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JMGO O1 PRO UST Smart LED Projector Review - Hardware

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Philip Boyle

CHASSIS

LED DLP LIGHT ENGINE

JMGO O1 PRO LED light engine
LED to produce dynamic color

The JMGO 01 PRO uses an LED light engine to create clean, primary colors and produce a wide color gamut. In fact, JMGO specs the 01 PRO as being able to produce 120% of the NTSC color gamut. This makes this projector a perfect choice for consumers who require dynamic color in their displayed content. 

The JMGO 01 PRO is a DLP projector using a Texas Instruments Digital Light Processor (DLP) chip to display video at a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution to deliver the perceived sharpness of native Full HD.

Since the 01 PRO is a single-chip DLP projector, you will never have any convergence issues such as you might have had with a 3LCD projector. The 01 PRO images will remain sharp throughout the projector's life without periodic adjustment.

The JMGO 01 PRO LED light engine is sealed, keeping dust and dirt away from sensitive components. One of the most significant benefits of using a sealed light engine is its impact on the projector's average life expectancy, which on the JMGO 01 PRO is estimated at 45,000 hours.

LENS

JMGO O1 PRO lens close up
Leica designed optical block

In their marketing materials JMGO makes a big deal about their partnership with Leica on the 01 PRO optical block. I was less than impressed with the 01 PRO's optical performance in my real-world testing.

First, I found the 01 PRO image to be soft. You might think that this was primarily because the projector is only high definition, but I have reviewed other Full HD projectors that offered a more detailed image, such as the BenQ X1300i. On the 01 PRO I turned off all of the projector's noise reduction features to get as much detail as possible in my projected image. This increased the overall noise in the content I was projecting but did slightly boost the perceived image detail.

example of optical distortion from JMGO O1 PRO
Look at the geometric distortion at the edges of the projected image

Second, the 01 PRO introduced some geometric distortion that looks like barrel distortion. When straight lines are curved inwards in the shape of a barrel, this type of aberration is called "barrel distortion." Commonly seen on wide-angle lenses, barrel distortion happens because the lens's field of view is much wider than the size of the image sensor, so it needs to be "squeezed" to fit. As a result, straight lines are visibly curved inwards, especially towards the extreme edges of the frame.

Ultra-Short-Throw projectors' optical systems need to use a complex series of mirrors to project images at steep, extreme angles. Despite the extensive focus on JMGO's partnership with Leica, I found the JMGO 01 PRO offered below-average uniformity compared to other UST projectors I've reviewed in the past.

AUTO ADJUSTMENT MODES

Digital Auto Focus

I was very interested in the JMGO 01 PRO's ability to digitally adjust the projector's focus. This can be done automatically or manually, allowing the 01 PRO to project an image between 80" - 110" based on JMGO's recommendations. In my testing, I found the optimum size for a projected image to be around 90" diagonally. 

Auto Geometric Correction

The JMGO 01 PRO features both auto digital geometric correction along with manual keystone correction. While these tools can simplify the installation process, they always result in a loss of picture quality. Getting the 01 PRO squared on the screen should be done manually by adjusting its position and raising or lowering its adjustable feet. The overall setup was not difficult. 

JMGO O1 PRO has auto keystone correction
Manual Keystone Correction can easily correct errors like you see in this image

Auto Brightness Adjust

ABA mode allows the 01 PRO to adjust the projector's brightness settings in response to lighting conditions in the room. Turn on the room's lights, and the ABA feature will increase the brightness output of the 01 PRO. Turn off the lights, and ABA will reduce the light output allowing for more contrast in the projected image where full brightness would wash out the image. 

So what did I think of all the intelligent auto modes JMGO built into the 01 PRO? Digital Auto Focus worked well for me. I tested this mode on a matte white Elite projection screen.

Auto Brightness Adjust worked fine but ultimately is limited by the projector's low light output even when the room was completely dark projected content looked dimmer than it should have. When I used an ALR screen to boost dark-level performance, it worked great but made all my content appear as if it was shot at dusk. My best results were on the Elite Screen's matte white screen.

INPUTS AND CONNECTIONS

JMGO O1 PRO rear connections

The inputs and connections are all located on the rear of the 01 PRO. There are two HDMI inputs. HDMI input 1 is a 2.0 connection, and HDMI 2 supports ARC functionality. JMGO doesn't list the maximum bandwidth of their HDMI inputs.

Other available inputs include two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a LAN port, an optical output, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity. The projector can also accept signals up to 4K@60 Hz.

REMOTE CONTROL

I use many brands and models of Android-based smart media sticks in my home and lab. The JMGO remote has an incredibly nice feel in the hand, not cheap but similar to the quality of the earlier Apple TV metal remotes. 

Unlike the typical Android TV remote, the 01 PRO remote feels substantial in my hand rather than cheap and plastic like the Chromecast remote.

The JMGO 01 PRO remote has a built-in battery that can easily be recharged from any USB Type-C cable. This remote is one of the better-designed and better-built smart media remotes I've used. The button layout is intuitive and straightforward enough to use by feel even after using it only a few times.

Focus controls on right side of remote

MENUS

Embedded within Luna OS is the best part of Android TV, Google's Chromecast technology. It lets you cast videos and initiate screen sharing from compatible smartphones, browsers, and apps.

Although Luna OS is built on Android TV, it can't access the Google Play app store. Instead, the 01 PRO comes with access to JMGO's app library, which is limited but growing. The Luna OS interface is clean with a design language that reminds me of Android 8 Oreo. The menus are designed in an easy-to-use grid arrangement.

When you launch the Settings menu, you are presented with seven options on the left side of the screen. First is Network and Bluetooth for the adjustment of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings. The second option is Source Signal, which can adjust your CEC control and startup source control. Next is Audio settings, where you can adjust one of four audio preset modes: Standard, Music, Cinema, and Sports. Video settings allow you to turn 3D on or off, adjust motion compensation or select one of the 01 PRO's video presets tuning of Standard, Bright Colored, Gentle, and User. The 01 PRO provides three Color Temperature settings: Cold, Standard, and Warm modes. The next option is the Advanced settings for turning on or off the eye protection sensors, accessibility features, and shut-down timer settings. Last is the System settings, where you can adjust features such as date and time and check for updates.

BUILT-IN FULL HD MEDIA PLAYER

A built-in media player is becoming more common these days, but I thought it worth mentioning that the JMGO 01 PRO features one that will play content off a USB flash drive up to Full HD (1,920 x 1,080p) resolution. The 01 PRO's media player supports MVC/ISO/H.265(level 5.1)/VC-1/JPEG/MP3 content. The projector's media player can access files via USB to play various media types from videos up to Full HD resolution, MP3, photos, etc.

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