price: $554
Projectors are experiencing a bit of a renaissance right now. Whatever your needs, there are options available. There are projectors bright enough for outdoor use during the day, cheaper options for those on a budget under $100, and some are incredibly compact.
The ViewSonic M2e projector falls into the latter category. It is remarkably light and compact, so you can put it in your backpack or carry it with you without any problem. The projector comes with a small carrying case that has bags for some cables or accessories so you can use it. Projectors are also very affordable. At just under $600, it’s firmly positioned in the mid-range projector category. But nothing is for free. Minimizing something usually increases the price or decreases other areas of performance.
This is what we love
- Ultra-lightweight and portable
- Great Connection Options
- Durable all-purpose projector
And what we don’t do?
- Poor selection of apps
- outdoor focus problem
- This remote control is so bad
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Specification review
- original resolution: 1920 × 1080
- Resolution support: VGA (640 x 480) to Full HD (1920 x 1080)
- Project Size: up to 100 inches
- Contrast Ratio: 3،000،000: 1
- light source: Leadership
- luminescent: 1000 (LED lumens)
- lamp life: Up to 30,000 in normal mode
- projection distance: .65m – 2.68m (80in @ 2.14m)
- Vertical scanning speed: 120-23 Hz
- horizontal frequency: 15K – 102KHz
- projection offset: 100٪ + / – 3٪
- skew adjustment: Horizontal: +/-40°, Vertical: +/-40°
- Input delay: 66 milliseconds
- Optical Zoom: repaired
- digital zoom: 0.8x-1.0x
- It seems: 3W x 2 . cube
- Input/Output: HDMI 1.4, USB Type C, USB Type A, 3.5mm mini jack, Micro SD
- Delivery: Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi 5gn
- Size: 7.2 x 7.2 x 2.1 inches
- Weight: 2.2 pounds
Easy to set up
Setting up Viewsonic M2e is very easy. Attach the monitor by pointing it at a flat surface about 6 feet away and selecting the option to adjust the angle in the settings menu. It will be much easier. Most of the time, autofocus makes the image clearer. One of the few exceptions will be discussed later.
In terms of connectivity, an SD slot, an HDMI slot, and a USB Type-C slot are available. If you prefer to stay wireless, you can also connect the speaker to your projector via the 3.5mm jack or Bluetooth. It can also cast from your phone or tablet to ViewSonic M2e on Android and iOS. To set up, simply select Screen mirroring on your iPhone or scan the QR code on your Samsung. App Store is also available. Once the projector establishes a WiFi connection, you can easily download the application. As we will see later, downloading the app to your ViewSonic monitor may not be so easy.
ViewSonic is extremely portable
Like I said at the beginning, this is one of the smallest and lightest projectors I’ve come across. It’s not the size of a Coca-Cola can, but it’s small and lightweight, so you can put it in a bag or carry it in a bag without affecting the person carrying it. In its bag, it’s the size and weight of a lunch box, so if you’ve got sandwiches, chips and soda on your day trips, you can take the M2e to the family barbecue.
And family barbecues are the perfect place for that. One of the first places I tested the M2e was in the garden of a friend who was cooking. The M2e isn’t bright enough to work in direct sunlight, but once the sun goes down you can point it at a dull white surface to enjoy. I had a problem with the job. I could not determine if the irregular shape of the surface was causing the problem (it was the side of the house), firelight or mites passing through the sensor. Autofocus worked perfectly indoors and was easily fixed outside by turning it off as soon as the projector was started.
Picture and sound quality is very good
Although it is not a 4K projector, the image quality of the M2e is very good. Enlarge screen size without distortion or loss of focus in any area. At 1080p, everything is sharp enough to enjoy. Likewise, the built-in speakers aren’t bad at all. Users can hear the sound clearly even outdoors or in a crowded room. They’re not perfect, and soundbars are still a huge improvement if you’re using the M2e in your home cinema setup, but they have their own property. That’s great because it makes them less portable. Noise from the projector itself is low, close to a low hum at worst. This is a bonus, because some projector fan noise can ruin your audio experience once it gets a little hot.
You can also use M2e for games. It is not advertised as a gaming monitor and does not have the specifications of a real gaming monitor. If you are a professional gamer, you will probably want specialized high spec equipment, but not everyone has such stringent requirements.
ViewSonic cut corners, but not in key areas
The frustratingly bad part of the M2e hardware isn’t in the areas you care about. The remote seems very cheap and unresponsive. That’s the only real problem, as you’d expect from a cheap remote control, it’s very light and has a cheap plastic feel. It is also frustratingly unresponsive. If the remote is pointed directly at the projector from a fairly close distance, there’s a good chance the command will pass. If you’re heading in the wrong direction even slightly, you’ll probably have to start over.
This, like most things, is fine if you have an app with remote capabilities. They tend to work over WiFi networks, so connectivity is not an issue. It also runs from your smartphone, so you don’t have to constantly search behind the sofa for plastic stuff for one purchase. The good news is that we have an app. The bad news is that the app isn’t great either.
I have some software problems
The M2e’s hardware is pretty good, but the software really disappoints me. ViewSonic has many apps available in both the App Store and Play Store. There is a distance calculator app to help you set up your projector, and a remote app if you don’t want to throw the cheap plastic stuff behind the sofa and think twice. The setup app is a good idea, but you probably won’t need it as you can get it set up in minutes with trial and error. The remote app is as bad as a physical remote, which is a shame because it quickly fixes one of the few flaws with the display.
The application is selected in M2e and is missing for several reasons. First, there is no official Youtube app. You have to go with the imitations. Fake will give you access to the real YouTube, but it’s not as complicated as the official app. Then there are official apps that are available, but that have been overlooked by the developers, and the official app of MLBTV is a prime example of that. Watching sports on a projector is one of the best home entertainment experiences in the world. Unfortunately, it appears that the MLBTV app has not been updated in two years. Then there are apps like Netflix that officially work, but the remote is really bad, causing occasional lag on the projector side, making navigation difficult.
This all sounds like a potential deal breaker, but there is an easy fix. The extra purchase isn’t ideal, but plugging something like an Amazon Firestick, Chromecast, or Apple TV into the projector’s HDMI slot instantly solves all major issues.
The ViewSonic M2e is well balanced
In the sub-$600 price range, you’ll find more portable projectors than the M2e, and better home cinema projectors than the M2e. However, ViewSonic’s efforts strike a fine balance between the two. As a staple for home entertainment, it doesn’t disappoint. Most people say, “Wow, he’s got a good looking projector.”
Likewise, the M2e size is ideal for those who don’t have much storage space and just set up the projector for special occasions. This projector is also ideal for entertaining family gatherings or walking around friends’ homes for a movie night. Projectors are highly specialized devices, and the M2e ViewSonic brings a powerful, versatile device to the table.
This is what we love
- Ultra-lightweight and portable
- Great Connection Options
- Durable all-purpose projector
And what we don’t do?
- Poor selection of apps
- outdoor focus problem
- This remote control is so bad