Latest news with #portableprojector
The Sun
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Amazon shoppers ‘beyond impressed' as ‘crystal-clear' portable projector gets slashed from £130 to £45
KEEN to bring the big-screen experience home this summer? Head to Amazon. The online retailer has knocked down the price of a budget-friendly, portable projector by 65% – and it's got shoppers raving. Do enough digging through Amazon's deals pages, and you'll find sky-high savings on all sorts of tech, from portable power banks to over-ear headphones. This portable home projector is from a brand we in the Shopping team haven't come across before, and haven't tested ourselves. But it's racked up over 250 five-star reviews on Amazon, with buyers buzzing about its auto-focus and keystone adjustment features, as well as its cracking picture quality. This isn't some top-of-the-range projector that'll blow your socks off with all the bells and whistles - you'll have to spend much more on premium devices that offer 4K picture quality. But if you're after something to watch the odd film, catch the football, or a spot of gaming, it's a solid choice that leaves minimal impact on your wallet. The iWIMIUS Portable Projector is packed with a range of features that are pretty eye-catching, for a device that now costs less than £50. Its auto-focus and keystone correction are clever bits of tech that sort the image out for you, so you don't need to faff about adjusting it manually. It even has smart features to line the picture up perfectly with your screen and dodge obstacles like plug sockets or furniture that might get in the way. The sound's no slouch either - it's got built-in 20W speakers with Dolby Digital support, delivering audio that one customer has described as "clear, balanced, and surprisingly deep.' You can also use its two-way Bluetooth to turn the projector into a standalone speaker or hook it up to soundbars and other devices using HDMI ARC for that proper cinema surround sound. As for the picture, it looks pretty impressive for the price. It gives you Full HD 1080p resolution and can handle 4K content too, with an 800 ANSI brightness that keeps colours vivid and details sharp. Setting it up at home should be a doddle too. The adjustable base lets you tilt it up to 15°, so you can stick it on a coffee table or shelf and still get the right angle. Plus, it's small and smart-looking, so it won't stick out like a sore thumb in your living room or bedroom. It doesn't come with apps like Netflix or Disney+, but you can plug in a TV Stick or similar device to stream your favourite shows and films. Shoppers are loving it, with an overwhelming majority of reviews rating it at five stars. 'An excellent projector for those on a budget!" wrote one customer. "I have to say I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered this little beauty but I am beyond impressed!' Another said, 'The picture is a lot better than I expected, really sharp and great vibrant colour. "Same for the sound – surprisingly full and loud, again with options to select different sound presets or adjust manually.' A third wrote: 'This projector delivers an amazing home theatre experience with sharp visuals, vibrant colours, and excellent performance. Crystal-clear picture quality.' Amazon's calling this a limited-time deal, so it's unlikely to stay this cheap for long.
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I tried the sell-out $99 item from Kmart everyone's talking about - here's what I REALLY think
Kmart shoppers are creating their own home cinemas with a $99 mini projector - perfect for cosy nights on the couch or outdoors movie nights under the stars. Kate Liermann was thrilled to get her hands on the sell-out portable projector with built-in speaker and remote control for her living space. Offering a screen size of up to 100 inches (2.54 metres) and a 720p native resolution, the 1.4kg gadget can connect multiple devices - including phones and headphones - via USB or HDMI. Upon opening the box, Kate said with excitement: 'Look how cute - I love it.' Despite having a 'few hiccups', the customer said the projector has worked 'really well' after she connected both an iPhone and a Samsung phone. 'Obsessed is an understatement... Kmart has even impressed my husband with this one,' she said in a video. 'Overall I am pretty happy with the projector. Would I recommend it? Yes, I think it's super cool and cosy when you chill in bed if you don't have a TV. 'If you have Netflix on your phone or go via your laptop, it will project through.' Kate said the further away you move the projector, the larger the screen gets. 'You can pull it back further and the picture will get bigger and stays focused, you just need to make sure it is straight otherwise it can be blurry,' she explained. 'The quality is amazing... I was quite surprised.' According to the website, if the projector is placed 3.2 metres away from the wall, the screen size will be 100 inches. At 1.6 metres, it's 50 inches and at 2.2 metres, it's 70 inches. Offering a screen size of up to 100 inches (2.54 metres) and a 720p native resolution, the 1.4kg gadget can connect multiple devices - including phones and headphones - via USB or HDMI Her video has been viewed more than 380,000 times - with many impressed with the new projector. 'This is great. My TV blew up and this makes perfect sense and takes up little space,' one said. 'This would be so epic,' another shared. 'OMG I need it,' one added. The mini projectors from Kmart have been flying off the shelves, with many calling them the perfect affordable alternative to pricier brands.
