The Pioneer UDP-LX500, the all-singing-and-dancing new universal disc player, has finally gone official. After teasing a new player back in April, Pioneer then previewed its new Ultra HD Blu-ray player at a Japanese AV show in June. Now, we have confirmation that it’s coming to the UK.

Pioneer UDP-LX500

The UDP-LX500 has been designed to handle rapid rotation speeds of up to 5,000 rpm, a necessity with the release of UHD Blu-ray discs. The UDP-LX500 delivers high-speed stability through its rigid construction and low centre of gravity.

The Pioneer UDP-LX500 achieves further video quality improvements by minimising noise loops in the circuitry to guarantee high-quality signal transmission.

Furthermore, digital noise is reduced on the circuit board by adopting a six-layer IVH (interstitial via hole) construction technique. The digital signal wiring has been routed to minimise ground impedance, by dramatically improving S/N (Signal-to-Noise ratio) during the processing of video and audio. The result is improved precision of the high-capacity transmission speed of 18Gbps which this latest HDMI standard now makes possible.

To deliver the full potential of the sound quality contained in UHD Blu-ray Discs, the UDP-LX500 employs audio boards designed with a focus on preserving signal purity. Additionally, it also features a direct function for analogue connection and Pioneer’s PQLS (Precision Quartz Lock System) for HDMI connection.

Replaces your CD player

As expected, the UDP-LX500 will also make a superb audio player. With two-channel analogue playback is improved through noise reduction around the power supply and ground and a ‘Direct function’ that turns off the digital audio and video circuits.

The UDP-LX500 supports three HDMI output modes:

‘Separate’ mode enables high-quality transmission by separating video and audio via the main/sub HDMI outputs.

‘Single’ mode routes both video and audio output via the main HDMI output

‘Pure Audio’ mode which delivers an audio-only output from the sub HDMI terminal.

As well as CD’s, you can also play your Super Audio CDs (SACD), Blu-ray, Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D discs on the UDP-LX500.

Price and availability

The UDP-LX500 will be available in September priced at £999.

The post Pioneer UDP-LX500 – 4K UHD player to steal Oppo’s crown appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Roland has announced the GO:MIXER PRO smartphone audio mixer and Virtual Stage Camera app. This pair of powerful new tools makes it easier for musicians make better videos to share on their socials.

The GO:MIXER PRO and Virtual Stage Camera offers a convenient and integrated solution that makes it easy for you to create engaging, high-quality video content. All you have to add is a smartphone and a smattering of talent.

Roland GO:MIXER PRO

It’s true, your phone will probably be pretty good at capturing video; most are. But the built-in microphone isn’t going to cut it if you’re intending on uploading some polished content that stands out from the crowd.

However, Roland’s GO:MIXER PRO combines multi-channel mixing, sound monitoring, and more in one affordable, palm-sized device.

The compact device enables you to connect and mix up to nine audio sources at once. This means it will handle pro-quality powered microphones, guitar/bass, and line-level gear like keyboards and drum machines. Furthermore, the unit’s dedicated controls provide easy volume adjustment.

The resulting stereo digital audio output is then sent to your smartphone for capturing in a video or audio app.

Additionally, you can power the mixer by the smartphone connection or via four AAA-size batteries. A great option to save you from a dead phone

Monitoring and more

Also, there is a headphones output. This has its own level control so that you can monitor the mix as well as hear backing audio. You can even route the backing audio to the capture app along with the live audio inputs via a dedicated Loop Back panel switch.

The Center Cancel function enables you to create karaoke-style tracks on the fly too.

Finally, when it’s not being used to capture content on a mobile device, GO:MIXER PRO doubles as a standalone battery powered mixer for practice and on-the-go performing.

Virtual Stage Camera

The new Virtual Stage Camera App helps you to quickly create fun and attractive videos. The free app removes the background from a performance video in real time and replaces it with movie footage or stills stored on the smartphone.

This can put you in any location – want to play in the mountains, on Sunset Strip, in outer space? Well, this app can put you there.

Additionally, the app can also instantly produce a blue/green screen background in a video for later manipulation in a video editing app.

Alternatively, you could also just live stream your video.

More video options

GO:MIXER PRO also works seamlessly with Roland’s 4XCAMERA. This other free video app makes it easy to create split-screen music performance videos. Projects can be shared online among 4XCAMERA users, enabling collaborations with other musicians in any location.

