The Asus Zenbeam E1 is a fantastic option for many because of its compact size, but buyers should be certain this portable projector has everything they need. The main complaint found among customer reviews is the lack of a USB input and the inability to use media streamers like Netflix without an additional adapter. This combined with the lower-than-average visual quality drops the Asus Zenbeam E1 out of the running for best business projector, but if portability is your main interest, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Why We Like It – Asus Zenbeam E1
The Asus Zenbeam E1 is a compact little LED projector that’s perfect for taking on the go. Ion as a power bank. Anyone without access to a lot of power options will be happy with this projector’s long battery life and dual function.
- Projector doubles as a power bank for charging mobile devices
- Compact size makes it great for when you need a portable projector
- Auto keystone correction for ensuring proper viewing angle
- No USB input option
- Lower video quality than a standard sized projector
Performance/Resolution
The Asus Zenbeam E1 accepts inputs up to Full HD 1080p resolution which automatically scales to the native 854 x 480 aspect ratio. The result is image quality that is good, but not great. By comparison, the Epson VS250 uses the larger SVGA resolution and is only slightly more expensive. If the image quality is key and money is no object, users will be more pleased with something like the Epson EX7240 or even the BenQ MH760 1080P Business Projector. Still, many customer reviews found the image quality satisfactory for their needs, so it really depends on what you plan on projecting and how good you expect it to look.
Brightness/Lumens
The brightness on the Asus Zenbeam E1 portable projector leaves a lot to be desired; many customers found projections dim and washed out in anything other than a completely dark space. Asus boasts the lower power consumption of this projector, but that seems to come at the price of actually being able to view what you’re projecting in anything less than ideal lighting. For the businessperson looking to travel with a projector, the Zenbeam E1 is a decent choice if you are certain to be able to optimize your lighting conditions.
Adjustability/Viewing Angle
One of the major selling points Asus touts about this portable projector is the auto keystone correction: the projector automatically adjusts the viewing angle to eliminate distorted projections. Most reviewers found this worked well in most situations, with occasional issues on difficult surfaces. The Zenbeam E1 is a great short throw projector, which can mean ideal projector placement is less than ideal for certain room layouts. The brightness is adjustable on a one to ten scale, but some customer reviews claim there is little to no difference at different brightness levels.
Durability
Similar to the Anker Nebula Mars II, portable projectors need to be durable enough to withstand the standard bumps and scrapes that necessarily come with travel, and the Asus Zenbeam E1 holds up well in this regard. Many customer reviews cite camping trips as a great time for using this projector. The projector, which is about the size of a standard smartphone, also looks very nice, winning the red dot design award for Zen-inspired design. Although, if size isn’t an issue, you’ll want to try other portable projectors with higher quality such as the Optoma short throw projector, BenQ GP20 Ultra-Lite LED projector, and the BenQ EP5920 digital projector.
Value
At just over $200, the Asus Zenbeam E1 is modestly priced when compared to other pocket projectors. But, even lower-priced projectors like the Cibest projector don’t have the best quality. The ability to use this projector as a power bank for mobile devices is also very nice for times when your phone or tablet needs a little bit more juice. Many reviewers were let down that the USB port on this pocket projector only connects to the power bank portion, though, and cannot also be used to display content. For that, you have to use an HDMI cord, which for many will also require an HDMI MHL adapter. Additional adapters like this and one for streaming media services can add up, so potential buyers should keep that in mind when considering the price. Another projector worth considering if you are on a tight budget is GooDee Projector.
Asus Zenbeam E1 Wrap Up
The Asus Zenbeam E1 is a decent pocket projector that unfortunately falls short in many aspects. Though the power bank function is helpful and the compact size makes this projector great for travel, the image quality isn’t all that great and simply can’t compare to competitors that don’t cost that much more. What’s worse, this projector requires pretty low light to produce relatively meager image quality, so potential buyers should be certain they’ll use this projector in optimal conditions. It’s also rather frustrating to only have an HDMI input, meaning most people that want to direct content through their mobile device will need an additional adapter or two. That said, the small, compact design is great for on-the-go viewers.
