Though most projectors these days come with a wireless remote, and many have built-in speakers and app-based streaming entertainment on tap, the latest 1080p thrower from China's Wejoy cooks in touch interaction too – albeit via a stylus-like pen.
Currently the subject of a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, the Wejoy interactive projector looks to be a new somewhat less blocky version of the company's Y2 interactive projector released last year.
As well as enjoying thrown visuals from the comfort of a living room sofa, users can also get up and interact with the projected images pretty much as you would with a tablet – though folks will need to be mindful of shadow issues when playing touch-activated games or giving presentations in the office.
Unlike the puppy cube we reviewed in 2018 though, the Wejoy's sensors and Touch Cal software don't track hands and fingers but zero in on the position of a supplied battery powered interactive pen.
The company reports that the LCD projection unit with LED light source are capable of producing native 1080p visuals at up to 130 diagonal inches on a wall or screen, with a throw ratio of 1.25:1, and the unit is also able to decode 4K content.
Putting out just 600 ANSI lumens however, the projector will be no match for daylight viewing with the blinds open, but image quality should improve as ambient light levels are lowered. It offers a 1,500:1 contrast ratio, four-point keystone correction and electronic focus, comes with HDMI 2.0 and USB connectivity, plus dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and includes support for wireless screen casting.
The projector is wrapped in an aluminum alloy shell, is built around a single-chip Amlogic T972 microcomputer with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage, and is kept cool without the need for a noisy fan. Where some projectors can let dust in to spoil the viewing party, Wejoy has fully sealed the optical engine for long-haul spot-free visuals.
Android TV 9 runs the show for access to thousands of popular entertainment apps, which appears to include Netflix out of the box, and there's a built-in dual-5-W-speaker sound system for shared audio, or a headphone jack for private listening.
Though its 7.2 x 5.3 x 7.4 in (182 x 134.6 x 187.9 mm) dimensions and weight of 3.6 lb (1.65 kg) lend it some portability, users will need to find a wall outlet to power it as there's no internal battery. And finally, the projector comes with a wireless remote but can pair with a smartphone for control via a companion app.
Kickstarter pledges for the Wejoy interactive projector start at HKD 3,128 (about US$399), representing a saving of 43% on the suggested retail price. If all goes to plan on the already funded campaign, shipping (which isn't included in the pledge levels) is estimated to start in November.
Source: Wejoy