Crenova XPE350 Mini Portable Projector 480320 Resolution

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------AT A GLANCE(+) Compact and allows play from SD Card or HDMI(+) Recommended for small group viewing w/ lights dimmed(+) Product specs tell you upfront it's not bright (they're honest)(-) Instructions could be clearer(-) Not bright, but product description tells you that upfront--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Let's put this into perspective. Crenova makes several models of video projectors, from low-end to high end. The XPE350 which I'm reviewing, puts out 150 lumens and their high end projector puts out 2600 lumens. That is quite a gap and I really appreciate that this seller tells that the projector is more suited for for entertaining kids than for serious Super Bowl watching.That said, I will review it in the context of what it's designed for.It's nice it's small and thus easy to stow away.In test running it using an an SD Card, I felt the instructions could have been clearer. But still, most aspects of the setup wound up being fairly intuitive. In room that was well-darkened, we got an an acceptable image that was about 45 inches or or about 4 ft wide. Potentially, once your eyes adjust, you might be able tolerate back the camera back event more to make the image bigger.I'd recommend this as a projector you get if you want something to entertain kids or if you have a special need for a compact project, but with the trade-off that you'll need a very dark room in order to get a decent image size.Let me know if you questions via the comments area below. ∞PositiveLogic | Amazon Customer since 2000 | Got this at no cost in exchange for an honest review that makes your buying decision a little easier.

