I seldom sleep in the identical place for greater than a few weeks at a time, so I’m a giant fan of moveable all-in-one projectors. They’re small and arrange shortly, making them preferrred for vanlife, gaming events, outside film nights, or a night in on the sofa — however they often sacrifice high quality for comfort. Anker’s new Nebula X1 projector guarantees to provide an extremely vivid and color-accurate 4K picture with glorious sound whereas remaining moveable and quiet.
Sometimes, if portability is on the high of your want listing, then sound and movie high quality will undergo. Prioritize a cinematic expertise and also you’re taking a look at an costly, hulking, noisy gadget that requires everlasting placement inside a house theater. Over a month of testing throughout limitless firmware updates and a wide range of viewing situations, the Nebula X1 did an excellent job of hanging the proper steadiness with only a few tradeoffs, delivering on Anker’s promise.
However with a value beginning at $2,999, or $3,998 for a equipment that features the extremely advisable satellite tv for pc audio system, it’s not precisely low cost. And at near 25 kilos (11.3kg) for all the bundle — the Nebula X1 is extra luggable than moveable.
$2999
The Good
- Unbelievably vivid
- Glorious picture on a wide range of surfaces
- Unbelievable sound for a conveyable
- Computerized the whole lot with handbook overrides
- Netflix works out of the field
The Unhealthy
- Costly
- 4.1.2 channel separation is trash
- Satellite tv for pc audio system can drop connection
- Giant and heavy for a conveyable
The Nebula X1 is a 3500 ANSI lumen triple-laser 4K projector with built-in four-speaker sound system. It runs Google TV so that you get built-in Chromecast, Google Assistant, and an official Netflix app (in contrast to many all-in-one projectors) that streams media over Wi-Fi 6. It features a pair of USB and HDMI 2.1 ports (one supporting eARC) to connect your favourite sport console or media drive. A satisfying, recessed deal with pops up with a push to make the 13.7 pound (6.2kg) projection unit moveable.
There’s a protracted listing of options that make the X1 distinctive for a conveyable projector:
- An all-glass 14-element lens that gained’t yellow over time, mounted onto a 25-degree motorized mechanical swivel that avoids inferior digital tips whereas growing placement choices.
- Liquid cooling that each one however eliminates noise.
- Optical zoom coupled with a 0.9:1 to 1.5:1 throw ratio provides you large pictures, as much as 300 inches diagonally, when positioned nearer to the display screen than typical projectors.
- Class-leading 200W of sound when including Anker’s extremely advisable 80W battery-powered, waterproof, Wi-Fi-connected audio system.
Be aware: I did my greatest with the images, however they will solely approximate the brightness, colour, and distinction considered with the bare eye.
This 4K stream was delivered over Starlink onto a 90-inch projection display screen from 7.5 ft (3.5m) away, simply after sundown. Picture by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
This 32-inch YouTube picture projected onto a shiny folding Ikea desk was really too vivid. Picture by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
This huge picture was watchable mid-day even when considered on an ALR display screen subsequent to a wall of ground to ceiling home windows. Picture by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
The X1 struggled at instances to search out the utmost display screen measurement on this white wall, and delivered a couple of dozen firmware updates over my month of testing. Picture by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
I’ll simply say it: the X1’s picture high quality is unmatched for a go-anywhere all-in-one projector. Its 3500 ANSI lumen output is healthier than many house theater projectors, permitting it to provide a vivid picture throughout a variety of difficult environments with no obvious optical distortion. It appeared nice at default settings when examined in a wide range of lighting conditions on painted partitions, a standard white-matte pulldown display screen, a grey Ambient Gentle Rejection (ALR) display screen, and a small folding Ikea tabletop.
The X1 will try to dynamically steadiness the colours and distinction on no matter floor it detects. Principally it really works, however colours, particularly reds, are usually over-saturated out of the field, making Gwyneth Paltrow’s face overly ruddy, particularly on my ALR display screen. Anker gives loads of handbook overrides to dial within the actual picture you favor with only a few minutes of labor.
The X1’s lumen rely made informal viewings potential in areas flooded with ambient gentle. At instances, I discovered the picture to be too vivid, particularly when all that gentle was targeted right into a 32-inch diagonal on a shiny Ikea panel from simply 5 ft (about 1.5 meters) away. Luckily, you’ll be able to manually cut back the ability and iris settings to dim the picture. That class-leading brightness makes the X1’s HDR10 and Dolby Imaginative and prescient help extra than simply checkmarks on a gross sales sheet — colour is usually correct with loads of distinction, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a DLP projector, so don’t count on true blacks. The X1’s lumen rely also needs to do an honest job with 3D in case you personal DLP 3D glasses (I didn’t take a look at this).
