ViewSonic M1 Pro Portable Projector Review

Projectors might be large, detailed, and geared for a correct home-theatre expertise, and are sometimes the primary selection in massive areas and purpose-built house theatre rooms. Alternatively, they can be small, moveable, versatile, and a method to offer you leisure or productiveness advantages on the go. The latter use case is a very attention-grabbing one within the house leisure and productiveness house, and types similar to ViewSonic have made a huge impact in selling a phase that’s usually under-appreciated and ignored.

Among the many projector and monitor specialist’s newest merchandise within the moveable projector house is the ViewSonic M1 Professional, which is priced at Rs. 68,999 in India. With a projection decision of 1280×720 pixels, a novel design the place the projector can stand freely and undertaking in numerous instructions, and a built-in speaker system, the M1 Professional guarantees quite a bit for the worth. Is that this the very best moveable projector you should purchase proper now? Discover out on this assessment.

The ViewSonic M1 Professional has a projection decision of 1280×720 pixels, and might go as much as 150 inches in dimension

ViewSonic M1 Professional design and specs

The non secular and successor of the ViewSonic M1, the newer and extra succesful M1 Professional sticks to the identical positioning by providing fully wi-fi usability because of its built-in battery. The Professional model additionally will get a bump in decision, a greater speaker system, and an improved type issue on the entire, though all of this does include a major improve in value as properly.

Alternatively, it is a good bit extra moveable than the ViewSonic M2e, because of that inbuilt battery and 0.95kg weight. Whereas the M2e is healthier thought of a house theatre projector with some flexibility in how and the place you need to use it, it is not fairly as moveable and versatile because the M1 Professional. Because of this, the M1 Professional matches right into a fairly attention-grabbing area of interest, promising to serve its fairly specialised goal fairly properly.

It isn’t very massive or cumbersome so far as projectors go, however that does not imply that the ViewSonic M1 Professional is a small system. It is also quite a bit nicer to take a look at and maintain than the M1, because of the fabric-wrapped exterior and extra refined design components. There are three buttons to regulate quantity and playback for supported sources on the projector itself. On the again is the Harman Kardon brand, simply above the neatly positioned rear-facing two-driver 6W speaker system.

The state of energy is set by opening or closing the swivelling stand, which additionally doubles up because the lens protector when the M1 Professional is switched off. When on, a dim mild illuminates below the material wrap to let it is purposeful, together with one other set of lights to let the battery degree of the ViewSonic M1 Professional. There are exhaust vents on both facet of the projector, together with a dial to regulate the main target of the lens.

The entire ports and sockets on the ViewSonic M1 Professional are situated below a magnetic flap on the left facet of the projector — extra on that within the subsequent part. Auto keystone correction means that you could set the projection to any cheap angle whereas the M1 Professional is standing upright, and the system will set it to a correct display ratio and angles. The ViewSonic M1 Professional has a decision of 1280×720 pixels, and might undertaking as much as a display dimension of 150 inches.

Brightness is rated at as much as 600 lumens, and the projection lamp is rated for as much as 30,000 hours of use. The focal size on the ViewSonic M1 is fastened, so the scale of the projection is dependent upon how distant from the wall or display you place the projector. There’s barely variable digital zoom starting from 0.8X to 1.0X for minor changes, however that is solely meant for optimisation fairly than truly setting the display dimension.

The ViewSonic M1 Professional has buttons to regulate quantity and playback on the prime, whereas the main target adjusting dial is on the facet

Whereas you may get a pointy projection from even up shut, ViewSonic recommends a throw distance of a minimum of 0.94m, which gives a projection dimension of 40 inches, going as much as a dimension of 150 inches from a throw distance of three.52m, however something over 100 inches is more likely to end in a pointy drop in projection high quality and sharpness.

Included within the gross sales bundle together with the ViewSonic M1 Professional are a big charging brick which plugs into the DC 19V socket, a USB Sort-C to Sort-C cable for connectivity to supply units, a distant to navigate the built-in Android-based UI and management fundamentals similar to quantity and supply, and a hard-shell carry case for all the bundle.

