Acer K138ST Projector Review – A Pocket Sized Gaming Machine Posted on December 15, 2017 By Nikki Zelinger 1. Acer K138ST Projector Review – A Pocket Sized Gaming Machine - Overview - Highlights2. Acer K138ST Projector Review – Special Features - LED Light Engine - Gaming on the Acer K138ST - Bluetooth Enabled - 3D Capable - Wireless Networking3. Acer K138ST Projector Review – Hardware - Overview - Inputs and Connectors - The Lens - The Control Panel - The Remote Control - The Menus4. Acer K138ST Pocket Projector Review – Picture and Sound Quality - Out-of-the-Box Picture Quality5. Acer K138ST Projector Review – Performance - Brightness - Display Input Lag - Audible Noise6. Acer K138ST Pocket Projector Review – Summary - Summary - The Competition - Pros - Cons7. Acer K138ST Projector Review – Specifications The Acer K138ST is a pocket projector designed for gaming. Its portable nature makes it highly appropriate for those who want big screen gaming on the go. At 1.65 pounds, it is ideal for travel and for taking to and from friends’ houses for party gaming, binge watching Netflix, and movie night. It can be projected on a smooth, white wall, so the image can be any size from the smallest 25” (why bother?) to a desirable 100” diagonal. It is a short throw, so it sits pretty close to the screen surface or wall, making the Acer K138ST great for tight spaces such as studio apartments, dorm rooms, and hotels. View Full Specifications Here >> Acer K138ST Specs Price $599 Technology DLP Native Resolution 1280x800 Brightness (Manufacturer Claim) 800 Contrast 100000:1 Zoom Lens Ratio Fixed (1.7x Digital Zoom) Lens Shift No Lamp Life 20,000 Hours Weight 1.65 Warranty 1 Year Parts and Labor Overview This scene from Ender's Game was projected in Picture mode. The Acer K138ST does well on handling skin tones. The Acer K138ST is capable of handling detail - check out Reddington's shirt from The Blacklist. Sports and regular HDTV looks good on this Acer. This scene from Casino Royale sometimes messes with projectors, making Bond seem too yellow - the Acer K138ST handled this scene well. A scene from The Hunger Games projected in Movie mode. A scene from The Hunger Games projected in Movie mode. The Acer K138ST has an LED light engine that has a rated life of up to 30,000 hours in ECO mode. In the face of ambient light, you’ll likely be using the projector at full power to make use of all its 800 lumens. Even so, that light engine’s rated life span is 20,000 hours at full power, so you’re not going to be replacing the light engine, ever. You’ll get yourself a new projector well before its last day has come. That it is 800 lumens is a definite plus – many pico and pocket projectors barely scrape by with 400, making this K138ST a higher class of pocket projector. The K138ST costs $599, making it direct competition to AAXA’s M6. That one has 1080p resolution (rare among pocket projectors), while the Acer has WXGA (1280×800). That’s the equivalent to 720p. So, it’s still HD. There are trade-offs with both projectors, so which one you choose will ultimately come down to what’s most important to you – but we’ll get into that on the Summary page. Suffice it to say that both projectors have some real perks. This little projector comes with extras, which is something I rather like about pocket projectors – they always seem to come with carrying cases. The K138ST is no exception. I absolutely love Acer’s choice in design for their travel case. It looks like a travel case for a classy shave kit, with a nicely textured grey fabric accented with dark brown leather, the same leather wrapping around the handles for a comfortable grip. Included inside is, of course, the AC power cord, a remote control with battery, the Quick Start Guide, and a CD-ROM User’s Guide. You’ll need your own HDMI cable, but with Amazon Prime, that’s hardly an issue (and I’ve never seen HDMI cables included with projectors anyway). The Acer K138ST comes with an attractive carrying case for travel. Highlights WXGA resolution (1280 x 800) with 1080p maximum resolution 800 lumens LED light engine life of up to 30,000 hours DLP technology 100,000:1 contrast ratio 7x digital zoom Manual focus Short throw Vertical keystone correction -20°/+20° Large image – up to 100” diagonal Lots of inputs and connectors 2 stereo 3-watt speakers Bluetooth Ready for external Bluetooth speakers! 3D capable Great for gaming! Wireless LAN Lightweight and portable at 1.65 lb Comes with extras – box includes K138ST DLP projector, AC power cord, remote control with battery, Quick Start Guide, User’s Guide (CD-ROM), attractive carrying case One-year limited warranty on the projector with 90-days on the light engine 1. Acer K138ST Projector Review – A Pocket Sized Gaming Machine - Overview - Highlights2. Acer K138ST Projector Review – Special Features - LED Light Engine - Gaming on the Acer K138ST - Bluetooth Enabled - 3D Capable - Wireless Networking3. Acer K138ST Projector Review – Hardware - Overview - Inputs and Connectors - The Lens - The Control Panel - The Remote Control - The Menus4. Acer K138ST Pocket Projector Review – Picture and Sound Quality - Out-of-the-Box Picture Quality5. Acer K138ST Projector Review – Performance - Brightness - Display Input Lag - Audible Noise6. Acer K138ST Pocket Projector Review – Summary - Summary - The Competition - Pros - Cons7. Acer K138ST Projector Review – Specifications Acer K138ST Projector Review – Special Features