CNET
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
My Secret Weapon for Camping Is This Portable Projector That's 22% Off
CNET's key takeaways Anker's Nebula Mars 3 Air is a compact portable projector with a reasonable $599 price (and currently on sale for $470 Despite its size, it delivers a bright picture and loud audio for a portable projector. It can even double as a Bluetooth speaker. Its size is great for backyard movie nights or car camping, but might be a little large for backpackers. I recently took an epic road trip through a land of giants, and there's only one compact projector I would take with me to complete my camping experience. Anker's Nebula Mars 3 Air made my nights at Kings Canyon National Park, home of the world's largest grove of sequoia trees, even more picturesque, without taking up too much space. I review projectors for CNET, and I've also built a DIY campervan, so I know that a lot of the best portable projectors sacrifice too much for their size. Not this one. With the side of my van (which is conveniently white) doubling as a screen, I rewatched some episodes of Andor I'd downloaded from Disney Plus after the sun went down at the campsite, capping off a beautiful day in nature with the right mix of bright picture, loud audio and portability. If you want to watch a movie with the family while camping, and crowding around an iPad doesn't cut it -- this is the way to go. My experience with the Mars 3 Air As far as performance goes, the Mars 3 Air does quite well for its size and price. In my lab, I measured a contrast ratio of 405:1, which isn't amazing, but it's better than most portable projectors. That means the image doesn't look washed out or flat. (You can see all my testing data in my guide to the best portable projectors.) Sound-wise, the 3 Air's two 8-watt speakers play loudly, offering performance similar to many Bluetooth speakers, which is fitting since it can also double as a Bluetooth speaker. The battery life is good as well. You should be able to get around 2.5 hours of playtime for video and 8 hours if you're using it as a Bluetooth speaker. Disappointingly, it can't recharge via USB, so you'll need to connect to AC power to charge it. The side of my campervan makes for a decent impromptu projector screen. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET What makes the Mars 3 Air the best portable projector option for camping trips is how it does everything well without doing anything particularly poorly. It's also very easy to use. It runs on a full version of Google TV, so it has access to all the typical streaming services. Many portable projectors only have some streaming apps, and if they do support some streaming apps, they might not support the full versions of the apps, which can make portable projectors harder to use. Keep in mind that the easiest way to watch shows and movies on the Mars 3 Air is to make your phone a hotspot. If you don't have service where you are, like in many national parks, you need to download shows and movies ahead of time. This can only be done via a mobile device connected with HDMI, and sometimes not even then, depending on your phone. Something else you'll want to keep in mind: This projector doesn't show full frame with a USB-to-HDMI. The specs Native resolution: 1080p Lumens spec: 400 Lamp life: LED HDMI inputs: 1 USB port: 1 Audio output: Headphone output Internet: 2.4/5GHz Battery life: 2.5 hours While you wouldn't want to backpack with it, the Mars 3 Air is compact and shorter than my Jetboil MiniMo camp stove. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET CNET's buying advice The Mars 3 Air is the best all-around portable projector because it does most things well, some things really well and almost nothing wrong. It looks good, sounds good and doesn't take up a lot of space. There are two other options I want to talk about that might be better in certain situations. The first is Anker's own Capsule Air. It's the size of a soda can, making it even more portable than the Mars 3 Air. It also has Google TV built in, is battery powered, can double as a Bluetooth speaker and (unlike the Mars 3 Air) it can charge via USB-C. That means you can have longer viewing sessions between charges as long as you have a battery bank. It's dimmer and can't play as loud as the Mars 3 Air, however. The other option is the AAXA M8. It's also much smaller than the Mars 3 Air, and significantly brighter and cheaper. Overall, it looks quite good, though its colors are pretty strange. It also has extremely loud fans, and the streaming options are far more limited. If you want to create larger-than-TV-sized images on the go and don't mind screaming little fans while you're watching, the M8 might work better for you than the Mars 3 Air. The Anker Mars 3 Air is the best overall, though, and it's the one I'll be taking with me on my next trip.
