Dangbei Mars Laser projector review

Verdict

The Dangbei Mars Laser is a mid-range projector that has lots going for it, with robust image high quality, excessive brightness and a premium design. However for a wider collection of in-built apps and points with casting it will be a better advice.

Introduction

Spurred by a collection of launches from Chinese language producers each massive and small, the projector market is heating up. Conventional gamers like Epson and Optoma are being confronted by upstarts like Dangbei, hungry for fulfillment and able to battle. 

The Mars Laser is the most recent providing from the agency and is a particular assertion of intent. Because the title suggests, it options laser projection, as much as 2100 ISO lumens, an official Netflix license and 10W audio system, all for just below £1000.

That’s greater than a number of the competitors provide, if not dramatically so, and exhibits Dangbei wanting to maneuver its model title into extra ‘premium’ waters.

With loads of competitors, at and under the worth level, does it do fairly sufficient to earn a spot in your house cinema arrange? Learn on for our full assessment.

Design 

• Premium appears
• Weighs greater than anticipated
• Has first rate connectivity choices

Although not an absolute dictum, the design of the usual ‘sensible’ projector tends towards portability as a mantra. They’re usually supposed to be gadgets that may be taken and plugged in wherever, even when they primarily lack battery packs.

The Dangbei Mars Laser is decidedly not of that ilk, at 4.5kg it’s portly fairly than moveable. That isn’t a problem if it’s going to spend its life in a single spot or be moved across the residence, however it is very important notice regardless.

Weight apart, it is a principally good wanting projector, made of top quality shiny plastics and metals. The heft lends it a sturdy feeling, and on the rear it has a beneficiant collection of ports, with two HDMI slots, an optical audio cross via, USB and extra. It’s a system that ought to match into most residence TV set ups comfortably, being without delay costly wanting and discreet. Not that the majority will want it, nevertheless it additionally has as an Ethernet port.

Setting the system up into place is a bit more advanced. It is a projector that likes to take a seat at direct angles to its supposed display screen. There’s no little foot as there may be on the likes of the Emotn N1 to prop it up at an angle to venture. Although that is removed from a vital inclusion, it’s positively a pleasant additional that offers a projector slightly extra flexibility in use.

On the management entrance the Dangbei comes with a Bluetooth distant that pairs on arrange and works shortly. It has devoted buttons for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube, and was usually dependable in testing. The on-device controls are restricted to a touch-sensitive energy button on the highest of the system. Energy is provided by way of a barrel-pin plug.

In all of the Dangbei Mars Laser appears well worth the value of entry, however lacks slightly of the flexibility that would have made it a better promote for these with unconventional set-ups.

Options

• Constructed-in casting choices
• Netflix put in by default
• Has a really slight app retailer included

If there may be one basic level to the existence of sensible projector over a ‘dumb’ projector, it’s the promise of slicing out the center man, of connecting on to Wi-Fi and launching an app with out a streaming stick or the like.

The nice promise of the Dangbei is its in-built help for Netflix, which is taken into account such a giant promoting level it’s plastered over nearly every thing else. It additionally has Prime Video and YouTube built-in, that are good to see.

Inside the pre-installed apps, efficiency was clean and content material there regarded nice. There got here a couple of hiccups nonetheless, which negatively impacted the expertise of utilizing the projector. The primary was a correct lack of Chromecast help. Regardless of being examined on two separate Wi-Fi connections, solely YouTube labored for casting, Netflix didn’t play ball. Casting isn’t a vital characteristic, however it’s a high quality of life addition that caters to completely different sorts of customers and their preferences.

Second got here the standard of the apps that aren’t Prime Video, Netflix or Youtube, there are a couple of put in and they’re horrible. Notably egregious is ‘TikiLive’ which options One America Information as its principal station when launched. Not one of the different apps provide any sort of breadth of content material, and within the included ‘app’ retailer the one inclusion worthy of point out is Plex. 

So in case your viewing habits consist solely of YouTube, Prime Video, and Netflix, you’ll be capable of simply plug-in and play with the Dangbei. For individuals who need to watch the likes of iPlayer or Channel 4, a streaming stick plugged within the again will do the needful.

There’s a couple of baked in choices to solid to the system too, referred to as HomeShare and MirrorCast. In my expertise none of those labored reliably, usually merely failing to recognise a tool making an attempt to attach, whether or not Android, iOS, or Home windows. This could probably be mounted with an replace, however it’s troubling on a tool costing simply shy of £1000.

On a extra optimistic notice, the 10W audio system that the system sports activities produce sound that’s highly effective and clear, working properly to fill a room when required. Though they gained’t problem the likes of a correct sound bar or encompass sound arrange, they get the job achieved when watching motion pictures on the fly.

Efficiency

• A number of auto-adjustments supplied
• 1080p decision
• Laser tech

Past anything, there’s one nice promise baked into the very title of the Dangbei, that coming from the phrase ‘Laser’. Laser projectors are a superior breed of system to many extra conventional sorts, providing higher brightness, improved colors and extra noticeable distinction.

As well as the projector gives a number of computerized modes of adjustment, together with auto-focus, keystone correction, ‘clever display screen match’ and ‘clever impediment avoidance. There’s additionally a Time of Flight (ToF) sensor on the entrance that helps when adjusting the picture.

Beginning with this, regardless of the floor projected onto, the Dangbei managed to appropriate quicky and confidently. There’s a slight caveat to this nonetheless, that being when projecting at an angle. The system wanted a little bit of assist with keystoning in these conditions, although this in fact gained’t be an issue in the event you preserve it in a static place and use a static floor to venture onto.

Arrange normally was a breeze, and may current no issue for most individuals.

Coming to the query of image high quality, on the entire it is vitally optimistic. Beginning with brightness, 2100 lumens is acknowledged as the utmost, and I discovered this was sufficient to cope with ambient mild if not direct daylight. There may be the proviso that these lumens will not be your grandfather’s lumens, they’re ISO lumens, fairly than the extra widespread ANSI measure. Assuming 1 ANSI lumen is equal to 0.8 ISO lumens, which means a most output of 2520 ANSI lumens for the Mars Laser.

Colors are daring and punchy, blacks exhibit some noise although it isn’t particularly noticeable – it was hardly a day of excessive cinema however Paw Patrol: The Film shined and stood out on the large display screen, a lot to the delight of a resident toddler.

As may be anticipated from the scale of the casing, the Dangbei has a big fan included, although for probably the most half in operation it proved to be quiet. The bulb included with the projector is rated for 30,000 hours of use.

HDR10 compatitibility is marketed, and certainly supported content material appears nice, although you’ll discover this best from the construct in apps. As regards gaming, I discovered that twitchy shooters didn’t work notably properly, with the system exhibiting only a bit an excessive amount of enter lag. Just about every other title labored properly nonetheless.

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