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Best Outdoor Projectors - Maximum Portability

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Jennifer Mash

If you want to take the party out of the back yard and into the great outdoors, you are going to need maximum portability – including sound, smart features, and battery power. Let’s look at two projectors that offer the ultimate in portability and convenience. Check out our updated list.

XGIMI HALO PORTABLE LED PROJECTOR (600-800 lumens) $799

XGIMI Halo Best in Class Award Winner
XGIMI Halo Best in Class Award Winner

The XGIMI Halo is a smart 1080P DLP projector that offers exceptional brightness for a portable unit. The Halo has a rated brightness of 600-800 lumens. The 600 lumens is with the Halo running off its internal battery. You get the full 800 lumens with the Halo plugged into an AC outlet.

The Halo has a small rectangular shape. It weighs only 3.52 lbs and is 4.47 inches x 5.71 inches by 6.75 inches. It utilizes a highly efficient LED light source, which allows the Halo to project bright and clear images for its entire LED lifespan of 30,000 hours. Halo is a DLP projector that can deliver a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The XGIMI Halo also supports video formats of up to 4K Ultra HD.

The Halo is powered by Android TV, you have apps and capabilities that are also found in a Smart flat panel TV. Halo includes Google Assistant, which allows you to control the projector with your voice. Simply press and hold the only colored button on the remote, the Google Assistant mic button, and you are ready to operate the Halo. Some of the things you are able to use voice control for would be to ask the projector to “Go to my projector settings” or “Play music.”

With Android TV built in, the Halo provides seamless access to popular streaming services, including Hulu, HBO Max, and YouTube, right out of the box. The Halo with the Android TV OS makes it easy to access the streaming entertainment you enjoy.

The Halo also has a built-in media player and that can access files via its USB inputs. The USB input can be used to play back many different types of media (videos, MP3, photos, etc.). The USB input on the Halo can also be used to connect other tools, such as a keyboard, game controller, or mouse.

The Halo has two 5-watt Harmon Kardon built-in speakers, located on the sides of the unit. The speakers provide good sound for a portable projector and are loud enough for an average-sized room. When you use the included remote to change the volume, the level is conveniently displayed on-screen.

For maximum portability, the Halo is equipped with a built-in battery which, according to XGIMI, allows up to eight hours of music playback or up to four hours of video playback time. This really enhances the unit’s portability and makes it a great option for a backyard theater or watching a movie at a camp site.

PROJECTOR SPECS

Budget$799
Brightness600 – 800 ANSI lumens
Resolution1920 X 1080
Light SourceLED
Light Source Lifespan30,000 hours
InputsHDMI 1.4/2.0 input, 1 USB 2.0
Portability – sizeWeighs less than 4 lbs
Portability – power8 hours of music, 4 hours of video playback
Portability – smartAndroid TV
SoundTwo 5-watt Harmon Kardon built-in speakers

ELITE MOSICGO 360 SYSTEM (1000 lumens) $1299

Elite Screens MosicGo 360 Portable Projection System

The Elite MosicGO 360 comes with not only the ultra-short-throw projector, but an adjustable tripod to mount it on, and a projector screen. This makes it an all-in-one solution for outdoor entertainment.

The Elite MosicGO is an ultra-short-throw projector with 1,000 lumens and can project an image of up to 120″ diagonally. The projector may actually appear even brighter than its lumen rating, because we perceive lumens coming from LED (and laser) projectors as being brighter than lamp-based projectors. The projector has full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080), and because it’s a short throw projector, you can wow your guests by projecting a 100-inch image from just over a foot away.

MosicGo 360 system set up on an outdoor deck

The projector’s USB-C and two USB-A inputs can be used to power a streaming dongle or charge a mobile device. The USB-C is even powerful enough to charge a Macbook. There are also speakers and ventilation vents on both sides of the unit. Dimensions are about: 6.6” wide x 3.7” high x 12.6” deep, and the MosicGO 360 weighs about 6.2 lbs.

For ultimate flexibility, the MosicGo 360 offers a complete entertainment package for both outdoor and indoor uses. Two screens are included:  1) Outdoor Yard Master 2 Series, 58" Diag., 16:9 Portable Screen and 2) Indoor EDGE FREE Fixed Frame, 16:9 Movie Projector Screen.

You will also get a carrying bag for storage and transportation and a tripod stand for easy set up. The projector, tripod, and screen can be neatly packed into the carrying case, which was clearly designed with portability in mind. When packed up, the MosicGO 360 with included tripod and the 58” portable screen weigh a total of just 25.3 pounds. This unit is IPX2 spill proof certified to protect from changes in weather for outdoor/indoor Use.

A built-in battery offers up to 3 hours video, and up to 30 hours music. You can enjoy at least one regular length movie, or hours of video games, before needing to charge the projector. During our review, the battery also lasted over 3 hours while powering an Amazon FireTV stick via USB that we used to watch a football game via Hulu TV outside on the deck. MosicGO 360 can also function as a wireless speaker via Bluetooth connection and a power charging hub for a variety of portable devices.

The Elite MosicGo 360 is great for gaming, with a low input lag of just 17ms. During our review, we used a Bodnar lag tester to verify Elite Projector’s claim and we actually measured a slightly lower 16.8ms. The very low input lag, combined with the projector’s 1080 resolution and ultra-short throw design, makes the MosicGo ideal for gaming on the go.

The MosicGo has dual 8-watt built-in speakers located on the left and right sides of the projector. They can play more than loud enough for everyone sitting around the projector to hear. The overall sound quality matched that of a decently sized portable Bluetooth speaker. If higher quality audio is needed, the projector has a mini-jack audio output that can be used to connect to an external audio system.

PROJECTOR SPECS

Price$1299
Brightness1000 ANSI lumens
Resolution1920 x 1080
Light SourceLED
Light Source Lifespan25,000 fours
InputsHDMI x 2, USB-A x 2, USB-C
Portability – sizeWeighs about 6 lbs(bundle with projector, tripod, screen weighs 25lbs)
Portability – power30 hours of music, 3 hours of video playback, can charge other mobile devices via USB-C
Portability – smartAndroid TV
SoundDual 8-watt built-in speakers

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