Virtual Stage Camera and 4XCAMERA are compatible with iOS mobile devices from Apple, and are available as free downloads from the App Store.

Price and availability

The GO:MIXER PRO is available now for £150.

For further information about the device, Virtual Stage Camera, and 4XCAMERA, visit the GO:MIXER PRO website.

The post Roland GO:MIXER Pro pocket-sized audio / video mixer appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Although we received the sad news that Oppo were ceasing to build their excellent UDP-20x disc players we are happy to announce that the latest firmware release adds some great functionality.

Having owned the UDP-203 and now happily installed the UDP-205 in to my life, it is tinged with sadness. I have had a long relationship with Oppo disc-spinners having also owned the BDP-103.

However, good news for UDP-20x owners; the latest firmware upgrade brings some additional loveliness. I’ve just updated my player through its Ethernet connection.

Oppo UDP-203 and UDP-205 firmware

Firstly, both players now get Dolby Vision “Player-led processing” mode. This is great news for owners who also possess one of the excellent Sony Dolby Vision TVs. Oppo has added “Dolby Vision” mode which can now be found under the HDR Setting menu. This enables the player to convert the output to Dolby Vision when possible.

Additionally, there is a “Dolby Vision Processing” setting, also under the HDR Setting menu. This setting allows you to choose whether Dolby Vision processing is handled mainly by the TV or the UDP-20x player.

UDP-205 and MQA

If you happen to own the UDP-205 then great news for lovers of the MQA format. Oppo has now added MQA support via the USB DAC. More information can be found in the “USB DAC Firmware” section on the UDP-205 support page.

Also, there’s an “Up-Sample DAC Input” setting under the Audio Processing menu for the UDP-205.

These updates are naturally also joined by general fixes and disc compatibility improvements based on recent and upcoming UHD Blu-ray releases as well as user-submitted samples.

Hopefully Oppo’s support will continue for a while, as promised.

More details can be found on Oppo’s firmware update page.

The post Oppo UDP disc players get Sony Dolby Vision and MQA appeared first on GadgetyNews.

I am still reeling from the news I received yesterday morning from YouTube. The email sent out from the video-sharing giant threatens many YouTubers very hard.

YouTube informed tens-of-thousands of smaller channels that they are removing monetisation.

Basically, any channel with less than 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time will be bumped off from receiving any revenue from advertising.

GadgetyNews currently has 216 subscribers and therefore will lose the monetisation. We might not get much but it is crucial to the running of this blog. Furthermore, it enables us to cover shows and press events around the country.

We wish to continue to keep everything free to watch and read, however, YouTube is now making us beg you to hit that subscribe button.

Win a BlackBerry KEYone! – here are the details!

The reason

I am not totally unaware of why YouTube is doing this, of course. It does have a good reason, although I think they have simply chosen the easiest option for them.

In the simplest terms, this is a sweeping change that YouTube has implemented so that brands won’t be advertising on videos which are created for hate speech, terrorism, and such. These generally have a small amount of subscribers (why subscribe and make it easier for people to track you?) and also small audiences.

Unfortunately, channels such as GadgetyNews and our friends, work hard to create content but also don’t aggressively push our channels. Getting just 1,000 subscribers is hard!

The real kick in the teeth is that YouTube said that, as channels such as ours receive little revenue from our videos, that we won’t miss it when it is pulled from us. It is quite the opposite. Many like me want to avoid plastering our sites with loads of advertising, annoying pop-ups, etc. Furthermore, we definitely want to avoid paywalls and other more ‘businesslike’ methods of getting help with our costs.

YouTube statement

Today we are announcing changes to the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). While our goal remains to keep the YPP open to as many channels as possible, we recognise that we need more safeguards in place to protect creator revenue across the YouTube ecosystem.

Under the new eligibility requirements announced today, your YouTube channel, Jay Garrett, is no longer eligible for monetisation because it does not meet the new threshold of 4,000 hours of watch time within the past 12 months and 1,000 subscribers. As a result, your channel will lose access to all monetisation tools and features associated with the YouTube Partner Program on 20 February 2018 unless you surpass this threshold in the next 30 days. Accordingly, this email serves as 30 days notice that your YouTube Partner Program terms are terminated.

