We have Amazon, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, cable TV, and a plethora of other different ways of getting video content. Yet when a new movie is released, many of us rush to the theater to see it on the big screen.
We do this even though we know that the movie will soon be released on content services shortly after its release. Perhaps the main reason is because we want to see the content at the same time as everybody else, but a close second reason may be due to the large display.
When sitting in a movie theater, there is the massive screen and loud speakers that make you feel as though you’re actually there in the action.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could do this in your home as well? Well, you can with a projector, but projectors with reasonable image quality are quite expensive. For example, LG’s new Smart Home Theater projector costs just about $1000.
So, without breaking the bank, is it possible to get a movie theater experience in your own home? A quick search on Amazon shows that it may be possible. Home projectors have come down drastically and are now $500 and below. With each having different claims and review stars, finding the right one may be the more difficult task.
The one in today’s spotlight is an Android OS based projector that contains more inputs than the new MacBook Pro and an image quality that is quite impressive. With a reasonable price and features to gloat about, this projector may just be your answer to a home theater setup.
Welcome to my review on the Simplebeamer G70UP projector. Throughout this review, I will be discussing the design, functionality, and my final thoughts. A special thank you to BlitzWolf for providing me with this projector for this review.
Design
By working in the IT field, I have worked with a lot of different types of projectors. Personal and corporate models all have their own unique features and design. Unlike most products, projector manufacturers do not seem to follow any design guidelines and they tend to be more creative because of it. This can be seen in the LG Home projector I mentioned before, by it having a large floor-based housing.
One thing among projectors that is always apparent is whether or not they are made for personal or corporate usage. Personal projectors tend to be lighter, smaller, and have more features. On the other hand, corporate models often have brighter screens and can withstand long periods of usage time.
Simplebeamer G70UP’s projector is a compact model that is clearly focused on the personal and travelling user. Enclosed in a plastic shell, the G70UP is light enough to be held in one hand without strain.
The entire body of the G70UP is black, but the projector uses a glossy top finish while the rest is a matte black. I would have liked to see an all matte finish to prevent the glossy top from sometimes reflecting the projector light.
On the front of the unit, there is a 2.5-inch projector lens which is right-of-center. Just above the lens are two lens wheels. One is used to adjust the projector’s zoom while the other changes the tilt of the picture.
Since there is the chance of the glass on the lens breaking, a plastic cover is provided to cover the lens when it is not in use. The only downside is that the lens needs to be moved to the recessed position before the cover can be placed onto the lens. I mention this as a downside as you lose the last known position of the lens.
In operation, the projector can get quite hot. To help cope with the heat, there are plenty of vents found around the unit. With most of the heat being exhausted through the left and right fan outlets, the rear and bottom also have passive ventilation.
For a personal projector, this model has a lot of inputs. On the rear of the unit, there is a TV cable input, VGA, a full-sized USB port, dual HDMI, an IR blaster, and an AV port. Additionally, the left side of the projector also contains a full-sized SD card slot and headphone jack.
As with most projectors, this one features an internal power supply. This means that you do not need to carry around a large heavy power brick when travelling. Instead, Simplebeamer provides a 4.25-foot power cable. While this cable is rather short, it is nicer than carrying around a power brick.
The main selling point of this projector is that it runs Android OS. While the Android OS is a slimmed down version, YouTube and the Google Play store are available to you. More on this later.
To work your way through the menus, the top of the projector has I/O buttons. There is a four-way directional pad with a center enter button that will get you through most of the menus. To the right of that is a back button, then a home button, and a power on/off button with a status LED.
Each button has a graphic of what it does, but since this is a black on black button, it’s impossible to tell which button you are pressing, even in daylight. This was a big problem and annoying throughout the entire review.
Luckily, Simplebeamer does include a wireless remote. While the remote is anything but premium, it does include all of the buttons that you will need to operate the projector from afar. Power, mute, menu, fast forward, display input, directional controls, and a number pad get you through all of the menus with ease.
