The Aurora Pro measures (W x H x D) 21.54 x 4.81 x 16.04 inches and weighs 22 lbs. Aurora Pro features an attractive twist on the traditional design of an ultra-short throw projector. NexiGo does this by effectively using curved accents on the front of the projector that houses the projector's front-facing speaker system. NexiGo has also softened the sharp edges on so many ultra-short throw projectors with a nice curve. NexiGo included a power indicator light strip of three two-inch (approximate) lights on the front of the projector. I appreciate that NexiGo has set the status light on the front to go into standby, so I don’t have to go into the menu and find out where to turn it off.
Overall, NexiGo has produced an attractive-looking chassis that helps this projector stand out from most competitors while simultaneously allowing it to complement a variety of home theater or living room spaces.
To turn the projector on, just press the power button on the remote control or the top right corner of the projector. This is the same process for POWER OFF, but when you press the POWER button, you will get a short list of options: POWER OFF, SLEEP TIMER, SCREEN OFF, and RESTART. The Aurora Pro takes about 35 seconds to start the projector from the OFF position compared to 10 seconds from STANDBY. Remember that projectors use more power in STANDBY than OFF. That said, these devices consume energy even when supposedly OFF. They are never completely off.
The projector's only control button is Power On/Off, located on the top right of the projector. The remote controls everything else. All inputs and connections are on the projector's back panel, except for a single USB located on the projector's right side on the bottom.
The Aurora Pro features three HDMI ports on the projector's rear that support HDMI 2.1 features. HDMI input 1 supports Enhanced Audio Return (eARC) functionality. Theoretically, HDMI 2.1 inputs can support up to 48 Gbps bandwidth for 8K/60p playback and 4K/120p content. While this projector's DLP chip only supports up to 4K@60Hz video playback, these types of HDMI inputs still offer a few notable benefits, including eARC. All three HDMI inputs support low latency. NexiGo labels HDMI input 3 as GAME in the projector's graphic interface. HDMI input 3 accepts 4K 120 Hz signals which are then displayed by the projector at 4K 60 Hz.
As of my testing, the Aurora Pro does not support an Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM).
The Aurora Pro can also control connected devices, such as an A/V receiver, via HDMI Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) to control each connected device.
Other available inputs include two USB 2.0 Type-A inputs, one 3.5 AV input and audio out, and a LAN port.
The Aurora Pro features an adjustable focus via the projector's remote control.
UST lens systems are highly specialized since they have to display an accurate image at a steep projection angle from mere inches away from the screen. The Aurora Pro's lens evenly distributes light across the screen, resulting in excellent brightness uniformity and minimal focus softening at the corners. Its adjustable focus control, accessible via the remote, allows easy fine-tuning. Combining improved triple laser light source and lens technology ensures detailed images without sharpening artifacts.
The Aurora Pro has a digital focus adjustment via the remote control, which allows the user to dial in the best overall focus for the projector at the touch of a button.
The Aurora Pro's recommended screen size range of 80 to 150 inches accommodates various room sizes, transforming them into home theaters. While the Keystone and four-point geometric adjustments offer quick and convenient setups, manual squaring is recommended for optimal image quality. Keystone correction, whether manual or automatic, can compromise overall image quality.
The included remote is nice. It is slightly larger than the typical Android TV or FireTV remote control and shares a similar but not identical layout. Bluetooth pairing ensures the projector is controlled even when the remote is not in direct sight of the projector. The remote control includes Infrared (IR), which can work the projector or a third-party cable/satellite box.
The Power, Input Select, Air Mouse, and GUI Settings buttons are located near the top center of the remote above the standard D-Ring. The upper settings button can be programmed to control settings, focus, or HDMI input selection. Below the D-Ring are buttons for Back, Home, and a detailed Settings menu, not the graphic settings interface. There are also buttons for volume up and down, mutes, plays/pauses, and forward and back buttons.
The remote takes advantage of the built-in gyro, which allows the Air Mouse function to detect motion and automatically activate the remote backlight. The backlight timing is excellent, staying on long enough to help you find your button and have the right brightness. You would be surprised how many projector remotes are glaringly bright or so dim that they are unusable.
The Aurora Pro's menu system is based on Android 9, which makes it compatible with a wide range of Android applications. However, to be clear, the menu is not Android TV or Google TV and does not offer any of Google TV's curated content benefits, such as the ability to search or receive recommendations across all your most commonly used apps.
The Aurora Pro interface offers a basic, easy-to-navigate UI with quick access to the projector's inputs and adjustments. It also has an application section that shows your installed applications and allows you to launch or uninstall them.
The Picture section allows for detailed adjustments, including Picture Mode selection, Brightness, Contrast, Color, Tint, Sharpness, Noise Reduction, Backlight, Dynamic Contrast, Color Temperature, Gamma, Color Space, and Advanced Settings. The Sound section provides options for selecting a Sound Mode, Volume, Bass, Treble, Balance, Audio Format, and Speaker Settings.
The Input section allows you to select the input source and configure settings like resolution and refresh rate. The System section contains Language, Time, Power Saving, Reset, Firmware Update, and About settings.
In addition to the GUI, NexiGo offers a quick-access menu system activated by pressing the III Menu button on the remote control. This menu expands out from the left side of the screen and offers access to all of the projector's adjustments while content is playing on the screen. This configuration allows users to see the results of any adjustments they make immediately reflected in the content showing on the screen.
The menu system is easy to navigate using the remote control, with clear labels and intuitive icons. The settings are logically organized, making finding and adjusting specific parameters simple.
The Aurora Pro does not support applications and content from the Google Play store, so users must download application APKs from third-party app stores like APKPure and Aptoide. While these stores have improved over the years, they do not tightly manage the applications they offer for compatibility and security. Hence, downloading and installing an app from one of them is riskier than using Google Play. You also run the risk of installing a version of an application designed for another type of device.
While every application I downloaded worked on the projector, several were intended for a touchpad interface, but this was not made clear on the third-party website. The apps worked fine until I stumbled into an area that required a touch interface to work correctly, which this projector does not have. This was inconvenient since I then had to uninstall the application, go back to the third-party market, and find the version of the app that was fully compatible with the projector. It was a very frustrating experience. Only some applications have this issue, but it only takes a few to sour the user experience.
NexiGo customer service keeps a list of the applications they have tested to work on for the projector, but it's just a list. It's up to the user to find the files they have tested, download them, and install them on the projector. NexiGo does not have its app store to ensure future compatibility of these files when they release new versions. Removing Google Play shifts a ton of burden onto the individual owner.
If you want a more content-centric experience with a strong focus on device compatibility and security, get a streaming device from Google, Amazon, Apple, and even Roku. These streaming devices will give you a robust experience focused on integrating your content needs across various applications. Also, they are much more secure. These devices can be purchased for as little as $20 (Walmart Onn Google TV streaming stick and Amazon Fire TV, to name a couple).
