ViewSonic M1 mini+ Smart WFi ultra portable LED projector review

Does it connect to Bluetooth speaker? An integrated JBL Bluetooth speaker delivers big sound in a small package that’s perfect for music and movies at home or on the go. Measuring only 4×4 inches, this LED projector with WVGA (854x480p) resolution delivers convenient entertainment in nearly any location. Know about more benefits in ViewSonic M1 mini+ Smart WFi ultra portable LED projector review.

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In the box

M1 mini Plus projector, Swappable panels (Gray, Teal, Yellow), Wrist strap, USB A to Micro USB, Remote Control and Quick Start Guide

Pros & Cons – ViewSonic M1 mini+ Smart WFi ultra portable LED projector

Pros

Accepts 1080p input and downconverts to its native 854 x 480
Portable
Inexpensive for what it offers; impressive for the price
Delivers highly watchable film and video as well as vibrant, saturated color for graphics
Great picture quality
Clear sound
Built-in rechargeable battery

Cons

Focus wheel is tricky to use, making it hard to get a sharp image
Poor bright light performance
No wired or wireless audio out
Built-in app store is lacking
Small text can appear fuzzy
No controls on the projector; lose the remote, and you can’t choose a video source

Specs – ViewSonic M1 mini+ Smart WFi ultra portable LED projector

Product Description: ViewSonic M1 Mini Plus – DLP projector – 3D – Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
Device Type: DLP projector
WVGA 854 x 480 Native Resolution
Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Connectivity
Smart TV Functionality
3D Capable: Yes (3D glasses sold separately)
Smart Capable: Yes
Integrated 2W JBL Speaker
Color Support: 1.07 billion colors
Contrast Ratio: 500:1
Native Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Video Modes: 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, 480i, 576i, 576p
Speakers: Speaker(s) – integrated
Power Consumption Operational: 20 Watt
Dimensions (WxDxH): 4.3 in x 4.1 in x 1.1 in
Weight: 9.88 oz
50 ANSI Lumen, 120 LED Lumen Brightness
HDMI, USB Type-A, USB Type-C Inputs
USB Multimedia Playback
Lamp Type: RGB LED
Lamp Life Cycle: Up to 30000 hour(s)
Video Input: Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
Up to 1.5-Hour Battery Life

Compare ViewSonic M1 mini+ Smart WFi ultra portable LED projector vs ViewSonic M1

	M1 mini Plus	ViewSonic M1 Mini	ViewSonic M1	M2e
Resolution	VGA(640x480p)	VGA(640 x 480)	VGA(640×480)	Full HD (1920x1080p)
Brightness	120 LED Lumens	120 LED Lumens	250 LED Lumens	1000 LED Lumens
Wi-Fi and Smart UI (Aptoide)	Yes	–	–	Yes
Bluetooth Speaker	Yes, (In/Out)	–	–	Yes, (In/Out)
Speaker Type	JBL	JBL	Dual Harman/Kardon	Dual Harman/Kardon
Built-in Battery	Up to 1.5 hours	Up to 2.5 hours	Up to 6 hours	–
Built-in Storage	8GB	–	16GB	16GB
Easy Setup w/Auto Correction	Auto Vertical Keystone	Auto Vertical Keystone	Auto Vertical Keystone	Auto Focus & H/V Keystone
Weight/Dimensions	0.66 lbs / 4.1″x1.1″x4.1″	0.66 lbs / 4.1″x1.1″x4.1″	1.65 lbs / 5.7″x1.6″x5.0″	2.2 lbs / 7.2″x2.1″x7.2″
Connectivity	HDMI, USB C, USB A	HDMI, USB, Micro USB	HDMI, USB C, USB A	HDMI, USB C, USB A, Micro SD

Design

The stylish, rounded design of the projector doesn’t hamper its functionality, either. Lightweight and measuring only 4×4 inches, this compact projector can be easily packed and carried in your bag, back pocket, or in the palm of your hand. The integrated Smart Stand provides for easy setup, allowing the projector to be placed in a variety of different positions and angles. The Smart Stand also doubles as a lens cover.

Ports

The M1 mini Plus comes with 8GB of internal storage and it also comes with a USB-A port in addition to the HDMI slot.

1x HDMI 1.4 (with HDCP 1.4)
1x USB 2.0 Type A
1x USB 3.1 Type C

Display

An ideal image size for a darkened room is about 36 inches (measured diagonally). When I went up to 48 inches, the image began to look faded. With ambient light added, a 24-inch image looked reasonably bright, but appeared more washed out when I increased the image size to 36 inches.