Finally, to mount the projector, you can only use a floor position mount as the projector does not have screw holes for a ceiling mount. There are four rubber feet if you wish to have a level projecting surface, otherwise, the projector has an adjustment foot that can raise the projector about 3.5-inches off of a flat surface.
Even while mounted up at its maximum, the projector is quite sturdy and barely moves, unless you press on the front right or left corners. Table shakes or accidental bumps shouldn’t affect it at all.
Functionality
A normal projector wouldn’t be as enjoyable to review as it would just display a picture on a surface. Luckily, this isn’t your everyday projector.
On top of being a multi-input projector, Simplebeamer has included a custom install of Android OS. The Android OS includes apps like WPS Office, YouTube, Miracast, and anything else you can find on the Google Play Store.
Running Android 4.4.2 it isn’t the latest version of Android, but it’s something. Don’t expect any Google updates for this version of Android, so sooner or later your OS will fall out of date. Even at 4.4.2, it is close to that point already.
Navigating the Android OS is both easy and difficult. If you use an application that allows your phone to control the projector or connect a USB mouse, then navigating Android is easy. Using a mouse allows you to click on things and use the projector as if it was a touch-screen.
If you use the controls on the remote or the controls on top of the unit, then you will give yourself a headache. Android wasn’t designed to only have a four-way directional controller and trying to operate it with one is difficult. You can control certain things, but other things, like the YouTube “Got it” message is unclickable using the controls. In fact, I was unable to use YouTube until I clicked the “Got it” popup.
That said, using the Android OS is a much better experience than I expected. Applications load in a very reasonable time and they work in the same manner as any Android smartphone. I didn’t bother downloading a lot of applications, but there is the option. Do note that there is limited storage and processing power on the device.
Instead of using the projector for Android applications, I used Miracast which allowed me to project my Galaxy Note 4 smartphone onto the projector. This means I get the performance of my phone, but the nice and large display of the projector.
However, there was a slight lag introduced when doing this. Video playback was acceptable, but gaming was a little difficult as the screen was lagging behind what was actually being displayed on my phone.
If desired, you can choose not to use Android whatsoever. The projector contains a separate menu that allows you to change inputs or browse system files. This is great when you need to navigate through an SD card or USB stick for video.
Once you’ve found what you want to watch, you need a place to watch it. The projector has a maximum screen display of 150 inches. However, Simplebeamer suggests a maximum of 80 inches for a better viewing experience. I’d go even lower and say that 50 – 60 inches offered a clear and viewable display. Playing around with different zooms and focus, at 50 inches it’s very similar to watching something on a TV.
Image quality of the G70UP is excellent. For a projector in this price bracket and meant for consumers, I wasn’t expecting a lot from the display. The menus are clear, readable, and colorful. Movies and video playback are clear as well and the projector does an excellent job at displaying the colors.
While it’s not as bright as a TV, watching children’s movies or action movies (movies that are bright) was just perfect. With a resolution of 1920 x 1080, I was seriously impressed with how the image quality turned out for a projector such as this one.
However, I wouldn’t recommend this as a replacement for your TV in your bedroom or living room; your TV would be superior for image quality. Instead, this projector would be great for outdoor movies or to watch video on a large basement wall.
Simplebeamer does include an internal speaker, but it appears they’ve used the lowest quality speaker they could have found. It’s usable, but quiet and muffled. Plus, with the very loud fan noise, it can be difficult to be heard at all.
As an alternative, using the projector’s headphone jack allows you to connect a 3.5mm audio cable and have that connect to external speakers. This is an inconvenience, but it is standard for most projectors to be used with external speakers.
In addition to my phone, I also tried out my laptop using an HDMI connection. I was quite pleased with how it looked and there wasn’t any lag with it either. If you wanted to use this projector as a PC gaming projector, then it would be possible. From what I saw on my laptop, any hardwired device would work flawlessly.
My Final Thoughts
For only $159.99, this projector is great value. The image quality blew me away with how well it looked at both close-up and far away positions. Even if it is not a known name brand. While the internal speaker is quiet and the fans are loud, the projector does make up for its faults by offering different fixes, like an external speaker hookup. If you are looking for something that can display some casual video or games, then this is the projector for you.
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