Even though the size of Even though the image from the ViewSonic M1 mini isn’t very bright, the projector itself is bright and cheerful. The sides and bottom are matte white, and the top plates can be changed to be gray, yellow, or teal. This inexpensive, portable device is a good choice as an entry-level projector for use in a family room or while on vacation. It has a clever built-in stand, better-than-average image quality, a simple interface, and a media player. The M1 mini has a small usable image size because it isn’t very bright, and it works best in a dark room.
The ViewSonic M1 Mini is made with a 0.20-inch DLP chip and a 30,000-hour LED light source. The native resolution of the 0.20-inch DLP chip is 854 x 480. Even in wide-format 16:9, the resolution is low by today’s standards, but it’s good enough for a typical PowerPoint presentation or for watching movies and videos. And to make it easy to connect, the M1 Mini can take video signals from 640 x 480 to 1080p and convert them to its native 854 x 480 when necessary. When I told my Blu-ray player to negotiate the resolution automatically, the M1 Mini set up a connection at 1080p.
Specifications
- Engine Type DLP
- Rated Brightness 50 ANSI lumens
- Native Resolution 854 by 480
- Maximum Resolution 1920 by 1080
- Inputs and Interfaces HDMI, USB
- Dimensions (HWD) 1.1 by 4.1 by 4.1 inches
- Weight 0.7 lb
Where to get ViewSonic M1 Mini projectoer?
The projector only weighs 11 ounces, and the top panel comes in three different colors—gray, yellow, and teal—so you can change the way it looks if you want to. It’s only 1.1 inches tall, 4.1 inches wide, and 4.3 inches deep, and that includes the built-in stand that covers most of two sides of the projector and acts as a lens cover. To set up the projector, you can turn the stand below it and tilt the M1 Mini up or down to aim it at whatever you’re using as a screen. You can also turn the stand so that it looks like a handle above the projector and rest the M1 Mini on its four rubber feet.
After that, setting up is as easy as plugging in a video source, turning on the projector, and putting it where you want it. As is typical for projectors this size, there is no zoom. To change the size of the image, you have to move the projector, and focusing is a little tricky because the focus changes a lot with a small amount of movement. If you have to tilt your head to look at the screen, you can square up the image by using auto or manual +/- 40 degree vertical keystone correction.