One of YouTube’s core values is to provide anyone the opportunity to earn money from a thriving channel. Creators who haven’t yet reached this new threshold can continue to benefit from our Creator Academy, our Help Centre and all the resources on the Creator Site to grow their channels. Once your channel reaches the new threshold, it will be reviewed to make sure it adheres to our policies and guidelines, and if so, monetisation will be re-enabled.

Please subscribe

You would be doing me a huge favour by subscribing to the GadgetyNews channel on YouTube.

In fact, it means so much to me that, should we break the 1,000 subscriber barrier before February 20th – one lucky subscriber will be sent a fantastic BlackBerry KEYone as seen on YouTube! This is just one of the events I attended and was able to bring you the news before many of the larger channels. #JustSayin

[youtube id=”voKcU9KAS5g”]

Win a BlackBerry KEYone! – here are the details!

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LG have been in touch to let us know about their new curved monitor – the 34UC89G. It does look pretty impressive on paper.

Their new 34-inch 21:9 curved UltraWide gaming monitor has been designed to provide an immersive viewing experience. Not only that, LG say that it also packs unique features intended to optimise gameplay.

The LG 34UC89G features Nvidia G-Sync tech and a 144Hz (overclock 166Hz) refresh rate.

Furthermore, its 21:9 curved IPS panel boasts a widened color gamut that covers sRGB by up to 99% and shorter input lag.

Check out our review of the AOC Agon AG352UCG 35-inch curved monitor

Monitor for gaming enthusiasts

Those excellent display features certainly makes LG’s new 34-inch curved UltraWide monitor a well-rounded premium gaming proposition.

Thanks to Nividia G-Sync the monitor should display incredibly fluid graphic motion without any stuttering or screen tearing.

Monitor modes

The monitor comes equipped with unique display modes – Black Stabiliser, Dynamic Action Sync, and Crosshair – that help users get the most out of tactical gameplay.

Black Stabilser

When playing FPS or RTS games this mode enhances visibility, even in dark scenes.

This allows the monitor to automatically sense the darkest areas and make them brighter. This gives you the advantage of finding enemies no matter where they hide.

Dynamic Action Sync

It’s all about speed. This mode allows users to instantly defeat their opponents by minimising input lag.

Crosshair

As you’ve probably already worked out, this places a target point in the center of the monitor in order to enhance accuracy in FPS games.

Ik-hwan Jang, the Vice President and Head of the IT Business Division at the LG Home Entertainment Company, said:

We are greatly pleased to announce our new UltraWide gaming monitor powered by NVIDIA G-SyncTM technology. With its excellent display and gaming-specific features, the monitor provides a gaming experience that surpasses the standards of even the most dedicated gamers. LG will continue innovating in order to take gaming to a whole new level and equip its monitors with the most advanced technologies on the market.”

LG 34UC89G price and availability

I have been told that this new curved Ultrawide gaming monitor is coming to the UK. Although, that’s all the information I have right now.

The good news is that I should be recieving the LG 34UC79G-B curved gamer from them soon for review. So, stay tuned.

The post LG 34UC89G – New curved ultrawide gaming monitor. Nvidia G-Sync, 144Hz appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Optoma has just launched the first affordable 4K UHD projector on the market displaying the full 8.3M pixels. Please welcome to the stage, the UHD550X.

Ultra High Definition (UHD) is the thing for tellys. The prices of which are slowly coming down to the point that mere mortals can afford. Projectors, on the other hand, are still eye-wateringly expensive.

If you’re fancying a 4K projector for your home cinema or gaming needs then you’d better be budgting for around £3,000 and upwards.

Well, you *would* have had to. That is, until Optoma unveiled their new UHD550X.

Optoma UHD550X projector

Pixel packing

The UHD550X is significantly more compact than most 4K projectors currently on the market.

Unlike those that use just 1080p pixel chips, this one uses Texas Instruments’ XPR tech in order to deliver 8M pixels from a 4M pixel chip.

The inherent fast switching speed of the DLP chip and advanced image processing allows the projector to display the full 8.3M pixels to the screen.  This should mean razor sharp, vivid images capable of showing more details than standard HD – to give that cinema experience in the home.

