This is my first projector I have used for home use. I have a good understanding of them and their capabilities, as well as the market for them. I was beyond excited to be chosen to review the Prizm and was beyond surprised with what I found.
First Impression/Unboxing
When I first unboxed the Prizm, I was gleefully surprised to how much the photos do it justice. Not only was it perfectly packaged, the aesthetics of it made me even more exited. The top is covered in a gray material that allows it to be used in any type of setting. From your home office, to the basement, to your living room, to outside, the appeal of the colors make it warm and inviting. The packaging was exactly how I would expect from Anker. Foam protection on both the bottom and top, plastic covering for the unit itself and cardboard box seated perfectly inside the box. This is great because if you are not using it all the time, you are able to re-package it easily without the need to play Tetris and try to fit everything back in.
Features/Integration
The projector comes with your standard power cable and remote (batteries included thankfully). The remote is a slim-line style with power, back button, menu and sound. It does not include an HDMI cable, although it works with a variety of brands with no issues. The Prizm has the ability to be setup with either HDMI or USB. This is great because you are able to hook it up to a variety of devices, from Chromecast to laptops as well as lightning/USB-C/Micro USB to USB with ease. The on screen menu allows for selection of source and is very user friendly. I connected to it through HDMI to my laptop as well as USB to both an iPhone 8, iPhone X and Galaxy S7. The only issue that I came across was with the connection to the S7. After hooking it up, I selected the option to use the S7 and was redirected to a website the check the compatibility. I was not able to use the S7 at that point on the Prizm. Both iPhones connected with no issues at all. Upon reaching out to Nebula support, I was informed that the S7 was not compatible and iOS is the preferred connection medium. Not a dealbreaker as the phone is 2 years old, but could be for some that do not update their phone regularly/use iOS.
Using the Chromecast was as easy as I could hope for. It allowed for connection to Netflix, Youtube and Hulu with no issues at all and was very user friendly. Hooking the Prizm up to any device that uses HDMI also allowed for use with no issues at all.
The Prizm comes with a built in kickstand as well as connection on the base for a tri-pod. The kickstand is utilized by pressing a button on the front of the projector with pops it out and allows for adjustment to the height desired.
Picture
This is where I was the most surprised. Although the Prizm is only set to 480p, the scaling to HD is seamless. You do see some degradation of pixels with 1080p, but nothing that is a deal breaker. The projector can be used on a wide variety of screens/walls. I tested it against a painted wall (both textured and flat), screen as well as a white sheet (for fun). All projected with no issues except for the textured wall (which was to be expected) The Keystone correction (vertical ± 40°) allows for you to be able to adjust against which angle/screen size.
The distance from the screen was also tested, from 1m to 3m. This gives you the ability to scale to size up to 108". Any further than the 3m causes blurring in the picture. The lens has a manual adjustment which allows blur correction between the 1-3m. The built in fan is not noticeable, but you can definitely tell it is working to keep the projector cool during operation. All in all, the Prizm well exceeding my expectations for operation.
All of my tests were conducted with very low light in the rooms. When there is a bright back light (such as a lamp or overhead light, the picture does take a hit. The lower the light, the better the picture. It would be perfect for summer nights in the backyard watching a movie.
Sound
The Prizm comes with its own built-in speaker. It is not noticeable from looking at it, but it is located beneath the gray material. When watching a variety of different things (Football, action movie, dialogue-based movie, Youtube videos/music), all performed above expected. The speaker is adjusted via remote, and can immerse the room you are in with ease. The pitch is what it should be, but base is lacking. Not a horrible thing at all, as you cannot really expect it to have the deep base notes that a soundbar has. I connected it to the Infini Mini, 2.1ch Dolby Atmos/DTS:X soundbar with sub, and Bose Soundlink portable. Connection was simple to all except for the 2.1ch Dolby Atmos/DTS:X soundbar with sub which I did expect. Although feasible, it took some finagling in order to get it to work. It is not a 100% needed thing to be able to enjoy the Prizm, but dependent on your viewing material, base is sometimes needed in order to enjoy a movie to its full extent.
What I wanted to use the Prizm for
In my initial response to the testing contest, I explained that I wanted to use the Prizm for projections in my windows for Halloween. Normally to be able to do this, you want to use a projector with at least 1000 lumens. Being that the Prizm only has 500, I was skeptical as to how it would perform for this. Boy was I surprised. Propping the projector up on portable table, I wired it into my laptop and aimed it towards the window, which I draped with a ironed white sheet instead of using something thinner. I did this solely to test it to its limits. I set the Prizm to rear projection (although testing with both rear and front projection worked the same) and adjusted the Keynote and lens to the best I could. I fired up my AtmosFearFX video(s) and turned off all of the lights. The smile started to grow from ear to ear at this point. I turned it on and went outside to check out the results. Perfect is an understatement. The picture was exactly to be expected and seamless between each set of videos. After this, I wired up my Bose Soundlink to be near my window and the sound was right on point to the picture. All of this for a projector that costs $150. Normally you would need one in the $400+ range to be able to do this, but the Prizm was perfect in its execution.
Summary
For a device that costs $150 currently, the Prizm is a perfect addition to anyone’s household/office. Between the cost/sound/picture, you could not really ask for more. For someone who wants to add it to a theater room, bedroom, classroom or office, it is a steal at that price point for all of the built in features. I am very curious to see a 1080p version come out so a side by side comparison can be done, but for someone who is not looking to break the bank on their first projector, it is the one to go to.
I want to say thank you to @AnkerOfficial as well for allowing me the chance to test out the Prizm. Thank you for all that you do !
