The ViewSonic M1+ projector replaces the much-acclaimed M1 portable projector. And it comes packed with a few improvements as well. It’s a perfect little device that can play multimedia content on a large screen and is portable enough to carry around everywhere. And that also makes it one of the best projectors for artists below $300.
Why We Like It – ViewSonic M1+
The ViewSonic M1+ projector is the new revision of the older ViewSonic M1 projector. Even though it’s a portable projector, it is very much usable, especially for watching movies on the go. The dual Harman Kardon speakers sound pretty good too.
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- Portable design
- USB type C connector
- 6 hours of battery life
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- Native resolution is a bit low at just 854x480p
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Performance/Resolution
The native resolution of the ViewSonic M1+ is slightly on the lower side, at 854x480p. But that is perfectly fine for a battery-operated portable projector at this price. And you can get a 100” projection over a low amount of throw distance. So the screen size to throw ratio is pretty good on this portable projector, making it perfect for small home theater setups. You generally can’t get 1080p in the portable projector market. But the AuKing Mini Projector does play 1080p content.
Brightness/Lumens
The ViewSonic M1+ has a 300 lumens built-in LED light source, which is much lower than the ViewSonic LS810. Once again, that is perfectly fine for a battery-powered portable projector. You can’t really expect thousands of lumens out of it, not like you can with the ViewSonic PA503S, which has 3800 lumens.
Also, this projector features safety auto-off functionality. Basically, as soon as the projector senses something very close to its lens, it shuts off the LED light source. That is an excellent feature if you have children or pets, as it can save their eyes from prolonged exposure to very bright light. However, if you need much more brightness, go for the ViewSonic 1080p Projector. Try out the Optoma GT1080HDR if you need a projector with a higher lumen resolution of 3,800 ANSI.
Adjustability/Viewing Angle
Even though it’s a portable projector with just a USB C port and a proprietary smart TV interface and Wi-Fi, it does feature vertical keystone correction. The integrated smart stand provides basically 360° rotation. If your phone supports MHL, you can even connect it as a host device using a USB C cable.
Durability
The ViewSonic M1+ is very solidly built overall and feels very premium in hands. As said before, it has a LED light source. So you won’t have to worry about replacing the lamp or anything like that, as most do with standard bulky projectors (e.g., the Epson Home Cinema 1060).
Value
The ViewSonic M1+ comes at below $300 and features a lot for that price. It may not have the best resolution out of all the portable projectors available out there. But at the same time, there is no projector available at its size that is battery powered.
ViewSonic M1+ Wrap Up
The ViewSonic M1+ is an excellent portable DLP projector that comes with 10-bit color support. It really is quite an incredible piece of technology that falls in a niche market, and at the same time, can be useful to pretty much everyone.
