Viewsonic M2e
A versatile, useful home projector with Wi–Fi and AirPlay support
$599.99 From viewsonic.com
Features 1080p resolution, HDMI, USB–C, USB–A, MicroSD, dual-band Wi–Fi, AirPlay
Projectors are primarily aimed at business users for presentations, or home cinema buffs who aren’t satisfied with a mere TV screen for watching Hollywood blockbusters. However, ViewSonic’s new M2e is a feature– packed, compact projector that is well suited for use at home, while still being affordable enough to provide an alternative to a conventional TV!
The compact projector measures just 7–in wide and deep, and stands 2–in high, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a convenient spot for it. It’s light too, weighing in at just 2lb 3oz and, as well as running off mains power, it’s also possible to power the M2e from a USB–C powerbank. The powerbank will need to provide at least 45W output, and the projector’s brightness will be reduced to 60%, but that’s still a handy option if you want to take it out into the garden for an alfresco movie evening on a warm summer night.
The primary projector features are fairly straightforward, with the M2e providing standard HD resolution (1920x1080) and 1,000 lumens of brightness. The image quality is good — although not a match for the Retina resolution that most of us are used to from our Apple devices — and its short throw feature is impressive, as it can create an image 100 inches in size (diagonally) from a distance of around 9 feet from your screen. However, the relatively modest brightness does means that you really need to block external daylight as much as possible, in order to see the image clearly. When trying the projector out in the office first, the slatted blinds were a problem, allowing in quite a lot of sunlight while testing the M2e on a sunny, spring morning, but it was fine later in the day in a room with closed curtains. This is something to consider.
WELL CONNECTED
The projector scores in other areas too, particularly on ease of use for people who may not have used one before. As well as the 1080p lens, the projector also has a camera and light sensor built in, which allow it to auto–focus like the camera in an iPhone. We had the projector set up and perfectly focused in about five minutes. In fact, the
most complicated aspect of the M2e is deciding which of its many input options you want to use.
As you’d expect, there’s HDMI for connecting devices such as an Apple TV or Roku streaming stick, but it also has a USB–C port, USB–A, and MicroSD slot so that you can play video from a wide range of computers, mobile devices, and storage devices. It’s got a respectable little set of Harman Kardon speakers already built in, but the M2e also provides a 3.5mm audio output, as well as Bluetooth for streaming to wireless speakers. The M2e even includes dual–band Wi–Fi and — although ViewSonic’s website bafflingly omits any mention of this — it supports AirPlay too. This means that you can use AirPlay’s screen–mirroring features to stream video via Wi–Fi from your Apple devices too (although this does require a 5GHz Wi–Fi network).
The M2e won’t completely replace your TV, as it’s best suited for use in dimly–lit rooms, but its big–screen image, and the versatility of its connectivity features make it a good addition to your home entertainment system.
THE BOTTOM LINE. Easy setup, good connectivity features, including AirPlay support, and decent image quality makes this a versatile, useful product.
VIEWSONIC M2E
Effective auto– focus feature
Impressive connectivity features
No 4K resolution
Best in a dark room