Sony MP-CD1 Review: Ultra-portable mobile projector for home and office

Sony MP-CD1 mobile projector is priced at Rs. 29,990

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Sony recently introduced a new version of the company's mobile projectors for office and home use. The new mobile projector, MP-CD1 is an ultra-portable mobile projector solution to address the needs of on-the-go business professionals who don't want to rely on big and bulky table projectors. The MP-CD1 can fit in the palm of your hand and can be used to project content up to 304.8 cm (120-inches) in size from a short distance of 350 cm.

 

Rating:
4.0/5

Sony MP-CD1 Review

This pocket-sized projector comes with a brightness rating of 105 ANSI lumens and is backed by a 5,000mAh built-in battery unit which is rated to deliver a projection time of two hours on a single charge. Priced at Rs. 29,990, Sony MP-CD1 visited our testing lab and we streamed movies, PPTs, and other digital content to evaluate the projection output from the ultra-portable mobile projector. Here's what we have to say about the Sony MP-CD1.

Design: Fits in the palm of your hand

Design: Fits in the palm of your hand

As the name suggests, the MP-CD1 is indeed a very portable projecting device that can be carried around just like a smartphone. The mobile projector weighs approx 280 grams and can be easily mistaken for a power bank. And the interesting thing about the Sony MP-CD1 is that the battery unit powering the mobile projector can also be used to recharge your smartphone. It's a 5,000 mAh battery unit and if you are not planning to stream a movie or a presentation, you can simply use the mobile projector as a power bank.

The mobile projector measures approx. 83x 16x 150 mm in size, comes in an aluminum body and is very apt for office goers and even travelers who would want to stream movies or videos on a wall during a weekend trip.

Variety of ports to support a range of devices
 

Variety of ports to support a range of devices

The mobile projector has a 3.5mm headphone jack, HDMI/MHL port, USB out port, DC (5V) power port and on/off button on the right side. The right side of the mobile projector has a manual slider to set the focus of the projected image. Sadly, there are no volume buttons on the portable mobile projector and it also does not come equipped with a built-in Bluetooth, which is a letdown.

Sony has also added a socket at the underside of the unit that can help you fix a standard tripod for projecting at any angle, even on the ceiling.

Setup: Connectivity ports and devices supported

Setup: Connectivity ports and devices supported

As mentioned, Sony MP-CD1 has HDMI and USB ports. These allow you to connect a variety of media-streaming devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops to project the multimedia content. You can even connect a gaming console and can also insert streaming sticks such as Fire TV, Chromecast, etc. to directly stream content from popular streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime YouTube on a wall.

If you don't want to get involved in cables, simply connect an HDMI wireless display dongle that enables wireless connectivity to connect smart devices like smartphones, tablets, etc. The fact that HDMI dongle also supports simultaneous powering from a USB port even during projection, allows you to stream non-stop videos and other digital content via the mobile projector.

Useful for avid travellers, content creators, and startups

Useful for avid travellers, content creators, and startups

If you are completely relying on your smartphone for work and entertainment, this mobile projector actually makes a lot of sense for you. You can use the mobile projector to stream movies, content from Netflix, YouTube and videos/images shot through smartphones on a nice big screen from anywhere you plan to. During office meetings, simply connect the projector with your PC using HDMI cable and stream the PPT you have prepared over the weekend.

The fact that the portable mobile projector boots up in just 5 seconds is impressive and saves a lot of time in everyday office routines. Sony MP-CD1 can also be a very good office solution for start-ups who are short on budget and have space constraints. The mobile projector can also be a very good travel companion if you want to check out the videos and images you have captured during your outings on a big screen.

Talking about the audio performance, the portable mobile projector has a built-in 1W speaker unit. However, it is very basic and only produces average audio, which seems insufficient if you are watching a movie or playing games on a big screen. Thankfully Sony has provided a 3.5mm audio jack that allows you to connect the projector to a secondary speaker for audio.

Performance: Bright image/video projection

Performance: Bright image/video projection

As far as video quality is concerned, you are not going to be blown away with the image output but it still serves the purpose well. The projector beams images/videos with 105 lumens brightness level, making it the brightest mobile projector in the market. Resolution is a weak point here as it maxes out at 854x480 pixels. When placed in a dark room at around 2.5 m away from the wall, the projected image is pretty good and looks just fine. Gamers can connect the console with the mobile projector and enjoy occasional gaming sessions.

The mobile projector also features ‘Automatic keystone correction' technology that maintains the correct image output on a wall if the surface is uneven or if you project the content from an angle. You need to take care of the focus as a slight shift in the position can alter the image. The focus slider can be used to set the correct focus of the image on the wall.

Besides, the mobile projector also comes with dynamic picture mode that enhances images and videos to optimal brightness and saturation. Last but not the least, the projector streams content without any noise and does not show any alarming heat signatures as the inbuilt fan works continuously to maintain an optimal temperature. Place it approx. 3.5 m away to project an image of the size 120-inch.

Verdict

Verdict

Sony MP-CD1 makes digital projection fun. It is extremely portable and can be a great accessory for college students, professionals, avid travelers, content creators, and startups. The mobile projector has a decently sized battery unit and projects bright images/videos in just seconds. It supports a range of devices, making it easy to stream digital content on a big screen from possibly anywhere. The resolution and audio delivery is a bit let down but that doesn't stop me from recommending this product to its targeted audience as the overall package is a pretty good deal.

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