There’s an abundance of selection if you wish to get your arms on a conveyable projector today, with most selections providing full-fledged Android TV, Bluetooth connectivity, and a built-in battery that lasts not less than two hours.Dangbei is a brand new entrant on this class, and the Chinese producer is rolling out its merchandise in world markets. The Emotn N1 is billed as a conveyable projector, and it provides an FHD decision, Bluetooth connectivity, and an honest choice of ports. But the most important promoting level is the native Netflix integration, giving the N1 a transparent edge over different projectors from the likes of XGIMI.The Emotn N1 additionally will get brighter than its rivals, touting a 500-lumen projection, and it has a built-in kickstand. It misses out on an inside battery, and eschews Android TV for a customized OS. So if you would like a finances moveable projector, this is what you are getting with the Emotn N1.Dangbei Emotn N1: Pricing and availability(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Dangbei launched the Emotn N1 globally initially of 2023, and the projector is now accessible in most markets the place the model has an official presence. It retails for $399 on Amazon U.S., however Dangbei is providing $110 off the N1 in the meanwhile, bringing it right down to $289. That makes it a significantly better worth, and places it on par with the likes of the XGIMI MoGo 2, which is promoting for $299 proper now.Dangbei Emotn N1: Design and options(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Emotn N1 has a minimalist design, and the projector seems significantly good in white. It has an oblong design with rounded sides, with the lens dominating the eye on the entrance. The projector is made out of plastic, and it has a grille on the entrance that serves because the exhaust, with the same grille on the again the place the sound drivers are situated.The ports are situated on the again as properly, and you will find a DC out, HDMI 2.0 connector, Gigabit Ethernet port, 3.5mm audio out, and USB 2.0 port. There’s an influence button situated on the high of the unit, and apart from that and Emotn branding, there is no different adornment on the again. You get a Dolby Audio label on the appropriate facet, however that is about it so far as extraneous branding goes.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)What’s attention-grabbing is that the Emotn N1 has a built-in kickstand on the bottom, and it allows you to elevate the projector — fairly useful when you’re utilizing it on a desk. There’s additionally a normal mounting thread on the bottom to affix it to a stand. There are twin sensors that sit above the lens, and these are used for auto keystone correction and auto focus. While the design is lacking some aptitude, the Emotn N1 seems clear, and it has the ports you want. (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)My greatest difficulty with the projector is that it does not have an inside battery. Most moveable projectors can run for not less than two hours on their very own energy, and never having that choice with the N1 places it at a definite drawback. Of course, Dangbei is not the one model to go this route; XGIMI additionally did the identical with the MoGo 2 Pro, however in that occasion, we acquired considerably bigger audio drivers and a greater lens.Image 1 of 4(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The N1 does not provide something on the identical scale. It has twin 5W drivers, and in contrast to the MoGo 2 Pro’s USB-C connector, you get a normal DC plug with an influence brick. So you will not be capable to energy the projector off an influence financial institution just like the UGREEN 145W — you may need to run an extension cable. If you plan to make use of the projector outdoor, you may must carry alongside an influence station such because the EcoFlow River 2 Max.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Not solely does the Emotn N1 not have a battery, however it’s also one of many largest moveable projectors I’ve examined — it’s significantly wider and taller than the MoGo 2, XGIMI Halo+, and Anker’s Nebula collection. Coming in at 4.2lb, it’s heavier than most of its quick rivals as properly, and that is one thing it’s essential to think about.Dangbei Emotn N1: Picture and sound high quality(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)One of the most important strengths of the Emotn N1 is that it goes as much as 500 lumens of brightness. With most projectors on this section going as much as 300 or 400 lumens, the N1 has a definite edge on this space, and the distinction in brightness is instantly noticeable towards the likes of the MoGo 2. While 500 lumens is not that shiny — significantly in a room that will get lots of ambient mild — it nonetheless delivers a viewable picture, and that is a win for the N1.