Our Verdict
The Dangbei Atom is not a gaming projector and I would not suggest it for severe or aggressive classes. But it surely’s a glossy, all-in-one possibility for watching motion pictures and TV and greater than high-quality for infrequent play. Straightforward to arrange, focus and transfer about, the Atom is a well-priced streaming projector with all of your favourite apps, a strong 1200 ISO lumens brightness and two Dolby audio system to spherical off the package deal.
- Tremendous compact and quiet
- Might be seen with some ambient mild
- Google TV is incredible
- Few connections (one HDMI)
- Chunky energy cable
- Quiet built-in audio system
The projector market is beaming vivid proper now, with manufacturers always making an attempt to lure media connoisseurs and avid gamers away from flat-screen TVs and displays – which require a whole lot of house in your house. The Dangbei Atom laser projector marks simply how far shopper know-how has are available just a few years, packing Google TV and that huge world of good apps right into a small field measuring simply over 7 inches huge.
The compact Atom was launched in the beginning of 2024, and it cements Chinese language model Dangbei as a severe maker of good projectors for house leisure. However how does it stack up in opposition to the most effective gaming projectors? On this overview, I’ve put it to good use over a number of months to seek out out.
One of many Atom’s most promising perks is the 40-180-inch show dimension, that means you’ll be able to set up it in just about any room with sufficient clean wall house (ideally of sunshine or impartial shade). Its brightness can be excessive, whereas on paper, options like autofocus and auto-keystone are designed that will help you create a wonderfully sharp and formed image as and whenever you transfer the Atom about from room to room. On paper is one factor, however listed here are my experiences with the Dangbei Atom in actual life.
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Dangbei Atom Specs:
| Decision | 1080P FHD (1920×1080) |
| Brightness | 1200 ISO Lumens |
| Picture dimension | 40~180 inches |
| Life Expectancy | 30,000 hours |
| Audio | 2 x 5W |
| Connectivity | HDMI, USB |
| Dimensions | 7.68 x 7.68 x 1.7 inches |
| Weight | 2.82 lbs |
Design
Projectors of every type was once hulking nice lumps, that required a trolly to maneuver round and hold steady. After all, we’ve moved on from these days, and the Dangbei Atom is proof of that. At beneath 2 inches thick and weighing lower than my laptop computer, the Atom is designed to be compact and carryable – extra so for transferring to completely different rooms in the home than essentially taking out with you. Though I did take it to a buddy’s home for a film evening throughout my testing interval.
Briefly, the Atom is little sufficient to suit comfortably in most gaming rooms or bedrooms, and because of its low weight you’ll be able to pop it on a facet desk with out inflicting pressure. A rubber ring on the underside additionally prevents scratching shiny surfaces like glass.
The Atom is produced from darkish grey plastic with a refined sheen, and its sq. casing is neat. The outside is easy to the contact and feels surprisingly premium regardless of its light-weight chops, and though it’s barely inclined to fingerprints, they are often wiped off simply. Other than a cooling vent on the rear, you don’t get any protruding elements to unintentionally knock, which may trigger injury over time.
On the again is an HDMI, USB, energy port, and a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones or pc audio system. Nonetheless, this projector can simply be used as an all-in-one, with two 5W Dolby audio system on both facet of the unit. The unit has a tripod thread on its base, and mounting it on certainly one of my digicam tripods was the simplest manner for me to place it excessive sufficient. After all, this thread additionally works with ceiling or wall mounts – good should you plan to maintain it as a everlasting fixture.
There are not any controls on the Dangbei Atom, as you navigate the Good TV projector solely with the included distant. It’s lengthy, skinny, and surprisingly weighty, wanting like an even bigger Hearth TV distant. As you’d count on there are buttons for the facility and quantity, in addition to Google Assistant, YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video. Two facet keys present fast entry to focus and audio settings, however you’ll be able to’t swap to your HDMI enter with out working via the Google TV interface.
Efficiency
Evaluations are all about expectations, and weighing up the producer’s claims in opposition to what the product does in actual life. Is Dangbei pitching the Atom as a gaming projector? Completely not, however that doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t plug in a PC or laptop computer and luxuriate in an evening of informal gaming on an even bigger display screen.
I discovered the image was finest seen in a darkened room and struggled to see it clearly on a vivid, sunny day, however that is commonplace for many projectors, even these on the premium finish. The projector is able to a display screen dimension starting from 40-180 inches, though Dangbei recommends 60-100 inches. At each extremes, I discovered the image crisp and clear, and the smaller dimension was good for a compact spare room – an space the place different projectors had struggled.
What’s most spectacular concerning the Dangbei is its picture correction, which is totally automated for probably the most half until you need to delve into the picture correction menu. Auto Keystone Correction created a straight, well-angled picture in about 5 seconds or much less each time I moved the unit round to check this.
Not having a projector display screen, however a home crammed with primarily white or mild grey partitions, the colours from the projector all the time felt wealthy and correct. Though when watching darker TV reveals like the brand new Batman: Caped Crusader on Amazon Prime, the distinction of the shadowed areas may have been stronger. It was the identical feeling when enjoying gloomy video games, with opponents fairly arduous to see when lurking in the dead of night. After all, Google TV comes with a raft of fundamental, free video games (playable with the distant solely) and these had been vivid and vibrant.
With solely a USB2.0 and HDMI-in port, the Atom is nowhere close to as well-connected as most devoted gaming projectors, however its plug-in-play operation was nonetheless flawless, with a laptop computer, mini gaming PC, and gaming console all plugged in and displaying inside just a few seconds. For me, the convenience of use of this unit trumps connectivity, even when the Google TV app itself generally lagged and took about 10 seconds to achieve the following display screen.
Ought to You Purchase?
- Sure: If you need a compact projector primarily for streaming
- Sure: If you happen to’ve acquired restricted house at house
- No: If you happen to’re a severe gamer
Alternate options
If you happen to’re a aggressive gamer in want of particular enjoying firepower, BenQ is a model with loads of fashions to serve your wants.
Verdict
The Dangbei Atom is a generalist projector for informal gaming, able to displaying TV reveals, motion pictures, and video games as much as a big 180 inches. It shines (actually) in smaller rooms, too, because of its minimal 40-inch display screen dimension. The Google TV ecosystem brings you a myriad of good apps together with Netflix, Prime, and Disney+, alongside some fundamental, free video games on Google Play.
The Atom shines for portability, though batteries aren’t included. It’s fast to arrange and straightforward to maneuver round, however the slower response charge and non-4K decision might be a difficulty for aggressive gamers. Briefly, it’s a whole lot of enjoyable. Get it should you’re out there for an inexpensive all-in-one streaming resolution, somewhat than a class-leading gaming projector or monitor alternative.
