AAXA P1 Jr. - Review Summary
A bottom line summary of the AAXA P1 Jr. Projector's pros and cons and capabilities.
10/24/2010 - Art Feierman
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AAXA P1 Jr.: Bottom Line
Not bad, not bad at all. The color is pretty good, as the images from Road Trip demonstrate. The slight distortion (softness almost a light blur) from the light leak keeps this from being a really excellent value, but price considered, the P1 Jr. does lots of things, it's rather impressively capable, and still a good value at its price, until something better comes along (of course). True it's standard VGA 640x480 resolution, but the P1 Jr. is not the only VGA projector of the five reviewed.
The P1 Jr. receives a ProjectorReviews.com Special Interest award. That's because I like it, but the picture quality just isn't quite good enough to earn a Hot Product award. Just a little better, though... well, you never know. The award was an iffy thing based on the first unit I reviewed. When I sent it back, I asked them to confirm if the light leak was typical. That resulted in the 2nd unit arriving a couple of quick pics taken, and this review posted.
With either projector contrast seems a bit poor with the default setting of 5 (much worse on the first projector, though). I found the projector looked its best with contrast set to 9 (the maximum), or 8. Brightness at 5 (also the default) was about right. That combination of 9 and 5 is what I used for almost all viewing, except photos (mostly 8 and 5).
The P1 Jr. handles resolutions up to 720x480 officially, but a standard DVD is about 853x480, and the Junior, works just fine with DVDs.
You can do presentations without a computer, but, the P1 Jr. cannot be hooked up to a computer - there's no standard VGA (analog computer) port, nor HDMI. If you do need to do a presentation, the P1 Jr. does it the same way many other projectors do. You feed it a folder of jpg, avi, and other acceptable photo and video formats by putting them on an SD card, then popping that into the P1 Jr., and using the built in media player to play your images. I should note that it's a rather nice, well endowed media player, offering auto modes, choices of time between slides, a choice of dissolves, and even more. I was impressed when I saw the nice job they did!
Mostly though, the P1 Jr. was fun. I can pick on the overall image quality a bit, compared to far more expensive pico projectors, but then I have to consider that this low cost pico projector actually looks better than any of the three pure pico projectors reviewed a year ago. Whether you have some purpose specifically in mind for the P1 Jr, or just want to play with one and figure out your uses later, your $119 goes a long way.
AAXA P1 Jr. Projector: Pros
- The $119 price, of course
- SD card slot
- Built in Media player not only works, but has lots of nice options for slideshows and more
- 1 watt speaker and a little better sound than average
- USB with On-The-Go (OTG) support
- Has tripod thread, and comes with mini tripod, which is very handy!
- Composite jack with video, left and right audio
- Pretty good color for a pico projector
- Easy graphic/text menus
- A lot of fun for the price, capable too!
AAXA P1 Jr. Projector: Cons
- No computer input
- Lacks audio out for headphones or external speakers
- Light leakage seems to very slighty blur the image
- Could be brighter (of course)
AAXA P1 Jr. Projector: 20 Questions Answered
1) What is the native resolution and what is the max resolution?
Native Resolution is VGA (640x480) media player supports up to 720x480, supports standard DVD resolution of 853x480 from composite input
2) Largest image you can project and how far do you have to be to achieve it?
AAXA quotes 10 - 50 inch image size. To fill a 50 inch wide screen, the front of the projector will be approximately 97 inches back, which is a pretty long throw.
3) Standard battery life?
Approximately one hour as tested - that is, a relatively new battery
4) Does it have internal memory, and how much?
There is no mentioned internal memory, indicating what is there, is basic for operation. The P1 Jr. accepts an SD card. AAXA lists the maximum memory for the card as 8 gigabytes.
5) What light source technology does the projector use?
Uses LED light and lasts an estimated 15,000 hours.
6) What is the native aspect ratio and does it support other aspect ratios?
4:3 but does support 16:9 aspect ratio.
7) What is the throw ratio?
2:1 - that is screen distance is approximately 2x screen width
8) Does it have a remote control?
No.
9) Does it have a full featured control panel on the projector?
Yes.
10) What type of warranty does it have?
1 Year limited parts and labor.
11) Does it have a focus adjustment?
Yes. However it lacks a zoom lens. The projector must be physically moved to produce a smaller or larger image.
12) What inputs/ouputs does the projector have?
One input for video signal uses a mini jack with video and L and R audio (cable has yellow, red, white female RCA adaptors). One input is USB and accepts OTG USB devices (On The Go)
13) Is it compatible with smartphones? Which ones?
Yes, with optional cable. Project images from many smart phones or iphone (not fully tested).
14) What files types can be used for a presentation. Document?
Projector's media player supports: JPG, AVI, MPG, MP4, MP3, RM, and RMVP, and comes with software to convert your presentation slides into image formats compatible with the P1 Jr.
15) What light source technology is used in the projector?
The light source is LED technology rated to last 15,000 hours. In other words, don't even worry about it!
16) Will it accept HD video sources
No, according to AAXA.
17) What cables does the projector come with, WHAT might I need?
The projector comes with one adapter for the AV input - triple mini, to 3 RCA female. USB cable, Power adapter. What to consider? Adapter cable for Apple products, SD card.
18) How much outboard memory can be used by the projector?
The P1 Jr. projector can accept up to 8G microSD card.
19) What is the highest brightness in standard mode with just battery and brightness with expansion pack or AC?
Highest brightness is 10 lumens rated, we measured 9. Measured just incrementally (within margin of error) brighter when plugged in, it seems, but that could be due to "topping off" the battery.
20) What environment is this projector best suited to be used in?
Dark environments with little or no ambient light for best viewing. A white surface, or better yet, a proper screen, will provide best results.
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