Turn Any Room Into a Theater With a Portable Projector

Turn Any Room Into a Theater With a Portable Projector

Turn any room into a theater or a campout into an outdoor cinema with these tiny battery-powered projectors. They’re compact and light enough to carry from room to room or on a trip—even if you don’t have a power bank.

These portable projectors range in size, brightness, resolution, and features. Picking the best one depends on the specific use cases you have in mind.

Brightness

Unlike TVs with their internal lighting, projectors throw Portable Projector light onto a screen, meaning they need to be bright enough for a usable image. This is measured in lumens (ANSI lumens), and the higher it is, the better.

Portable projectors often use less power than full-size models, which can be helpful for battery life. However, it also means that they are not as bright. Even the brightest portable projectors only offer a few hours of video playtime on one charge — and it’s rare to get the full brightness they claim when running on battery power.

To combat this, most portable projectors have multiple modes that allow you to adjust the brightness. While it might seem counterintuitive, a lower brightness setting usually gives you a longer battery life without affecting image quality.

For most people, a high contrast ratio is more important than a high lumen count. A high contrast ratio makes the picture clearer by reducing washout and enhancing detail. Most projectors use LED lighting to achieve a good contrast ratio and brightness, but some still use traditional halogen lamps. LEDs typically consume less power, extending battery life and making it easier to take your projector out of the house without plugging it in. It’s important to know what type of LED technology a projector uses before buying.

Contrast

Until recently, projectors had to be plugged in, and most were too big to tote around from room to room or outside for an afternoon movie under the stars. But today’s ultra-light portable projectors are a whole lot more versatile. The smallest models are small enough to fit into a backpack or briefcase. They’re also powerful enough to display a full-size image without burning through batteries or draining the power source too quickly.

These tiny projectors come with built-in streaming systems, so you can watch Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube directly from the device and skip the need for a laptop, Blu-Ray player, or video game console. Look for a portable projector with a solid, reliable battery, and one with an HDMI port or the ability to connect via WiFi or Bluetooth.

As for contrast, look for a model with high Full and Dynamic contrast ratings. But remember that ANSI contrast ratings aren’t comparable to Dynamic contrast specs. Dynamic contrast measurements account for a projector’s ability to adjust lumen output from frame to frame, which is what delivers the best looking images. In contrast, ANSI contrast specifications measure a static sample of rectangles and ignore this important factor. For this reason, many manufacturers don’t publish ANSI contrast numbers for their consumer products. If they did, they’d likely have to lower their Full and Dynamic contrast specs in order to compete with the competition.

Colors

Colors are important because they tell the story, trigger emotions and make us feel what is happening on screen. Accurate colors also help us keep our focus on the movie, which is why many people prefer to use projectors over flatscreen TVs in their home.

Portable projectors can show images larger than a flatscreen TV and most models offer HD and 4K content. Look for a high resolution with at least 1920 x 1080 (or 3840 x 2160) pixels and a wide color gamut to get accurate onscreen colors. For best results, you’ll want a three-chip design that uses red, green and blue chips to create the image so your brain can process them simultaneously.

A projector works best on a white or black screen depending on the ambient lighting in the room and your lcd projector company preference for the most visually satisfying experience. A white screen maximizes brightness for a vibrant image in dark rooms, while a black screen provides superior contrast for viewing in various lighting conditions.

Sound

When shopping for a portable projector, size, shape, and weight are among the most important considerations. These factors directly impact the applications that they’re suited for. Bigger, heavier models tend to have brighter pictures and more robust audio than their smaller, lighter counterparts.

The smallest, lightest projectors are called pico projectors and can fit in the palm of your hand or a large overcoat pocket. They have relatively low brightness (less than 100 ANSI lumens) and onboard batteries, but can also be powered by external USB battery packs. They can also double as Bluetooth speakers, making them good for streaming content.

Mid-size and lightweight options include the Xgimi MoGo 2, which is just about the size of a can of Coke and is our top pick for its overall performance and features. It delivers a solid picture and runs very quietly, with only a whisper of a fan. Its only real flaw is a high input lag that makes it unsuitable for gaming.

The Anker Nebula Mars II Pro is a step up in brightness and picture quality from its competitors but it still only offers 720p. Its IPX3 water resistance, carrying handle, and extra ports make it our choice for a true outdoor projector that you can use anywhere.