PPX3614 - small cinema at home
Recently, devices have been entering the market of portable electronics, affecting their mobility and equipment of the Android OS and communication facilities. And this applies not only to tablets, smartphones, watches, etc. Today we will talk about the PPX3614 projector, the latest model in a series of Philips pocket projectors. My review will be different from the classic advertising from Philips, i.e. There will not be a huge number of photos and videos of the device. The review of the projector is presented in the format: my dreams, my expectations, my doubts, adequate criticism, my impressions - and all this together with the real technical capabilities of the device.
My dream of the last 5 years was the idea of ​​a real home cinema. The concept of "home theater" includes a set of devices that allows to achieve ideal conditions for "watching a movie, a sporting event, a television show at home" [ 1 ]. Of course, to create a real cinema in an ordinary apartment is ridiculous, because for this they emit a large spacious room, but in my case, I had to proceed from what is (a dream is a dream). I easily managed to prepare a technical platform: network storage on OpenMediaVault for storing media content, DLNA server, XBMC media center, etc. Interaction of everything exclusively over WiFi, transferring sound to the stereo system via usb fm-transmitter. Lacked the most important thing - the big screen.
New Year, as you know, a couple of gifts and fulfillment of desires. And in this new year I decided to purchase the main missing element. For a large screen, a projector is indisputably necessary. However, premium class projectors have an impressive cost (from 60,000 to 250,000 p.). Another option, proposed by my friend and for some time shaken my views, SmartTV TV with a diagonal of more than 42 ''. TV, of course, confidently fit into the budget (20 000 - 25 000 p.) And the "smart equipment" met all the requirements of modern technology. But ... won the living power of the screen.
')
The main advantage of expensive projectors is high definition of the image, comparable to FullHD SmartTV. This is precisely what is missing from office DLP projectors with a price range of 20,000 - 25,000 r. I admit honestly (and very many will disagree with me), the clarity regarding the big screen (> 2 ") loses its meaning for me, apparently, I am more captured by the scale of the image, which, coupled with stereo sound, creates the unique reality of the movie. Unfortunately , today, not many DLP projectors can boast of wireless communications, such as WiFi, (agree that a lot of wires in our event are too much).
And here, the know-how - the pico projector from Philips - a portable mobile device with WiFi and Android OS on board.
Video reviews of ppx3610 (similar to the model we are considering were viewed, with the only difference being 40 lumens less) [ 2 , 3 , 4 ], an order was made and a 2-week wait mixed with doubt on the topic “What if I see terrible image ... ". No, of course, I did not expect high definition, it was so clear from the characteristics of PPX3614 [5] . Characteristics are very modest:
Optics
Display Technique - DLP
Light source - RGB LED
Lamp life - more than 30,000 hours
Brightness - up to 140 lumens
Own resolution - 854 x 480 pixels
Contrast Ratio - 1000: 1
Screen size (diagonally) - 12 "—120"
Distance to the screen - 0.5 m - 5.0 m
Content
Operating system - Android 2.3.1
Internal memory - 4 GB
Built-in MP4 player
Built-in touchpad
Office / PDF Viewer Embedded
Wireless Network - WiFi IEEE 802.11 b / g / n
Wireless media player - DLNA connection
Built-in soundbar - 1 W
Connectors
Audio and video input - HDMI with HDCP, VGA, component YPbPr
Audio output - 3.5 mm audio output connector
Log post. current - connector for a source of DC. current
External Memory - SD / SDHC / SDXC
USB - connection to external drives
Mini USB - connect to PC and external storage, charging
Media player
Supported Video Formats - .avi: MPEG4, Xvid, H.264; .mov: MPEG4, Xvid, H.263, H.264; .mp4: MPEG4, Xvid, H.263, H.264; .mkv: MPEG4, Xvid, H.264; .flv: Sorenson spark; .3gp: MJPEG, MPEG4, Xvid, H.263, H.264; .webm: VP8
Supported Audio Formats - MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC
Supported photo formats - JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF
Supported file formats - pdf, ppt / pptx, xls / xlsx, doc / docs
Nutrition
Battery life - 2 hours
Internal battery - 7.4 V at 1800 mAh
Power adapter - 110-240 VAC current
As you have noticed, this is a LED projector with a rather low brightness and contrast (compared to conventional DLP). There was something to worry about ... At the same time, the presence of WiFi with DLNA and Android OS bribed me (what is not an alternative to SmartTV).
