Projectors have become a more affordable alternative to large-screen televisions in recent years thanks to improvements in performance and competitive pricing. In addition, despite the fact that household names like Epson and Sony are still the most popular options for people who enjoy watching movies in their home theaters, the market has seen a rise in competition from smaller manufacturers. One example of this is JMGO’s N1 Ultra, which simplifies setup and is surprisingly bright for its size and price.
There’s a ton of specialized specs to think about while picking a projector, yet having tried many of them throughout recent years, the most essential to consider is just the way that splendid it is. That $200 projector you found on Amazon will begin to seem like significantly less of a deal when you understand you can truly possibly involve it in complete obscurity in the event that you don’t need the picture totally cleaned out. It’s not by any means the only spec you ought to consider while purchasing a projector, however the more light it can toss on a screen (or a clear wall), the better and greater an image it will deliver, and that is where the JMGO N1 Ultra succeeds. It has a unique design that makes it easier to set up without requiring a complete reorganization of the room around it, in addition to its impressive brightness.
A 4K Projector With a Uniquely Adjustable Gimbal Design
The majority of projectors, at least those that are small and do not have a short throw, are easiest to use when mounted on an adjustable camera tripod. This not just gives a ton of room with regards to changing the level they sit at, yet it likewise makes it simple to guarantee the actual projector is level, regardless of whether the stand isn’t, because of an underlying air pocket level on my mount’s head. The other option is to stick something under the front of the projector to change the throw angle, but not all models have adjustable legs.
Instead of a mostly useless adjustable leg under the front, the JMGO N1 Ultra has a swivelling, tilting gimbal built right in that makes aiming the projector very easy.
The JMGO N1 Ultra’s own solution is included: a built-in gimbal with a rotating base that allows the projector to be angled up and down with 135 degrees of movement or swiveled left and right in 360 degrees. The gimbal makes it much simpler to adjust the projector’s throw and compensate for its location in a room if you cannot position it directly in front of a wall or screen. If you want to watch a movie in the sky while lying in bed for some reason, the tilt even extends far enough to project onto the ceiling.
The gimbal adds to the general size of the projector, however, I think the underlying added adaptability more than compensates for that. However, there are two issues I have with the design. The projector’s hinges, which are used to tilt it up and down, are strong enough to keep the projector in place, but they aren’t strong enough to withstand movement caused by the occasional accidental bump. Except if you’re introducing it in a different projector room (most won’t) there’s generally the gamble that a projector in a room brimming with individuals could get knocked, which will lose its arrangement. Therefore, a mechanism to temporarily lock down the swiveling base after the projector has been perfectly positioned and a couple of screws that could be used to tighten the hinges would be welcome additions.
The underside of the base of the JMGO N1 Ultra projector is, unfortunately, lacking a tripod mount, but two removable bolts reveal threaded holes that can be used to attach the projector to a ceiling mount.
Flipping the JMGO N1 Ultra over uncovers another issue: there’s no stand mount. Even though the N1 Ultra has a built-in gimbal, I still wanted to mount it to my tripod so that I could easily raise and lower the projector’s height. Instead, I had to test it on a small folding snack tray. If you want to permanently mount the projector to a ceiling, there are two large bolts on the underside of the base that can be removed, revealing threaded holes that unfortunately do not fit standard tripods. However, everyone else will need to locate a flat surface for it to sit on.
Don’t Lose the Projector’s Bluetooth Remote
First off, the N1 Ultra incorporates an Android television cordial remote with a fundamental button design that comes up short on committed play/stop button — something I truly do find I miss from the Nvidia Safeguard’s remote (which I utilize everyday). Additionally, it lacks backlighting and does not come pre-connected to the projector because its use as a remote microphone for Google Assistant requires a Bluetooth connection. There’s a unique button press combo expected to interface it, which you’ll have to get out from underneath the manual.
There’s likewise no excess controls on the actual projector — simply a solitary power button situated on the base, so you’ll need to be extra mindful so as not to lose the included remote.
Display & lens
The JMGO N1 Ultra’s front has a glossy finish that attracts fingerprints. A big Leica lens without a sliding door or a lens cap is next to a camera and distance sensor that are used for autofocus and calibration. That’s becoming more and more common, but considering how important the lens is to the projector’s operation, I really wish there was a way to better protect and shield it when not in use. Instead of constantly yelling that Nerf guns shouldn’t be allowed in the family room, I’d rather just say that.
Connectivity
Around the back, you’ll find a USB port, an earphone jack, and only two HDMI ports, with one supporting eARC if you need to coordinate the projector with a sound bar — something I’d suggest. The vent for the projector is located above that, so you should make sure that it is not directly up against a wall that could prevent airflow. A basic principle of thumb is that the more splendid a projector is, the hotter it will run, requiring more ventilation and fans to forestall the internals from overheating. In addition, despite the fact that a heatsink and ventilation grills cover the entire back of the N1 Ultra, the projector is remarkably quiet, and I could really only hear its quiet fans running from a few feet away.
Leave Room In Your Budget For Some Extra Speakers
The fact that speakers are still a technology that benefits from being larger is one of the numerous challenges associated with designing a compact all-in-one projector. Amazingly, the sets of 10W Dynaudio speakers, one situated on one or the other side of the projector, sound better compared to what I’ve heard come from different projectors of this size — yet they’re not perfect.
The JMGO N1 Ultra does incorporate a pair of 10W speakers, but they tend to sound a little flat and overly bassy, so you’ll definitely want to pair the projector with a sound bar.
