Consumers are slowly waking up to the idea that projectors can be used for home entertainment too; and not just official presentations and the likes. Also, with executives and professionals being increasingly mobile, having to travel and make presentations etc, portable projectors can be a huge blessing. Not to mention that a portable projector that can be used for home entertainment can be very handy when visiting friends for a movie screening or gaming. Indian gadget-maker Portronics, which is known for its budget offerings like Bluetooth speakers and power banks, has launched the ‘Beem 100’, a compact projector. Here’s what it was like to use.

Easy to carry Sporting dimensions of 186 mm x 76 mm and weighing under a kilogram, the Beem 100 is definitely easy to carry around. You can just slip it in your laptop bag with some cushioning and you’re good to go. It has a matte finish black plastic body with the lens along with a dust cap on the front. The front also hosts the IR sensor for the remote (remote is included in the box), and this placement seems to cater to those using it for presentations. The power input port is on the right side while the left is home to the cooling fan and various input ports such as AV, HDMI, SD card, USB ports, aux audio, etc. A few control buttons and the lens-adjusting dial are on the top. Overall, it’s an easy to understand, no-nonsense build.

Setting up the projector is also no-nonsense and straightforward. The AV cable is included in the box and the wide variety of input modes means that you can play movies or look at pictures straight from a pen drive or a portable hard drive or SD card. You can also connect it to your laptop via HDMI. However, there is no HDMI cable in the box and it could have been included. The power cable in the box is too short and most scenarios would require an extension cord to ensure the projector is placed at an optimum height.

Good enough for presentations The maximum screen size for the picture is 130 inches, depending on the distance of the projector from the screen. In my case, it was a white wall and the screen size was smaller than the maximum. The quality of the image projected is good enough for presentations, but don’t expect too much when screening movies, since the resolution is 800 x 480 p. Then again, remember that you get this for less than ₹10,000. Still, streaming from Amazon Prime on its highest quality gave me a viewing experience that wasn’t too bad. Although a completely dark room is recommended, as even a little light can interfere with the sharpness and clarity of the projected image.

The speakers on the projector aren’t a lot to write home about and getting a good external speaker(s) is almost necessary. The Beem 100 has a rated brightness of 100 lumens and a claimed lifespan of 30,000 hours. It comes with a remote control that is handy for making presentations apart from the regular functions.

All in all, this is a strictly budget offering for those looking for a multi-tasking projector that can be used for official purposes as well as some basic home entertainment.

Price: ₹9,999

Pros: Affordable, wide range of input options, portable

Cons: Picture quality not the best, speakers inadequate, short power cable

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