And so, came the cherished box from Philips, in which I found a pico projector sized (105 x 105 x 31.5 mm), a case, a pair of cables (miniHDMI, miniUSB) and a power adapter. The projector is really tiny and literally fits in the palm of your hand. The touch panel is located on the top cover (similar to a laptop's touchpad), but the sensitivity of its work did not impress me, in my opinion, it was made rather rudely for the sensor. When the projector is connected via miniUSB, two drives open on the PC: internal and a memory card. By miniHDMI - standard image output from a PC screen. As it turned out, a USB hub can be connected to the USB port and at the same time (via the hub) an external drive, keyboard and mouse, which opens up possibilities for convenient device management.
From the internal memory of the 4 GB device, only 2.5 GB is left free, it will help out the SD memory card slot (my 16GB SD card formatted with NTFS was readily perceived by the projector), and an external HDD can be connected via USB.
A separate line deserves the Android OS. The version, of course, lags behind the latter, but one fact should be noted: there are firmware on the manufacturer’s website. So, you can hope for a later OS update. The system is no more complicated than on a smartphone. Behind the “Android” icon is hidden application management and additional installed applications. To install new third-party applications, use the installer apk files. Yes, the usual GooglePlay no. I failed to install it using apk. But, as I said, you can install applications, for example, such as IVI.RU, FTP-server, TotalComander, YouTube, etc.
Wireless communication of the projector works without any complaints. The projector connects to any access point both without encryption and with WPA2. Very pleased with the work on the DLNA protocol, it should be noted that there was no video jamming and braking. What can not be said about the special application PicoPixWlink for this prector. PicoPixWlink for Windows is designed to reproduce the image from the PC screen on which it is installed on the projector via WiFi. PicoPixWlink works more or less in the case of launching a presentation or photo on a PC. But now, if the video is played on a PC, then on the projector, unfortunately, the video is very slow. Probably the reason lies in the application. The fact is that PicoPixWlink is nothing more than a * VNC application (remote access applications are not designed to transmit video correctly). Here, in my opinion, the Philips developers could come up with something original.
The battery, according to the developers, gives the projector mobility through autonomous work (in commercials, watching videos on nature is promoted). I must say that the time of autonomy is really no more than 2 hours. Personally, I see this as one really positive thing: in the event of an unexpected power outage, the projector lamp will always be safe. And considering the availability of the “sleep mode” function, you don’t have to worry about anything for sure.
Sound is an integral part of any video presentation. Alas, the sound corresponds to the size of the device. Do not expect great stereo sound from the built-in 1-watt speakers in the projector. They are intended for the absence of other means of reproduction, for example, in hiking conditions. So, if there is any stereo system at hand, feel free to connect (standard 3.5 audio output connector). I managed to play the sound to the music center without wires, using the usb FM transmitter.
And finally, about the image formed on the screen. It should be noted that I made a wall as a screen. In the projector settings, in addition to the brightness and contrast settings, there is an adjustment to the color of the wall. True, I did not find such a typical function for projectors as “trapezoid correction”, and it is very lacking there. In general, the “box” 10 X 10 cm at a distance of 4 m from the wall projects an image with a diagonal of 2.5 m. The brightness and contrast actually turned out to be quite acceptable. Playing the settings, you can achieve a good result. Of course, the best effect is achieved in the dark.
It should also be noted that the use of this projector in a 4 X 4 m room is more adequate than a premium class projector (for which a separate room is made in a cinema room format).
You can also add, I do not know the virtue or the disadvantage of this projector, the ability to expand its functions. For the device in question there are a number of additions. This applies to cables connected to it (in the delivery only 2 pieces - see above): for connecting mobile devices, VGA, etc. In addition, there is the potential for playing digital TV by using a special set-top box from Philips (connected via a special connector on the bottom of the projector). Also, there is a sound console with an additional battery. However, all these devices are purchased separately ...
Disadvantages:
Advantages:
In general, the Philips PPX3614 projector is a wonderful gift for the New Year. The projector is in the "top 5 men's gifts for the New Year," according to the TV program "Science and technology." This is really a small home theater for an inexperienced viewer who grew up on filmstrips of the Soviet past.
