When you think about projectors, it’s easy to think about
the big home theater projector and the huge screen. After all, that’s usually
what comes to mind first. But not all projectors are for a large venue, or for
home theater. Some are for portable needs, and can be really small. Up for
review today is the ultra portable Viewsonic M1 Mini.
Features and specs:
Resolution: 854 x 480
Throw Ratio: 1.2
Throw Distance: 2.1 – 8.7 ft / 0.6 - 2.7 m
Brightness (Lumens): 120 LED (50 ANSI)
Display
Type: DLP LED
Resolution Type: WVGA (854x480)
Resolution: 854 x 480
Brightness (Lumens): 120 LED (50 ANSI)
Display Size (in.): 24 - 100 in. / 0.6 - 2.54 m
Throw Distance: 2.1 – 8.7 ft / 0.6 - 2.7 m
Throw Ratio: 1.2
Keystone: Vertical (+/- 40°)
Light Source (watt): RGB LED
Light Source Life, Normal (hours): 30000
Color Depth: 1.07B Color (R/G/B 10bit)
Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 120,000:1
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Video Signal
Frequency Horizontal: 15h-135kHz
Frequency Vertical: 23-120Hz
Compatibility
PC Resolution (max): 1920 x 1080
PC Resolution (min): 640 x 480
Mac® Resolution (max): 1920 x 1080
Mac® Resolution (min): 640 x 480
Connector
USB 2.0 Type A: 1
HDMI 1.4 (with HDCP 1.4): 1
Micro USB: 1
Audio
Internal Speakers: 2W (x1)
Power
Consumption (typical): 10W
Controls
On Screen Display: Display, Image, Power Management, Basic, Advanced, System, Information (See user guide for full OSD functionality)
Operating Conditions
Temperature: 32-104º F (0 - 40º C)
Humidity (non-condensing): 0-90%
Weight (imperial)
Net (lbs): 0.7
Gross (lbs): 1.4
Weight (metric)
Net (kg): 0.3
Gross (kg): 0.6
Dimensions (imperial) (wxhxd)
Packaging (in.): 8.3 x 2.4 x 5.5
Physical (in.): 4.3 x 1.1 x 4.1
Dimensions (metric) (wxhxd)
Packaging (mm): 210.0 x 60.0 x 140.0
Physical (mm): 110.0 x 27.0 x 104.0
General
Regulations: FCC, cTUVus, ROHS
PACKAGE CONTENTS
M1 Mini Projector, Swappable panels (Gray, Teal and Yellow), Wrist Strap, USB A to Micro USB Cable, and Remote Control, Quick Start Guide
Warranty
1-year limited warranty on parts and labor, one year limited lamp warranty, plus 1st year free Express Exchange® service
Recycle/Disposal
Please dispose of in accordance with local, state or federal laws.
Dimensions
4.3 x 1.1 x 4.1 in / 110.0 x 27.0 x 104.0 mm
The Viewsonic M1 Mini came shipped in a nice color printed box with color photo of the projector. Opening the box revealed the projector held in place with custom thin cardboard cut-out. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic. Quality of materials used, as well as the fit and finish, was good. It wasn’t heavy, but it felt fairly solid and put together well. Also included was the owner’s manual, charging cable, wrist strap and a couple of different colored panels.
I liked the simple design of the Viewsonic ML. At 4x4 inches it’s very portable. The built-in stand doubles as a lens cover when not in use. You have a standard HDMI connection for video, as well as a USB port for connecting a flash drive for multi-media content. The USB port also doubles for use with a power bank when the internal battery runs out of juice. It’s also actually economical, with an MSRP of only $190.99.
This is also the downside. While it‘s price is cheap, it did require cutting some corners. It’s LED based, meaning no blubs. But it also isn’t very bright at only 50 ANSI Lumens. It’s also not HD high resolution. The resolution is only 854x480, so similar to DVD resolution. Now let’s see how it performs.
The Viewsonic ML Mini performed better than I thought given its price point. Colors were sufficiently saturated, and not too overly saturated. Contrasts was also good, with sufficiently bright whites and decent black levels. The built in speakers also performed great with good volume levels, and even sounded good at more volume. And for a better looking image, I liked keeping the size to around 32 inches. If it’s too big, the image gets a bit washed out, due to the low lumens. You’ll also want a dark room.
I discover that the USB port does not work with multimedia sources other than a flash drive. I tried connecting my smartphone to the USB connector to see if it would happen to be able to do mirroring, but no luck. The HDMI port worked great. And my daughter had a lot of fun with it hooked up to her Nintendo Switch. She docked her Switch and connected the dock to the Viewsonic M1 Mini and instantly had her games on the wall of her room. Hulu also worked as well.
The Viewsonic M1 Mini proved to be a great little performer. It’s ultra portable at only 4 inches square. The built in JBL speaker worked great. And the video performance was good, especially considering the $190 price point. And it’s well made. Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the Viewsonic M1 Mini has earned our Value Award. For more info and complete specs check out their website at www.viewsonic.com.
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