7 Best Mini Portable Video Projectors & Home Theater
A projector is an excellent piece of modern technology as it enables you to project media to a screen for people to see. Small screens are typically enough for a house setting, but they are quite limiting when you want to display a presentation or even turn your living room to a home theater. Bulky projectors are the preserve of your past. Technology advancements have empowered companies to downsize video projectors and offer small offerings that are favorably portable. Some of the best mini-projectors include:
1. Vankyo Leisure 3 Small Video Projector
This projector is incredibly small, and it comes with a compact carrying bag. It has various ports including a USB-A port, VGA port, TF card slot, and HDMI port. You can, therefore, connect the projector to a DVD player, Xbox, TV Box, computer, laptop, or PlayStation. It can also be linked to your smartphone. The Vankyo Leisure 3 will be ideal for playing videos, games, TV shows, and even for sharing photos.
You get a big-screen experience with the projector, despite its small size. It offers a watching size range of between 32 to 172 inches with a projection distance between 4.9 ft to 16.4 ft. The projector makes use of LED lighting to display 40% more brightness than that on an ordinary projector. It is powered by MStar color engine for a superb viewing experience. The projector supports 1920×1080 resolution while the 2000:1 contrast ration will especially look great in semi-dark rooms. You can use the pair of adjustment rings fitted behind the lens to achieve proper focus and keystone balance.
The projector features a fan noise suppression system which cuts the sound of the fan by half. An advanced cooling system disperses heat effectively. The technology is designed to improve the overall viewing experience. The in-built speakers are not the best out there, but you can easily connect the projector to external speakers.
2. WOWOTO A5 Pro Mini Projector
The WOWOTO A5 Pro is characteristically small at 131×82×24mm and lightweight at 250g. The projector is ideally small to be moved from place to place. Business people will especially be drawn to the model as they can showcase their presentation anywhere, and it will subsequently boost productivity. It supports full HD, that is 1920×1080 resolution and 1000:1 contrast ration. Its lamps come with 30000 hours of lifespan while the projector’s native resolution is 850×480. The WOWOTO A5 Pro is 50% brighter than the previous product.
The projector is wireless, and it can link to any Wi-Fi network on 4G or 5G. You can smoothly showcase content from YouTube, Netflix, and other platforms for entertainment. The model further supports external Bluetooth speakers, HDMI input to a laptop, TV box, and iPhone and Android Phones.
The projector may be palm-sized, but it is capable of a projection distance of 0.3 to 2 m and a projection screen of up to 150 inches. It features DLP core part-optical technology thanks to Texas instruments to exhibit razor-sharp images and super videos with vivid colors and brightness. The projector can display pictures with exceptional brightness and high ANSI contrast to make videos as real as possible.
3. AAXA LED Pico Ultra-Portable Pocket Projector
The AAXA LED Pico Ultra-Portable Pocket Projector is quite small, at 4.25ʺ×2.36ʺ×0.7ʺ in size. It is of similar size to modern smartphones. The projector has ultra-bright 25 lumens. Liquid Crystal on Silicon technology provides a native resolution of 1280 × 720 as well as 15,000-hour LEDs. The native resolution allows for detailed and sharp images. It will offer quality images for up to 60 inches, unlike other projectors that become pixelated once enlarged. It is well-suited for long-light conditions. The Vibrant Color
Technology allows for projectors to be well-saturated.
The projector comes with a lithium-ion battery, which guarantees over 80 minutes of use. The long-lasting battery also makes the Pico projector portable You can easily mirror your phone or tablet via an adapter cable. iPhone and Android devices will need special cables bought separately. You can also use micro SD and USB card readers to take content with you and share using the projector. Among the connectivity options is a 3.5mm Aux out to link external speakers. The projector is quite versatile making it ideal for people who are outgoing.
4. DBPower Mini Projector
The DBPower Mini Projector is promoted as being 70% more brighter while offering 50% more sharper images than other models in the same class. Its projection size ranges between 32 to 176 inches at a projection distance of between 1.5 to 5 m. This big-screen experience will be amazing, whether you are indulging in a football game or movie. For optimum viewing, the projector should be placed at a distance of 1.8 to 2.0 m to provide a clear 130ʺ image. It is fitted with LED technology to offer amazing brightness without the negative effects associated with laptops and TVs. The lens is compromised of 6 high-transmittance coating lenses which prevent stray light from impacting on the image quality.
The DBPower Mini Projectors features double tube cooling technology coupled with heat dispersion. As a result, the fan sound is cut by half. You can expect lesser fan sound in comparison to other projectors, and it should enrich your viewing experience. The projector has been equipped with the most advanced smart LED lamp care to ensure a lamp life of 50,000 hours. You can expect 20 years of service, which will rid you of the issue of replacement lamps.
You can get cable adapter to link your phone. The in-built speakers are powerful enough to provide full-spectrum sound. The sound quality makes it ideal for movies and football games with friends.
5. APEMAN LC350 Mini Projector
The APEMAN LC350 Mini Projector is a perfect budget projector for households. It promises an amazing movie experience, thanks to a native resolution of 800 × 480p. Its projection size is up to 180 inches with an aspect ratio of 16:9/4:3. It supports 1080p full HD and will be a great fit for movie nights, whether in the house or the backyard. The bigger screen is more suitable for your eyes than straining on the smaller screens of laptops and TVs.
