{"id":333,"date":"2023-02-02T07:11:10","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T07:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bythedots.com\/in\/xgimi-halo-short-throw-portable-projector\/"},"modified":"2023-02-02T14:54:35","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T14:54:35","slug":"xgimi-halo-short-throw-portable-projector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bythedots.com\/in\/xgimi-halo-short-throw-portable-projector\/","title":{"rendered":"XGIMI Halo Short Throw Portable Projector"},"content":{"rendered":"

Projectors are one of those technologies that\u2019s simultaneously vintage and popular. Like vinyl records, they almost went the way of Betamax and laserdiscs. And like vinyl records, projectors are now making a comeback. In both cases, this has been due to changes in technology.<\/p>\n

With vinyl, the format lost popularity with the advent of CDs, which are more compact. But with streaming services and MP3s, there\u2019s no need for a physical disc. On the other hand, vinyl provides full-quality analog sound, not compressed digital. It\u2019s gotten to the point where a lot of artists release their music on vinyl and digital simultaneously.<\/p>\n

Projectors have followed a similar trend. Before the invention of the VCR, a projector was the only way to watch movies at home. But VCRs, and later DVD players, were much easier to use. Old-school projectors required you to use reel-to-reel film, with multiple reels for each movie.<\/p>\n

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Unless you were a hardcore film enthusiast, it was way too complicated and expensive. But nowadays, digital video has given new life to home movie projectors. With a digital signal, you don\u2019t have to use any bulky projector reels. But you can still get the comforting, old-school feel of a projected movie.<\/p>\n

Today, we\u2019re going to review the\u00a0XGIMI Halo Short Throw Portable Projector<\/strong>. This is a compact projector with native 1080p resolution. It sports a pair of 5W stereo speakers, twice as powerful as your typical home projector. Even better, it comes with Android TV pre-installed, which gives you access to thousands of streaming apps.<\/p>\n

But these are just a few of the things we need to look at. We have to talk about the physical build, and how the machine is put together. We\u2019ve got to talk about the types of inputs you can use, and how the projector is connected. Additionally, we also have to think about the controls, as well as any extra features we encounter. Then we\u2019ll be ready to render a fair verdict. Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n

Design & Controls<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0XGIMI Halo Short Throw Portable Projector\u00a0has a compact design that makes it easy to carry. It measures only 6.7 inches tall, 5.7 inches deep, and 4.4 inches wide. That\u2019s small enough to slip into a backpack or drawstring pouch. Along the same lines, it weighs only 3.5 pounds, so you\u2019ll barely notice the extra weight. The housing is mostly grey, and it\u2019s vented at the front and sides.<\/p>\n

Some of the venting is actually a speaker cover, while the rest is designed to allow for air flow. The internal fan does a good job of keeping the projector cool, even under heavy use. That said, it can be a bit loud for the size. It\u2019s not so loud that it will overpower a movie at normal volume. But it can be noticeable if you\u2019re watching something in a quiet room.<\/p>\n

On the front of the housing, you\u2019ll see the projection lens, which is fairly large and located at the top right. To its left, there\u2019s a smaller black opening, which is where the auto-focus sensor is located. The sides of the housing have a silver Harmon Kardon imprint at the bottom. This branding refers to the built-in speakers, which were specially designed for the Halo.<\/p>\n

There are a few touch-enabled buttons on the top of the housing, which is a plain matte black plastic. You also get a remote control to operate the various functions. The two AAA batteries aren\u2019t included in the package, so you\u2019ll need those.<\/p>\n

The back panel is also matte black, and it\u2019s here where you\u2019ll find all the projector\u2019s inputs. At the left, there\u2019s a DC power input. This receives power from a barrel-style DC adapter, which plugs into your wall. Next, there\u2019s a 3.5mm aux jack. This allows you to connect external speakers, or to plug in a pair of headphones. Third in line is an HDMI input, which you\u2019ll use to connect the majority of your devices. Last, there\u2019s a USB input, which serves as an alternative. Finally, there\u2019s a large power button at the top right. This is the only physical control on the projector, and it turns the unit on and off.<\/p>\n

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Video Quality<\/h3>\n

Ultimately, a projector is only as good as its video quality. It can be built like a tank, with all kinds of bells and whistles. But if the picture isn\u2019t up to snuff, your projector isn\u2019t doing its job. Thankfully, that\u2019s not an issue here. Most modern projectors still have a maximum resolution of 720p. Even if you\u2019re feeding them a 1080p signal, it will be downgraded.<\/p>\n

