Anker Nebula Mars 3 Review: A rugged outdoor projector

Verdict

Ruggedly constructed, robust and designed for the outside, the Anker Nebula Mars 3 is a giant projector that’s simple to hold round. At its greatest it’s enjoyable, able to delivering an interesting and brilliant picture. However, spend the identical on a mannequin with out a battery and also you’ll get a brighter picture.

Introduction

One of many primary causes folks desire a moveable projector for is to be used exterior, but so many fashions aren’t really designed for this. The Anker Nebula Mars 3 bucks that developments, constructed to face up to life exterior.

It’s an honest good projector in its personal proper, too, with vivid colors and loud audio system. Distinction might be higher and the Netflix workaround is a little bit fiddly.

Design

• Intelligent carry deal with
• Constructed-in lens cowl
• IPX3 and drop-proof

Other than the BenQ GS50 it appears as if most moveable good projectors aren’t significantly properly constructed to take being carried round. The Anker Nebula Mars 3 is totally different: it’s sturdy and constructed for the nice outdoor.

An IPX3 ranking implies that it might probably take a direct spray of water, it’s immune to mud, and it might probably even take a drop of 0.5m, so might be alright if somebody knocks the projector over whereas it’s enjoying a movie.

When powered through the cable on the again, the rubber flap must be opened, however there’s a battery inside, so this projector can be utilized when fully sealed up.

I’m a giant fan of the slide-up lens cowl. Too few projectors have a lens cowl and people who do usually have covers that may be eliminated and misplaced.

A chunky carry deal with makes the projector simple to hold round, making it really feel like a big torch. Actually, the projector does double up as a big torch, because of its mild. It’s surprisingly helpful to have a torch when utilizing the projector exterior, so you may see what you’re doing whereas establishing.

There’s a regular Bluetooth distant management for utilizing Android TV and activating the Google Assistant.

Anker has additionally thoughtfully caught a joystick on prime of the deal with, so you are able to do all the things with out even reaching for the distant.

There’s a single HDMI enter on the again if you wish to plug any exterior gadgets, sitting subsequent to twin USB ports, which can be utilized to cost gadgets.

There’s a foot on the entrance to regulate the projector’s angle, however you might be higher off utilizing a tripod and the usual mount beneath. That makes it simpler to face the projector up and get it lined up straight on to a display or wall.

Options

• Fiddly Netflix workaround
• Autofocus, keystone and display dimension
• Fundamental picture changes

As is customary for good projectors, the Anker Nebula Mars 3 runs Android TV, which has a giant, pleasant interface that’s constructed to be used with a distant management. The identical outdated subject exists: projectors are usually not licensed to run Netflix, so the Android TV model of the app can’t be put in, despite the fact that the opposite main streaming apps (Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+ and NOW) are all bundled.

As a workaround, there’s a shortcut to the Nebula retailer, which let me obtain and set up the cellular model of Netflix. This works, to a level, however not correctly with the distant management. To pick something, the distant has to enter mouse mode, shifting a big pointer across the display. Not solely is it sluggish to pick out something however I discovered it too simple to by chance choose the mistaken possibility.

In a bind, this Netflix app will work, however I’d simply stick a Fireplace TV Stick 4K Max into the again and use the built-in Netflix app there as an alternative.

Sensors on the entrance of the projector can detect its angle and distance from the display, giving quick and correct autofocus and auto keystone correction. Impressively, the projector can even detect a display and resize its picture to suit routinely.

Whilst you’re higher off lining the image up as greatest you may (straight on avoids the necessity for any digital corrections), the auto routines no less than imply that the Anker Nebula Mars 3 can compensate for any points quick.

Image settings are primary with just a few presets, plus a Person mode, which provides management over distinction, saturation, sharpness, color temperature and gamma. This mode additionally has a wall color setting, so the Anker Nebula Mars 3 can compensate if it might probably’t undertaking onto a display or white wall; helpful to be used in lodge rooms and the like.

There’s a movement compensation possibility, too. Whereas I’m not a large fan of this expertise, on a big display and with DLP tech, a little bit little bit of compensation might help easy out the picture.

Efficiency

• Good brightness and vivid colors
• Shadow element suffers a little bit
• Loud audio

Rated at 1000 ANSI lumens, the Anker Nebula Mars 3 is comparatively brilliant for a conveyable projector, though it does fall behind the Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser (1840 Lumens) and the XGIMI Horizon (2200 Lumens).

Anker has an AI picture mode, routinely adjusting brightness based mostly on the ambient circumstances. It’s helpful to have, as implies that you don’t have to regulate brightness manually because it begins to get darker.

Utilizing the projector inside, I may fill an 80-inch display throughout the day, offered I shut the curtains. Even then, the Anker Nebula Mars 3 was higher suited to brilliant and vibrant content material, as moodier movies and TV exhibits have been a bit more durable to see till mild ranges dropped.

Exterior, the projector works greatest in darkness, though it may be used from nightfall at barely smaller display sizes.

Anker doesn’t say what dimension DLP chip this makes use of, however judging by the sharpness and the scale of the projector, I’d say that it almost certainly has a local Full HD chip in it.

An LED mild supply supplies sharp and even edge-to-edge lighting, with a lifetime of 25,000 hours. I discovered the projector was at its greatest with vivid and brilliant content material. Dive into the colorful world of Coco and the town of the lifeless shines in its vibrancy. Watching Avatar: The Approach of Water, Pandora really involves life, with brilliant daylight shining by way of the forest.

Certain, there’s not fairly the brightness to ship the highlights {that a} trendy HDR TV can do, however HDR10 help does no less than deliver extra distinction and element into the image.

There’s solely a lot that this projector can do with shadow element. Watching the bridge battle scene in Clean Panther: Wakanda Without end, I may see what was happening, however the subtlety within the picture disappears into the shadows. I discovered each the Cosmos Laser and XGIMI Horizon resolved extra element.

Audio is offered by a 40W 3-way speaker. It’s loud, able to filling a room and dealing properly exterior with out the necessity for exterior audio system. There’s an excellent hit of bass, though it lacks the rumble of a correct home-cinema system. It will possibly wrestle a little bit with very bass-heavy scenes, similar to the fireplace initially of Avatar – the audio will get a contact distorted.

An built-in battery can final for as much as 5 hours if the battery is on Eco mode, which drops picture brightness. Go away the projector on its customary mode and round two hours is all you’ll get.

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