Shenzhen-based projector maker JMGO has a new family member. The PicoPlay brings the party to any indoor space with Full HD projection combined with a Bluetooth music speaker and ambient light show, in a form factor about the size of a travel mug and light enough for an easy carry at the wrist or in the backpack.
There are two models in the PicoPlay series, I was sent the standard PicoPlay for review. A brighter light source and different colored housing are about the only differences between this model and the Plus version.
Like many models in this space, JMGO's "3-in-1" entertainment hub is built around a LED light source, which puts out just 400 ISO lumens. This naturally means that the best viewing will be had in a lights-out living room situation but I still managed to get watchable visuals at the highest brightness setting in a shadowy corner during daylight hours.
Sure, the imagery wasn't nearly as sharp or colorful as when the projector didn't have to duke it out with ambient light, but the visuals weren't as washed out as I had expected. Let in more daylight or turn up the room lights and the projector starts to lose the battle, and outdoor usage is definitely restricted to dusk and into the night.
JMGO says that the projector has brightness uniformity of 85%, covers 124% of the Rec.709 color gamut, supports HDR10 content, and offers 400:1 contrast. The specs also state that visuals up to 180 diagonal inches can be had, but the closer the unit is to the wall, the sharper and brighter the imagery. As such, I'd recommend aiming for around 50-60 inches from the bottom left corner to the top right for an enjoyable watch in a darkened space, which means pulling the projector back about 55 to 65 inches thanks to a 1.2:1 throw ratio.
There's a rubbery foot to the bottom of the cylinder that rotates on a ring over 88 degrees and works with a flatter strip to the top so that the unit can be placed at different upthrow angles, and stay where it's put. A ToF sensor out front enables autofocus, auto keystone correction, adaptive brightness and smart eye protection – all of which worked pretty well to simplify setup.
GTV as your entertainment host
This model comes with Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity. As with most smart projectors, JMGO's newest offering can be set up to run basic live TV, but has Google TV baked in for official Netflix along with other popular streaming apps like YouTube and Prime Video – all of which have dedicated shortcuts on the BT remote. Of course you'll also get "access to over 10,000 apps and more than 700,000 movies and shows."
Setup can be undertaken using the remote or by scanning a QR code with a smartphone camera. I opted for the former and after a few minutes GTV loaded up the home screen containing synced apps and those pre-installed streaming options.
The GTV interface offers a smoother, more intuitive user experience than the Android TV platform it's built on. There's seamless integration with the Play Store, a centralized search that produces results from numerous apps, screen mirroring is available along with voice search, and users are offered plenty of tweaking opportunities. Having used straight Android TV and topped by GTV, I prefer the latter (for what it's worth).
The body of the projector sports touch controls near the small array of ports plus an action button next to the power on/off switch. These can be used to control playback and cycle through options without needing to pick up the remote, which is handy if you're forever misplacing such things.
Let there be light
There's a multi-color light ring around the speaker grille at the top, which can be set to always off, always on or Bluetooth speaker mode only in settings. The default is to display a mix, but individual colors can be selected along with a dynamic mode where it can be set to dance to music or pulse-like "breathing."
An app-controlled ambience light mode is available too, which allows the user to bathe in calming wallpapers selected through the mobile app. The package comes with a funky plastic lens that pops over the front of the projector's optics to disperse the light show in interesting patterns.
Smart projectors tend to have a built-in sound system, and this model is no exception – though it shapes up as a single 8-watt speaker here. It can serve up the soundtrack of whatever you're watching on the wall, or can be used as a Bluetooth speaker when the LED light source is switched off – with JMGO promising 360-degree sound from the up-fired driver.
The speaker has quite some punch, throwing out enough volume to rock a small space with ease, but I feel that the addition of a headphone jack would help with a stereo image during gaming or for more immersive viewing – not to mention enjoying movies without disturbing the rest of the household.
When the projector isn't throwing out sound, fan noise is quite noticeable, though the whirring does calm down somewhat when in eco mode (which outputs the lowest brightness). When the speaker is pumping audio, the fan noise is less apparent.
For those who prefer to cable, you'll find a HDMI 2.1 port with audio return for integration into external audio systems, and a USB 2.0 port. The unit also has a USB-C power port, which confusingly is referred to as a charging port though the PicoPlay lacks an internal battery. So it's portable in the sense that it's a lightweight carry (and sports a short lanyard out of the box) but will need to be positioned near a wall outlet to work.
However, the projector can be optioned with a powerbank stand, which will reportedly give you around 4.5 hours of use in eco mode per charge – but I didn't get one included with my review unit so can't really verify that portable endurance.
The bottom line
I'll be honest, at 400 lumens I wasn't expecting much from this little party animal but the 1080p canister projector did surprise in a shaded corner during daylight hours. The visuals proved sharp and colorful enough for watchable entertainment when the viewing rectangle was around 50 diagonal inches.
Darkness brought picture improvements, and allowed the display size to be increased – though the farther the unit was pulled away from the wall, the more detail was lost. The PicoPlay proved itself capable of delivering late-night entertainment in the yard too, though it's not waterproof so setting up in South West England proved a challenge. I didn't venture into the wilderness for this review, but did try to run the projector from a PD powerbank I had kicking around but it wasn't powerful enough – the setup requires 65-W power delivery over USB-C.
So who is this for? Anyone who wants a pint-sized GTV entertainment hub for not much money, and might also appreciate having a built-in Bluetooth speaker mode with integrated disco lights. With help from the app, the projector could also help set the mood at a party or just provide an interesting backdrop on an otherwise boring blank wall.
The PicoPlay is quite pleasing to the eyes, measures 85 mm (3.35 in) in diameter and 166 mm (6.5 in) in length, and weighs in at 740 g (26 oz). This will apparently increase to just over a kilogram when mounted to the optional powerbank stand.
JMGO's latest addition to the family went on sale earlier this month for US$449 in white or $499 for the black PicoPlay Plus – which can be bundled with the powerbank stand and projector for $599. If you're quick you can take advantage of Prime Day discounts at Amazon and the company's webshop that could shave a third off the ticket price.
Product page: JMGO PicoPlay series
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