Home video projectors have been growing in popularity in recent years. They are now more cost-effective than ever before, enabling you to have a cinema-like experience in your own home.
There is a novelty about using a projector, it can cover an entire wall in your living room or bedroom, immersing you into the content. Nothing quite beats a Friday or Saturday night in, slumped in your favourite arm chair, enjoying, pausing and selecting your favourite digest. It’s quite amazing how powerful projection truly is. Even your favourite TV programmes, and I dare say it, adverts, all become attention grabbing.
There are a range of projectors available, from the ultra portable £100 projectors to those that cost £1000s. The main difference between them is usually the quality of the lens/level of brightest. For this review, we’re looking at the Elephas YG600 (less than £200).
Until I started researching budget projectors, I had never come across the Elephas brand before. Although it appears as a relatively unknown brand, don’t put it off buying one. Elephas have been making projectors for years and they are all highly rated. Do your research as did I to see if it meets what you’re looking for. The Elephas YG600 has plenty of inputs and outputs, and coupled with built-in speakers, this is perfect for what I need.
Where projectors really come into their own, is the ability to connect app-enabled devices that turn these displays into multimedia powerhouses. For example, if you connect your Amazon Fire TV Stick, this creates a pretty powerful device – you can move it to any room and you’ll have excess to thousands of TV programmes and films. Traditionally, when projectors first came out, you were limited to plugging in your laptop and that was about it.
What I really like about this projector is its versatility, allowing you to switch between using it as a home cinema or for work. If you’re going to plug your laptop in and use this for presentations, it works well in smaller meeting rooms, so bear that in mind. Earlier this year, I reviewed the ViewSonic M1 Portable Projector, and although it is ultra portable with a built in battery, it isn’t something that I found worked well with large amounts of written text. The Elephas YG600 on the other hand, feels like the next step. It doesn’t have a built in battery, so as long as you have a nearby power supply, you won’t have any issues.
Overall, I am very happy with the quality of this projector.
Key features
- Project 200’’ images for an elite visual experience
- Big screen experience with size is 44-200 inches
- Ideal for using it in dark for home entertainment
- Built-in stereo speakers with Stereo Sound
- LED lamp lasts for approximately 50,000 hours
- Manual angle adjustment (auto keystone)
- Inputs – HDMI x 2, USB, AUX, SD card
- Outputs – headphones / auxiliary port
- Focus wheel
What’s in the box
- Elephas YG600 projector
- Remote control
- HDMI cable
- Power cable (UK)
- User guide
Setup and test
The projector is designed to be easy to use. A user manual is included but it isn’t required (I didn’t need to use it). Simply plug in the supplied power adaptor, unscrew the lens cover and turn on. What you will instantly notice is how bright the projector is due to it being LED. As with most projectors, this is designed for a dark room for maximum results. All you need to do is plug in your device – for the purpose of the test, we used the Amazon Fire Stick and tested a range of apps and games. All delivered high quality results. Although, you will find that you will need to use the manual focus wheel to fine tune.
The projector also comes with built in stereo speakers, which is ideal if you’re looking to move this projector around. It doesn’t offer the best sound quality (built-in speakers never do), but it is more than adequate for a home movie or office presentation. Size-wise, it is a standard size for a projector. It’s relatively light weight and will fit inside a standard rucksack or bag.
If you plan on placing this projector on a flat service, the manual angle adjustment (auto keystone) will come in handy. This will allow you to tilt the projector lens upwards to your wall to ensure the image stays flat. This works well, but if you plan on angling it quite high, you may need an adjustable stand/legs to raise the height to make the picture level.
