Soundcore Nebula P1i projector review: New design and classic pitfalls

Some may be upset that the projector doesn’t support 4K resolution, but at this price, the industry isn’t quite there yet. And again, on casual movie nights on the big screens, don’t do this truly need it. Contrary to their complaints about the lack of popcorn on movie night, my daughter and her friends never complained about the lack of pixels.

Image quality

Photography: Chris Haslam

The Nebula P1i produces a pleasing 1080p image for casual viewing, but, like many cheap projectors, it needs a darkroom to thrive. Ambient light will quickly wash out images, especially if you’re extending the display beyond 60 inches.

So, although it’s not suitable for daytime use, at night, with the curtains closed and the lights off, you can push the screen up to 100 inches with good results. Just don’t expect color and contrast to look like your TV. Dark scenes can suffer too, having difficulty handling blacks and shadows, but again, this is on par with budget projectors. It’s not a design for video enthusiasts, but it’s a fun alternative to a TV.

Take the projector outside and you’ll experience the same issues with brightness. If you live in a bucolic, rural area where the only ambient light comes from the stars, you might be fine, but please take the marketing photos of movie nights on a city rooftop terrace with a handful of salt.

You can easily adjust contrast, saturation, black levels, sharpness, etc., as well as choose from different picture modes including Vivid, which enhances color and contrast, and Movie, which increases color depth in dark rooms. The differences are noticeable but not noticeable.

voice

Photography: Chris Haslam

Each speaker can rotate 90 degrees side to side and 200 degrees vertically. It also works when sitting on the main body, and has a better heft level than expected. It’s a bit boxy, but that’s always the case with projectors.