The projector has been fitted with bright 3500 lumens and a contrast ratio of 2000:1, which make it 70% brighter than competing projectors. It has employed the advanced 4.0 LCD technology as well as the latest LED light sources. Brightness will not be a problem with the APEMAN LC350.
The in-built speaker system is quite advanced as well to lend excellent sound quality without the need to link external speakers. The cooling system has been designed efficiently to cool the heat of the lamp and extend the lifespan of the bulb to 45,000 hours.
The projector avails multiple ports for connectivity including USB, HDMI, RCA AV, VGA, and Micro SD to connect to devices like smartphones, PCs, and game consoles.
This projector performs its maximum best in fairly dark rooms. It is ideal for home cinema as well as video games and not necessarily for business presentations.
6. APEMAN NM4 Portable Projector
The APEMAN NM4 is pocket-sized at 3.86 × 3.86 × 0.85 inches and 0.44 lbs. It comes in a shiny surface and has an appealing minimalistic design. This compactness makes it perfect for taking to parties and camping. It comes with a 360 degrees rotation tripod for a firm stand.
Despite its size, the projector can offer 30 to 100 inches of big-screen display at a distance of 1 to 4 m. It guarantees 50% sharper image and 70% brighter image. The projector’s native resolution is 854×480 with a contrast ratio of 1000:1. It has 50-100 ANSI lumen, which means that it is better suited for dark rooms. You will get bad pictures if you use it in full lighting.
The projector has particularly impressive sound. It has dual one-watt stereo speakers situated on either side of it to offer better sound than models with 2-watt speakers. The projector’s internal battery easily plays 90 minutes worth of content, and you can plug into a power bank or socket.
The noise is almost inaudible, thanks to an advanced cooling system. The APEMAN NM4 further provides extensive connectivity where you can link it to devices like the PS3/4, camera, and laptop.
7. CINEMOOD Portable Movie Theater
The CINEMOOD Portable Movie Theater empowers you to create your movie theater on the go. At 0.3lbs, the projector is very portable. It is also kid-friendly, thanks to easy directional controls and a digital library that accommodates 25 stories and 40 Disney e-books. There are more than 75 episodes of interesting cartoons. You can access and even stream YouTube, Netflix, Ameba TV, and Amazon Prime Video. The projector’s internal memory 16 GB will encourage you to play your own content.
The CINEMOOD Portable Movie Theater projects videos up to 12-feet and offers 1080p resolution. It has up to 5 hours of rechargeable battery, making it perfect for car rides and camping get-togethers.
How to Choose a Mini Video Projector?
Mini projectors cater to a niche market characterized by home and business users. Here is how to choose an excellent model:
Brightness
Projector brightness is typically measured in terms of ANSI lumens. The best results when using a projector are generally obtained in dark environments. It is not always possible to determine light conditions, however. A bright projector will be necessary for a room without curtains to regulate light.
A projector with few lumens, like 50 or 100, will be best suited for dark rooms and home cinema. If you intend to project text or any other detailed material, you will do well with more lumens for added brightness. What crowd size do you expect to use the projector images on a regular? The larger the crowd, the brighter the projector will need to be.
For businesspeople, you will also have to factor in if you work the most outdoors or indoors.
Technology
Most mini-projectors are either liquid crystal display (LCD) or digital light processing (DLP). DLP projectors use a spinning wheel and thus suffer from rainbow effects, and they also have more moving components. LCDs are heavier but are more reliable than DLPs. The liquid crystal on silicone offers the best quality but is pricier and more cumbersome than the other two.
Connectivity
You will need to determine the outputs and inputs you will need with your projector. Most models come with VGA ports, but there are additional inputs as well. Business people, for example, would appreciate a USB-port. It is also an added benefit to having a projector that can link to a smartphone since most people carry a lot of content on their mobile phones.
Lamp Life
Depending on your uses for the projector, the lamp will need to be replaced once in several months or several years. Most lamps last 2000 hours on average, with 6000 hours in some.
Resolution
The resolution is simply the number of pixels that compromise an image. The larger the number, the more detailed and sharper the image will be. Compare the native resolutions of various models before picking one. If you intend for your videos to be vivid and rich in color, opt for a resolution of 1920 × 1080 and above. You will get decent picture at 1280 × 720. A high resolution will cost you, so you should account for the price as well.
Reliability
A projector’s specifications will offer some light on its reliability. Check the estimated hours of the bulbs and opt for the longest hours. Evaluate the cost of replacing a bulb as well as other components of the projector. Customer reviews will offer some useful insights.
Aspect Ratio
This ratio measures the width of an image against its height. 16:9 ratio is sufficient for home cinema. Get a 16:10 ratio if you intend to display business presentations. Aspect ratio influences the video or image shape.
Conclusion
Portable projectors are revolutionizing the way people consume entertainment, especially at home. They are light, portable, and are packed with increasingly advanced features. You can stream from your best platforms and project videos from your smartphone. The portability of these models has made content sharing easier.
You can pack them for car rides and even camping trips. As small as they are, the projectors offer incredible resolutions and excellent picture quality. The technology keeps advancing, which is why you will need to buy one equipped with the latest technology in the market.
Portable projectors are revolutionizing the way people consume entertainment, especially at home. They are light, portable, and are packed with increasingly advanced features. You can stream from your best platforms and project videos from your smartphone.
The portability of these models has made content sharing easier. You can pack them for car rides and even camping trips. As small as they are, the projectors offer incredible resolutions and excellent picture quality. The technology keeps advancing, which is why you will need to buy one equipped with the latest technology in the market.
