A pint-sized, yet powerful projector

From camping trips to a portable movie night, taking streaming on the go has arguably become more common over the years and ushered in some great portable projectors from Epson to Samsung and LG. While most are intuitive to set up and use, there can be some A/V jargon to sift through, like ANSI and ISO lumens, throw distance, laser vs bulb and more, that make choosing a portable projector a confusing feat.

I found that a small projector from a lesser-known brand, Dangbei, cut to the chase. Offering everything I could ask for, the Dangbei Atom offers a bright display, runs Google TV, boasts a sleek form factor, and all at a sub-$1000 price tag.

No compromising power for portability

There’s two design trends that currently dominate the projector market. The first is the more “traditional” design, which follows a more boxy form factor you’d see in a classroom. The second, however, is more “futuristic” and sleek.

The Dangbei Atom’s design features a hybrid approach, with a tripod mount, square bottom and circular base and fans. It’s also on the shorter side and fantastically light at 2.82lbs. Measuring 7.68 x 7.68 x 1.87 inches, it’s the same size or smaller than many set-top boxes. It certainly doesn’t look like a projector at first glance, but rather a decorative home accessory with a glossy, black plastic coating.

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Its smaller size makes it a great fit for a wide variety of home set-ups. With its bigger model, the Mars Laser, Dangbei produced something powerful, but compromised with quite the hefty design. The Atom, however, packs both power with a decrease in weight and bulk. The petite powerhouse does make it easy if you want to place the projector on a tripod for a better viewing angle.

An indoor projector

While the Atom is portable, it doesn’t feature an integrated battery. So, if you plan to take the projector outdoors, you’ll need a large high-performance battery pack (that can take two/three pin plugs) or a very long extension cord.

Action-packed sound and software

Sound on the Atom comes courtesy of two 5W speakers which offer Dolby Digital Plus audio, and I found that they worked well for bass-heavy action movies, giving explosions a realistic “oomph.” Stereo separation, however, was less impressive, and sounds better when paired with a soundbar.

Simple remote and set-up

The remote for the Atom works over Bluetooth and setup is a simple process. It has a standard wheel layout as popularized by the Apple TV remote and comes with a YouTube button, a Netflix button and a Prime video button included. Near the top there’s a button to activate the Google Assistant, but it could be a bit slow to respond.

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Additionally, the Atom has full-fat Google software and the benefits are obvious right away from the interface. Where the previous version was a bit more barebones, Google TV puts content front and center without first requiring an outside app-download. Outside a few initial Wi-Fi hiccups, I also found the overall set-up pretty intuitive and smooth.

Impressive lumens and color

The Dangbei Atom isn’t as bright as larger projectors, however, the difference isn’t as big as I initially thought. Boasting up to 1200 ISO lumens, it offers a bright and sharp picture in most conditions, being even able to battle moderate amounts of sunlight. It was able to handle an overcast day with aplomb, but the strong winter sun proved to be too much for it. An ISO lumen is typically around 0.8 ANSI lumens, which means that the Atom outputs around 960 ANSI lumens, which is still a respectable amount given its size and price.

The Atom can project from 40 to 180 inches, though after testing, I found 90 inches is the perfect sweet spot. Anything outside this range tends to mean that the resolution of 1080p gets strained and produces relatively blurry results.

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When I watched Gene Stupnitsky’s No Hard Feelings starring Jennifer Lawrence, the vibrant Hamptons scenery had a pleasing punch without being over the top and contrast was enough despite it still being daytime outside. As might be expected, there was some grain in areas of shadow, but nothing noticeable. With HDR-supported content, HDR video was noticeably brighter and had superior dynamic range.

Looking at the competition, the XGIMI Elfin can only output 600 ISO lumens, meaning that it is 50% dimmer than the Atom and the Anker Solar can only manage 400 ANSI lumens, putting it at a similar level to the Elfin. So, where these might only be viewable in a dark room, the Atom can handle daylight or challenging light conditions.

Verdict: Is the Dangbei Atom worth it?

The Dangbei Atom is a small, premium smart projector that has a lot of strengths and only a few weaknesses. It offers a bright, colorful and detailed picture in a pint-sized package for a price that undercuts some of the competition. Add in its powerful software, good sound and decent connectivity, and you have a compelling projector that makes a great case for itself.

My main drawback lies with a lack of USB-C, which isn’t common in projectors, but charging over a standard port would provide extra versatility and help it stand out against more battery-friendly competitors like Anker or XGMI.

Overall, however, this light projector is a great home addition at a beginner-friendly price perfect for those who want to give their movie night a fun upgrade.