They produce a respectable amount of bass, but the N1 Ultra seems to skimp on the other side of the frequency spectrum, with highs that sound a little hollow and flat. It sounds like a cheap, small wireless speaker, which is a little disappointing. Even if you don’t care about surround sound, having a pair of speakers firing to each side at the back of a room is not ideal. I would definitely recommend pairing the N1 Ultra with either a cheap sound bar that you can place below the screen or larger wireless speakers that are connected via Bluetooth if you are seriously considering it.
The Brightest Projector Under $2,300
I get pitched a ton of projectors, yet what made the N1 Ultra stand apart as a value testing was that JMGO was promising a great 4,000 lumens of brilliance from its “MALC Triple Variety Laser Optics” motor. The comparably estimated XGIMI Skyline Star guarantees only 2,200 lumens, by examination. I was curious about how the N1 Ultra would perform because I had trouble finding a reasonably priced projector that I could use during the day when there was a lot of ambient light in the room.
The JMGO N1 Ultra outperformed even similarly priced short-throw projectors I tested, which do not need to project light all the way across a room, when used as a screen on a tan-painted matte wall, which is far from ideal. In our family room, I typically need to keep the blinds completely closed in order to use a projector during the day. However, the N1 Ultra provided a very viewable image even when the windows were completely closed. Although the N1 Ultra was also delivering an image that was over 100 inches in size, the quality and contrast of the projected image were not as good as those I get from the 40-inch television that was only a few feet away.
The JMGO N1 Ultra’s contrast and saturation significantly improved when the blinds were closed but ambient light continued to flood in during the middle of the afternoon. Again, a projector’s output will never come close to the picture quality of a television, at least when ambient light is present, without a proper screen that is designed to direct light from the projector to the eyes of the viewers and reflect away ambient light. Be that as it may, I was dazzled with how well the N1 Ultra performed.
The JMGO N1 Ultra performed best in complete darkness, with an impressive amount of brightness, contrast, and color saturation, even for a projected image over 100-inches in size.
Similarly as with any customer grade projector not intended to illuminate a transcending screen in a cinema, the JMGO N1 Ultra played out its best when the sun had set and I had the option to test it in a totally dull room. It is extremely bright, sometimes to the point where people entering the room where I was testing it had to cover their eyes until they got used to the amount of light hitting the wall. JMGO claims the N1 Ultra siphons out 4,000 ANSI lumens of brilliance, and keeping in mind that a few commentators have scrutinized those cases (Projector Surveys’ trying found it maximizing at around 2,511 lumens), it is for certain the most splendid projector I’ve at any point tried under $2,500.
When the projector was using source material that wasn’t too compressed, the colors were nicely saturated, and the amount of image calibration options impressed me especially. These kinds of across the board projectors (or laser televisions) frequently distort the changes accessible to clients, however notwithstanding a modest bunch of presets for sports, computer games, and films, the N1 Ultra considers immersion and individual RGB variety changes, giving clients such as myself a method for making up for involving a hued wall as a screen.
Android-based all-in-one projectors typically aim to be as user-friendly as possible, making automatic adjustments and calibrations every time they are powered on. Since Android-based all-in-one projectors are not typically intended for enthusiasts of home theater, The N1 Ultra’s autofocus works well, but the automatic keystoning, which makes sure the image is straight and a 16:9 rectangle is perfect, wasn’t as accurate. Using a screen with a clear edge definitely helps the system, but when I used my large wall and turned on the projector’s auto-keystone, the calibrated results would slightly differ.
The JMGO N1 Ultra offered a surprising amount of customizability for the projected image’s brightness, contrast, and saturation, but just four corner points for making rudimentary keystone adjustments.
Starting with auto-keystoning and then manually making finer adjustments was, in my opinion, the most effective strategy. Yet, likewise with most projectors in this cost range, cornerstone changes are restricted to only the four corner focuses on the N1 Ultra. A great deal of clients will without a doubt be involving a clear wall as their projection screen, which is presumably not generally so consistently level as they naturally suspect it is. ( Up until I pointed a projector at it, I had assumed mine was.) Having extra change focuses would make it more straightforward to guarantee the projected picture is entirely rectangular, and assist clients with making up for projection surfaces that aren’t completely level.
Should You Buy the JMGO N1 Ultra Projector?
For a brief period of time, JMGO offered the N1 Ultra for $1,099 through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. It now costs $2,299, but even at that price, it has better performance and functionality than other projectors that cost more than twice as much, but there are some trade-offs to consider. The projector runs Android TV and has access to the Google Play Store. However, Netflix isn’t allowed to run on it, so if you want to access that platform, you’ll have to pair it with a cheap streaming dongle like a Chromecast.
Additionally, JMGO isn’t nearly as big as Sony or Epson, so if something goes wrong with the hardware, you might have to go through more steps to get help or file a warranty claim. When spending more than two grand on a gadget, that is a significant consideration. During my testing, the UI of the N1 Ultra was still a little sluggish, even after several significant software updates. I was unable to get highlights like its advanced zoom to work, and I was always unable to get the projector to peruse media off a joined USB drive. I have no question these are issues that will be at last fixed through future programming refreshes, yet it’s an update that the end product will correspond to its price. The JMGO N1 Ultra is more than a little flawed, yet if you’re hoping to get however much splendor as could reasonably be expected for your buck, it’s most certainly worth considering.