CNET
11-07-2025
- CNET
Last Chance Prime Day Deal: This Portable Projector Is My Secret Weapon for Camping, and It's $180 Off
Amazon Prime Day deal: This portable projector from Anker and powered by Google TV has a great deal for Amazon Prime Day 2025, meaning today is your last day to nab the savings. It's $180 or 30% off its regular price, and it can also be mounted on a table or a ceiling. CNET's key takeaways Anker's Nebula Mars 3 Air is a compact portable projector with a reasonable $599 price (and it's frequently available for less). Despite its size, it delivers a bright picture and loud audio for a portable projector. It can even double as a Bluetooth speaker. Its size is great for backyard movie nights or car camping, but might be a little large for backpackers. I recently took an epic road trip through a land of giants, and there's only one compact projector I would take with me to complete my camping experience. Anker's Nebula Mars 3 Air made my nights at Kings Canyon National Park, home of the world's largest grove of sequoia trees, even more picturesque, without taking up too much space. I review projectors for CNET, and I've also built a DIY campervan, so I know that a lot of the best portable projectors sacrifice too much for their size. Not this one. With the side of my van (which is conveniently white) doubling as a screen, I rewatched some episodes of Andor I'd downloaded from Disney Plus after the sun went down at the campsite, capping off a beautiful day in nature with the right mix of bright picture, loud audio and portability. If you want to watch a movie with the family while camping, and crowding around an iPad doesn't cut it -- this is the way to go. My experience with the Mars 3 Air As far as performance goes, the Mars 3 Air does quite well for its size and price. In my lab, I measured a contrast ratio of 405:1, which isn't amazing, but it's better than most portable projectors. That means the image doesn't look washed out or flat. (You can see all my testing data in my guide to the best portable projectors.) Sound-wise, the 3 Air's two 8-watt speakers play loudly, offering performance similar to many Bluetooth speakers, which is fitting since it can also double as a Bluetooth speaker. The battery life is good as well. You should be able to get around 2.5 hours of playtime for video and 8 hours if you're using it as a Bluetooth speaker. Disappointingly, it can't recharge via USB, so you'll need to connect to AC power to charge it. The side of my campervan makes for a decent impromptu projector screen. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET What makes the Mars 3 Air the best portable projector option for camping trips is how it does everything well without doing anything particularly poorly. It's also very easy to use. It runs on a full version of Google TV, so it has access to all the typical streaming services. Many portable projectors only have some streaming apps, and if they do support some streaming apps, they might not support the full versions of the apps, which can make portable projectors harder to use. Keep in mind that the easiest way to watch shows and movies on the Mars 3 Air is to make your phone a hotspot. If you don't have service where you are, like in many national parks, you need to download shows and movies ahead of time. This can only be done via a mobile device connected with HDMI, and sometimes not even then, depending on your phone. Something else you'll want to keep in mind: This projector doesn't show full frame with a USB-to-HDMI. The specs Native resolution: 1080p Lumens spec: 400 Lamp life: LED HDMI inputs: 1 USB port: 1 Audio output: Headphone output Internet: 2.4/5GHz Battery life: 2.5 hours While you wouldn't want to backpack with it, the Mars 3 Air is compact and shorter than my Jetboil MiniMo camp stove. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET Best July Prime Day Deals 2025 CNET's team of shopping experts have explored thousands of deals on everything from TVs and outdoor furniture to phone accessories and everyday essentials so you can shop the best Prime Day deals in one place. See Now CNET's buying advice The Mars 3 Air is the best all-around portable projector because it does most things well, some things really well and almost nothing wrong. It looks good, sounds good and doesn't take up a lot of space. There are two other options I want to talk about that might be better in certain situations. The first is Anker's own Capsule Air. It's the size of a soda can, making it even more portable than the Mars 3 Air. It also has Google TV built in, is battery powered, can double as a Bluetooth speaker and (unlike the Mars 3 Air) it can charge via USB-C. That means you can have longer viewing sessions between charges as long as you have a battery bank. It's dimmer and can't play as loud as the Mars 3 Air, however. The other option is the AAXA M8. It's also much smaller than the Mars 3 Air, and significantly brighter and cheaper. Overall, it looks quite good, though its colors are pretty strange. It also has extremely loud fans, and the streaming options are far more limited. If you want to create larger-than-TV-sized images on the go and don't mind screaming little fans while you're watching, the M8 might work better for you than the Mars 3 Air. The Anker Mars 3 Air is the best overall, though, and it's the one I'll be taking with me on my next trip.
