TCL PlayCube review: I used this portable projector for business presentations and watching movies, and it’s brilliantly simple

by · TechRadar

TechRadar Verdict

Having reviewed several small portable projectors, I’ve found that they quite often lack power and resolution. The PlayCube, however, feels different, with a high-quality build and a bright, detailed 30 to 150-inch projection, autofocus, keystone correction, and object avoidance. This is a highly portable 1080p DLP projector that features Google TV, Netflix certification, and 750 ISO lumens, enabling use in most indoor settings and in some outdoor settings. Featuring an internal 66Wh battery, it offers plenty of viewing time for presentations and movies with a decent projection size ranging from 30 to 150 inches. It all comes together to make this a great option for movies, sport, and most importantly, business presentations and workshops.

Pros

  • +Compact
  • ++ Rotating design for tilt
  • +Bright projection
  • +Google TV built-in
  • +Comes with a durable case for travel

Cons

  • -Expensive
  • -Audio volume limited
  • -Limitations on battery life

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TCL PlayCube Portable Projector: 30-second review

If you’re looking for a small, portable projector for business presentations or just to sit back and relax and watch a movie, this Google TV-enabled 1080p projector is a superb option. What I really liked about this projector was that as I fed a presentation from my 4K output through the projector, it was downscaled without any issue, no black screen or flickering it just worked.

Essentially, with Google TV installed, linking it to my selection of mobile phones, be that Android or iOS, was straightforward, all done through the Google Home app. Once you’ve run through that initial setup process, along with all the updates, you’ll be up and running within a few minutes.

Since it's based on Google Home, you can install any native apps you want. If you are primarily using this for entertainment, you can download Amazon Prime, Netflox, 4oD, and any other apps you want, although iPlayer and the BBC apps do need to be cast. There's also a slight compatibility issue with iPhones when trying to cast from Apps like iPlayer, but for the most part it's simple enough. It’s all very simple, as ever with anything that runs on Google Home, and the connection speeds provide fast downloads in most situations.

When the unit arrived, it came in a semi-hard case, which is great for portability, especially if you’re going to business meetings or are running a workshop, as I was. In which case, it makes it a very neat and easy way to carry. The other point that I like about the design is that it has a 90-degree rotating body, which means you can very easily tilt the projection at will, no need for book to prop it up, and with the auto keystone correction, it automatically corrects the verticals. If, however, you want to mount it onto a tripod, then there is a quarter-inch thread on the base, making things especially easy.

Considering the size, the 750-lumen projection brightness is pretty decent for a portable model, although you do still need to present in slightly subdued lighting. In midday daylight, it’s worth just pulling down the blinds so you can see the projected image clearly. But if you’re viewing this later in the evening or at night, then that projection clarity is superb, and the uplift to Full HD, not just HD as many portable projectors are, really does make a difference to the quality.

The one thing I would say is that it has an integrated 5W speaker, and whilst that is actually pretty decent and was fine for my presentation, it’s a little low on the volume stakes. However, as you’ve got a 3.5mm audio output jack, if you do want to plug in a louder soundbar, then thankfully, that’s very easy to do.

The point here is that, alongside the Home integration, which is great for entertainment, when it comes to business use, you also have the HDMI input. So, you can connect it straight into a laptop, in my case, the MacBook Pro M1 Max, or there’s a USB Type-A port as well, so USB keys can be plugged directly in.

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