ViewSonic M1 Professional connectivity and options

Connectivity options on the ViewSonic M1 Professional are spectacular for a tool of its dimension. There are sockets for energy and wired headphone/speaker connectivity, together with two USB Sort-C ports, one USB Sort-A port, and an HDMI port. There are additionally wi-fi connectivity choices, together with Wi-Fi based mostly display mirroring and Bluetooth 4.2 for audio connectivity to appropriate headphones and audio system.

Whereas the ViewSonic M1 Professional has a projection decision of 1280×720 pixels, the system itself helps enter resolutions of as much as 1920×1080 pixels, which can then be upscaled or downscaled as crucial. USB Sort-C is essentially the most handy of the connectivity choices on supply since it may deal with each video and audio utilizing a single cable, however the presence of HDMI connectivity will little doubt be helpful to many.

The ViewSonic M1 Professional has a big 12,000mAh battery which can be utilized to energy the projector itself, however you too can use it as an influence financial institution, of kinds. In my case, I discovered this a bit inconvenient, because the projector was charging my laptop computer whereas the 2 units had been related utilizing a USB Sort-C cable, which drained the projector’s battery quickly. I needed to join it to DC energy to negate this concern, which naturally did not occur when utilizing an HDMI cable with a appropriate supply system such because the Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen).

There are many connectivity choices on the ViewSonic M1 Professional, together with USB Sort-C, HDMI, and wi-fi

Like a few of the different ViewSonic projectors I’ve reviewed, the M1 Professional has a really fundamental Android-based consumer interface of its personal. This helps for staple items similar to accessing and modifying system settings and configurations, and connecting to some supply units similar to USB drives, to entry media content material by means of the file explorer.

There’s 16GB of inside storage on the ViewSonic M1 Professional (12GB is usable) for apps and knowledge. Apps themselves will not be very detailed on condition that navigation and management depends on the distant, and are barely usable. The Netflix app, for instance, is preinstalled, however is fairly troublesome to determine and use.

It’s also possible to use display mirroring from appropriate units, with the usage of an app for Android or direct help for AirPlay display mirroring with iOS. With my iPhone, it labored properly for some apps, together with YouTube and Disney+ Hotstar, in addition to fundamental productiveness capabilities. It was handy to undertaking footage or knowledge, and the projector was moderately brilliant even throughout daytime (with the curtains drawn, although). This additionally helps you to use the ViewSonic M1 Professional fully wirelessly, because of wi-fi supply connectivity and battery energy.

Nevertheless, apps similar to Netflix and Prime Video could not be used to straight undertaking, and the casting choices did not appear to work in any respect for me. As such, it is best to make use of a supply system to deal with the precise UI, apps, or content material, which is usually a small streaming field such because the Apple TV 4K (third Gen), or perhaps a laptop computer or house laptop such because the Mac Mini.

ViewSonic M1 Professional efficiency and battery life

The ViewSonic M1 Professional’s positioning and have set make it a novel providing that you just will not discover an excessive amount of competitors for proper now. It is simply as suited to productiveness performance as for leisure, and significantly extra so than the ViewSonic M1 for the latter because of the higher projection decision. Loads of connectivity choices signifies that it may be used with numerous supply units as properly.

That mentioned, the ViewSonic M1 Professional continues to be restricted by its 1280×720-pixel decision given the scale of the projection itself. Smaller projection sizes appeared effective for essentially the most half together with with content material taking part in, and you may are inclined to forgive some flaws purely out of the data that it is a projection. Nevertheless, bigger projection sizes reveal the pure shortcomings within the decision fairly clearly. If I used to be simply projecting my laptop computer display this did not matter an excessive amount of, nevertheless it positively impacted the viewing expertise for films and TV exhibits.

