Dwelling leisure could be bolstered by an amazing sound setup and made extra immersive with ambient lighting, however none of that issues should you don’t have a show that may convey each scene to life in entrance of you.
When you’re hoping to lose your self within the newest video games then you definately spend money on one of many finest gaming displays. Need to get pleasure from a bigger display expertise on your subsequent Tremendous Bowl Sunday watch occasion? Then taking on one of many finest TV offers will probably be extra your fancy.
Nonetheless, if you need the at-home cinema expertise, with larger-than-life footage and an ambiance of film magic then there’s no beating what an amazing projector can supply.
However not everyone has room to arrange a devoted projector, nor does everybody have the cash to spend money on a high-end cinema projector. Fortunately, there exists an ideal in-between, stuffed properly by units just like the Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air — a small, ultra-portable, all-in-one projector and speaker answer that’s splendid for busting out on a film night time, or bringing alongside on adventures so that you can make the world your cinema.
Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air Projector: Value and availability
The Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air is obtainable for $599 from Amazon or the Nebula web site.
When you’re unfamiliar with the price of house leisure projectors just like the Mars 3 Air then you definately’re more likely to balk at a price ticket this excessive. Particularly should you’ve heard tales of pricey bulb replacements.
Nonetheless, the Mars 3 Air is a sealed system. Which implies no changing air filters or swapping out bulbs. The truth is, the Mars 3 Air doesn’t even use a bulb. Choosing a long-lasting LED different rated for as much as 30,000 hours of use.
It is a no-maintenance, all-in-one cinema-like projection expertise sufficiently small to be carried round, discover a house in even essentially the most cramped environments, and loved in full with out worrying about tedious maintenance.
Additionally, keep in mind that projectors can get mighty dear. In distinction, for what it gives, the Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air isn’t a foul deal. Whereas I can’t argue that $600 is a substantial funding, I can say that it’s a lot price it for what it delivers.
Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air Projector: Design
Projectors are available in all sizes and styles, not simply the decapitated cyclopic head of Quick Circuit’s Johnny 5. The Mars 3 Air opts for a smaller, blockier body, and with its non-slip carry deal with, it form of appears like a futuristic picnic basket.
That is applicable in some methods as a result of at simply 7.01 x 4.80 x 5.24 inches in measurement and three.75 kilos in weight you may plonk it down nearly wherever and revel in a feast of on-demand classics as you please. Come, sit. Can I curiosity you in a serving to of Ghostbusters?
Whereas the underside of the Mars 3 Air gives a standard-size threaded gap for attaching to a tripod, there are not any points with inserting the projector on a flat floor. Its elevated sides create an virtually beveled base, making certain the underside vents aren’t blocked and air can flow into freely.
The left and proper flanks of the projector are perforated, a nightmare for the trypophobic however a lot helpful for additional air flow and giving the twin 8W Dolby Sound audio system ample house to move by way of a shocking quantity of sound.
The highest of the projector consists of the aforementioned non-slip deal with, manufactured from a tricky, tear-resistant materials with intricate leather-based detailing imprinted with its mannequin identify.
There’s a slight recess within the prime of the gadget, which is the place you’ll discover some primary controls for navigating menus, adjusting quantity, and switching the Mars 3 Air into transportable speaker mode. There are additionally 4 white LEDs on the lid of the projector, used to point remaining battery life whereas in use.
The entrance of the projector is the place you’ll discover the 1080p, auto-focus projection lens, neatly encased for defense and surrounded by a recessed black plastic body that nearly options rifling grooves, evoking reminiscences of James Bond gun barrel intro scenes of previous. Beneath that is the Mars 3 Air’s equally shielded sensor, sitting above the Nebula branding.
It’s all fairly fashionable and smooth, with its rounded corners and silver and black composition. The purple accents break up what may in any other case be a bleak colour palette. If you end up overly critiquing the design of the Mars 3 Air, then I’ll be trustworthy, you’re trying within the flawed course. I do respect the hassle made to have it look presentable, although.
Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air Projector: Ports and connectivity
The Nebula Mars 3 Air can connect with smartphones and tablets (and much more units due to built-in Chromecast) wirelessly by way of Bluetooth 5.1 and be used to solid media or audio by way of a speaker mode setting. Additionally accessible is a 2.4/5Ghz Wi-Fi 5, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac connection for a direct web connection permitting for streaming by way of the Sensible TV-esque Google TV platform.
One facet of the Mars 3 Air I haven’t but talked about is its rear, specifically as a result of that is the place you’ll discover one pretty massive grill vent, the projector’s energy button, and every of its 4 accessible ports. These ports are as follows:
- (Energy) 1 x DC-in (90W, 19v 4.7A)
- 1 x HDMI 1.4 port (1080p @ 60Hz)
- 1 x USB Sort-A port
- 1 x Aux-in audio jack
The inclusion of each an HDMI and USB Sort-A port permits the Mars 3 Air for use past the confines of its Google TV limits. Join a thumb drive and you may obtain File Commander from the on-device Google Play retailer to get pleasure from music, video, or footage in your personal method.
Connecting to the HDMI port lets you mission every little thing out of your video games console to your laptop computer’s show. When you’ve gaming in thoughts, remember the projector’s 60Hz restrict and modify your settings accordingly. Why waste efficiency on frames you’ll by no means see, in spite of everything? As an alternative, crank up these graphics sliders and let your video games look their very best on this huge canvas.
Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air Projector: Setup
Establishing the Nebula Mars 3 Air is straightforward, largely as a result of every little thing is completed for you. Whether or not you’re turning on the projector or have repositioned it, the projector leaps into an autofocus and Keystone correction mode.
Whereas on this mode, the Mars 3 Air will accurately place the projected picture onto a floor, even when it’s not angled straight. It then checks for any objects blocking sure parts of the viewing house and adjusts the picture to keep away from projecting in these areas.
You may make guide changes afterward, however I discovered little or no have to. The entire course of solely takes just a few seconds, at which level you are free to sink into your sofa cushions and get proper into your watchlists. When you haven’t owned a projector beforehand, you might not respect this minor miracle, nevertheless it’s a contemporary marvel in comparison with the fiddling of previous to get a correct picture.
Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air Projector: Battery life
Anker Nebula claims that the Mars 3 Air will final round 2.5 hours on a full cost relating to watching media, and about 8 hours should you’re utilizing it as a Bluetooth speaker.
After testing the projector in each manners, I can affirm that Anker wasn’t mendacity on both account. When not related to the included energy provide, the Mars 3 Air initiatives at a barely dimmer stage to protect as a lot battery life as potential, however it’ll nonetheless be greater than usable on this state—so long as you’re not planning on utilizing it in the course of the day.
The battery life will differ relying on how a lot you crank the amount up, however I usually discovered that the projector would final wherever between 2-3 hours earlier than giving up the ghost.
Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air Projector: Efficiency
The Nebula Mars 3 Air’s quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor (that includes a G52MC1 GPU) together with 2GB of RAM gives loads of efficiency for diving by way of apps and menus throughout Google TV.
The Mars 3 Air’s distant management (which incorporates the same old fare of buttons for navigation, stand-by, calibration, and settings, alongside devoted Netflix and Amazon Prime Video choices and a Google Assistant shortcut) was not solely responsive, nevertheless it additionally featured a backlight that activated while you tilt it upwards.
It is a implausible contact, and extremely helpful for recalibrating your finger placements at the hours of darkness. When you’re no good with bodily remotes, you may at all times obtain the Nebula Join app out of your app retailer of alternative and switch your cellphone right into a pseudo distant over Bluetooth.
I’m virtually embarrassed to confess how a lot sofa potatoing went on whereas testing the Mars 3 Air, nevertheless it’s secure to say I put the arduous work into tackling a backlog of films and TV exhibits that included Roadhouse, Invincible, Reacher, Gen V, and, after all, Fallout.
The Mars 3 Air has a number of settings for image adjustment, together with Customary (pure colours with a stability of heat and funky tones), Film (extra vivid colours), Convention (brighter picture with decrease colour replica), and a Customized profile to manually modify distinction, gamma, saturation, colour temperature, and set your wall colour.
The identical goes for sound, with Film (a surround-sound-like preset to maximise your immersion), Music (which boosts the treble to offset the Mars 3 Air’s sturdy bass), Outside (which bolsters general quantity ranges), and a Customized profile so that you can modify as you favor.
Whereas these modes elevate the expertise, even sitting at its default settings the Mars 3 Air appears and sounds implausible. There’s an occasional tendency for vocals to get a bit of misplaced within the combine, nevertheless it’s certainly not a deal breaker. The 1080p picture appears nice, even whereas projected at bigger sizes.
The Mars 3 Air can mission a display as much as 150 inches in measurement with a side ratio of 16:9 and a refresh charge of 60Hz. A throw ratio of 1.2:1, means you’ll want to present the Mars 3 Air round 13 toes to realize that huge projection, which isn’t all that unhealthy, and properly price discovering the fitting spot for.
I’d even use it in its speaker mode in the course of the day when its 400 ANSI lumen brightness would battle to hold as contrasting a picture because it did of a night. For a set of 8W audio system, they certain can fill a room.
Higher nonetheless, there’s barely a shred of clipping or distortion to come across. For a tool as small as it’s, the Mars Air 3 packs a formidable set of lungs, impressively bellowing out music and audio tracks at volumes to utterly immerse you within the footage projected forward.
Even at decrease quantity ranges, its sound evenly spills throughout the room. And should you’re nervous about noisy followers, fear not. Anker claims that the Air 3’s followers run beneath 28dB, which I’m led to consider is someplace between a whisper and a quiet rural space.
Whereas I by no means took the Nebula Mars 3 Air touring, I can see the potential it holds for out of doors gatherings, features, enterprise conferences, and even inside the classroom. Its measurement and weight make it a breeze to maneuver round, and its auto-configuration is accommodating to many alternative locales.
Backside line
A implausible TV or monitor could make video games and media leap to life in all new methods, however there’s nonetheless one thing further particular about these mediums after they break away from the confines of your bezels.
Whether or not you’re sunk in for a binge-watch of your favourite present’s newest season or racing by way of Mario Kart with every pal handled to a 37-inch slice of the motion, there’s one thing concerning the projected picture that brings scenes and actions to life extra.
The Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air is one such succesful gadget, and its portability permits that distinctive presentation to take root wherever at any time. It’s not essentially the most leading edge or excessive spec of transportable projectors, for that you just’d want to take a look at one thing just like the XGIMI Horizon Extremely 4K, however it’s an inexpensive, simple to function, zero-maintenance, and impressively performing choice that’s nice for informal use and impromptu gatherings.
Cinephiles may sneer at its 1080p limitations, however that is an in any other case Oscar-worthy efficiency.
