H96 P Android DLP Projector Review

Just a few days back, I was looking around for a pocket projector to cast my movies or shows onto the ceiling of my bedroom (because I don’t have a television in the bedroom). I settled on the H96-P ultra-portable DLP projector. The good thing about it is that it runs Android and thus new apps or contents can be easily added. What is DLP? Digital Light Processing, or DLP, is one of the technologies projectors use to create images. The other technologies are Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS). So which one is the best? Well, each got their own pros and cons. For example, DLP and LCD excels in brightness while LCoS offer deeper blacks and better contrast ratio. Before you start lamenting about H96-P using DLP, you might be surprised to find that movie theaters typically use DLP projectors as well, albeit better ones.     The H96-P DLP projector is made of plastic with no noticeable sharp edges. It does not feel flimsy and the overall build is actually quite good. I am surprised to find that the H96-P actually got automatic keystone adjustment that skews the projected output to make the projection rectangular when it is not placed perpendicular to the horizontal centerline of the the screen. Inside the software settings, you can also switch to manual keystone adjustment. To the right of the lens is the adjustment ring for focusing the projection. I find it a little too smooth for my liking as a slight nudge will cause over-adjustments. Perhaps I am too used to the friction on my tripod or DSLR lens during manual focusing. To the left of the lens is the speaker and ventilation holes. The speaker is pretty loud for its size. For a better multimedia experience, I recommend getting a pair of Bluetooth speakers to go along with it. On the same edge as the adjustment ring, you will find a TF card slot (or micro-SD card slot) to expand the storage of the device. It works well with my 32GB micro-SD card. On this edge of the H96-P projector, you will find the HDMI input, power input, two USB ports and power switch. Honestly, I was caught off guard by the form-factor of the power input. I had expected it to be micro-USB. The power input is 5V 2.5A so a standard USB to DC 4 x 1.7 mm cable would work. At the back of the H96-P projector is the 3.5mm audio jack. It makes sense for the audio jack to be at the opposite edge of the lens. On the bottom of the H96-P projector, you will find the tripod mount and a small kickstand. I find the included tripod a little flimsy and difficult to adjust. The kickstand is great for meeting rooms or any rooms where you have a table near to a wall. Just flick out the stand, place it on the table and point the projection towards the wall. Viola, the entire setting up takes less than a minute. One of the good points of the H96-P DLP projector is that it is based on Android operating system. Though dated (Android 6.0.1), you can still find a bunch of multimedia apps on the Google Play Store. Sign in to your Netflix account and you will be streaming (and projecting) all the latest movies and shows. If you don’t have Netflix account, you can rely on YouTube. I would recommend using a keyboard (either Bluetooth or wired) when setting up the H96-P as nothing beats a physical keyboard when keying in the wireless network’s password. For normal operations like launching of Netflix and navigating between shows, the touch sensitive controls or remote controller works pretty well. Streaming YouTube contents is smooth over its dual-band wireless. Similarly, miracast-ing to the H96-P DLP projector is straight-forward and smooth. The home screen or landing page is akin to those of TV box for easy navigation and launching of apps. At the top of the screen are the status indicators for wireless connectivity, external storage and power level. Battery-wise, the H96-P lasted more than an hour (but less than two hours) when I streamed YouTube over wireless with volume set at approximately 75%. The battery life may get better after a few charge cycles. One point to note is that the fan is noisy. It is similar to the sound of the fan from a laptop under heavy usage. Conclusion I am not an expert on pocket projectors but I would say that the H96-P DLP projector is great at its price! A pocket projector from Sony would likely cost 1.5 to 2 times more, albeit for a better projection quality. But hey, this is good enough for projecting business presentations on the move, project Netflix or YouTube videos onto walls and ceilings during family gatherings. The ability to miracast allows anybody on the network to project their device’s screens which is great for demonstrating mobile app or to show the videos and photos taken during their recent holiday trips. For the next gathering, I would probably get the kids can to sit around and enjoy their cartoons on the big screen (or wall) in the living room. is great at its price! A pocket projector from Sony would likely cost 1.5 to 2 times more, albeit for a better projection quality. But hey, this is good enough for projecting business presentations on the move, project Netflix or YouTube videos onto walls and ceilings during family gatherings. The ability to miracast allows anybody on the network to project their device’s screens which is great for demonstrating mobile app or to show the videos and photos taken during their recent holiday trips. For the next gathering, I would probably get the kids can to sit around and enjoy their cartoons on the big screen (or wall) in the living room.