Resolution

While the beamer can project up to 1080p resolution, it also renders 720p and standard definition with great clarity. Resolution is great, video quality solid, color reproduction nice.

Brightness

The ViewSonic M1 mini Plus is a 50-Lumen WVGA Smart DLP Pico Projector. Its 50 ANSI lumens of brightness can produce images up to 100″ diagonal in low-light conditions, and its 120,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio helps enhance dark areas of the image.

Keystone

The M1 mini+ also has automatic keystoning. This prevents the top of the image from being wider than the bottom (or vice versa) if you’re projecting upward or downward from the level of the screen. In testing, this worked well, but it’s not going to stop the image from keystoning if the projector is at a dramatic angle to the screen or from the projection surface. There’s a Manual mode if Auto mode is not correcting the keystone to your satisfaction.

Supported format

The M1 mini plus has a good range of supported formats, especially for video. These include AVI, MP4, TS/TRP, MKV/MOV, MPG, DAT, VOB, and RM/RMVB. For music, formats include MP3, WMA, and M4A/AAC, and for photos, JPEG, BMP, and PNG.

vCastSender app

The vCastSender app allows you to connect to your smartphone and pair it with your projector under the same Wi-Fi. The application supports both Android and iOS devices. You can stream and binge-watch their favourite shows from popular content providers like YouTube and Netflix.

Streaming app

Some of the most popular streaming apps like Apple TV Plus, HBO Max and Disney Plus are no-shows, for example. And while Aptoide does host Amazon Prime Video, BBC Sport and Spotify Connect, the variety of entertainment on offer to you is technically wide, but the selection has all the depth of a puddle. You may want to make use of the Spotify Connect ap

Audio

The integrated JBL speaker is designed to deliver big sound from a small package, so you can enjoy music and movies at home or on the go. They have really good sound that fills the room. No need for a separate speaker unless you want to feel the thunder of a powerful system. T

Remote

The only physical controls on the M1 mini plus are the on/off switch and the focus wheel. You control the settings and media player menu with a tiny remote, smaller than a credit card. Its buttons include power, home, back, settings, up and down volume, and a four-way arrow controller with an OK button in the center. When I pointed the remote at the back of the M1 mini, the projector proved responsive to its commands.

Battery life

the M1 mini Plus can also last up to two and a half hours on a single charge and can be charged with a power bank also. It is available in three colour options- Teal, Yellow, and Grey.

How to use – ViewSonic M1 mini+ Smart WFi ultra portable LED projector

When you turn the M1 mini on, you’re taken to the home screen, a blue screen with five functions displayed as labeled icons: Photo, Music, Movie, HDMI, and Setting. (A battery icon in the corner shows how charged your device is.)

Clicking on Photo brings up a list of photos stored on the flash drive. From there you can navigate to the image of your choice and press the OK button on the remote to open it. Beneath the image is a media control bar, with icons for back, play, next, pause, zoom in, zoom out, and stop. The same control bar appears at the bottom of the screen for Video and Music content, except that the zoom controls are replaced by fast forward and rewind.

The projector’s few controls are located on the rear panel. They consist of Plus, Minus, and Back buttons to navigate the on-screen menus, and an On-Off button which doubles as an Enter button. The included remote has similar keys, but it includes controls to access the Settings menu and to adjust or mute the volume. You can also perform these operations on the projector, but it’s awkward to use the Power button, and the Left and Right buttons.

Alternate of ViewSonic M1 mini+ Smart WFi ultra portable LED projector

DBPOWER L21 LCD Video Projector

It is mainly designed for the home cinema experience. Its image display range is between 40-200 inches within a distance of 1-5m.

It is brighter than most of the projector because of its high-resolution support 1920x1080p. It is great for home theatre experience as it works well in a dark room but it is not well- recommended for business presentation, excel, PowerPoint and more.

This portable projector is compatible with various devices such as iPad, iPhone, Android phones and tablets, TV, DVD player, laptops, computers and more. It can be connected with WIFI dongle. It has a built-in speaker to make the experience better, the quality of sound is great and it doesn’t require an external speaker. The model comes with a powerful cooling fan. On top of that, it comes in with 3-year warranty and professional customer support.

PROS

Bright and clear image quality
Projection range is good
In-built speaker
Compatibility with so many devices

CONS

HDMI adapter is not included
Needs a completely dark room