Prehistory
My dream of the last 5 years was the idea of ​​a real home cinema. The concept of "home theater" includes a set of devices that allows to achieve ideal conditions for "watching a movie, a sporting event, a television show at home" [ 1 ]. Of course, to create a real cinema in an ordinary apartment is ridiculous, because for this they emit a large spacious room, but in my case, I had to proceed from what is (a dream is a dream). I easily managed to prepare a technical platform: network storage on OpenMediaVault for storing media content, DLNA server, XBMC media center, etc. Interaction of everything exclusively over WiFi, transferring sound to the stereo system via usb fm-transmitter. Lacked the most important thing - the big screen.
New Year, as you know, a couple of gifts and fulfillment of desires. And in this new year I decided to purchase the main missing element. For a large screen, a projector is indisputably necessary. However, premium class projectors have an impressive cost (from 60,000 to 250,000 p.). Another option, proposed by my friend and for some time shaken my views, SmartTV TV with a diagonal of more than 42 ''. TV, of course, confidently fit into the budget (20 000 - 25 000 p.) And the "smart equipment" met all the requirements of modern technology. But ... won the living power of the screen.
')
The main advantage of expensive projectors is high definition of the image, comparable to FullHD SmartTV. This is precisely what is missing from office DLP projectors with a price range of 20,000 - 25,000 r. I admit honestly (and very many will disagree with me), the clarity regarding the big screen (> 2 ") loses its meaning for me, apparently, I am more captured by the scale of the image, which, coupled with stereo sound, creates the unique reality of the movie. Unfortunately , today, not many DLP projectors can boast of wireless communications, such as WiFi, (agree that a lot of wires in our event are too much).
And here, the know-how - the pico projector from Philips - a portable mobile device with WiFi and Android OS on board.
A dream come true
Video reviews of ppx3610 (similar to the model we are considering were viewed, with the only difference being 40 lumens less) [ 2 , 3 , 4 ], an order was made and a 2-week wait mixed with doubt on the topic “What if I see terrible image ... ". No, of course, I did not expect high definition, it was so clear from the characteristics of PPX3614 [5] . Characteristics are very modest:
Optics
Display Technique - DLP
Light source - RGB LED
Lamp life - more than 30,000 hours
Brightness - up to 140 lumens
Own resolution - 854 x 480 pixels
Contrast Ratio - 1000: 1
Screen size (diagonally) - 12 "—120"
Distance to the screen - 0.5 m - 5.0 m
Content
Operating system - Android 2.3.1
Internal memory - 4 GB
Built-in MP4 player
Built-in touchpad
Office / PDF Viewer Embedded
Wireless Network - WiFi IEEE 802.11 b / g / n
Wireless media player - DLNA connection
Built-in soundbar - 1 W
Connectors
Audio and video input - HDMI with HDCP, VGA, component YPbPr
Audio output - 3.5 mm audio output connector
Log post. current - connector for a source of DC. current
External Memory - SD / SDHC / SDXC
USB - connection to external drives
Mini USB - connect to PC and external storage, charging
Media player
Supported Video Formats - .avi: MPEG4, Xvid, H.264; .mov: MPEG4, Xvid, H.263, H.264; .mp4: MPEG4, Xvid, H.263, H.264; .mkv: MPEG4, Xvid, H.264; .flv: Sorenson spark; .3gp: MJPEG, MPEG4, Xvid, H.263, H.264; .webm: VP8
Supported Audio Formats - MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC
Supported photo formats - JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF
Supported file formats - pdf, ppt / pptx, xls / xlsx, doc / docs
Nutrition
Battery life - 2 hours
Internal battery - 7.4 V at 1800 mAh
Power adapter - 110-240 VAC current
As you have noticed, this is a LED projector with a rather low brightness and contrast (compared to conventional DLP). There was something to worry about ... At the same time, the presence of WiFi with DLNA and Android OS bribed me (what is not an alternative to SmartTV).
Philips PPX3614 testing
Appearance
And so, came the cherished box from Philips, in which I found a pico projector sized (105 x 105 x 31.5 mm), a case, a pair of cables (miniHDMI, miniUSB) and a power adapter. The projector is really tiny and literally fits in the palm of your hand. The touch panel is located on the top cover (similar to a laptop's touchpad), but the sensitivity of its work did not impress me, in my opinion, it was made rather rudely for the sensor. When the projector is connected via miniUSB, two drives open on the PC: internal and a memory card. By miniHDMI - standard image output from a PC screen. As it turned out, a USB hub can be connected to the USB port and at the same time (via the hub) an external drive, keyboard and mouse, which opens up possibilities for convenient device management.
