Xming s2 3

Best Mini Home Projectors 2018 – Buyer’s Guide

(Last Updated On: October 20, 2022)

“The higher brightness, the better”, but is that really the case? When the brightness is too high, the dynamic contrast is likely to be lower, and the pure black and bright colors will be reduced to the display effect. Light color will be more clear in the dark display area. For business education projection and engineering projection, the loss of these details is acceptable, but for a home theater projector, it is losed more than gain. So how much brightness is the right thing to do for a home projector?

Now that we are using the projector to get close to the display effect of the movie theater, we can directly refer to the “Brightness” standard of the movie theater. The recommendation of SMPTE (American animation and Television Engineering Association) is 12 ~ 16fL (foot Lambert) and fL is the luminance unit. Luminance can also be understood as the “photometric” emitted by each square meter. It represents the meaning of the best picture that the cinema needs to maintain while playing a movie, like a cinema without an external light source. This is the value that SMPTE has been used by scientific research and accepted by global cinema. In short, this range is a moderate standard for the whole dark environment. When the screen brightness is over, it will not make the eyes comfortable. When the screen brightness is less than 12 fL, the picture will be too dark and it will look dull.

But in the family environment, it is obvious that the whole dark environment is impossible, and will not always watch movies. Therefore, the brightness of the screen should be higher than that of the movie theater. In the hope of experience, at least 16fL ~ 24fL level is more suitable for the home theater. This is the first and most important standard for home theater.

With 100inch as a projection standard, how many ANSI lumens are 24fL?
Screen area calculation 100 “(diagonal) =86” X 48 “=28.64 square foot,
then 24 x 28.64 = 688 ANSI Lumens. It is means the brightness of home projector should be more than 700 ANSI Lumens!!

Why more than ? because all of the projectors can reduce the brightness, but can not adjust to improve it. In general, the label brightness of the projector is the highest brightness.

Some projectors label the brightness as 3000 lumens, actally it is only 500 ANSI Lumens. 

Here we select these mini home projctors, all of the features are excellent, especially the brightness should be more than 700 ANSI Lumens or closed.

What is Mini? No exact answer, It depends on your preference.  The size and weight should be looked like small and thin. For example, the weight should be below or about 2 lbs, and the length should be smaller than 10 inch. Most of people think the size of home theater projector is not a very important factor, fix it and not change the place very frequency. As a trend and a fashion person, of course, it is hoped that the projector can be fashionable and beautiful without space. People choose small things in a better choice.

There are two main projection display teches until now, 3LCD and DLP. The LCoS display mode is not popular. Which one is suitable for home theater system?

The color saturation and color brightness of 3LCD is better, but the contrast ratio of DLP is high. At the same time, DLP is a closed reflection projection, not easy to get into the dust, the image quality will not fade with time, and the service life is longer. The size of DLP projector is much smaller. But DLP is a single beam projection, the shift of the zoom lens and lens compatibility is poor, it is difficult for the DLP projector for manufacturers to match a long zoom lens or wide lens shift function.

For 3~5 years use, please select 3LCD projectors. The color is better.

For much longer use, DLP projectors are better.

Here are MINI home projectors, of course use DLP display tech.

Now, let’s take a look at the best mini home projectors in 2017 and 2018:

Projector Name ANSI  Lumens Contract Ratio Size (Inch) Wight (lbs) Display Tech Battery (mAh) Resolution
XMING S2
(Editor Choice)
 900  5000:1 5 x 8 x 0.94 1.7 0.45″DMD DLP+ALDP Laser No 1080p
XGIMI H1  900  10000:1 8.3 x 8.3 x 4.7 4.6 0.47″DMD DLP+LED No 1080p
SeeYing I8 650 5000:1 1.65 x 7.72 x 6.77 1.94 DLP+LED 8000 800p
NEOJDX Vista  700 5000:1 5.5 x 5.5 x 1.9 1.4 0.45″ DMD DLP+LED 6000 1080p
iCODIS CB-400 500 10000:1 1.2 x 7 x 5.6 1.32 DLP+LED 10000  720p
Nebula Mars 500 5000:1 4.8 x 7.01 x 5.43 3.95 DLP+LED 19500  800p

In another words, for business application, there are many other choices, no need so high brightness projection. With small portable size, most of them are 200 ANSI Lumens. Such as SONY LSPX-P1, only 100 ANSI Lumens, but most hot sale in the global market. More portable mobile projectors here:

With or without battery built-in is a difficult choice, cost is important or more mobile application? It is depend on your favor.

1. XMING S2 – Best Mini Home Projector

xming s2XMing S2 is the one and newest product of mini laser projector. XMing is the brand which belong to Appotronics, a company which has strong and patent laser projection technology called APLD(Advanced Laser Phosphor Display).

APLD is becoming more popular cost effective laser projection technology, used by many companies, including LG, Hisense, Xiaomi, and other chinese brands.

