Customer Review

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  Some compromises but a good all-rounder
  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 December 2018
  The Viewsonic M1 is a pretty good all-in-one package and it isn't difficult to list a number of its great features.1. The picture is generally very good. It is sharp and in good focus across the screen.2. Image brightness and colour seem to be very uniform across the image.3. A lot of image adjustments are available, some on-screen (i.e. the image can be adjusted while watching: colour, hue, sharpness and 3-d functions only).4. The on-board sound is convincing and loud enough for me. No need for additional speakers.5. The rotating stand works very well and is quite stable even with cables attached. It holds the projector at any angle without slipping, is easily and rapidly adjustable and allows a lot of versatility in where to project (including the ceiling). It does rely on standing on a level surface, but there is a tripod mount where this is difficult. Amongst othe places, I've had it stood stably on a cushion tray at the end of the bed. The auto turn on/off when the stand is rotated is a neat feature.6. Rapid set-up is helped by the automatic keystone, which works very well.7. The battery life between charges is long. The claimed six hours in battery saving mode seems about right and you can get through a movie at high brightness levels. The battery also charges while projecting; some don't. The battery is a boon in such a portable package but also a possible drawback as it could well limit the device life. It is not user-replaceable and might not be cost-effective to return for service replacement, even if this is possible. Unfortunately, the specifications don't give any idea of the life-expectancy of the battery, possibly understandably as it might depend on how it is used. It is worth asking yourself whether you really need this level of self-contained operation - it is surprisingly useful though.8. There is a useful charge level indicator on the back of the device.9. The USB port can power a Fire stick or other streaming device (drawing up to 1 amp), even in battery mode, making a self-contained streaming unit.10. The cooling fan noise is very subdued. It is inaudible to me until the unit is about foot from my ear, and my hearing isn't particularly poor.11. The remote sensor is on the front of the device and responds well when the remote is directed at the projection screen, rather than the projector, at least at the distances where this short-throw projector is likely to be used. This is much more practical and flexible than having the sensor on the back where cables get in the way of the beam. The remote works well and is reasonably ergonomic.12. There is a good array of modern inputs, including USB-C.13. You get some useful items in the box: a soft case and USB-C cable.14. There is a native Office suite on-board, with functions like scrolling and slide movement via the remote. The projector is bright enough to make a 40-60 inch presentation in subdued light, i.e. in enough light to take notes by, rather than in total darkness. Total darkness is best for films and TV though (unless you are happy with a very small screen).15. Given that the device can easily be picked up and waved about the automatic lamp shutoff could be quite useful. The projector could also be used at close quarters for (say) tracing artwork where the shutoff could save your eyesight - or possibly be a little annoying depending on how close to your hand or surrounding surfaces get to the sensor. In this case, there is an option to suspend auto-shutoff.16. The construction seems high quality. It is reassuringly solid.17. It is backed by a reputable company with a support team and a 2-year warranty, though for some reason this is a year less than that in the US. The product is firmware upgradeable by a not-too-difficult process should any further upgrades be made.18. The instructions say it is 3-d compatible. I've put this last as I probably won't use it.Doubtless there are other features that I have not yet noticed. The projector may be one of the higher priced WVGA offerings, but it is a solid, chic-looking all-in-one solution. That being said there are bound to be compromises in putting such a package together. The following are some acceptable compromises (or non-essential improvements).1. The device really could do with brightness and contrast controls in the on-screen display (OSD). You can control hue, sharpness and saturation from the OSD while watching video. Adding brightness/contrast would be very useful a device such as this. The reason is that ambient light affects the picture a lot and you end up wanting to adjust these more often than on a normal TV. It is a real hassle to have get out of the video, get into menu mode, guess what brightness and contrast are needed (a tonal panel at the bottom left helps a bit), get out of the menus, back into video … and then repeat the process if it not quite right. There are also three ways of adjusting brightness, which introduces further complication here.2. There is a faint circle of stray light well outside the picture area. I think that it is scatter from the case around the lens. Baffling this area might help – but then it would not look so chic. It isn’t a problem really.3. The focus wheel is quite sensitive; a millimetre or so can take it off focus. This appears to be a common issue with the small focus wheels on portable devices. I didn't have any problems but perhaps not easy for those with slight unsteadiness.4. The PowerPoint version installed is not 100% compatible so you don’t always see what was originally generated on a PC. Native PowerPoint is a handy feature though, and the occasional reformatting is easy to work round by suitable preparation and rehearsal. There may be compatibility issue with the other Office packages - I haven't checked. But it is certainly better to have them than not.5. As with all DLP projectors with a single DMD chip, there are sometimes rainbow artifacts if you are sensitive to them (I am, but many are not). It is difficult to get away from this.6. Because the projector is at its best in the dark, an illuminated remote would be useful. You eventually memorise which buttons are which, and fortunately the OSD button is the big one in the middle, but there is some frustration beforehand.7. There is a headphone socket but no on-board Bluetooth for remote audio. However, the on-board speakers are very good and remote speakers can be connected, if desired, via the Bluetooth on any attached streaming device (e.g. Firestick).8. Though it handles all sorts of inputs, the native resolution of this device is WVGA (854 x 480). However, the picture quality is very good and, apart from a very few instances, I can't say that I have noticed the lack of higher resolution.There are also a couple of compromises that take a bit more getting used to (for me, anyway).1. Projected images are surrounded by a light outer frame (a few inches in width on a 50 inch picture) that makes it look like you are watching a TV with a greyish bezel as shown in the attached screenshot. This frame does not keystone with the picture, with the result that at moderate tilts you have the appearance of watching a movie/TV show on a large trapezoidal TV set. It is particularly noticeable during dark scenes, such as the example; the light ones tend to swamp with light reflected round the room it or at least focus attention back to the rectangular movie area. Projecting onto a screen sized to the picture area, rather than a wall, would remove or alleviate this, and it can also be made less noticeable in some circumstances by setting an appropriate picture brightness. I'm told that this frame is an unavoidable side-effect of the DMD chip in DLP projectors, but it is the first time I've noticed it. I have another, otherwise inferior, portable that does not show it.2. Despite the claimed contrast ratio, shadow detail is not great. For example, the dark scenes in Sweeney Todd (and it is mostly dark scenes) weren't handled particularly well no matter what adjustments I made. Darks are difficult for projectors, but it is possible to do a bit better in a portable format.Notwithstanding these issues, if you want something to watch the football at night on a big screen or give presentations to small groups in subdued lighting, with the convenience of needing no mains power, then you've come to the right place.