Memory
From the internal memory of the 4 GB device, only 2.5 GB is left free, it will help out the SD memory card slot (my 16GB SD card formatted with NTFS was readily perceived by the projector), and an external HDD can be connected via USB.
Android OS
A separate line deserves the Android OS. The version, of course, lags behind the latter, but one fact should be noted: there are firmware on the manufacturer’s website. So, you can hope for a later OS update. The system is no more complicated than on a smartphone. Behind the “Android” icon is hidden application management and additional installed applications. To install new third-party applications, use the installer apk files. Yes, the usual GooglePlay no. I failed to install it using apk. But, as I said, you can install applications, for example, such as IVI.RU, FTP-server, TotalComander, YouTube, etc.
WiFi and DLNA
Wireless communication of the projector works without any complaints. The projector connects to any access point both without encryption and with WPA2. Very pleased with the work on the DLNA protocol, it should be noted that there was no video jamming and braking. What can not be said about the special application PicoPixWlink for this prector. PicoPixWlink for Windows is designed to reproduce the image from the PC screen on which it is installed on the projector via WiFi. PicoPixWlink works more or less in the case of launching a presentation or photo on a PC. But now, if the video is played on a PC, then on the projector, unfortunately, the video is very slow. Probably the reason lies in the application. The fact is that PicoPixWlink is nothing more than a * VNC application (remote access applications are not designed to transmit video correctly). Here, in my opinion, the Philips developers could come up with something original.
Autonomous work
The battery, according to the developers, gives the projector mobility through autonomous work (in commercials, watching videos on nature is promoted). I must say that the time of autonomy is really no more than 2 hours. Personally, I see this as one really positive thing: in the event of an unexpected power outage, the projector lamp will always be safe. And considering the availability of the “sleep mode” function, you don’t have to worry about anything for sure.
Sound
Sound is an integral part of any video presentation. Alas, the sound corresponds to the size of the device. Do not expect great stereo sound from the built-in 1-watt speakers in the projector. They are intended for the absence of other means of reproduction, for example, in hiking conditions. So, if there is any stereo system at hand, feel free to connect (standard 3.5 audio output connector). I managed to play the sound to the music center without wires, using the usb FM transmitter.
Screen and image
And finally, about the image formed on the screen. It should be noted that I made a wall as a screen. In the projector settings, in addition to the brightness and contrast settings, there is an adjustment to the color of the wall. True, I did not find such a typical function for projectors as “trapezoid correction”, and it is very lacking there. In general, the “box” 10 X 10 cm at a distance of 4 m from the wall projects an image with a diagonal of 2.5 m. The brightness and contrast actually turned out to be quite acceptable. Playing the settings, you can achieve a good result. Of course, the best effect is achieved in the dark.
It should also be noted that the use of this projector in a 4 X 4 m room is more adequate than a premium class projector (for which a separate room is made in a cinema room format).
Empowerment
You can also add, I do not know the virtue or the disadvantage of this projector, the ability to expand its functions. For the device in question there are a number of additions. This applies to cables connected to it (in the delivery only 2 pieces - see above): for connecting mobile devices, VGA, etc. In addition, there is the potential for playing digital TV by using a special set-top box from Philips (connected via a special connector on the bottom of the projector). Also, there is a sound console with an additional battery. However, all these devices are purchased separately ...
Total
Disadvantages:
- Low resolution image
- Long distance to the screen of 2 m and more
- Lack of function "keystone correction"
- No GooglePlay application
- Low sensitivity of the touch panel
- Insufficient sound power built-in speakers
Advantages:
- Wireless projector (WiFi and DLNA)
- Android OS
- Multiformat media player
- Natural image with a diagonal of 2-3 m
- Autonomous operation of the device
- Mobility and portability of the device
In general, the Philips PPX3614 projector is a wonderful gift for the New Year. The projector is in the "top 5 men's gifts for the New Year," according to the TV program "Science and technology." This is really a small home theater for an inexperienced viewer who grew up on filmstrips of the Soviet past.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/365889/
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