Compare to S1, M1 and A2, S2 has much updated features. The difference between S1 and S2 as follow:

S2 is more better than S1; S2 added Type-C interface, improving the brightness to 900 ansi lumens from 800 ansi lumens(S1) by updating the optical energy; and the CPU/GPU is changed into A9*4 2.0Ghz/Mali-450*8 from A9*4 1.6Ghz/Mali-400(S1); the speaker system is updated into five magnetic steel high sensitive speaker from the common TI Class D digital speaker(S1); at the same time, the cooling system and fan is updated, making it more better than S1. As the 3D, S2 apply the full channel 3D function, make it support USB/HDMI/ 3D online; As the power adapter, S2 apply the more light and slim power adapter; As the remote controller, S2 apply the laser power-point pen function.

xming s2 2And M2 has changed into Appotronic A1. So there are only A1 and S2, and as the difference between A1 and S2, pls check as follow:
S2: 900 ansi lumens, 5000:1,2G RAM/16G ROM, has Type-C interface, color is gold color.
A1:700 ansi lumens, 2000:1, 2G RAM/8G ROM, No Type-C interface, color is black color.
At the same time, S2 packing box is more good than A1, and the power adapter is also more slim and light than A1.

As a 1080p and 900 ansi lumens, with a very slim size, Xming S2 is the best mini home projector.

Pros

  • The best ansi lumens of the mini projectors.
  • Laser light source, more longer lamp life and brightness screen.
  • Has Type-C interface for the global market.
  • 7075 Aerial Aluminum, Lightweight and ultrathin, perfect appearance.
  • Support Auto Focus and Keystone.
  • Wireless Connection (Bluetooth and WIFI). Computer, PAD, cell phone, connect with the S2 projector via smart wireless.
  • 2*2W Speaker built-in.

Cons

  • No battery built in.
  • 2W Speaker is not strong, need other sound system.
  • No standard tripod and roof hoisting interface, to buy another adapter and a little troublesome.

2. XGIMI H1 – Best Design Mini Home Projector

XGIMI H1 2For mini home projector, XGIMI H1 looks a little large. But it gets the Innovation Award in 2017 CES. H1 has top of the line Harman Kardon bass-enhancement which ensures Hi-Fi quality for all sound ranges, large size is better… The design is so special and attractive, maybe it is the best design mini home projector.

Even not use laser technology, H1 has 900 ansi lumens brightness. It is almost the best brightness of the portable mobile LED projectors in the world.

With H1, it has never been easier to take an 180-inch screen with you on the go. With an HD 1080p resolution and 4K video support, horizontal and vertical keystone correction and Harman Kardon audio system with silent heat dissipation, the H1 has everything you’d need to host a viewing party any place, anywhere.

H1 uses DLP cinema-grade (active shutter 3D imaging) technology to form lifelike 3D pictures on 300” displays, and can convert 2D into 3D at the drop of a hat. Say goodbye to your TV and hello to H1. H1 has an optical zoom function and is able to adjust the size of an image without damaging the image quality.

Pros

  • The best ansi lumens of the mini LED projectors.
  • Harman Kardon bass-enhancement which ensures Hi-Fi quality for all sound ranges.
  • Fashion design, easy to carry and installation to the wall.
  • H1 has an optical zoom function and is able to adjust the size of an image without damaging the image quality.

Cons

  • A little big size for a mini projector.
  • The quality of product is not stable, need more good customer service.

3. SeeYing I8 – Best Feature Mini Home Projector

SeeYing I8

  • Top-level Configuration: The SeeYing Portable Projector with high contrast ratio 5000:1, High-definition 1280 x 800 widescreen resolution with DLP Technology; Built-in Android 5.1 System and Speaker, equipped with Mstar 3D decoder chip, Max 3500 lumens, supporting Blu-ray 3D and1080P, LED lamp, amazing 3D effect.
  • HD Widescreen: Screen Size Range From 40inch-300inch. Vertical Lens Shift with Keystone and Corner Correction; Optical focus and zoom, and a muted black finish. Let you enjoy the visual feast, it produces 3500 lumens of stunning, high-contrast presentations with incredible image detail and rich, clear, vibrant, true-to-life color.
  • WIFI & Bluetooth Connectivity: Support Multi-screen Sharing, WiFi or Bluetooth, Smartphone resources can be shared through the large screen by Airplay/Miracast/DLNA. The connectivity options allow SeeYing I8 Projector to be used with Smartphone, Tablets, Ipad and PC, your business life will be convenient and professional.
  • Simple Play for Your Home Theater: Simple operation, high-definition video quality, you will achieve greater fun. Easy to set up and enjoy with whole family right away! When not in use, won’t take up much space. This means that video entertainment is the ideal realm of life.
  • High Quality & Warranty: This SeeYing I8 projector LED light displays natural and rich colors, good for your eyes protection, especial for children and the elderly. Up to 30,000 Hours of Entertainment, which give a long lasting life. SeeYing video projector enjoys 1 year warranty and has professional after-sales team on your back!

The main features of SeeYing I8 looks good, maybe not excellent, but balance in every sides. So it is the best feature mini home projector.

Pros

  • 8000mAh Long Battery Life.
  • Front/Rear/Ceilling Projection.
  • ±40° AUTO Keystone Correction.
  • 5.1 sound system built-in.
  • NoiseLevel: < 32dB

Cons

  • Only 3500 lumens, not touch the 700 ansi lumens level.
  • The true resolution is only 1280*800, not 1080p. But maybe enough for 100 inch screen.

