Bakeey VP1 Projector: The perfect gadget for gamers and movie buffs
The first projector where the brightness seems to be more than what the manufacturer says.
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Check out our video test too!
Introductory
Sometimes you don't get what you expect. I've had quite a few cheap projectors in recent times, several Wanbo (which is Xiaomi) and several BlitzWolf, and there's also a slightly more expensive one that's still waiting to be tested. So, if I look at a machine's data sheet, I can pretty much judge what I'm going to get.
Of course, there are recently more interesting software capabilities, and there are the various hidden Android versions, all of which can cause surprises, because it is not clear from the paper form if the operating system is unusable.
Bakeey VP1 didn't start out that way. I saw that the resolution is FHD, I saw that the brightness is 260 ANSI, I saw that there is no Android, so what is the surprise here? Nothing! Then, of course, comes the knock, when it turns out that even such a "simple" structure can surprise you quite a bit. My self-confidence is in ruins, that's how much my famous "I can tell you right or wrong" ability is worth.
Packaging, accessories and exterior
The box looks like it contains an OEM manufacturer's machine, so I quickly look for it, and indeed. VP1 can also be found with minimal modification under the name Cheerlux. Of course, this should be the biggest problem, it's more surprising that 2-3 other manufacturers don't have it, because the structure deserves to be embraced by more people anyway.
There isn't much in the box. For example, there is no HDMI cable, instead we find AV. The projector does not have an external power supply, so the power cable is a straight razor cable with an EU plug.
We have another remote control, which can be seen from afar to be infrared, which means that we have to give up the advantage of Bluetooth remote controls. The good news, however, is that on the remote control there is also a button dedicated to keystone correction and focus adjustment.
The projector looks pretty good. Although the plastic on the insert on the front panel looks quite shiny, the cover is matte white, elegant, and looks really good! The materials used are good, the plastic covers feel thick, and the assembly is exemplary. So far so good!
On the right-hand side are the connectors, one USB, two HDMI, one AV and one headphone. Opposite on the other side, we find the power connector, at the back only the outlet and inlet side of the fans. On the inside, there is also a filter behind the plastic grid, which is again good news.
The controls are located on the rear side of the roof. The rubber buttons are not too high, just enough. They're easy to find, you can touch them, but you'll still be remote-controlling them, so it doesn't matter much.
What surprised me at first was that I couldn't find a console attachment option at the bottom. I was puzzled by this, but then I took off one of the rubber soles and it turned out that the thread is underneath. So, the VP1 can be mounted on a standard four-point projector mount if you want to mount it on a wall or ceiling. We also get a leg that can be rolled up next to it, so we can adjust the tilt of the projector by placing it on a table.
Paper form
Let's see what the manufacturer has to say about the product!
The Bakeey VP1 is an LCD projector with a relatively large 4,41-inch LCD panel. The native resolution is FHD, i.e. 1920 x 1080 pixels. As you can already guess, the aspect ratio is 16:9 (but it can also be used for 4:3 content), and the projected image can vary between 50 inches and 300 inches (7,6 meters). I have already mentioned the luminous flux, it is 260 ANSI, while the brightness of the lamp (LED) is 10 lumens.
One of the most interesting features is the automatic focus and trapezoidal correction settings supported by artificial intelligence. In practice, this works in such a way that the device projects an adjustment image consisting of blocks similar to QR codes, which is then detected by the built-in front camera, determines the degree of distortion, and then adjusts the projected image accordingly.
The machine has a wireless connection, Wi-Fi supports both 2,4 and 5 GHz networks, and Bluetooth is 5.0, even if it is not the latest, but it is not far behind. The central unit of the machine has become quite powerful, an MTK 9255 chip, which can even drive an Android projector.
From a hardware point of view, only the speaker remains, because I have already mentioned the inputs and outputs above. A 1-watt speaker works in the VP5, meaning the sound is mono.
Of course, the machine supports a lot of video formats (MPEG1/MPEG2/MPEG4/H.263/H.264/AVS/VC1/MJPEG/RV30/RV40/HEVC), a lot of audio formats (MPEG1/MPEG2/LPCM/MP3/WMA2/ AAC/WAV) and some image formats (JPEG/PNG/BMP). There is a very good media player in the machine, so it is not without reason to support many formats.
It is also important that it supports both Android and iOS screen mirroring, and there is WPS Office support, which allows us to easily project various presentations. It is also important that the image can be rotated and reflected, so you can set the correct image orientation even when hanging upside down from the ceiling. Of course, there is also a zoom function, so we can adjust the size of the projected image to the size of our canvas without moving the machine.
Experiences
Let's start with brightness. There must be some people who wondered at the beginning of the article how to guess the brightness of a machine. Well, I test all projectors in the same way, so even if I can't measure the amount of light flux, I can estimate by eye which machine's image was brighter and which was darker.
On this front, the Wanbo T2 Max (which I still love) performed the worst with its 200 ANSI. Compared to this, the 1 ANSI of the Wanbo X250 was already a light orgy, and the Wanbo T4 and T6 were a miracle. We prefer to leave the BlitzWolf V3 machine from the last test, it is more of a game than a projector. However, the BlitzWolf V2 turned out to be a very good structure.
