Soccer World Cup on a 4-meter image diagonal - BlitzWolf V2 projector test
Finally a projector that I can watch everything on!
Watch my video presentation too!
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Introductory
I owe you a confession. I really like Android TV devices, since they run Android, they are easy to control with a remote control, and I'm used to it because I have it on my TV. For this reason, I was also very happy with the projectors that came with the Android TV system, but in the past year it turned out that no matter how good Android TV is, there are problems with the projectors.
Not in terms of hardware, because they know what they promise. The problem is of a software nature, quite simply the inability to get some programs to work. And not just any programs, but programs that I watch movies on. Netflix usually works, although the resolution is sometimes not very good. Amazon Prime also works for the most part, but Disney and HBO no longer want to work. There is a picture, no sound, and no solution.
Not to mention that TV broadcasts, such as the only watchable royal channel, M4 Sport, do not want to work either.
Then it happened that a cheap BlitzWolf projector arrived, in which everything works. It's true, there is no Android TV, just plain Android, but the user interface is usable and fast, broadcasts from all streaming providers are available, the picture does not break, the menu does not freeze, and what has been unimaginable so far...
...I can finally watch football matches on the projector!
That's why VERY it is important now, because the World Cup will be held between November 20 and December 18, which will be a "slightly" different experience to watch!
So in this article, I will introduce you to this inexpensive and all-knowing projector, stay with me!
Unpacking, accessories, exterior
The usual green and white BlitzWolf box, but surprisingly small compared to the fact that it has a projector inside. Of course, this is no wonder, since the projector is also small, the size of the enclosing rectangle is only 14 x 19 x 13 centimeters.
In the box, the machine is wrapped in a thick and soft cover, so you can almost guarantee that no harm will come to you on the way. There aren't many accessories, but more than usual. In addition to the machine, the remote control and the power cable, we also get a small tripod that can be screwed into the bottom.
The machine is not too complicated, if you look at the exterior. Only the sunken lens, the fabric cover hiding the speaker, the manufacturer's logo and one of the infrared sensors are located on the front. On top, there is nothing but the focus dial.
And the connectors at the back. The 220 input, a headphone and an HDMI input, a USB port for external storage, a second infrared sensor and the power button. There is also an air vent (it's definitely there from the front, but it's not visible) and there's also a part that looks like a speaker grill, and as you can see from the exploded view, there really is a speaker behind it.
At the bottom of the machine are four rubber feet and a standard thread for tripods. Anyway, I recently bought a Wanbo Stand for my projector, it was cheap, good stuff, and I was able to try the BlitzWolf V2 with it.
The BlitzWolf V2 really suits me from the outside. There is a bit of a retro touch, but only enough to make it pleasing to the eye, it does not have, for example, a chrome radiator grill like Wanbo's retro projector. It makes him look horrible.
If I had to compare the V2 to something, it would probably be most accurate to describe it as the love child of IKEA and Xiaomi. Clean Xiaomi exterior with a little Scandinavian touch. The fabric cover is very impressive, and the ring around the lens with the inscription is sufficiently tech-savvy.
So the point is, I think they hit the nail on the head!
Paper form
To be honest, there is nothing impressive about the knowledge, maybe it's just that the native FHD resolution is not yet the default in this. Of course, this is nothing either, since the resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels is still much better than if we had received plain 720p!
However, the machine makes up for its lack of impressive capabilities by knowing everything it needs to know and then some. In addition, the promised knowledge is there, they were not just described in the specifications.
So let's see the specific data!
The resolution, as I wrote, is FHD, that is, 1920 x 1080 pixels. The brightness (luminous flux) is 5000-6000 lumens, or 200 ANSI lumens when measured differently. The built-in speakers provide stereo sound, the two speakers are 5 watts each and 10 watts together.
The diagonal of the projected image reaches 4,65 inches from a distance of 150 meters, which means exactly 381 centimeters, almost 4 meters!
As I wrote, the BlitzWolf V2 runs the Android system, namely version 9. Of course, it has Bluetooth, so the sound can be output to an external speaker. There is also WiFi, two-channel, if everything is true n standard.
The software capabilities are also worth mentioning. In addition to the rotary focus adjustment, we also get software keystone correction, this is four-way, that is, there is not only vertical, but also horizontal calibration, which is generally available in the category. It has both manual and automatic modes, the latter didn't work for me, so I adjusted the image distortion manually.
Of course, we have the option to enlarge and reduce the image, although not within very wide limits, if the horizontal keystone correction is large. Understand if the projector is placed far to the right or left of the center line of the projected wall.
Finally, one more important thing: with the projector, we also have the option to project the image of our phone, whether it is an Android or iOS device.
Use and experience
As I wrote in the introduction, some projectors I've had (or still use) are in vain very good in terms of hardware and capabilities, if the software doesn't work. Fortunately, everything is in place with BlitzWolf V2!
The first thing I did during the test was to compare its image with that of the Wanbo T2 Max. I did this because both the BlitzWolf and the Wanbo T2 Max were rated at 200 ANSI brightness. Well, this 200 ANSI is not the same for the two projectors.
There is no difference in bright areas, but even more so in dark areas. What is only a dark spot on the Wanbo, there are still visible details on the BlitzWolf, so I immediately concluded that the V2 is better for watching movies.