4. NEOJDX Vista – Best Game Mini Home Projector

neojdx vista 1I can’t believe that this mini projector can support 4000 lumens (700 ansi lumens) brightness level with so thin size, but it is. The small size of the NV-1 Pocket Projector means that it can be carried anywhere. At only 5.4 x 5.4 x 2 inches, it does not take up much space. Neither does it weigh much at 1.5 lbs. Throw it into your handbag, a carry-on bag and it is good to go anywhere with you!

Play any file from the built-in micro SD card (2G), and can connect any USB device or external hard drive (supports up to 2TB). Maybe 2G memory is short for some big game…Rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries give the Vista 2 hours of operation off a single charge.

With support for DLP-Link 3D, NV-1 plays 3D files directly from its built-in micro SD card slot. It can also read 3D files directly from a harddrive. For more versatility, connect to your blu-ray player, DVD player via HDMI, and the NV-1 gives you a crisp playback without missing a beat.

Pros

  • The small size, easy to portable and carry with you.
  • Built in battery, 2 hours play.

Cons

  • Some customer said it is not easy to use, maybe software need some update.
  • Poor customer support.

5. iCODIS CB-400 – Best Cost Effective Mini Home Projector

iCODIS CB-400 1iCodis pride in delivering premium, high-quality, portable projectors. The CB-400 Mini projector is no exception, in the board-room, in class, at home, the possibilities are endless. It’s vast array of connectivity options, its portability, and its raw performance ensure that no matter what you need, the CB-400 is always there for you.

  • HD – Brightness: With an astonishing 3000 ISO/500 ANSI LUMENS & 10000:1 Contrast Ratio, the new CB-400 delivers crystal clear images, at a native resolution of 720p and support 1080P.
  • Android OS: Connectivity of this smart projector is enhanced with access to apps on Android and Apple phones. You can stream video content via Miracast, YouTube, Airplay, Netflix and other streaming apps.
  • Keystone Correction & 3D playback: The new hardware in the CB-400 allows for excellent 3D playback, its full-HD playback capabilities ensure some of the best quality images within the mobile projector market.
  • Ports: HDMI, dual USB, Vga, as well as Android TV allows the CB-400 to connect to any device you may have lying around. Whether its streaming from your mobile device or hooked into your Gaming PC, the CB-400 does it all
  • Build-in Battery: iCODIS Mini CB400 Projector Has 10000mAh big battery, it has more than 3 hours play time.

Small, compact and powerful. The small size and light weight of this mobile projector makes it convenient to work at home and office, or when you’re travelling. The price is lower than most similar level projectors, it is the Best Cost Effective mini home projector.

Pros

  • Keystone Correction & 3D playback.
  • Built in battery, more than 3 hours play.
  • Cheap.

Cons

  • Some customer said it is not easy to use, maybe software need some update.
  • Happycast isn’t working. Not mature in some features.

6. Nebula Mars – Best Fashion Mini Home Projector

Nebula MarsThe Nebula Mars is a compact portable projector that delivers decent video quality for its size, and has built-in sound via dual 10W speakers and a rechargeable battery that delivers up to 3 hours of battery life. It’s Android-powered and has apps such as Netflix and YouTube for streaming video via the projector’s integrated Wi-Fi. You can also easily connect a streaming stick to it or play files from a USB thumbdrive.

Nebula Mars is the first in a new line of media devices from Chinese electronics accessory maker Anker, most known for portable battery packs. Has its inaugural product succeeded? With flying colors, I’d say.

The Nebula Mars has surprisingly distinctive looks, with a signature mark being a leather carry handle across the top. Just like XGIMI H1.

What’s cool about the projector is that there are a number of ways to get video to run through it. It’s powered by an Android-based operating system and has built-in Wi-Fi, so you can stream content right from the projector via apps like Netflix and YouTube (more adventurous users can sideload additional Android apps that aren’t in the Nebula’s download library).

Pros

Cons

  • This isn’t Android TV, it’s a modified version of the Android for phones and tablets.  Software need to be update.
  • The resolution is not good enough.

Things you MUST KNOW before choosing your Mini Home Projector

Well, our top 6 list is based on what we like. This might not suit you, so we prefer you to have a look at all of the details below. That will help you in choosing your mini home projector. For mini size, the brightness is not very high, but must higher than 700 ANSI lumens or closed.

Different Mini Projector Concepts your must be aware of:

ANSI Lumens ( not only lumens, it is quite different!!)

Contrast Ratio

Image Resolution DPI

Smart Level

Audio Quality

Housing Design

Battery

There is no denying that buying projector have become sort of a necessity for a lot of people, some do it just to complete their home cinema, while others do just for the sake of it.

Thankfully, to make things easier for the consumers, as well as for everyone who is reading this article, the choice of projector should help them pick the one they want. That’s why we went ahead and used best from every single application scenario.

Hopefully, this list should solve your projector buying woes, and you will be able to buy the perfect mini home projector that will complement your application style, as well as the type of grip you have.

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