Be it gaming or watching a movie alone, you may find the smartphone an easy way out, but when it comes to sharing the experience with friends or relatives, a bigger screen is required. Here comes a portable projector for the ultimate home theatre experience.The Rs. 60,500 P3B projector -- a lightweight, battery-powered LED device with ultra-show-throw lens from Taiwan-based electronics major ASUS -- will allow you to share movies or gaming any time, anywhere with a group.Let us see what works for the device.The P3B can easily fit in your palm. The ultra-slim and compact device weighs just 750 grams. It comes with a handbag that has enough space to carry adaptor-charger, HDMI cable, the projector and a small remote.The P3B has a built-in rechargeable battery that, on a full charge, gave me two hours and 27 minutes of cable-free projection at a stretch. If used with the charger on, the projector will deliver for longer hours.
On a four per cent battery mark, the projector worked for nearly 27 minutes with charging on; so the time of projection can be increased or decreased depending upon the usage.The projector also works as a 12,000mAh power bank and has an AUX port for audio output. If you are charging your smartphone and using the projector's audio output, the projection time decreases a bit.To get a decent audio output without draining out the battery, one can route the audio through a computer or laptop.The company claims that the mercury-free, Eco-LED light source has a 30,000-hour lifespan to cut down on bulb-replacement costs. The P3B has an "Instant On/Off" feature since there is no chance for its LED light source to get heated or cool down.In case there is no flat surface for projection, the "Auto Keystone Correction" provides a perfect projection by detecting the P3B's orientation and automatically corrects distorted images.
For connectivity, P3B features HDMI/MHL and VGA ports for maximum compatibility with personal computers, notebooks, mobile devices and other multimedia sources, including microSD cards and USB storage devices. It also has an internal 2GB storage.As far as projection quality is concerned, P3B provides crisp WXGA-resolution (1280x800) images with a brightness of up to 800 lumens. An ultra-short-throw lens enables P3B to project images measuring 25 inches (diagonally) from 0.45 metres to 200-inches from 3.4 metres at close range.While trying out different inputs to judge the quality -- SD card, USB drive and VGA -- it was VGA that gave the most colourful and high-quality projection. There was a nominal loss of projection quality when the device was moved away from the wall.While watching a (downloaded) "Euro 2016" match, I could feel a better experience with the VGA output than a USB drive.Another interesting thing was that the projection on a slightly wet, cream-coloured background cloth was sharper and colour-rich than on a dry white cloth.
What does not work?
Given the portability and numerous options for input, we missed the bluetooth or/and NFC (near-field communication) feature.The in-built speaker is a bit quiet. ASUS SonicMaster-enhanced speaker for high-quality sound feature consumes much battery when connected directly with it. Also, the only two-mode, height-adjustment stand was a bit downer. Conclusion: Given the price, The ASUS P3B is a value-for-money product. If you are thinking of buying a portable projector for home thetare experience, this device should top your list.