BenQ Joybee GP1 mini projector

Palm-sized portable projector with a lifetime lamp

Tue 21 Jul 2009 // 11:51 UTC

The supplied Arcsoft MediaConverter software enables conversion from most common format and is relatively easy to use, but very limited in its options. You can select from three quality levels and convert from DVD or video files stored on your hard drive, but none of these options actually match the native resolution of the projector.

Shady character: can deliver an 80in projection in darkened conditions

Conversion is also a lengthy process, which results in media files much bigger than the originals. Using a 3 GHz quad core PC system, we converted a 178MB Mpeg file in around 25 minutes. After conversion, the file had grown to 1.2GB due to the inefficient MPEG1 format.

Verdict

If portability isn’t your main reason for choosing a projector, then there are many other options available for under £500 such as Optoma’s HD700X which is HD Ready and still portable at around twice the size of the GP1. Indeed, priced at £420, the GP1 is hardly an impulse purchase and is not without its faults, but it offers a lot for the money and is much cheaper to run than a conventional projector. Yet with the emphasis is on fun and portability, rather than home theatre or boardroom presentations, the Joybee GP1 Mini Projector packs a lot of big screen entertainment into a very small package. ®