The Formovie P1 compact qHD (960 x 540P) Digital Light Processing (DLP) pocket projector features ALPD laser technology in an ultra-portable chassis that measures less than one inch thick and lists at $399 MSRP.

The Formovie P1 provides a manufacturer rated 800 lumens (not ANSI lumens) of brightness with 25,000+ hours of laser-light source life, can project a 16x9 image up to 100 inches diagonally, and features vertical auto-keystone correction capabilities.

OVERVIEW

The Formovie P1 is the worlds smallest projector with an Advanced Laser Phosphor Display (ALPD) light source designed to provide a bright and colorful image. ALPD is a technology that tackles the disadvantages faced by LED and lamp projectors to display brighter, more vivid images for extended periods of time. Lamp projectors produce sufficient brightness but are prone to overheating and require multiple bulb changes. LED lights solve the problem of maintenance, but they can only produce a limited amount of brightness that affects the quality of the picture. Laser light projectors can achieve a higher brightness level, reach a wider range of colors, and be designed to be much smaller than traditional projectors. 

In addition to measuring less than an inch thick, the Formovie P1 weighs only 10.5 oz. (0.3 kg) and comes with a carrying case capable of holding the projector and its accessories. The whole kit can easily fit into a backpack or a purse for easy transport.

The built-in powered speaker makes this projector the perfect solution to display content in a meeting room or bedroom. When users add a compatible external battery, the P1 can be used for watching movies in the backyard or on a camping trip.

This portable projector does all of the hard work when getting the perfect display. It supports vertical auto-keystone correction, so you can simply place it in the desired spot facing the screen and let the Formovie P1 projector perfectly align the display to the screen. Vertical keystone correction lines up the image to fix distortion at the top or bottom of the screen.

The Formovie P1 has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity allowing users to cast various content that is not copy-protected from a compatible iOS or Android device like a phone or tablet. This projector is good for watching movies, displaying photos, or chatting with others on a bigger screen than your phone has.

Unlike a smartphone, tablet, or TV screen that uses direct light to display images, Formovie P1 uses light diffusion that bounces light off another surface and protects the viewer's eyes over long periods of viewing. It’s a more suitable option than a tablet for children’s screen time, and it can create an experience that is more immersive and nurturing to the learning mind.

The projector is available from the Formovie store for a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $399.

In this article, let’s take a look at the XGIMI Elfin Smart LED projector. This newly announced unit is a Smart LED 1080P projector rated to deliver up to 800 ANSI lumens, and it retails for $649. It is one of the best projectors under $1,000.

As I have said in a previous XGIMI review, their products have won many awards in several different international markets over the last few years. In fact, Projector Reviews recently gave the XGIMI Halo the “Best in Class” award because we felt it was one of the best battery-operated portable smart projectors in its price range.

If you are not familiar with XGIMI or want to hear more about the company and the other products in their lineup, check out Technical Editor and Lead Reviewer Phil Jones’ interview with Andres Gomez (XGIMI Product Manager).

OVERVIEW

The Elfin is a Smart all-in-one Full High Definition (FHD) 1920 x 1080p portable Digital Light Processing (DLP) short-throw projector. XGIMI rated the Elfin’s brightness at 800 ANSI lumens. The LED light source is rated to last up to 30,000 hours. The XGIMI Elfin has a suggested retail price of $649.

Compared to XGIMI’s current projector chassis’ which are vertically oriented, the Elfin features a new and totally redesigned horizontal chassis. The unit measured  7.5” W x 1.96” H x 7.5” D and it weighed just two pounds.

Chief Marketing Officer Tex Yang at XGIMI stated, “We are excited to release a versatile projector that addresses the needs of our more mobile and younger users.” Tex added, “The Elfin delivers a fresh style more comparable to the current sleek personal electronics devices on the market and is made to slide in your bag as easily as a laptop.”

The Elfin’s compact and portable design makes it easy to bring anywhere like military barracks, family room, backyard, conference room, or dormitory. All you need is a power outlet and a flat viewing surface for a quick plug-and-play experience, thanks to the two built-in 3-watt Harman/Kardon speakers handling your audio needs.