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Colors are nice out of the field, and you’ll tweak the colour stability to your preferences through the Custom mode. Boosting brightness and distinction ranges makes a distinction, and I did not discover any points on this space. The Emotn N1 additionally works with HDR10 content material as properly, selectively boosting distinction ranges to make colours look that rather more vibrant.The N1 has a 1.25:1 throw ratio, and it could ship a picture of as much as 120 inches at a local 1080p decision. Sound is first rate sufficient as properly due to twin 5W drivers situated on the again, however I’d have favored to see bigger drivers right here — that might have made the N1 just a little extra gratifying.Dangbei Emotn N1: Software(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Emotn N1 is a great projector, however in contrast to most of its rivals, it does not run Android TV. Dangbei as an alternative went with a customized OS, and it is fairly barebones. You get a house display screen with all of the apps arrayed in a grid, and that is about it. I normally favor this minimalist UI to the recommendation-driven mess that is Android TV 11, however the greatest difficulty right here is the dearth of Play Store.Dangbei has its personal app retailer, however it’s distinctly missing usable apps, and outdoors of Plex, I’ve by no means heard of any of the providers listed in there. Thankfully, Prime Video and YouTube are put in out of the field — alongside Netflix — so in case your streaming selections revolve round these three providers, you may like what the software program has to supply. If you as an alternative want to put in one other service like Discovery+, Hulu, or HBO Max, there simply is not a method to take action — you may have to make use of an exterior streaming system, severely limiting the portability of the projector.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Of course, you may all the time stream out of your cellphone, and whereas Dangbei has its personal different to Chromecast — which depends on Miracast — it simply does not work reliably. The Emotn N1 does not present up as a solid goal when attempting to stream content material, and after a number of tries, I simply restricted my testing to YouTube.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Setting up the Emotn N1 is simple due to the barebones interface; simply log in to your own home Wi-Fi community, select a projection technique, and register to Netflix. There’s no account to register or log in to right here, and that makes issues simpler. The bundled distant can also be straightforward sufficient to pair, and it really works over Bluetooth. Like the N1 itself, the distant is made out of plastic, and it has all of the requisite buttons — a D pad for navigation, devoted buttons for Netflix, YouTube, quantity controls, and auto focus.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)On that notice, due to auto focus and auto keystone correction, configuring the Emotn N1 is a breeze. The picture robotically adjusts primarily based on the orientation of the N1, and it does so every time the projector is moved.Dangbei Emotn N1: The competitors(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)XGIMI’s MoGo 2 Pro is the very best moveable projector you may get in the meanwhile, and it has a terrific feature-set. There’s no built-in battery right here both, however you get the power to drive the projector off an influence financial institution due to USB-C connectivity, and also you get a shiny picture with vibrant colours, wonderful sound, and Android TV out of the field. The MoGo 2 Pro additionally has auto keystone correction and auto focus, and it goes as much as 120 inches at FHD. It is costlier at $509, however you are getting a significantly better feature-set.Dangbei Emotn N1: Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)You can purchase this if:You want a conveyable projector with a shiny pictureYou need a 1080p moveable projector with NetflixYou want good sound and a built-in kickstandYou should not purchase this if:You want a projector with a batteryYou need Android TV and the power to simply solid content materialYou want entry with the Play StoreGeneral, the Emotn N1 is an honest sufficient moveable projector, and the truth that you get Netflix pre-installed is a giant win. The projector additionally has a bonus in the case of image high quality, and the colour vibrancy together with 500-lumen brightness are higher than what you get on this class.That mentioned, the software program state of affairs is much from excellent; the dearth of Android TV limits the usability of the projector, and casting content material is a problem. There’s equally lots of legwork wanted to put in different streaming providers, and the interface is barebones to say the least. There’s no battery right here both, and you can’t drive the projector over USB-C — you may must carry its cumbersome charger alongside.While I like the image high quality and Netflix integration, the software program points limitations and lack of a built-in battery make the Emotn N1 not as engaging as a few of the extra established choices. You are getting a very good worth right here, and when you do not thoughts the restricted streaming choices, it’s best to give the N1 a attempt.
The Emotn N1 has just a few software program shortcomings, but it surely delivers a shiny picture and first rate sound. If you want a finances projector with Netflix integration, it is a good choice.