Future-proofing

For a truly future-proofed home projector it fully supports HDCP 2.2, the latest evolution of copy protection. This opens up the fast-growing choice of 4K content to you.

The UHD550X meets the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) requirements for 4K UHD and complies with the CTA High Dynamic Range (HDR) compatible display standards.

Visuals

Equipped with Optoma’s Amazing Colour technology which includes an enhanced colour wheel and multiple modes to choose from. You have the freedom to select the best setting for the content.

Each mode has been fine-tuned by Optoma’s expert colour team to ensure superior colour performance.

Reference mode reproduces accurate Rec.709 HDTV broadcast spec colours, ensuring reproduction of cinematic colour exactly as the director intended.

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Bright

At 2,800 lumens, the UHD550X produces bright images for life-like big-screen entertainment even with the lights on. Its gloss-white finish makes for discrete integration into any living space.

Packed with the latest features, this new model is whisper quiet and comes complete with integrated speakers that provide 8W of audio output.

S/PDIF audio output is also included, enabling connection to external sound systems.

Getting started

Set-up is simple thanks to vertical lens shift and a host of connection options. These include a pair of HDMI ports and Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) for compatible phones and tablets.

In addition, the UHD550X can even be turned into a smart projector by connecting a HDMI dongle like the Google Chromecas or Amazon Fire TV.

Joe Ahmed, Head of Marketing at Optoma EMEA, said:

We are incredibly excited to launch our much anticipated first 4K UHD HDR compatible home entertainment projector. The advanced DLP single-chip design from Texas Instruments ensures absolute image integrity delivering over 8 million pixels to screen. Without doubt the 4K UHD experience requires the biggest of images, which the new projector delivers at an affordable price to home users.”

UHD550X key features

• Ultra HD 4K – 8.3 million pixel detail for greater realism
• Amazing colour – accurate Rec.709 colours, HDR compatible
• Lights on viewing – 2800 lumens and 500,000:1 contrast
• Digital connectivity – 2x HDMI, MHL and HDCP 2.2 support
• Easy set-up and operation – vertical lens shift, 1.6x manual zoom
• Integrated speaker for powerful sound
• USB power – to stream content via HDMI dongle
• Whisper quiet operation – 25dB (Eco mode)

Optoma UHD550X 4K projector price and availability

The UHD550X is available now (RRP £1,999.99).

Head over to the Optoma website for more details.

The post Optoma UHD550X – first 4K projector under two-grand appeared first on GadgetyNews.

On Friday I posted about the fact that Avegant’s personal LED home cinema is now available at Selfridges. Later that day I headed ‘up West’ to try it for myself.

Let’s get one thing cleared up before I start. The Glyph is not a VR headset.

It might look like one, but it is more a personal screen. Well, cinema really.

Avegant Glyph tech

The wearable viewer uses low power LED projection. This beams images onto a couple million of microscopic mirrors.

The result is basically beamed in to your retinas.

This is said to mimic natural eyesight.

Why is this a good thing? Well, as it is more like your natural vision than watching your telly or being at the cinema, eye-strain and fatigue will be less.

It also brings a new level of immersive HD watching to wearers without the need for a screen.

Avegant Glyph face on

The Glyph is very comfortable to wear. It weighs just over 15 ounces.

The main weight is taken by the bridge of your nose. As a spectacle wearer, this feels totally natural.

Your ears also help, as they’re encased in the over-ear headphones.

Should you need to, you can also attach the supplied head-strap. This goes between the headset’s arms and rests atop your noggin.

Avegant Glyph eyes on

My demonstration kicked off with a test screen. You know I said I wear glasses, right? This is usually a problem whether it be VR headsets or any other optical device. Not so the Glyph. Each eye-piece can be focused individually.

So, even though I am remarkably short-sighted (I actually wear vari-focals as I’m now at ‘that age’) I didn’t need my specs to use this wearable.

This not only made it more comfortable to use, but it just adds to that more natural experience.

First up was a sample video without audio. The thing that struck me initially was just how crisp the picture was.

Some might turn their nose up at a mere 1280x720p resolution per eye. Believe me, if you can spot the pixels then you have super-human eyesight.

We then flicked a switch and moved over to some 3D visuals.

The usual suspects were here flying out the screen. It was fun and I was getting a little blasé about it all. That is, until a baseball was pitched at me and I actually flinched.