There is no difference between the two machines in terms of keystone correction and image sharpness. If you project from the side, there is a problem here and there that the right and left edges of the image are not equally sharp. This is a "flaw" due to technology. However, as I said in the T2 Max test last year, I have seen much worse than this. With both projectors, it's worth setting the focus to the center of the image, so with the big screen, we only perceive the edge of the image with our peripheral vision anyway, and it's not about sharpness anyway, just the perception of movement.
The BlitzWolf V2 also has automatic image correction, but it's not perfect (at least I didn't have it), so it's much better to adjust the keystone yourself.
Anyway, I experienced only one error on the machine (I think this will be fixed later, because it's software). If we project the display of our phone, the keystone correction will return to the default position.
I haven't written about the sound of the projector yet. I have to divide this topic into two parts, on the one hand for the sound coming from the speakers, and on the other hand for the sound coming from the cooling of the projector.
I can't say anything good or bad about the speakers. The two 5-watt speakers do not produce a cinema experience, but the sound is clear and enjoyable. If there is nothing else, it will do, but if you want something good, you should buy at least a Bluetooth soundbar.
The sound of the fans, on the other hand, is a different story. It's not loud either by default, but that doesn't make them interesting. On the other hand, because the speed of the front and rear fans can be set separately from the software.
You would think that this is only important so that we can give cocoa to the cooling when the heatwave is raging, but no, it has another role, as the pitch of the sound produced changes as the speed changes. In other words, by adjusting the speed, we can select the frequency that bothers us the least. The sound is deeper at low rpm, higher at high rpm.
I really liked this ability, i.e. the ability to change the speed of the fans!
If I examine the quality of the image, then the contrast corresponds to the category, but the brightness is higher. Perhaps the sharpness of the lines is what I can criticize, but it is not terrible either, except maybe it is minimally better in the case of the Wanbo.
This is the projected image so far, which is important, but as I have already written several times, usage is not only affected by this, but also by the software.
Szoftver
I've already written the gist, the projector runs Android. It's a version 9 Android, which I would object to on a phone, but in the case of a projector, freshness is not decisive. In addition, as I wrote in the introduction, all essential applications can be installed and used with the machine. The pre-installed software called Aptoid TV helps us a lot in this. Why is this good?
It's good because a lot of things from the Google Play Store that are already available can't be installed on the projector due to incompatibility. We cannot download these from the official source, but we can also access these software on the Aptoid interface, although not always the latest version.
In any case, the app is there, you can experiment, because it often happens that some programs run flawlessly, while others have a small error, which is tolerable.
So the first important point about the software is that you can download programs from two app stores!
This is related to the fact that older versions are also available from the streaming software, so if the new one doesn't work, there is room to experiment. I had no problems with any of them, as I wrote, I also tried Netflix, Disney+, HBO and Amazon Prime, all four software ran flawlessly.
And now comes the most important part, watching TV shows!
Kodi can be installed on the projector, under which we can install different packages and different services. Kodi itself can be explained, so those who don't know English won't get lost either. To be able to watch M4 Sport broadcasts, you need to install the Movieshark add-on. In addition to the M4 Sport, you will also find other useful features, such as the availability of video, inda film, and inda video, but you can also find free Hungarian channels with the mediaklik add-on, which is part of the package.
I don't want to go into the installation and other details, but for those who are interested in the topic, I recommend the relevant ITCafe forum topic, where you can find all the information: Movieshark topic
Summary
The fact is that even knowing the price of this projector and the capabilities of the paper form, I already gave it a five, although a little afraid, because at this price we only get the absolute entry level, and there you may experience unpleasant surprises and disappointments.
However, there are no disappointments with the BlitzWolf V2. The only fault found is the above-described aspect ratio creep when projecting the phone's image, regardless of this, we get not only as much, but more than we can expect for this price.
The small but attractive projector can be placed even in the corner of the room, it does not have to be facing the projected wall, because the distortion of the image can be corrected with the four-way keystone correction. The sharpness of the image is adequate, but it will only be sharp everywhere if you project directly from your eyes. As I wrote, this is not the fault of the machine, it is brought about by technology.
The brightness is good, the contrast is average, the line sharpness could be a little better. The sound of the projector is adequate, it's not a Sokol radio, but it can't replace a regular soundbar, for example, it would be stupid to expect more from two small speakers. However, there is Bluetooth, so it is possible to transfer the sound to a more serious sound system.
And the software is exemplary! The user interface is a bit cheap, but easy to use and does not overload the hardware. No jerking, tearing. All common streaming apps, all common media player apps can be installed and used, and what is very important, you can watch free Hungarian channels via Kodi, including M4 Sport, which also means that you can watch matches with your friends over a beer with the projected image, which has a diagonal of up to four meters.
All in all, the BlitzWolf V2 not only lived up to, but exceeded my expectations for its capabilities. At this price point, I'd call the BlitzWolf V2 one of the best, if not the best, buy of the year.
What's more important, of course, is the price of the projector. Received the article today BGXIFD048 with a coupon code, from a Czech warehouse, free shipping, duty-free, we can buy the projector for HUF 62 by clicking on the link below:
