The Black Pearl - Wanbo TT Projector Test
If anyone likes Wanbo, it's me. My Wanbo projector fleet can now be reduced to 5, although I am currently planning to reduce the number of people, but it is difficult. It's kind of hard for me to part with these machines, sometimes they project something here and there.
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However, Wanbo projectors are not flawless either. I wouldn't even call them a great technological miracle, although it is true that they have abilities that elevate them above the average. Let me say nothing else about the shape, which has become almost their trademark today.
But there is the lens system made entirely of glass, the completely closed, dust-free projection system, where the lenses will never get dusty from the inside, the quiet cooling and, of course, excellent image quality for the price.
Over time, the quality of the image is constantly improving, I would like to mention here that compared to the light of the first T2 Max 200 ANSI, the latest pieces have already reached over 1000 ANSI, which is a serious increase. Over time, automatic focus was added to the services, followed by automatic keystone correction. So it can definitely be said that development has not stopped!
In this article, however, we are not talking about the latest developments (although their top projector, which is currently not yet launched, is also here on my desk, but it is still a secret), but about the Wanbo TT, which represents the previous generation.
The size of this machine is somewhere around the Wanbo T4, the exterior has not changed at all, but the color is black instead of white. This may be due to the fact that their previous machines were all Android-based, while the TT is Linux-based. This has both advantages and disadvantages, but more on that later.
Of course, TT has some pleasant surprises in store for us. The brightness of this machine has already risen to 650 ANSI, which does not burn out our eyes, but provides a pleasant cinema experience when darkened. As I always say, we sit in the dark in the cinema too, why would we expect such a small home projector to provide a sharp, enjoyable image even in sunlight? Well, right!
The lenses here are also made of glass, the lens system consists of six elements. The interior is also closed and dust-free. Since this is almost the latest generation, we already get automatic keystone adjustment and focus, but there is no obstacle avoidance yet - this is the ability when an object enters the projected image, the projector tries to change the size of the image so that the obstacle is not in it).
But not only that, we also get HDR10, which brings a visible change at this brightness, and we also get Dolby Atmos support for the 2 5-watt speakers.
The dry data related to the hardware and services also include the native FHD (1920x1080 pixels) resolution, a contrast of 3000:1, the selectable aspect ratio of 16:9 or 4:3, the projected image diagonal between 40-120 inches, the two-channel Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.1.
The machine measures 17 x 12 x 17,5 centimeters and weighs 1,67 kilograms, so it's really not big. So much for the hardware.
I wrote above that the machine runs Linux (okay, I know Android is also based on Linux), this is also interesting, which comes with another plus, which is the fact that the Wanbo TT is the only one of Wanbo's projectors that has received Widevine L1 support, which is definitely an advantage.
In short, this means that you can watch Netflix and YouTube and Amazon Prime in high definition!
What makes Linux not an advantage at all is the scarcity of available applications. There is currently no HBO, Disney, or Show Time, but neither, for example, Kodi. These are painful things for me. Of course, right now, during the test, I was thinking that I might be overthinking this software issue, because it's okay that I have a subscription to everything because of my work (for the sake of testing), but that's probably not the case for most people.
Netflix, with its huge selection, plus Prime, with its quality but slightly shorter duration, is a good enough package for most families, especially since Prime is still the cheapest of the domestic streaming services.
And if that's not enough, we still have the option of buying a 4K Xiaomi TV stick, which we plug into the HDMI input and we already have a full Android TV system on which everything runs, in addition, if we replace the projector at some point, then, keeping this, we can move from one projector to another without any problems.
Of course, it is also possible to project the image of our phone, the connection is simple, there is a dedicated menu item in the menu. What does not work is the projection of the streaming, but this is not surprising, unfortunately, due to copy protection, the transfer of the image is prohibited in this case. In other words, this will not be a remedy for the lack of the mentioned application either.
Finally, one more important detail, the remote control. Interestingly, the machine is not the usual white, and it got a Wanbo remote control that I really like, but a black one with many more buttons. The remote itself is of good quality, the hardness of the rubber buttons is just right, and the click of the buttons is just right. There are also dedicated buttons for Netflix, Prime and YouTube, overall there is nothing wrong with it, it's just completely different from what I'm used to.
Experiences can come!
It's a shame to talk about installation here, you just have to go through a few menu items and you're done. There is a Hungarian localization, there is an interface in Hungarian, it is true, the translation is a little strange here and there, but everything is understandable!
Lately, I've had many projectors with sharpness and keystone correction support. That is, support for automatic mode. It was true for all of these projectors that the focus is only just adjusted, but if the projection is not from the center, or almost from the center, the automatic trapezoid is useless.
Focusing on the Wanbo TT is by far the best I've seen. However, the trapezoid didn't work properly here either, if I wanted to project from a very wide angle. Fortunately, there is a way to manually adjust it in the settings, so this error is not really a bug, or at least not a serious one.
The fact that the projector does not have an adjustable height support is usually mentioned as a fault or inconvenience, so if you put it on the table, you have to put it on shelves with books, etc. Well, this never caused me a problem with these small machines, because I bought a small tripod that can be screwed into the standard thread on the bottom of the projector, and the solution is ready.
What's more, you can get a Wanbo tripod relatively cheaply in a Chinese store, which can be raised up to a good 160 cm, which means that it will be a perfect solution even when placed on the ground. I have one, and I did this test with it. In short, I think this shelving is rather lame, because the solution is really simple.
The picture is good. But really. Of course, the problem arises here as well, that the dark scenes are sometimes too dark, but to prevent this from happening, you need a few thousand ANSI, and that's what the laser machines have for half a million.
When darkened, we get a truly enjoyable cinema feel. I use a 120-inch screen, but the image I project is only 110 inches, and for this the screen must be 220 centimeters from the projector. It can be from further away, in which case we can use software to reduce the size of the projected image to fit on the screen, but it is good to know that the distance between the machine and the screen greatly reduces the brightness of the image. In addition, it is worth getting at least a medium-quality canvas that does not let too much light through, because what leaves behind is lost to our eyes. See dark scenes. In such cases, you'd be better off projecting it on the wall.
The sound of the machine is quite pleasant, the two small speakers work well, I did not scream for an external sound projector during the test. The sound of the cooling is also fine, the sound of the movies drowns out the cooling, and the hum is pretty even, so our ears quickly turn it off.
Overall, the Wanbo TT turned out to be a good little projector. It knows what it promises, watching movies with it is pleasant, and the fact that it finally has FHD Netflix and Prime is worth everything. Anyone who has seen the difference projected between SD and FHD resolution understands what I'm talking about.
At the end is the price. I don't think that's bad either, but of course everyone decides for themselves how much a home theater design is worth. It is certain that the Wanbo TT provides a suitable basis for this, so the NNNWBTT the price of HUF 85 available with a coupon code is considered acceptable. Of course, the delivery takes place from an EU warehouse, the price includes VAT and you don't have to expect customs duties when ordering.
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