• 0

  Dynamite comes in small packages
  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 October 2018
  Rule no.1 do your research. Get a balanced view of the product. Very few things are perfect. The closer they get to perfection the more they will cost. If it is cheap ask why?My 2 downsides for this projector are resolution and lumens.Once you know and accept this you will be amazed by the value this offering presents.The 2 negatives may seem a deal breaker but this was my approach.Resolution is low. Not HD. HD is incredible but I feel when the movie is rolling and the action commences there is no time to count pixels. Pixels are really noticeable when movie is paused.Lumens. You cannot watch during they datime. This projector performs better the darker it is. You need to block out the light. Once you know and understand this and take measure (bloack out curtains etc.) The problem no longer exists. Sit back enjoy movie/tv.Where else can you get 100 inch movie for this price. The sound delivery is excellent from Harmon Kardon. We don't have a massive lounge.It's portability because of inbuilt battery is another huge plus for us.Our first one stopped working within 14 days which was concerning. Amazon replaced in 2 days so cannot get much better service than that. They said this was first faulty return. Fingerscrossed our replacement lives strong. I would not want to lose it. We don't have a TV which frees up space in the lounge area.Tv's tend to go on just for the sake of it. Projectors do require a bit of set up.That's all folks...

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  Great value package, with a few caveats
  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2018
  I did a lot of research before this purchase. Really love this device, and I think it offers a lot for those willing to spend a little more than a cheap portable projector. The speakers really pump out great sound, and I love the portability. Screen quality is pretty good, the contrast makes up for the lack of resolution. It isnt bright enough to watch in full daylight, but fine with the curtains drawn or the lights slightly dimmed. Overall very happy with the purchase.The only cons I have encountered so far:- over time, the arm seems to have sagged. My picture is now crooked if I am projecting straight. A bit frustrating, and we always prop it up to get it straight- the fan can be a little loud, sort of like a 10 year old laptop running its fan on full. The speakers are loud enough to cover this though- the dial on the side for the focus occasionally unfocuses after a little bit. Can be annoying

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  The bathroom ceiling being the best so far
  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 June 2018
  Cant really find fault. This unit is up there in my top 3 bargain purchases. The constant fight for the remote control is now a thing of the past for me ESPECIALLY NOW THE WORLD CUP IS ON! I have watched games in places unimaginable. The bathroom ceiling being the best so far. The battery lasted long enough to get through the build up, full match + extra time with life to spare. It really is that portable.Decided to put it to the test and connect my PS4 and was blown away. Immaculate sound quality and more than decent picture quality. Family weekends away will be a breeze as i intend to save all the kids favorite cartoons on a memory stick and carry it wherever we go. Well deserved 5 stars! Will be looking to purchase another one in the near future

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  Great home projector at a good mid point price
  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 October 2018
  Keep an eye on this as they do drop the price from time to time (at the time of this review - Oct 2018 - price dropped to £248). Absolutely brilliant for home use - bright, sharp images, excellent sound from Harman/Kardon speakers, compact remote control, rechargeable battery with good battery life, completely portable projector. So glad I purchased this rather than cheaper models - this is simply an excellent product for the price.For Apple users, get the official certified lightning to HDMI adapter (see my separate review) - bite the bullet and fork out £50 for it as no other adapter will work. Once you get it, it connects and streams seamlessly from iPhone and iPad. As at end of October 2018, I’ve streamed Netflix, Amazon Prime, BT Sport, Apple TV, BBC iPlayer, YouTube plus loads of other apps. As another reviewer has said, Sky Go does not stream due to licensing restrictions.Only slight cons I feel worth mentioning:- there is a bit of light bleed around the edges of the projector- some people may find the fan slightly noisy (although I find that once the audio is playing, it’s not that noticeable)- the stand doesn’t quite stand true so you may need to adjust itNone of the above mentioned cons materially change the experience for me - the overall quality and functionality of the product at this price is amazing.