The XGIMI Elfin uses a single 0.33-inch DMD Texas Instruments (TI) DLP chipset to deliver FHD (1920x 1080 pixels) displayed resolution. XGIMI offers various 1080p projectors. The first two that come to mind are the XGIMI Halo and the XGIMI Horizon. Like the Elfin, the Halo utilizes a single Texas Instruments DLP chipset (0.33” DMD) while the Horizon uses the larger 0.47” DMD.

In addition, the Halo and Horizon chassis are both more vertical than the Elfin, making them not as easy as an Elfin to slide into a purse or backpack.

Model	Elfin	Halo	Horizon
Price	$649	$799	$1099
Resolution	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080
Light Source	LED	LED	LED
Brightness	800 ANSI Lumens	600-800 ANSI Lumens	2,200 ANSI Lumens
3D	Yes	Yes	Yes
DLP Imager	0.33" DMD	0.33" DMD	0.47" DMD
Speakers	1 x 3W Harman/Kardon	2 x 5W Harman/Kardon	2 x 8W Harman/Kardon
Weight	2 lbs.	5.52 lbs	6.39 lbs
Warranty	One (1) Year	One (1) Year	One (1) Year

The Halo has an onboard battery and produces 600 ANSI lumens while operating on battery power and 800 ANSI lumens while plugged into an electrical outlet. The Horizon is bigger and heavier, but it also has the best sound and image out of the three. The Elfin shines in its slim form factor; it is just plain easier to take on the go.

Those of you that follow my reviews know that I love bringing small projectors on the road with me to test them out during authentic travel. The Elfin was the perfect size to toss into my backpack and take on the road with me. In addition, a threaded tripod socket is located under the projector to make placement even more effortless.

The Elfin is capable of projecting crisp and vibrant Full-HD images up to 200-inches. Going over 200-inches is available, but you will lose some of the quality of the image. For this review, I projected onto a 75-inch Elite Screens Yard Master 2 Series CineWhite® UHD-B screen.

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.

Specs
Price
Technology
Native Resolution
Brightness (Manufacturer Claim)
Contrast
Zoom Lens Ratio
Lens Shift	No
Lamp Life
Weight
Warranty

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 (1280x800). 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).

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

The LG Minibeam PW800 is a LED powered single chip DLP pocket-class projector.   It is one of several models of pico and pocket class LED projectors being offered by LG with brightness ratings ranging from 100 lumens to 1000 lumens. With a rated 800 lumens, the PW800 falls toward the higher-end, in term of rated brightness, of the LG offerings.

The LG PW800 received our Hot Product Award for, in part, packing a lot of home entertainment features into a small, reasonably priced package that offers both good performance and good value.  But this should not be considered just for home entertainment use.  It is also a viable alternative for business or education uses when a highly portable model is needed for use in conference rooms or classrooms that do not have a permanently installed projector.

The PLED-W800 is an LED projector from Viewsonic. Claiming 800 lumens, this larger pocket projector is one of the brightest projectors in this class.  The PLED-W800 is WXGA resolution has a street price under $710 in the US. There are, of course, much larger LED projectors out there are are brighter, more featured, and cost more, but they don't directly compete. There are also the much smaller pico projectors (ones really small enough to fit in a pocket) but those are very limited in brightness - normally 100 lumens or less.Qumi Q7 LED Projector with 800 lumens - this projector is suitable for portable business and education use, digital signage and for home entertainment.  Impressive! For the most part LED projectors until recently were limited to small pico and pocket projectors mostly with 10 to 500 lumens.  There have been exceptions, we've reviewed a few  expensive LED projectors in the past 4-5 years, including an LG for $15,000 and a Viewsonic for around $3000, but we're finally starting to see some serious LED projectors in the sub-$1000 price range, ($999 list price in this case), that have respectable brightness. The latest Qumi from Vivitek is definitely a serious projector.  The Q7 projector is bright enough for many business and classroom uses, and is on paper bright enough to produce a 100" diagonal image in a darkened room in your home, for your personal home entertainment, be it HDTV, Netflix, Blu-ray, or Gaming.  Resolution is 720p, or rather the "business" resolution of WXGA which is 1280x800, slightly higher than 720p (1280x720), which means it can run 720p natively - no compression.  I expect, though that the largest potential for sales of the Q7 will not be for the home, perhaps corporate sales forces or training departments.A detailed review of the Vivitek H9080FD 1080p home theater projector.