Yes, it’s good.

Avegant Glyph ears on

Being a wearable where patents have gone in for the optics I wasn’t expecting overly much from the audio. I wanted it to be good, but didn’t think it would be more than passable.

The Glyph is pretty darned good for the ears too, it turns out. It makes sense really when you think about it. What’s the point in offering awesome 3D visuals and not 3D audio?

I would have loved to have tested it with some Hollywood Blockbuster. Perhaps, soon

Avegant Glyph first impressions round up

In this time of the VR bandwagon, I am quite relieved that the Glyph is something different.

Going on a trans-Atlantic flight? Strap this on your face and enjoy your own IMAX without the risk of someone’s head suddenly appearing in your eye-line.

Travelling to a meeting on the train but have confidential documents to check? Turn off your laptop screen and use the Glyph instead. Those important details will literally be for your eyes only.

Pin sharp optics, great audio and easy connection to your devices.

I was impressed at my first meeting. Stay tuned for a full review soon (hopefully).

Avegant Glyph price and availability

You can buy Glyph exclusively from Selfridges’ Smartech areas in London and Manchester.

The headset is priced at £529.99.

The post Avegant Glyph first impression review at Selfridges appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Glyph, a new world-first wearable allows you to be immersed in films, games and live drone footage in stunning HD. Furthermore, it is now available to buy from Selfridges online and in-store.

Cast your mind back to the hazy past of 2013. Why? Because that’s when GadgetyNews first mentioned Avegant’s Glyph headset.

It’s with great excitement, then, that we are proud to announce that it has landed. Not only that, you can grab on today!

The wearable uses LED projection technology rather than a typical display system to mimic natural eyesight and remove the need for glasses or contacts.

Avegant Glyph

Why is Glyph ground-breaking? Well, this cinematic wearable is able to provide stunning HD films, games and even live drone footage.

So far, so standard.

We also expect the slim-line wearable to play nice with most popular smartphones, tablets, consoles or computers. to watch all types of existing media, including 360-degree experiences and side-by-side 3D.

It also boasts fully adjustable optics that compensate for most prescriptions, meaning users do not need to wear glasses or contact lenses to enjoy the product.

Yes, all types of existing media, including 360-degree experiences and side-by-side 3D are also catered for.

The Glyph even packs fully adjustable optics that compensate for most prescriptions. Great news for the likes of me – I shouldn’t need to wear glasses or contact lenses to enjoy the product.

Glyph projection

What makes the Glyph stand out from the crowd is its pioneering and patented technology.

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The viewer utilises a low power LED projection that beams imagery onto millions of microscopic mirrors. This is said to mimic natural eyesight. In so doing it brings a new level of immersive HD watching to wearers without the need for a screen.

The Glyph also allows users to see above and below the visual field. This should prove handy to easily orient yourself within your surroundings whilst not limiting spatial awareness.

Eye on the prize

Glyph was the winner of the CES 2017 Innovation Prize. As mentioned earlier, back in 2013 the product started off as a Kickstarter project.

It is great to see it now officially rolled out across the US and UK.

Check the website for more details.

Review

This afternoon I will be getting eyes-on with the Glyph. So, stay tuned for my first impressions of this new breed of personal headset.

Price and availability

You can buy Glyph exclusively from Selfridges’ Smartech areas in London and Manchester. The headset is priced at £529.99.

Glyph specs at a glance

• Resolution:
  
  1280x720p per eye; 2 million mico-mirrors

• Aspect Ratio:
  
  16:9

• Field of view:
  
  40 degrees diagonal

• Battery Life:
  
  Up to 4 hours video playback

• Weight:
  
  15.3oz

• Dynamic range:
  
  95dB

• Video & Audio Input:
  
  microHDMI to HDMI

The post Glyph LED projector (not VR) now available appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Oppo Digital has announced that its UDP-205 4K Ultra HD Audiophile Blu-ray Disc player is available now in Europe.

A step-up from the recently released UDP-203, the UDP-205 brings top-of-the-line audio performance to a universal disc player. As you would expect, this spinner supports 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and many other digital audio and video formats.

Oppo UDP-205

As with the UDP-203, the 205 is able to playback of 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, regular Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, SACD, Audio CD and many other formats.

