The big white wall in my apartment just got an Android TV upgrade

Forcibly uprooting your entire life is not easy, just ask me. One day you have all the little luxuries in life that you worked so hard to get, and the next you find yourself in a strange apartment that you don’t own, and you have to share it with others for a moment, wondering how that happened? You’re starting from scratch in your mid-30s. There’s also just one TV to share with people whose entertainment tastes are very different from yours. Then you look at the lifeless white walls surrounding you and think, “Huh, I have an idea.” So, go get that Android TV projector, turn it on, point it at a white wall away from your roommates, and suddenly you’ve got a solution to both problems: no more white wall and A TV you can call your own. This is my current situation and the projector in question is the latest addition to the XGIMI lineup: the 1080p, 800 ANSI Lumens Elfin. It doesn’t have as much battery as the Mogo and Mogo Pro I reviewed previously, but it’s noticeably brighter.

Specifications

In Lebanon, my husband and I had a 55-inch TV in the living room, but we (read: I would have) decided not to put a TV in the bedroom. However, there are still those rare days when I’m super tired but still want to watch a quick show or video before bed, so we brought out the XGIMI Mogo projector and pointed it at the ceiling. So Great, and that only happened once a month, so I was OK with that compromise. We had a TV solution without having a TV permanently installed in the bedroom.

Here in France, in a shared apartment, the situation is completely different. We don’t have the luxury of buying or installing a TV yet, but we still want to watch our favorite series or sports without forcing our roommates to watch the same thing. Enter Elvin. They’re better suited for longer, more frequent uses, and are brighter than the Mogo range. Plug it in, point it at the wall or ceiling, and we have our big-screen TV. Better yet, it’s a TV we can carry in our bag once we find our own place, rather than having to carry a bulky 50-inch or more device.

The Elfin’s brightness is good in daylight, and more than excellent at night, even when you stand back and take a 150-inch photo from more than 4-5 meters away. The sound is loud enough to fill anything from a bedroom to a large living room. Living Room Sure, it’s not the same thing as a soundbar or a dedicated system, but it’s on par with standalone TVs and has 16GB of internal storage, double the Google Chromecast’s ridiculous 8GB of space, so I don’t have to keep Uninstall unused applications.

In each, there’s the XGIMI Mogo Pro (300 ANSI) on the left and the Elfin (800 ANSI) on the right. The photos show some difference in brightness, but it’s much more noticeable in reality.

The inclusion of Android TV out of the box is still my favorite feature in XGIMI projectors. I can install the streaming apps I use all the time — Plex, YouTube, Prime Video, Apple TV+, RMC Sport, and SFR Play — and watch everything I watch on my regular TV and Chromecast with Google TV. Unfortunately, Netflix is ​​still not supported (not even if streaming from a phone), but there are workarounds to make it work through Kodi. I don’t use this streaming service, so I don’t care at all, but if you do, you might want to look into this before committing to Xgimi projectors.

You’ll have to trust me on this, but this is a 3-meter (10-foot) wide image. Immersion 💌

The Elfin also acts as a Chromecast target for video and audio, so you can cast anything from your phone or other devices to it and display it on a huge “screen.” Plus, you get Assistant and Google Home integration, which means you can assign it to a room, control its surroundings, play music on it, and control it with the new Android TV remote.

The Assistant can answer your questions, search/open some apps, and control some smart home devices.

For my use, this means I don’t have to worry about anything besides turning on the projector. Both media source and output are included in one device and there is no need for additional cables or plugs. But there’s still a USB and HDMI input as well as a 3.5mm output to take this setup to the next level.

My least favorite feature of the XGIMI projectors is their DC power adapter. It’s huge, uncomfortable and old. When the USB-C PD can easily output 100W, there’s no need for a bulky standalone charger and cable to carry it around. The company has to keep up with the times and convert at this point, because if we are paying several hundred dollars for a projector, we want the latest and most convenient technology.

I’ve found that there are USB-C to DC cables that support enough wattage to power laptops, projectors, and similar devices. I did some reading, checked other users’ reviews, and finally decided to try this (this is the correct plug size). I’m happy to report that it works on the Elfin Projectors as well as the Mogo Pro, as long as you have a USB-C PD charger that can deliver about 60W of power from a single port. I’ve been using the cable for a few months without a problem, but I’d advise you to do your own research as well and see if you’re happy with this solution.

Leave
: The USB-C to DC cable I’m using.
right
: Uses XGIMI bulky power adapter + cable.

After trying out a few XGIMI projectors, I’ve really bought into the idea of ​​having a portable Android TV device that I can carry and use anywhere, whether I’m moving to a new country, a new apartment, or just a new room. In my house. I don’t think it will ever replace a proper TV, but it is a great complementary option for a bedroom, kitchen, and/or patio. Perhaps the biggest question is whether to use a fully portable unit or something that requires constant power but can be moved relatively easily. For the former, XGIMI’s Mogo Pro ($500) and Halo ($800) are great, and for the latter, the Elfin ($650) is a good choice to start. If you’re looking for more power and brightness, the more expensive Horizon 4K series ($1,700) steps up to the plate with 2,200 ANSI lumens.

He buys: XGIMI Elvin