Formovie, the Chinese projector maker that made a splash a couple of years ago with its excellent Formovie Theater UST projector, today announced that preorders are now open for its new, affordable compact 1080p projector, the adorable $299 Xming Episode One.
Falling under Formovie’s independent sub-brand, Xming, the Episode One should fit in nicely with the portable projector set. Its lightweight and diminutive design — it weighs 2.8 pounds and measures 6.9 by 4.8 by 5.6 inches — makes it great for backyard movie nights.
Inside that small package sits an LED light source that offers 150 CVIA (China Video Industry Association) lumens of brightness, which is roughly equivalent to 122 ANSI lumens, the more common measurement in the U.S. For context, Buy at Amazon beams out 100 ANSI lumens and, while not blisteringly bright, it’s great for most indoor and outdoor movie nights. We’ve reached out to Formovie for a more precise lumen conversion and will update this article when we hear back.
The Xming Episode One is a standard-throw projector with a 1080p resolution image that can be projected from 40- to 120-inches in size, with a throw ratio of 1.2:1. That means for a 40-inch image, the projector should be roughly 41 inches (3.4 feet) from the screen, while a 120-inch image will require around 125 inches (10.4 feet) of distance. Formovie recommends it for use in small to medium-sized rooms.
With auto keystone correction and autofocus, setting up the Episode One should be pretty easy, even if you move it around. And like most new projectors hitting shelves lately, the Episode One runs on the Google TV operating system, which means that you don’t necessarily have to connect an external streaming device to it; it has Netflix already preinstalled and you can add pretty much any streaming service or app available on the Google Play Store. It has Chromecast built-in so you can cast content right from a smartphone or compatible device.
Sound-wise, the Xming Episode One has two 3-watt internal speakers and supports Dolby Atmos when outputted to a compatible system. Speaking of outputs, the Episode One features one HDMI 2.1 input, a USB-A input, and a 3.5 mm analog jack for headphone or a speaker. Wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi support for both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
The Xming Episode One projector, while compact, does not feature an internal battery and must be connected with the included AC adapter. This might be a game-changer depending on your portability needs, but for backyard movie lovers this summer, an extension cord is all you’ll need.
We’ve got our hands on an Episode One for review, which will be ready in the coming weeks. In the meantime, for those already interested, the $299 projector is available for preorder starting today. Formovie is offering it at the preorder price of $229 on the Formovie website if you use the code EPPRE.
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The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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