most people interested in the Yoga Tablet 2 Pro came here to read about, and the part that Lenovo probably doesn’t want the most true coverage on; The projector.

lenovo-tablet-yoga-tablet-2-pro-13-inch-android-side-projector-movie-6

It is one of the first mobile products we’ve seen that has a usable built in projector.  With all of the older mobile products with projection there was always the issue of positioning.  How do you use the phone to present and also have the projector in the right position and in focus?  This was especially true because there was just no way that you were fitting a tripod mount on a phone or a tablet.  This is where that sturdy stand on the bottom of the Lenovo tablet comes in.  By using the tablet in stand mode you are able to adjust the horizontal keystone of the projection by adjusting the stand, given that you are using a flat surface to project from this should allow you to get a good usable image out of the tablet, it is also very easy to use while it is in this position as it allows the user to sit and basically use the tablet normally without sacrificing the image quality.

Now for the bad parts, first let’s talk about the brightness.  The projector is dim to say the least, at 50 lumens it creates a dim image even in completely dark conditions, although it does beat the Lumi-tab’s 35 lumen projector, a 50 lumen projector would be barely visible in a lit room.  The focus mechanism on the projector is a small slider on the back of the unit near the lens of the projector, the slider is semi-stiff and hard to do small movements with and thus is hard to get the perfect focus, and we found it easier to physically move the whole tablet back and forth to get the correct focus.

Even when fully focused the projector doesn’t produce the clearest of images which could be due to the fact that when you hold the tablet the lens naturally touches your skin and gets smudges on it, but even when clean viewing text and web pages seemed to have a slight pixilation to the image which made text somewhat hard to read.  When viewing a movie the projector looked just fine, except on dark scenes where the brightness of the projector came into play and it became hard to differentiate objects in the shadows.  Lastly, the projector can only be used while the tablet is in a horizontal position, which means you aren’t going to be holding it while projecting like they showed in the promotional videos for the tablet.  Although we’re sure that most users are going to be using it on a table anyways it should be that big of a deal, but we did feel a bit cheated when we held it up to project onto a wall and the projection was completely sideways.

Projection Comparison

For a comparison, we set the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro up against an AAXA Technologies P3-X Pico Projector to test the brightness, sharpness and ease of use. In this demonstration, we have hooked up the AAXA P3-X to an iPhone 6 using an Apple digital AV adapter and an HDMI to mini HDMI cable. We will post a video later demonstrating the difference between the two, but we did take a couple of images which show a pretty stark difference.

Lenovo (1)

Lenovo (3) Lenovo (4)

 

As you can see, the 70 lumen AAXA Technologies P3-X (left side) outshined the tablet pretty convincingly. Additionally,  the difficulty in focusing the tablet makes a dedicated micro-projector a much better option for  projection needs.

That’s about all we have to say bad about the projector in the in Yoga Tablet Pro 2,  it’s definitely a product that you could use for personal viewing and for a quick set-up for a business presentation, but we wouldn’t recommend it for much else. 

Specs

In this section we’ll go over the direct specs of the projector just so that you have a reference when you’re looking at this tablet vs others.

Processor: Intel® Atom™ Z3745 Processor

RAM: 2GB LPDDR3

Storage: 32GB internal, up to 64GB SD card for additional storage.

Sensors: G-Sensor, e-Compass, Ambient Light, Hall, and Vibration.

Cameras: Rear 8MP F2.2 with Auto focus, Front 1.6 MP HD

Wireless: Wifi 802.11 a/b/g/n MiMo 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz Dual Band, Bluetooth 4.0

Ports: Micro USB, 3.5 Audio Jack, Micro SD Card

Battery: 9600 mAh (up to 15 hours use time)

Screen: 13.3” 2560×1440 IPS display, Capacitive Touch, 10-point multi-touch

Sound: 2x Front Chamber speakers, 1x JBL subwoofer with Dolby audio, Wolfson Master Hi-Fi Codec

OS: Android 4.4 KitKat

Weight: 2.09 lbs

As you can see it’s got pretty average specs as far as high end tablets go, but it’s definitely a lot more powerful than your average sub $200 tablet.

