China’s Dangbei makes a fairly decent array of portable projectors, including the popular Dangbei Atom model that was launched earlier this year.
The Dangbei Atom was said to be the company’s first official Google TV projector and the new Dangbei Mars Pro 2 announced today goes one step further, as the first Google TV projector in the world that’s licensed for Netflix content.
Netflix is somewhat choosy about which brands it gives official licenses to, which means many consumers have to search for unofficial workarounds. But that’s not the case for Dangbei, as the company managed to jump through all of the streaming giant’s hoops to bring native support to its earlier Dangbei Neo, Emotn N1 and Mars projectors. And it has done it once again with the newly announced Dangbei Mars Pro 2.
Those interested in a high quality picture will be pleased to know that the Dangbei Mars Pro 2 does the business in this regard. Whereas the Dangei Atom was designed as a high-performance but portable projector, the Mars 2 Pro is much more focused on performance, with DLP display technology powered by a 0.47-inch DMD chipset, and an ALDP light source that delivers 2,450 lumens of brightness. The pictures will be big, too, as the Mars Pro 2 can throw up an image of a maximum 200-inches, though the company recommends keeping it to 120-inches for “optimal viewing”.
Besides being quite bright, the Dangbei Mars 2 Pro comes with built-in algorithms and a sensor that establish what the ambient light level is outside, so it can adjust the on-screen images accordingly so that users will experience “consistently vibrant visuals, day or night.”
HDR is also well catered to, as the Mars Pro 2 is Dangbei’s first projector to support HDR10+, in addition to HLG content. The projector has a throw ratio of 1.27:1, which will mean the user will need a good 16 feet of distance between it and the wall or screen to generate a 180-inch image
Setup should be a relatively simple procedure too, thanks to Dangbei’s InstanPro AI Image Setup tools, which make use of a dToF sensor, CMOS camera and AI algorithms to perform auto focus, auto keystone correction and image resizing to fit whatever screen is being used. The system also automatically dims the brightness if it detects someone stepping in front of the projector, to help protect their eyes.
Other technologies include motion compensation to deliver crisper action scenes, a 60Hz refresh rate at 4K resolution and a blazing-fast 240Hz at Full HD, with a dedicated gaming mode to reduce lag in video games. Finally, it features a powerful sound system with two 12-watt speakers and support for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-X surround sound to create more cinematic soundscapes.
The Google TV platform that runs on the Mars Pro 2 will be familiar to anyone who has used Android TV before, but they’ll soon notice it’s much more streamlined, with an improved user experience that puts content to the fore. Of course, Google TV provides access to all of the popular streaming apps, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV+, as well as a dedicated shortcut button for Netflix on the remote, plus a Google Assistant button to enable voice commands.
In terms of connectivity, there are HDMI 2.1 ports for consoles and media players, including one regular and another one that supports audio return. Two USB 2.0 ports, one Ethernet LAN and analog/digital audio outputs round out the list of ports, while Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6 offer alternative connectivity.
The Dangbei Mars Pro 2 weighs in at a fairly hefty 4kg, with dimensions of 236 x 201.5 x 163.2 mm, so it’s not the most portable of projectors by any means – yet, that is the price to pay for better, brighter imagery. Dangbei said it will go on sale later this month, priced at $1,899 in the U.S., though early birds will be able to snap one up for a $400 discount if they move quickly.