The auto-placement function takes about 20 seconds to scan the realm earlier than selecting the perfect location. Picture by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
The X1 discovered an ideal match on this folding Ikea desk about 90 % of the time, all the time providing a fast handbook override to regulate. Picture by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
Importantly for a conveyable, the Nebula X1 options all the automated placement options you’d count on. These embrace computerized focus, keystone correction, and impediment avoidance, in addition to computerized colour adaptation to optimize the picture primarily based on the colour of the paint or materials used on the projection floor. These might be triggered manually from the gadget, Nebula app, or distant management, or set to have interaction at startup and when the projector is moved.
Autofocus labored 100 precent of the time, whereas the automated placement options labored nicely when there was a transparent border. I needed to manually right the perimeters as a rule when projected onto a clean white wall.
Startup is comparatively quick. You’ll be able to start navigating Google TV in about 45 seconds from a chilly boot, or only a few seconds if resuming from standby.
There’s additionally an “Excessive” sport mode that disables digital keystone correction and movement smoothing to dedicate all that background processing to quicker response instances. For informal sport play, the very slight lag is one thing you shortly get used to. The bundled mics, I can affirm, are enjoyable for karaoke nights.
The standing gentle on the satellites might be dimmed or disabled. Pink means the battery is getting low. Picture by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
The legs might be folded down and a flap protects the USB-C charging port from mud and rain. There’s additionally a tripod mount. Picture by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
Sound is the killer function of the Nebula X1. Even with out the satellites, the sound is obvious and immersive and simply fills a room. Connecting the optionally available battery-powered satellite tv for pc audio system over a direct, low-latency 5.8GHz Wi-Fi connection to the primary unit takes issues to a different degree.
The satellites hyperlink routinely at startup and remodel the X1’s 4 inner audio system right into a makeshift subwoofer, whereas the three audio system in every satellite tv for pc take over accountability for heart, high, and aspect channels. The ensuing soundscape is vast and spectacular and lots loud sufficient for a gaggle to take pleasure in outside — as long as you might have accommodating neighbors. There’s additionally a “Bluetooth Speaker Mode” that turns off the projection lamp to play music with loads of bass when full, wealthy, heat audio is all of the leisure required. I used this function a number of hours a day which helps to maximise worth for cash.
With the audio turned down the projector is basically silent because of its liquid cooling. The fan kicked in on an particularly sizzling day of testing, however I might barely hear it (measuring simply 26dB from a distance of 1 meter) over the common din of a lounge or waves crashing past.
As anticipated, the X1 didn’t ship on the promise of 4.2.1 encompass sound. I struggled to listen to any simulated channel separation from overhead or behind. Anker lists some strict placement necessities that I couldn’t meet precisely in testing — you may need higher luck. These satellites additionally dropped connection often requiring handbook intervention that typically resulted in an audible pop. It’s somewhat annoying, and has improved with every firmware replace.
I noticed 19 hours of battery life from these satellites (the projector does not have a battery) in my testing. That included two hours of movie watched outside at a loud 50 % quantity, and the remaining spent vibing to music at a relaxed 20 to 30 %. These IP54-rated satellite tv for pc audio system even survived a small rain bathe once I forgot them exterior as soon as.
1/16That picture was huge and exquisite because the solar was setting.
General, I don’t have any actual complaints. Typically the automated picture placement options can miss the mark, however I discover them way more helpful than annoying. Typically the satellite tv for pc audio system don’t pair correctly, however that may be shortly mounted with an influence toggle. The Google UI verges on sluggish at instances, nevertheless it’s quicker than another moveable implementation I’ve tried. And I’ve seen far too many firmware updates, however issues hold enhancing.
Anker’s Nebula X1 has left me totally impressed. It produces extremely immersive sound for its measurement, alongside a vivid, vivid picture corresponding to house theater projectors costing nearer to $5,000. The Nebula X1 with the satellite tv for pc speaker bundle is pricey at $3,998, however anybody who finds themselves in want of a projector that may shortly approximate a house theater expertise anyplace they go will get their cash’s value.
Pictures by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
