Laser technology makes this the best Pico projector you'll find. With no built-in features, it does one job and does it well. But consider if you really need a pico projector, or just want a budget home projector, as you're paying for the portability and convenience.
Normally, I wouldn’t touch Pico projectors with a tiny 6-inch barge pole, which is about the size of image they can comfortably project. But the Nebra AnyBeam has impressed me. Tiny, fanless, noiseless, and low-powered, the Nebra Anybeam eschews traditional DLP technology in favor of a laser and MEMS scanner. Does this make it the only Pico projector worth buying? We think so. Read on to find out why.
At the end of this review, we’ve got a Nebra AnyBeam to give away to one lucky reader. Be sure to watch the review video for some bonus entries in the competition.
Nebra Anybeam Specifications
- Brightness: 30 ANSI lumens (~150 lumens equivalent DLP)
- Contrast: 80,000:1
- Resolution: 720P@60Hz
- Dimensions: 4 x 2.3 x 0.8 inches (10.5 x 6 x 2 cm)
- Weight: 4.7oz (132g)
- Throw Ratio: 0.76:1
- Power Consumption: ~3W, from micro-USB port
- Connectivity: HDMI in (v1.4), 3.5mm Audio out
- Other features: 1W speaker. 1/4-20 UNC tripod mounting point.
After a successful Kickstarter last year, the Nebra Anybeam is now available exclusively from Pi-Supply.com for £229 (~$300), shipping internationally from the UK.
In the box, you’ll find the Nebra AnyBeam, and …. nothing else. There’s no power adapter, no micro-USB cable, no HDMI cable, no stand. Since you’re probably a bit of a geek anyway if you’re buying this, I think it’s a wholly ethical decision to not include yet more cabling and e-waste.
There’s no internal battery on the Nebra AnyBeam either, so it must be powered from the micro-USB port. Connect a phone charger, or use a battery, with at least 1.5A output capability. Again, this is a good thing. Batteries are often the first thing to fail on these types of devices. With such low power consumption, you’ll have no problem running this all day from a small battery pack.
The Nebra AnyBeam uses a laser and MEMS scanner to create the image. This results in a pin-sharp image, with lower power consumption, and consequently less heat generated.
On the underside is a tripod mounting point, though no suitable mount is included in the package. I tested using a GorillaPod flexible mini-tripod, but anything compatible with 1/4-20 UNC is fine. The flexibility of mounting options makes this great for all purposes, particularly digital signage where large projectors on the ceiling might be unsightly.
Using the Nebra AnyBeam
I love how simple the Nebra AnyBeam is. There’s no complex menu systems to navigate, there’s no built-in Wi-Fi to connect to, there are no Miracast features to be frustrated with. There’s no micro-SD card slot for local playback, which is good since any device with that feature rarely understand modern codecs. It’s simply an output device, which is exactly what a projector should be.
Plug in a full-size HDMI cable (v1.4 compatible); then power the Nebra Anybeam on by plugging in a micro-USB cable. There is no power switch. If a compatible HDMI signal is found, the Nebra Anybeam will start projecting. That’s it.
A single combined push switch and toggle on the side of the device controls the volume and menu operation. Hold it down for three seconds to access the settings menu. Realistically you’ll only need to do this to adjust the keystone if you’re projecting from an angle. There is a sharpness adjustment, but this is more to fine-tune the factory settings. In everyday use, the laser projection stays sharp at all reasonable distances and doesn’t need to refocus. This also means it can project onto curved surfaces without sacrificing focus (though your image will be warped).
Otherwise, the toggle switch controls the volume. Even on full, the volume is muffled, quiet, and intolerable for more than five minutes. It’ll do in a pinch, but you really should connect an external portable speaker for best results.
I tested using a Nintendo Switch and Amazon Fire TV stick, both of which were fine. I did have some issues with my Macbook Pro, though this was more likely due to the cheap HDMI adapter I was using.
How Good is The Projection?
One thing I really appreciate from projector manufacturers is honesty about the brightness. In this case, Nebra is upfront about the fact that it’s 30 ANSI lumens. ANSI is a standardized way of measuring brightness, compared to flux or just “lumens”, which sellers can simply make up their own testing regimes for.
30 ANSI lumens really isn’t a lot, but it’s average for pico projectors. Nebra claims this is equivalent to about 150 lumens in a typical DLP projector, and that seems fair. My mid-range home cinema projector is around 3000 ANSI lumens, so it’s obviously a fraction of the brightness you’d get from a full-size projector. Still, for the size and power requirements, it’s impressive.
In the real world, this equates to night-time use if you want large screen sizes. During the day, you can comfortably project up to about 20 inches before you lose visibility. At night, I was able to push it to about 80 inches before I felt the definition and brightness were too poor. The projection screen I normally use is 110 inches maximum, but at that point, 720p resolution is just too blurry, even for a laser projector.
To get a 78-inch screen required placing the Nebra AnyBeam 102 inches away, from which we can calculate a throw ratio of 0.76. This is a little disappointing and means that those with very small spaces will be unable to achieve the largest projection sizes.
Should You Buy The Nebra AnyBeam?
No doubt, the Nebra Anybeam is the best pico projector yet. The lack of built-in bells and whistles is a good thing, as there’s less software to be frustrated with and fewer hardware components that can break. You needn’t worry about a small internal battery expiring, because it doesn’t have one. Bring your own battery. It’s just an output device–and a good one at that.
But before you purchase the Nebra Anybeam, do consider if you really need an ultra-portable projector. Don’t buy it just because it seems like a cheap projector. At £229/$300, you could buy a budget home projector that would be brighter, capable of projecting a bigger screen, and may have a better built-in speaker. It certainly wouldn’t fit in your pocket though.
Enter the Competition!
Nebra AnyBeam Projector GiveawayRead the full article: Don’t Buy a Pico Projector Until You’ve Seen The Nebra AnyBeam
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