The Bakeey V1 is located somewhere between the BlitzWolf V2 and the Wanbo T4, with results more towards the T4 (I would like to add here that the Wanbo T4 is already in the HUF 100 category). In practice, this means that you don't need complete darkness to be able to use it, a little semi-darkness is enough. Of course, I always add here that even though there is plenty of brightness in the cinemas, the lights are still turned off, not by chance, that's the real cinema.
So, the question of whether it is possible to project as clearly as possible is of interest to those who buy a projector for presentation purposes.
The bottom line is that the brightness of the Bakeey VP1 goes beyond what the manufacturer specified. The colors are also really good. I'm not saying that I haven't seen brighter shades, but that would require even more brightness and HDR, so the bottom line is that I liked what I saw, it was surprisingly good.
What I didn't like was that even though the machine has separate front cameras for automatic adjustment of keystone correction and focus, the former did not want to work for me. As I wrote above, it is highlighted in the manufacturer's material, and it is also indicated next to the cameras, that these are indeed cameras supported by Ai (Artificial intelligence), which can automatically shoot the appropriate keystone correction based on the projected adjustment image. Maybe I'm just unlucky with this, because I've read in other tests that it works well. Well, I'm left with the manual setting. It's not that bad either, it's done quickly.
I would like to note here that the zoom function is quite rough, I have never seen anything like it. The size of the projected image can be reduced to a fifth or sixth. It doesn't make a lot of practical sense, because if the screen is small, it will be worth projecting closer, but for those who might not be able to solve this for some strange reason, the zoom will certainly give them enough help!
Regarding the image, it is also important that the annoying thing that does not occur with the VP1, which does with the Wanbo, is that the silhouette of the uncorrected projection surface appears as a bright frame around the image corrected with keystone correction. This is not very interesting when described, but it was a bit confusing during use (in my opinion) in the case of the Wanbo T6.
Well, let's turn back to Bakeey VP1, after all, that's why we're here!
As an interesting point, I write that the above-mentioned Cheerlux projector is identical to the VP1, with the difference that it is sold as an Android projector, but not as an Android projector. Let's say that during the test it became apparent that e.g. the interface of the keystone correction is exactly the same as the interface of the Android machines I've used, and the screen mirroring also reveals that Android is somewhere deep below the interface, but for some reason we can't use it as if it were Android.
Let's say that there is an online firmware update option, and there is even a manual mode, so maybe the missing parts will be turned on one day. Or, maybe you can put your Cheerlux system on it. Let's say everyone does this at their own risk, I take no responsibility if the projector becomes a brick after the update.
The sound of the machine, i.e. the sound of the cooling, is not terrible. It's not quiet, but it's not loud either, the frequency isn't disturbing, and the 5-watt speaker can suppress it so much that you forget about it while watching a movie. The speaker quality is not bad either, but don't expect hi-fi, not least because, as I wrote, the sound is mono.
I tried it with screen mirroring, I made a test video from my own recordings, where there are many colors, I also tried some MP3 playback, but the latter is really just for the sake of order, because it will not be the VP1 that you will be listening to music on.
I played with it a bit using the mirroring of the phone, and I can say it was quite good. The delay in the image and sound is very minimal, so it can also be used perfectly for gaming. Of course, not only for phones, as you can also connect it to a console, and then you can push your favorite games on a 3-4 meter screen diagonal.
The Bakeey VP1 really turned out to be a good little machine, as the exterior is attractive and the materials used are good. If you don't stick to Android, or would use a TV box or HDMI stick anyway to have a good Android TV system, then it will be perfect for you. Of course, even if you're content with, for example, putting playable movies on it on a USB drive or sending material to it via HDMI.
I would be surprised if it would also be suitable for the maximum 7-meter screen diagonal specified by the manufacturer, I feel this is a "little" exaggeration, but everything was still perfect on the 120-inch (~3-meter) screen I used.
All in all, the Bakeey VP1 turned out to be a brilliant entry-level cinema projector that performs surprisingly well for me, and which, by the way, gamers will also be satisfied with.
Summary
The first thing you notice is that it looks good. Holding it in the hand, it turns out that the quality of the construction is also impeccable. And after switching it on, I notice that it gives an enjoyable picture even in a half-darkened room. According to the manufacturer, the brightness (luminous flux) is 260 ANSI, but based on my experience, I would prefer 300-320 ANSI. Surprising! The colors are vivid, the line sharpness is also adequate, the contrast is fine, and the resolution is FHD, i.e. 1920 x 1080 pixels. I don't want to see a worse machine from now on.
Contrast and keystone correction are automatically adjusted, artificial intelligence supposedly processes the image of the built-in cameras. If that's the case, it seems a bit silly, but it's surprising that we can find one at all in this price category.
If you are looking for a cheap but usable projector without Android, which also looks good, then you have found it, look no further. You can order from a Czech warehouse, a BGXIFD531 with a coupon code, you can buy it for HUF 59 instead of HUF 400.
If you need more information, read the review below, if you've decided this is enough for you, click on the link below:
Bakeey VP1 FHD projector