►►►► REVIEW OF THE XPE460 ◄◄◄◄Since there are multiple items in this listing I need to point out that this is a review of the Crenova XPE460 1200 Lumens LED Upgraded Projector(Black).I have previously tested and reviewed another projector listed here, the XPE350, and you can see that review below. This unit is definitely a step up from the XPE350 in terms of brightness and screen size you can get but I did run into a few quirks along the way.►► VIDEO QUALITY ◄◄The native resolution here is 800x400 which is far below HD but still quite enough to show nice quality videos. This is a nice step up from the XPE350 which has a resolution of 480x320. While things such as text will look a bit blocky when you are watching a moving picture things are clear and smooth.►► BRIGHTNESS ◄◄This unit is rated at 1200 lumens which means that it puts out approximately the same amount of light as a 80 watt incandescent bulb would put out. It is a big jump from the XPE350 which features 120 lumens.With this unit I had no problem getting a 130" diagonal image even in a room that was not completely dark. Once the room was dark, though, everything looked brighter and colors looked better.While I would still recommend this for truly dark rooms, you can get away with a little bit of light without washing out the image too much.►► VIDEO SOURCES ◄◄This is where I ran into some quirks as the USB input functioned fine but files I tried using the USB stick had various issues. Some would play but would give no audio and others would not play at all saying the files are incompatible. These are the same files I tried on the XPE350 so perhaps a firmware update or something could fix the issues.With that said, I believe most people would use this projector using the HDMI input to display content from their cable box, BluRay player or other devices and that all worked perfectly fine for me.The unit also features a VGA input and an SD card slot, neither of which I was able to test when evaluating the unit.►► AUDIO QUALITY ◄◄The audio quality from the box itself is quite limited. As with most projectors in this price range I highly recommend using external speakers of some sort. There is a headphone jack provided on this unit so you can use that to connect it to a variety of powered speakers easily.The unit has a fan to keep it cool during use and the fan does generate quite a bit of noise. I did not find it to be a problem when using external speakers but when trying to use the internal speaker it was hard to hear at times.►► POWER OPTIONS ◄◄On this unit there is one power option, an included AC plug.►► FOCUS & KEYSTONE CORRECTIONS ◄◄The focus is controlled by a dial right behind the front of the lens. I was able to get images dialed in nicely up to 130" with a bit of room to spare.The keystone correction is done on the back of the unit using a dial. Takes just a second or so to get it dialed in.►► REMOTE CONTROL ◄◄The unit comes with a simple remote control that takes two AAA batteries, not included. One thing I want to point out is that the IR eye that receives the signals is on the back of the projector so if you're sitting in front of it the remote is kind of useless unless you get a device to bounce the IR signal.►► CONCLUSION ◄◄The picture quality and brightness of this projector really impressed me at the sub-$150.00 price-point. The quirks I ran into are easy to overlook in a projector that can produce a nice, bright 130" image. Pairing this with a nice set of powered speakers and a home theater PC or BluRay player gives you an excellent setup for movie night. Highly recommended.Sample provided for review.►►►► XPE350 REVIEW ◄◄◄◄Since there are three projectors in this listing I need to point out that this is a review of the least expensive model, the Crenova® XPE350 Mini Portable Projector 480*320 Resolution 150 Lumens Eye Protection for Home Backyard Theater Support iPad iPhone Android Smartphone.I point out in a few of my reviews that price IS important to me when it comes time to review an item. On Amazon I've found average items way overpriced and I've given them low rating due to the value. This item, while not spectacular when you compare it to more expensive models, is still pretty darn good and to me amazing at the $85 price-point.►► VIDEO QUALITY ◄◄I was not really expecting a whole lot, after all the 480x320 resolution doesn't really stand up to 1920x1080 HD or the resolution of some of Apple's Retina displays which can go up to 5120x2880. What I found was that the projector did an admirable job when showing video content but fell short when trying to use it as a computer display. It makes sense, the pixels just aren't there for small text and detailed items.►► BRIGHTNESS ◄◄The projector is not very powerful so you really do need to use it in a very dark, if not completely dark, room. In those conditions I had no problem throwing an image up on the wall that went 100" plus. The image quality reminded me of drive-in movies I'd go to when I was a kid. You need to sit back from the screen / wall or you will start seeing the scan lines, something that obviously doesn't happen with a HD television. With that said it is still perfect for outdoor movie night.►► VIDEO SOURCES ◄◄I was quite impressed with the fact that the unit immediately recognized a USB stick with videos on it and the process of scanning the drive to find the content I wanted and getting it up on the screen was quick and painless. The same went for plugging in an HDMI source as well. The device also supports SD cards, VGA and RCA via an included cable.►► AUDIO QUALITY ◄◄The sound from the box is very limited, but there is a headphone jack so you can plug in powered speakers or use a Bluetooth dongle to transmit the audio to headphones or speakers.►► POWER OPTIONS ◄◄The unit is powered by either a 12V wall-wort or, more impressively, from a 5V/2A USB connection. The USB power option blew my mind as I tried hooking it up to a power bank and the projector fired up and looked just as bright as if I was plugged into the wall. From what I can tell from a few short experiments I'd say you could easily get a whole movie out of a 20,000mAh power bank meaning you can take this little projector anywhere and use it without needing a power line. Combine this with a Bluetooth transmitter out of the headphone jack and a rechargeable Bluetooth speaker and movie night is anywhere you can put up a screen!►► FOCUS & KEYSTONE CORRECTIONS ◄◄The focus on the projector is controlled manually by turning the lens of the unit. I had pretty good results overall once I got the thing dialed in which can take a minute or two. There is a keystone control on the back that controls the angle of the screen, this allows you to position the projector lower or higher than the screen and compensate for the picture making it much easier to position the projector.►► CONCLUSION ◄◄Overall, I really like this projector. For under a hundred dollars it is a bargain that produces a decent picture and it can be used anywhere you take it as long as you have a powerbank to power it. It is perfect for outdoor movie nights and also something I think kids would love for watching movies in their room, as long as it's dark and they have a big, white wall! Highly recommended.Sample provided for review.

XPE350: This is a pretty small projector that offers decent picture quality. I feel the picture quality of the next projector on this page, which costs about 20 dollars more has a better image, but it is also very loud. The XPE350 is notably quieter.There are a few input methodsUSB: I tested a stick and it plays files back without issue. I could NOT get an Android phone to connect properly. Apparently you need a wireless HDMI adapter to perform this task, and the phone needs to support Mobile HD Link Output. So, you need to purchase a dongle separately. They range from 25-50 dollars. And your phone has to be compatible.SD Card: This works as you'd expect. You will use the projectors function (onboard or remote) to select the input then select the file(s) or folder(s).AV Port: This works as you'd expect. For testing, this was hooked up to a Canon and it worked as a line through easy enough. The second picture below is a terrible one, but you can see (barely) the camera hooked up as a line. Dark room, bright flash. Don't judge.Of course, HDMI is an optimal choice of input.It comes with a AC outlet cable. You can also provide power through the mUSB port if needed.It is small, quiet, and a budget, entry level projector with manual focus. It does have onboard sound, but I'd strongly encourage you to use a different speaker setup. The vendor provided sample for evaluation.3.7/5: Flimsy lens cover, Okay picture. Need for HDMI dongle.