 

Results

In conclusion, the Yoga Tablet Pro 2 is definitely a cool product that deserves its place in Lenovo’s line-up as one of their main tablets, although unique with its projector we honestly just found it to be such a low quality projector that it wasn’t really usable in a professional situation, we’d still recommend that you go the route of just getting a Pico Projector and hooking it up to a cheap tablet or laptop if you’re looking for a portable projection solution. The results will be a lot better and it will still most likely be cheaper than this tablet/projector combo.  But if you’re just looking for a big tablet to maybe replace a laptop or just something to easily set up and project movies for a couple of friends or yourself then this tablet will fit the mold, it’s definitely not something to immediately pass up as a multimedia tablet but may be something to overlook if you’re looking for a projector.

pico projector aaxa 80 lumens

AAXA P4 – X : Editor’s Choice for PC Mag

AAXA P4 - X
Pico Projector AAXA P4 - X

The P4 – X has been released as a replacement to the P4, and seems to be gaining considerable fanfare. Considering that the original P4 that did it all (Windows CE, PDF viewer as well as productivity suite with Office, Excel, and Powerpoint) has now been slimmed down from everything from features to pricing, we never would have guessed that in doing so it would have become a contender for best multimedia pico projector. We’re currently waiting on a demo unit to test out the newly added HDMI as well as the improvised features such as low fan noise and better button response.

PC Mag did a review piece on the the exceptional new pocket projector:

“…It’s both highly portable and highly capable, with a bright image, good image quality, lots of connection options, and the ability to read files from memory, a combination that makes it Editors’ Choice.”

A couple of talking points the reviewer found where the brightness, while low in lumen count, displayed vibrant and sharp pictures in agreeable settings while keeping the ‘rainbow effect’ that DLP imagers posses to a minimum. Lauded for it’s light weight and easy set up, the expandable memory as well as quick set up time pushed this projector past the Optoma PK 301 (which is also $400 street price) in terms of features, pricing, and over all quality.

We’re excited to put this projector through the gauntlet and look forward to putting a review in front of you.

[Via PC Mag]

New Sapphire 101 LCoS based Pico Projector

Sapphire 101 Pico Projector
Sapphire 101 Pico Projector

We just finished reading a review from over at Crunchgear.com on the new Sapphire 101 LCoS based pico projector and thought we would share it with you.

The Sapphire 101 boasts 15 lumens and a 640 x 480 native resolution. Crunchgear has quite the sense of humor when it comes to pico’s and didn’t have very nice things to say about this one in particular. The largest complaint was the over $500 price tag while having less features than most other models. But like they say, “competition is good.”

Check out the full CrunchGear review here

Texas Instruments’ OMAP4 based smart phone? – let’s throw a pico projector on it!

It seems that many gadgets are starting to couple a micro or pico projector right on to the platform. TI’s OMAP4 chipset will be able to drive 3 different displays simultaneously and includes a pico projector.

The way Slashgear describes the new OMAP4 based device, the three different displays and pico projector look as if they are going on to a sort of smartphone or tablet-based reader.

OMAP4

The significant bump in processing speed on the OMAP4 will be due to the dual 1GHz ARM A9 cores. Even though processing speed is increased, the chip set should also be more efficient giving users roughly 145 hours on a 1,000 mAh battery.

The video displays on the OMAP4 will allow for two onboard screens and an external display which can be used in place of the onboard pico projector. For example, if you want to watch a movie while keeping your browser and email open, you can plug your video out in to an external monitor. If an external monitor is not on hand, you can play your movie directly on to a flat surface via the built-in projector.

Read the rest at Slashgear.

HP to be releasing Pico Projector integrated laptops

HP plans to market two mobile PC solutions this year – the tablet and a notebook with an integrated pico projector.

monty wong

According to DigiTimes, Monty Wong, VP of HP in Taiwan, mentioned that HP also plans place the pico projector where the webcam is normally located.

The pico projector notebooks will mainly be produced by Quanta Computer and will launch after HP launches a few standalone pico projectors on to the market.

The idea isn’t new, however, and delays in production have been due to cooling solutions. We should be seeing news from HP soon.