The player supports High Dynamic Range (HDR10) and is firmware upgradable to Dolby Vision.

You’ll find dual HDMI outputs – HDMI 2.0 for UHD and HDMI 1.4 for audio; and an HDMI 2.0 input port for external streaming devices or set-top boxes.

Improvements

However, the audio performance of the OPPO UDP-205 is a significant upgrade over the UDP-203.and previous generation players. The UDP-205 provides reference level sound quality through the analogue outputs, improves the clock precision of the HDMI audio output, and increases the power of the built-in headphone amplifier. For the analogue output stages, the UDP-205

The UDP-205 provides reference level sound quality through the analogue outputs, as well as improving the clock precision of the HDMI audio output., and increases the power of the built-in headphone amplifier. For the analogue output stages, the UDP-205

For the analogue output stages, the UDP-205 utilises two ES9038PRO DACs, which are the flagship of the ESS Sabre Pro series. Expect best-in-class audio performance.

The headphone amp also gets an increase in power of the built-in headphone amplifier. This is connected directly to the ESS SABRE PRO DAC and offers a unique performance advantage over standalone headphone amplifiers.

Stereo and 7.1

Stereo listening accounts for a large part of audiophile usage of a universal player. As this is the case, the UDP-205 offers a dedicated stereo output in addition to its 7.1-channel analogue audio output.

The stereo audio output is powered by a dedicated ES9038PRO DAC chip and specially designed buffer and driver stages.

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It provides both XLR balanced and RCA single-ended connectors.

The balanced output features a true differential signal path all the way from the DAC to the 3-pin XLR connector.

By transmitting a pair of differential signals, the balanced output provides better common-mode noise rejection and improves signal quality.

Inputs

In addition to its playback capabilities, the UDP-205 adds a USB DAC, a coaxial and an optical digital audio input.

You can enjoy the excellent audio performance of the UDP-205 with other sources. The asynchronous USB DAC input supports sample rates up to 768 kHz PCM and DSD 512.

By bypassing the low fidelity, poor quality DAC of traditional computer soundcards, the UDP-205 turns any computer into a high performing multi-media source by utilising the ES9038PRO DAC.

For additional convenience and flexibility, the UDP-205 can convert digital signals from cable and satellite boxes, televisions, video-game consoles and other digital transports with coaxial and optical digital outputs to analogue.

Accurate digital audio

The UDP-205 features a high-stability, high-precision HDMI clock and a special HDMI audio jitter reduction circuit.

In other words, all that tech reduces jitter and eliminates timing errors. This means you get increased accuracy when using the audio-only HDMI output port for connecting the audio signal.

PCM and DSD signals rely on the HDMI clock directly, so the HDMI audio jitter reduction circuitry can improve the sound quality of PCM and DSD audio. For compressed bitstream audio, it helps to ensure error-free

Furthermore, for compressed bitstream audio, it helps to ensure error-free transmission and may improve the audio performance depending on whether the audio decoder in the A/V processor or receiver uses a synchronous or asynchronous clock scheme.

Other features

As expected from Oppo, you get rock-solid build quality. The UDP-205’s audio circuitry is powered by a massive toroidal power supply, which provides a very clean and robust power source to the audio components. The brushed

The UDP-205’s audio circuitry is powered by a massive toroidal power supply, which provides a very clean and robust power source to the audio components. The brushed

The brushed aluminium front panel and metal chassis continue the tradition of excellent workmanship. found in previous generations of OPPO universal players. Four heavy-gauge machined feet provide a stable foundation for the

The unit stands on four heavy-gauge machined feet that isolates it from outside vibration.

Oppo UDP-205 price and availability

Priced in the UK at £1,399 including VAT, the UDP-205 will be available from independent AV retailers.

The post Oppo UDP-205 audiophile disc player out, UK price appeared first on GadgetyNews.

The Qumi Q3 certainly answers one of today’s demands; smaller tech. Phones have to be thin and light. Cameras have to be powerful yet tiny. Vivitek has listened and have come up with a projector that can not only fit in your pocket, it can cast a HD image equivalent to a 100-inch TV!

There is a problem with miniaturising some tech. Like the iPhone 7, something has to go. Or has it?

Looking at the Qumi Q3’s spec list, it almost seems that Vivitek has managed to add a bunch of features whilst keeping the 720p projector’s frame tiny. The thing is, how does it perform?

