With our scholar on the brink of return residence it was time to setup the den upstairs. The timing couldn’t have been higher as a result of BenQ obtained in contact and requested us if we’d like so as to add considered one of their moveable projectors to the Automated Residence.
What Is It?
Described because the ‘World’s First 2.1CH Audio Moveable Projector’, the GV30 is an all-in-one projector with sound, roughly 12cm x 20cm x 2cm and weighing in at 1.6 kg. It makes use of a DLP chip to provide its native 720p picture (1280 x 720) and may deal with as much as a 4K UHD enter (3840 x 2160).
With brightness rated at 300 ANSI Lumens, you want a darkish room to get probably the most from the GV30. BenQ quote the lifetime of the LED gentle supply as 20,000 in regular mode. To place that in actual world phrases, in case you used the projector for five hours a day, 6 days every week, it ought to final for over 12 years.
The noise ranges of the cooling fan are very low so to not intervene with the motion and the highest mounted buttons enable for simple management of the unit. There are 3 audio system on-board, a 4 watt unit for every of the left and proper channels, plus a 3rd 8 watt woofer for some decrease frequencies. Meaning this one field moveable answer gives a 2.1 channel setup.
The audio system create a sound that’s a step above many flat display TVs and it’s lots loud. There’s additionally a 3.5mm audio-out jack if you wish to feed the sound into an exterior system. With onboard Bluetooth you can even ship you music out of your cellphone and so on and use it as a Bluetooth Speaker.
As a part of the setup course of you utilize a bit guitar-pick formed instrument to prise the case aside and set up the BenQ QS01 Android TV Dongle on the inner HDMI. The quilt snaps again on giving a clear look with out something protruding of the unit.
There’s a second HDMI on the facet (1.4b/HDCP1.4) if you wish to use your personal streaming stick or different machine. The USB-C socket can be utilized as a DisplayPort enter too.
The round formed projector then sits onto a magnetic base, permitting it to rotate to the specified angle. Eradicating the magnetic base reveals a helpful tripod socket, making it even simpler to mount if in case you have one handy.
On the Films
As soon as the blinds are closed the image involves life, together with the wow-factor that a big projected picture brings. We’re projecting the picture onto a plain painted wall, which works rather well with none particular paints or a ‘correct’ display.
There’s no zoom operate on the GV30 so the picture dimension is set by how distant you place it out of your wall. The BenQ suggest a picture between 30″ and 120″, and with its 135° projection angle, you’ll be able to web site it virtually wherever. On a espresso desk, a shelf, and even on the ground. Anybody that’s used a transportable projector earlier than will most likely recognise the state of affairs the place you’re in search of a stack of books, simply the appropriate top, however this easy however intelligent swivel base means it’s straightforward to regulate. In our room the very best image dimension / high quality was obtained by placing the unit behind the couch which gave us the 118″ diagonal within the picture above.
There’s auto-focus and a Vertical Keystone function that straightens these trapezoid’s into rectangles mechanically (+/- 40°) and there are 6 image modes – Vibrant, Cinema, Day Time, Dwelling Room, Sports activities and Sport with an enter lag of 51 ms (1080p@60Hz).
Streaming Media, Native Information
The most effective issues concerning the BenQ GV30 is that inbuilt Android TV, together with the wi-fi streaming that the onboard Wi-Fi brings (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4G and 5G).
You possibly can forged out of your cellular machine to the projector, or play from Android apps instantly. To put in Netflix first you’ll must seize the “Apps Supervisor” from the Google Play retailer. Subsequent, open the apps supervisor and discover and set up “Aptoide” and use it to obtain “Netflix”.
The built-in battery means you’ll be tempted to take your motion pictures on the go, and even strive it outside or perhaps even on a tenting journey. You possibly can play your personal media plugging a reminiscence stick into the USB-C port in case you are off grid too. In testing we obtained round 2 hours use on battery energy. The projector comes with a very nice carry case too which holds the included distant management and energy lead.
Verdict
We’ve tried a number of moveable projectors over time and this one is a step above. Whereas it prices a bit greater than somebody of the cheaper choices round, in our opinion it’s properly price the additional.
The moveable GV30 feels properly constructed and has the advantages of that inbuilt Android TV and the pliability that the onboard battery energy gives too.
It has already supplied hours of leisure and has rapidly turn into a everlasting fixture in our den. When you’ve watched a film on a giant display it’s exhausting to return to a standard TV!