Nebula by Anker Mars Ii Pro 500 Review
Our Verdict
The Anker Nebula Mars Two projector is a fantastic gadget. While it'due south not going to tempt cinephiles, those looking for an easy-to-use, piece of cake-to-ship portable projector need look no further.
For
- Swell portable design
- Android vii.1 congenital in
- Fantabulous speakers
Against
- Not bright enough for daytime
- Proprietary charger
- No Google Play Store
TechRadar Verdict
The Anker Nebula Mars 2 projector is a fantastic gadget. While it's not going to tempt cinephiles, those looking for an easy-to-utilise, easy-to-transport portable projector need expect no further.
Pros
- +
Great portable design
- +
Android 7.one congenital in
- +
Excellent speakers
Cons
- -
Non bright plenty for daytime
- -
Proprietary charger
- -
No Google Play Store
A domicile cinema projector remains 1 of tech'due south most tempting indulgences. Often the nearly affordable way to get giant-screen activeness into your home, they are however quite a commitment. Exercise you lot need to rearrange your furniture to adapt information technology? Is there a screen or blank white wall easily accessible to projection onto? Are the speakers up to scratch, or volition you demand to consider hooking up additional ones?
Projector installation can be a bit of a pain so. But Anker, best known for its portable mobile battery packs, is taking the fuss out of projection with its portable, Android-powered Nebula Mars II projector. Information technology proves that a portable projector or outdoor projector is not only at present viable, but worth buying, too.
Price and availability
The Anker Nebula Mars II projector is available now, priced at £469.99 ($499.99, around AU$850).
That's well-nigh the going charge per unit for a decent portable pico projector, only the Nebula Mars 2 is far superior to the bulk of similarly-sized rivals on the market. The just comparable product we'd similarly recommend is Anker's own Nebula Capsule projector (though the Mars II greatly refines that earlier offer).
Pattern
With its carry handle and dinky size, the Anker Nebula Mars II is about as portable a (functioning) projector equally we've ever seen. Weighing simply 1.79kg, we've played with larger Bluetooth speakers, making the indigestible Nebula Mars II a superb choice for those looking for an piece of cake-to-ship projector.
The Anker Nebula Mars II projector looks a bit like a squashed cube, with its edges smoothly curved off. Around the front y'all'll discover the project lamp, protected by a push downwards cover that also automatically turns the projector on when the lamp is exposed.
There'southward a selection of hardware button controls on the top edge of the projector; book controls, a source selector, Bluetooth pairing and a 4-way directional remote with a option button. There's also 4 small white LEDs that show how much of the built-in 12,500mAh rechargeable battery is left.
Around the back you lot'll notice some ventilation openings (only like all projectors, the Nebula Mars II can get hot later prolonged use), besides as the DC-in for power, a HDMI-in port, a USB three port and an audio out jack. There's too an IR sensor for using the included remote command with, along with a pivot-sized reset push button. The DC-in is 1 of the few gripes we have with the Nebula Mars Two – it'southward a proprietary power supply, where a USB charging selection would take been much more than convenient.
Either side of the box has speaker grille openings to help the Nebula Mars Two deliver its impressive audio, while underneath you'll discover a prophylactic ring so that the projector doesn't slip effectually on surfaces, as well every bit a bespeak for screwing in a camera tripod.
All in black (apart from a small crimson Nebula logo on the front), including its leather handle, the Nebula Mars 2 projector is an unassuming and tidily designed box.
Features
For its size, the Nebula Mars Two projector packs in an impressive spec sheet. While its 720p output won't win any awards amongst cinephiles, it's an adequate resolution for projectors of this ilk, and the 300 ANSI Lumens lamp is first-class for dark time viewing (and just about reasonable for low-lit surround).
You'll get roughly ten-inches of screen size for every pes-or-and so the projector is away from the surface its projecting on, up to an ultimate limit of 150-inches. Yous'll discover the sweetspot betwixt size and projection clarity somewhere betwixt fourscore and 100-inches however we constitute, with operation all-time equally you'd await when in every bit close to pitch-black darkness every bit you tin can manage. You'll become betwixt 3 and 4 hours of video playback from the projector, though y'all can ability from the mains if needed, too.
The speakers built in are enjoyable too. Using two 10W drivers and bass radiators of Anker'due south own blueprint, they go impressively loud and sound reasonably clear too. That's particularly handy given the projector tin exist used as a standalone Bluetooth speaker too, where it'll blast 30-odd hours of tunes on a unmarried charge.
1 of the nearly interesting features of the Nebula Mars II however is the fact that it runs a bespoke version of Android seven.1. Laying apps out in a tile format that apes (but shouldn't be mistaken for) Android Telly, that means you've got fix-to-go video sources, direct out of the box. With Wi-Fi connectivity built in, you can be streaming from Netflix, Amazon Prime or your Plex library inside minutes of turning it on.
Anker's forked build of Android is limited in the apps that it lets yous utilise with projector, but at least all that we tried seemed to work well with the hardware. Remember – if you lot don't desire to stream, you can always hook up a player or video file from the HDMI and USB three ports respectively.
The projector comes with a concrete remote, but you may find yourself more than fatigued to the gratuitous iOS and Android Nebula Connect app. This rapidly pairs with your projector and also as mimicking the hardware remote control, it too offering a mouse-cursor manner, which tin can be handy for decision-making some apps.
Performance
Measure out your expectations, and you'll have a great time with the Nebula Mars 2. It's non bright enough for daytime employ in whatsoever meaningful way, but when night falls, it'due south a lovely chip of kit.
For starters, its portability makes for a transformative projection experience in terms of accessibility. I had it projecting everywhere from exterior on my balcony to the foot of my bed and onto the white wall beyond with ease. The struggles to observe a suitable spot are whisked abroad thank you to the congenital in bombardment, with a speedy and accurate auto focus and keystone adjustments letting you become creative equally to where you'd like to settle down and watch a movie.
Picture quality is sharp enough to exist enjoyable too. It's not going to win awards against 1080p or 4K projectors, just offset against the portability gene, that's a fair trade to make. Nosotros had a lot of fun hooking up a SNES Classic Mini, for case, where pixelation was never a concern.
Sound quality is punchy besides, and more than loud enough to serve the sort of spaces where a 100-inch screen is a sensible size. The quoted 4-hour battery life seems pretty accurate, besides.
Where y'all may be a little disappointed is in the quality of the apps on offer through the Android fork. Netflix, Amazon and the like seem to have taken their eyes off whichever version of their apps that the Nebula Mars II is sporting, making them feel a fiddling clunky compared to their smart TV or console variants. All the same, yous've withal got total access to their respective catalogues, making it a minor quibble.
Verdict
The Anker Nebula Mars Two projector is a great addition to your on-the-go entertainment arsenal. Provided y'all're not expecting to utilize information technology in daylight or bright meeting rooms, information technology delivers large, vibrant images and an first-class array of apps thanks to the Android platform it's built upon. With a capacious battery and loud speakers, it'll quickly become a party centerpiece, or flexible, movable DIY home cinema.
- Don't miss our round-up of the best projectors 2018
Source: https://www.techradar.com/reviews/anker-nebula-mars-ii-portable-projector
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