Qumi Q3 design

Upon opening the box I liked what I saw.

The Qumi Q3 looks every bit the professional’s portable buddy. I can imagine high-power execs rocking up to a business meeting, opening up their expensive case and unleashing the Qumi Q3 to confused looks. That confusion soon turns to amazement when our travelling friend switches on the projector without the need to locate a power socket. Only then to navigate to their presentation which is stored on the Q3 and get straight on to business, moving through slides using a tiny Bluetooth remote.

Yes, gadgety faithful, the Qumi Q3 can do all of that right out of the box.

The projector measures just 176 x 103 x 28 mm and weighs just under 0.5Kilos (0.460Kg) – so not much more than a rather chunky smartphone.

It has a neat industrial look to it which I really like. The cooling grilles at either end look like they’ve been taken from a classic British Grand Tourer.

The lens is protected by a sliding cover. The Q3 uses LED lighting rated at 500 ANSI Lumens. This not only enables the projector to be this small and still throw a bright image, but LEDs are a darned sight cheaper to replace than regular projector bulbs.

Around the rear is where you’ll find a healthy array of ports. HDMI, Composite Video (via 3.5mm mini jack shared with audio out port), Audio-Out (Mini-Jack), two USB A, and microSD card slot are all present. Do you really need any more than that from a pocket projector?

But there are further ways to connect which this device. This has the added bonus of both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi! This just seems to get better and better doesn’t it? I have already mentioned that it has a rechargeable battery, haven’t I? I should add that this also has a pair of 2Watt speakers on-board though.

The projector also has a little kickstand which angles it slightly upwards.

I was sent the gold one but there are a whole load of colourways to choose from.

Qumi Q3 performance

Apps

The Q3 runs on the Android operating system and so share’s the OS’s flexibility. It also allows you to use the Play Store.

The Qumi projector also has its own preinstalled apps that allows you to view photos, videos, play music, access documents, and so on. Thanks to its Wi-Fi skills there’s even a web browser.

All of that means there’s no need to drag around your laptop or any other device as the Q3 can pretty much cover all those bases. Just switch it on watch YouTube, Netflix or play something from your Amazon Fire Stick. That’s what I did. I also downloaded ShowBox but selecting a video wasn’t happening. I think a Bluetooth mouse might work though.

Flicking through settings and the app menus is fairly slick with hardly any lag.

The picture mode offers Movie mode, Bright, a custom user option and Presentation mode.

Picture quality

The photos here really don’t do the picture quality any justice really. The Q3 actually has a native resolution of 1280 x 720 (720p). My bad photography must be excused – low light, shortness of time and poor eyesight are my excuses.

The Qumi Q3 automatic vertical keystone works incredibly well. This means no matter what angle the projected image hits the surface, the picture will always present as a rectangular viewing area.

The LED lightsource is very bright, even in a lit room the picture is clear and watchable. The projector’s light is good for 30, 000 hours before you need to start thinking about replacements.

Watching a film from Amazon Prime and the action was clear with very little noticeable blurring or hazing. I kept on having to look at the size of the device that this image was being sent from.

PowerPoint presentations were excellently clear and crisp. Charts readable and still images popped with strong and vibrant colours.

Sound quality

The speakers aren’t going to shake your foundations but I dare say that they’ll wake the people in the next tent. Yup, I have already mulled over the thought of taking a Q3 on camping holidays, using the tent as a screen.

Watching a few videos in my quiet living room and the speakers were passable. Hooking up the Dali Katch (review soon) or the audioCube and things went up a notch. Where sometimes mumbled dialogue was difficult to discern, all becomes a lot clearer.

Qumi Q3 review conclusion

The Qumi Q3 really is a great little device. I can really see this coming in to its own in a professional scenario but I can’t ignore its usefulness for leisure too. Who can resist an alfresco summer screening of a classic flick? As I’ve already mentioned, taking a Q3 on holiday would ensure no evenings of boredom.

If you travel as part of your job and have to make regular presentations, you really need a Q3 in your life. Me? I’d have one just to watch films wherever I want to – on a 100-inch screen.

Qumi Q3 price and availability

The Vivitek Qumi Q is available now for £429. Check out the website for listed stockists.

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