Geeky Gadgets
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geeky Gadgets
JMGO PicoPlay Series: Big-Screen Entertainment in the Palm of Your Hand
The way we experience entertainment is evolving, and with the new JMGO PicoPlay and PicoPlay+ smart projectors, that experience is now more portable, powerful, and versatile than ever. These ultra-compact projectors bring cinema-quality visuals and immersive audio to any setting, whether you're at home, on the road, or hosting a backyard movie night. Say goodbye to bulky setups and tangled wires—the PicoPlay series delivers a seamless, all-in-one entertainment solution that fits in your bag. Pocket-Sized Power: A New Standard for Portable Projectors Both the PicoPlay and PicoPlay+ are designed with true portability in mind. Roughly the size of a coffee cup and weighing just 740g (PicoPlay) and 720g (PicoPlay+), these compact projectors are built for life on the go. Whether you're planning a weekend camping trip, an impromptu movie night, or want to binge your favorite show while traveling, the PicoPlay series ensures your entertainment goes wherever you do. But these projectors offer more than just portability. The PicoPlay+ doubles as a 360° Bluetooth speaker, delivering rich, immersive audio even when you're not projecting. It's perfect for playing music at gatherings or setting the vibe while you relax. Another standout feature is the vertical screen support—ideal for watching TikToks, Instagram Reels, or other mobile content in their native orientation. No more awkward black bars or rotated screens. Just crisp, full-frame viewing, the way it was meant to be. Plus, with built-in ambient lighting and light-shadow filters that sync to your music, the PicoPlay+ isn't just a projector—it's a vibe. Whether you're throwing a backyard party or winding down indoors, these lighting effects add a unique visual atmosphere that enhances every moment. Easy Setup in Seconds: Tap, Project, Enjoy JMGO understands that convenience is key. The PicoPlay projectors are built with simplicity at their core—no remote required. Thanks to one-tap touch controls, setup is fast and hassle-free. You can get up and running in seconds. Both models include smart gimbal-like auto-keystone correction and autofocus technology, ensuring your projection is always perfectly aligned and crystal clear. Whether you're projecting on a wall, a ceiling, or an uneven surface, the PicoPlay automatically adjusts so you don't have to. An Action Button adds quick access to your favorite apps or settings, so you can dive straight into your content without the typical menu-diving frustrations. Full HD Visuals with Enhanced Brightness Despite their small size, the PicoPlay projectors pack serious visual power. Both models support LED 1080p Full HD resolution, bringing vibrant colors and sharp details to your favorite shows, movies, and games. The PicoPlay outputs 400 ISO lumens, while the PicoPlay+ increases brightness to 450 ISO lumens—far brighter than most mini projectors in its class. That means clear, vivid viewing even indoors with some ambient light or outdoors in shaded areas. The PicoPlay and PicoPlay+ goes one step further with synchronized ambient lighting, creating an immersive experience that adjusts the surrounding light to the mood of your content. From cozy movie nights to energetic music playback, it transforms passive watching into a full-on sensory experience. Built-In Google TV and Seamless Connectivity Both PicoPlay models come with Google TV built in, giving you access to over 10,000 apps and 700,000+ movies and shows from streaming platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+. No dongles or extra devices needed—just turn it on and start watching. Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity ensures smooth pairing with headphones, speakers, or controllers, making it perfect for solo viewing or social events. The PicoPlay+ also features dual-mode use, switching easily from projector to speaker mode depending on your needs. Looking for even more runtime? The PicoPlay+ can pair with JMGO's optional black power bank stand, which adds up to 4 extra hours of battery life and doubles as a stable tripod. That's up to 8.5 hours of total playtime—enough for movie marathons, long gaming sessions, or full-day adventures. Battery Life That Keeps Up With You Whether you're streaming on the go or setting up a backyard movie night, battery life won't hold you back. In Eco Mode, both PicoPlay models deliver up to 4.5 hours of uninterrupted viewing—perfect for feature films or binge-watching a mini-series. Need more time? The PicoPlay+ can team up with JMGO's sleek power bank stand to push runtime, so you can stay unplugged and entertained from morning to night. Whether you're hosting an outdoor screening or watching content in transit, JMGO ensures your projector won't quit before the credits roll. A Decade of Innovation: JMGO's Vision for Smart Entertainment Founded in 2011, JMGO has consistently pushed the boundaries of projection technology. Known for their advanced laser home theater systems and now the PicoPlay series, JMGO combines sleek design with high-performance hardware and integrated content platforms. Their projectors often come with official Google TV and Netflix support, ensuring access to top-tier content with no compromises. Innovations like auto-keystone, gimbal design, and ambient lighting further cement JMGO as a leader in the smart projector space. Pricing & Availability The JMGO PicoPlay series offers premium features at accessible prices: Final Thoughts: The Future of Portable Entertainment The JMGO PicoPlay and PicoPlay+ redefine what a portable projector can be. With Full HD visuals, smart auto-adjustments, Bluetooth speaker capabilities, and built-in Google TV, they deliver a complete entertainment package that's small in size but massive in impact. Whether you're a frequent traveler, outdoor enthusiast, or just someone who loves a spontaneous movie night, the PicoPlay series gives you the freedom to enjoy immersive entertainment anywhere. Your personal cinema is now as mobile as you are. The future of entertainment starts with JMGO PicoPlay. Filed Under: Gadgets News, Reviews, Technology News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