The XGIMI Halo has a native resolution of 1080p, which has more than twice as many pixels. Moreover, it supports 4K inputs, so you can use it with your Blu-Ray player. The video will display in 1080p, but that\u2019s still much better than most projectors.<\/p>\n

The bulb has a brightness of 800 lumens, which can be used in almost any space. It\u2019s also rated for 30,000 hours of use, which is more than you\u2019re liable to use any projector, ever. Colors are bright and vivid, with rich primary tones and plenty of clarity during darker scenes. If that\u2019s not enough, the Halo even works with 3D video sources. Throw on your 3D glasses, and it will be just like watching a 3D movie in a theater.<\/p>\n

This is a short throw projector, which means it can be used very close to the screen. In fact, you can use it to create a video as small as 30 inches, which is tiny for any projector. Move it further away, and your video can be 300 inches on the diagonal. That\u2019s enough for a floor-to-ceiling projection in any standard house.<\/p>\n

As a result, the Halo is suitable for just about any setup. You can also position it up high, down low, or off to the side. The keystone can be adjusted by +\/- 40 degrees, both vertically and horizontally. 15 degrees is the industry standards, so you get a lot more freedom as regards your projector\u2019s placement.<\/p>\n

One feature we very much appreciated was the automatic focus. The sensor on the front of the machine scans over 10,000 individual points on the display. This sensor compares what it sees to what the video is supposed to look like. Then, a computer algorithm goes to work, and adjusts the focus accordingly. This works very well 90% of the time, and gets you a nice crisp image. The other 10% of the time, you can use the controller to adjust the focus manually.<\/p>\n

Compatibility & Extras<\/h3>\n

When it comes to compatibility, the\u00a0XGIMI Halo\u00a0will support a wide variety of input devices. Using the HDMI input, you can play video from a set top box or Blu-Ray player. You can also connect a game console like the Xbox Series X\/S or the PlayStation 5.<\/p>\n

Using the USB port, you\u2019ll have other options. You can stream video from a compatible phone, directly over the USB cable. You can plug in a thumb drive or external SSD to play your video files. Additionally, you can even use your Amazon Fire, Roku, or similar USB video source.<\/p>\n

Then again, you aren\u2019t likely to need a streaming stick. This projector comes with Android TV already installed. This gives you immediate access to more than 5,000 apps on Google Play. Among others, you can use HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and YouTube.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the Halo does not currently have support for the Netflix app. If you\u2019re a Netflix afficionado, you\u2019ll need a separate video source for Netflix. On the plus side, you can install Android games directly on the projector. Use a Bluetooth controller, and you can play your favorite titles without the need for a game system.<\/p>\n

Compared to most home projectors, the Halo provides exceptional audio quality. Instead of small, 2.5-watt speakers, you get a pair of more powerful, 5-watt speakers. These speakers were custom-built by Harman Kardon, specifically for this projector. They provide rich audio quality across all frequencies, and can fill a large living room with sound.<\/p>\n

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You\u2019re not quite getting Bose quality, but you\u2019re still getting a great set of speakers. Alternatively, you can use the 3.5mm aux jack to connect some headphones or third-party speakers. And if you want to go wireless, you can connect to Bluetooth speakers or earbuds instead.<\/p>\n

Another feature we should note is the support for voice commands. All you have to do is say \u201cHey Google,\u201d then tell it what you want to play. Even better, the voice commands won\u2019t work unless you press the microphone button on the remote. This might sound like an inconvenience, but it\u2019s actually a useful feature. It prevents you from accidentally triggering voice commands while you\u2019re using your projector.<\/p>\n

In addition to DC power, the XGIMI Halo boasts an internal battery, with a capacity of 59.5 watt-hours. Depending on your brightness and other settings, that\u2019s enough for two to four hours. If you want to take your projector to the park or on a camping trip, you\u2019ll still be able to use it. We would have loved to be able to charge via USB. But even with wall charging, you\u2019re still getting a feature that most projectors don\u2019t offer.<\/p>\n

Final Verdict<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0XGIMI Halo Short Throw Portable Projector\u00a0is a robust machine with a lot of desirable features. First and foremost, you get true 1080p resolution, which is a cut above the competition. You also get a compact design, with a built-in battery for added portability. It comes with Android TV, so you can access your favorite streaming services, and even Android games. The Harman Kardon speakers provide excellent audio, and the image is nice and bright. And with compatibility for almost any video source, you can use whatever device you like.<\/p>\n

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