Group test
Portable Projectors
When you want a real home cinema experience, which should you buy?
Image credit: Cxxxx xxx
Group test
Reviewed by IAN OSBORNE
ON TEST…
> Acer AOPEN PV12a
> Asus ZenBeam L2
>BenQ GV31
> Epson EB-E20
>Optoma ML1080ST
> Phillips Screeneo UL5 Smart
Projectors have clear advantages over even the best large-screen TVs. When paired with a fold-away screen, you can get a huge picture for a lot less than you’d pay for a similarly sized television, and when you’re done watching the movie, football match or whatever, you can fold down the screen and put the projector away. And if it’s a portable model like these, you can take it around to a friend’s house and watch with them too.
Naturally there are also some disadvantages. You need a dark room in which to use a projector. In this respect, it’s just like the cinema. The image you get might not be as sharp as a television, and the bulb has a limited life expectancy (though it’s usually pretty decent these days; a few years at least). They can be noisy too, especially if you’ve let the vents clog up with dust. Keep an eye on this if you’re thinking of getting a projector. They’re not great for gaming either.
In this group test, we bear all this in mind as we take a look at half a dozen projector models from six of the world’s leading manufacturers.
How we tested
First of all, we made sure the room was dark enough to test the projectors, but not totally dark, as we wanted to see how they would perform in average, not ideal, conditions. We assessed how easy they are to set up and use, and how far away from the screen they have to be to get a decent-sized picture.