The ViewSonic M1 Professional has a 6W speaker system tuned by Harman Kardon

Usefully, the ViewSonic M1 Professional is fast as well, and is able to go inside a number of seconds of turning the cover-stand and placing it in place. Connectivity can be dependable and fast, notably USB Sort-C which prompts virtually instantly on being plugged in. Even HDMI is nearly immediate, whereas utilizing AirPlay for wi-fi connectivity with appropriate iOS units was equally hassle-free and fast. Fast and correct keystone correction additionally helps you to set it up at any angle for comfort, though the very best efficiency can be seen with the projector pointed horizontally on the projection display or wall.

In regular operation, the exhaust fan system within the ViewSonic M1 Professional is continually throwing out sizzling air on both facet of the projector, and the buzzing sound of the fan might be heard from up shut. It is not too loud although, and conserving your self even round one metre away from it would negate the sound completely. Though the 6W speaker system would not sound like a lot, it is loud sufficient and properly tuned to be heard clearly from an identical distance.

At house, I had the ViewSonic M1 Professional positioned on a desk and projecting onto a white wall from round 1.4m away, which made for a projection that was across the identical dimension as a 55-inch tv. Sitting proper behind the projector, I fairly appreciated the view and projection dimension, even when I used to be a bit near the wall. Decreasing the sunshine was crucial for a very good viewing expertise although, and focus will must be manually set for finest outcomes.

Watching cricket matches and episodes of Star Wars: Visions on Disney+ Hotstar was pretty pleasant, and the darker the room the higher it appeared. The projector is brilliant sufficient to cowl for faint daylight streaming in, and with the main target correctly adjusted the image was sharp sufficient to observe.

The ViewSonic M1 Professional features a distant, which is required to regulate the system

The softer edges of the animated episodes of Visions helped a bit, however the projector in all fairness succesful on this regard nonetheless. There have been occasional seen points, however these are bearable when you think about this as a substitute for the significantly smaller display of your smartphone or laptop computer.

It is essential to keep in mind that this type of projector is not meant to be an on a regular basis choice; consider this as one thing to take alongside in your travels for leisure in your resort room, or for productiveness functions, similar to to rapidly undertaking displays and spreadsheets onto a convention room display out of your laptop computer. It is admittedly quite a bit higher with the latter, given the way it will extra intently match the decision and show ratio of a typical laptop computer or pill display.

The 12,000mAh battery on the ViewSonic M1 Professional may sound appreciable, however projection is a power-intensive exercise. As such I used to be in a position to make use of the M1 Professional for simply round one hour in regular use, which could go up a bit should you use ‘Eco’ mode. This may turn out to be useful in sure conditions, however you will largely must have the projector plugged into energy for all sensible functions.

Verdict

ViewSonic’s dedication to the projector house is fairly spectacular, and the corporate is among the many few that supply area of interest projectors such because the ViewSonic M1 Professional, and the M1 and M2e earlier than it. The M1 Professional matches a fairly area of interest use case, and is arguably fairly costly give that you could purchase an honest 65-inch TV for a similar value, however the versatility and utility of the system is unmatched – if that is what you are on the lookout for.

Though the ViewSonic M1 Professional is healthier geared for productiveness use instances, it is worthwhile even for the occasional film or TV present on the go. Moreover, the built-in battery provides some flexibility to how you need to use it, and a full set of connectivity choices means you may join it to simply about any trendy supply system, both utilizing cables or wirelessly. If that is one thing you are on the lookout for and have the finances for it, the ViewSonic M1 Professional will get a advice from me.

Worth (on the time of this assessment): Rs. 68,999

Rankings: 

Design: 9
Efficiency: 7
VFM: 6
Total: 7

Execs:

• Transportable, handy lens cowl and stand equipment
• Good connectivity choices
• Respectable efficiency
• Good sound high quality for a conveyable projector
• Battery allows totally wi-fi use

Cons:

• Costly
• Mounted optical zoom
• Fundamental built-in UI
• Low decision exhibits in large projection sizes