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  Disappointing
  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 January 2020
  Received on the 7th of Jan with anticipation.The projector was spec’d for my bedroom and I understood the limitation for a micro projector but the size and inbuilt speaker is worth the trade-off.Firstly the item is packaged well and the build quality feels premium. The resolution/brightness when first turned is impressive for something so small.Sadly; this is the only positives I can highlight.The ability to Cast remotely does not really work. The unit connected to my internal Wifi no problem. But the unit was not visible on android phones S10 and P20 or my work Apple. The simple guide to create active is pretty useless.I could initiate a cast from my PC and MAC via VLC player but the internal codec with Sonicview causes the unit to crash. Casting from google chrome works. Casting via Netflix/Prime does not work.I had planned to buy a Chromecast device as a workaround but I have decided return the unit as the deal breaker was the HDMI signal not being pickled up. Several different HDMI cables were tried along with output from a MAC/surface10- no joy. I found reducing the native resolution on the laptop allowed for the unit to pick up the signal. But this should not need to happen. It looks like the manufacture has not tested the item.

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  Sound is amazing, super loud and crisp even in low volume settings
  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 December 2018
  I bought this then returned it the following day to buy a smaller pico project that has wifi and runs on Android 7.1. Do I regret my choice? Yes, Here's why...- Sound quality is super crisp and so incredibly clear, I live near the main road with lots of cars going past and I could hear every single word of a lecture I was listening to on volume level 3 (this goes unto 10) with my windows open, with my current pico projector by Yuafey I can barely hear anything on full volume even when my window is shut, my only choice is to use a bluetooth headset/speaker- Picture quality is super sharp & bright even on battery saver mode, I really cannot praise this company enough for achieving such great and consistent result in such a small device- I used this device for 5.5 hours on one charge while on battery saver mode. I watch a few films during daylight with the curtains open and could see the projection just fineHere's what I wish the device had...- wifi connectivity is a must for me (the only real option is to connect Chromecast, fire stick etc. to make it a smart system- Android OS 7.1 (or latest version) - that would really have made a big differenceAgain, I really liked the device, the sound quality is just amazing and I can't praise ViewSonic enough for this. I will probably consider buying this again if it drops to £200. The speakers on its own on this device is probably worth at least £150 (yes it really is that good).

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  Room for improvement
  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 August 2019
  Build quality quality;Excellent, very nicely made.Sound quality;Excellent, nice and loud with decent base.Built in media player;To be honest it is a bit hit or miss, the main issue I had was unsupported audio (mkv, vob files tested). Some files, mainly mkv’s at 1080p didn’t play very smoothly. M2TS files would not play for me.Software, user interface;Has lots of settings, can adjust brightness, sound etc. Selecting sources is straight forward.Apps;It comes with Aptoide preinstalled. Sadly there is very little choice in terms of apps. I installed BBC iPlayer but it would work as the app needs a mouse.Bringhtness;I was a little disappointed with the projector’s performance in a room with low light (curtains closed in day time). At night I tested the projector and it was much better, the difference was amazing, I was very impressed with the image and brightness. Each time I tested the projector it was about 6 feet away from the wall/ceiling.Connectivity;I connected a 4TB mini HDD and that was picked up straight away, no issues with powering the HDD. A Blu-ray player was connected via the HDMI input, that looked stunning on the projector.

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  Will not play media from Apple Iphone 11
  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 January 2020
  Your browser does not support HTML5 video. Advertised as able to play TV shows etc from iphone but when plug in the hdmi cable the iphone detects it and won't transmit the signal so get left with blank projection screen. It works and projects the phone display and everything you are doing right up until you play media...then it just shows black screen. DO NOT by this if you are expecting it to work with Apple devices. Absolutely fuming

• 0

  Generally good but...
  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 August 2019
  I like most things about this projector. The main thing that lets it down is its inability to play sound with some video formats. It seems happy with .mp4, but .mkv and some .avi that I have tried playing from a memory stick show video only: no sound. The same files play perfectly on a PC or laptop so I could get around this by using screen mirror I suppose, but this rather defeats the object.The other glitch I had was when I connected a Linux laptop (Ubuntu 14) with an HDMI cable. Instead of screen mirroring (which works beautifully with an iphone) there was some sort of software conflict.Overall, I like the gadget but I won't be travelling with it. Its good for home use where I can work around the lack of compatability.Bluetooth works well, great audio. Picture quality is good and the controls are intuitive. Good value for money.