Magnasonic LED Pocket Pico Video Projector (PP60) review

It is not often that I get to review a product that can be used for work and fun equally. Most items I review fall into one or the other category. What am I talking about? My new Magnasonic PP60 Pico projector. While most folks would see something like this as a work item only, I see the potential for all sorts of fun uses, especially for travel. The fact that the PP60 has a rechargeable battery and is basically plug and play makes it an ideal road companion.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

To be honest, I did not know a lot about Pico projectors before I started this review so I had to do some research. The Magnasonic PP60 Pico video projector has the following specifications as listed by the Magnasonic website:

• Dimensions: 3.9 x 3.0 x 0.5 inches
• Weight: 0.28 lbs
• Display Technology: DLP Technology by Texas Instruments
• Manufacturer’s SKU: PP60
• Light Source: LED (RGB)
• Lamp Life: Over 20,000 Hours
• Projection Image Size: 10” to 60” (best performance in a dark environment)
• Projection Luminance: Max 25 Lumens
• Contrast Ratio: 1100:1
• Resolution Ratio: 640 x 360
• Audio: One 1W Speakers
• Audio Output: 3.5mm Headphone Jack
• Projection Time: >2.0 Hours
• Battery Capacity: 2100mAh/3.7V
• Battery Type: Lithium Polymer Battery
• Input: Up to 1080p
• USB Power Output: 5V/500mA
• Power Input: 5V/2A
• Video Input: HDMI/MHL
• Native Screen Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Lens: Manual Optical Focus
• UPC: 061783263303
• Certifications: FCC, ICES, UL

From my research, I would consider the PP60 to be more of a consumer/business model, leaning towards the consumer side with the max 25 Lumen output.

The Magnasonic PP60 comes with the following:

• PP60 Mini Projector
• Micro USB to USB cable
• HDMI Cable
• Galaxy 5-pin to 11-pin Converter
• MHL Adapter
• Mini-HDMI Adapter
• Protection Bag
• Tripod
• User’s Manual
• Lifetime Customer Support
• 1 Year Manufacturer Direct Parts & Labor Warrant

All of the included cables and adapters are a nice feature often missed by other manufacturers, especially the adapters. I will note here that I did end up purchasing my own Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter, so if you are an Apple user you will need to shell out between $45 and $50 for one of those cables.

The top of the Magnasonic PP60 has the focus dial, the Magnasonic name, a speaker opening, and two LED lights. On the leading edge at the front of the projector is the DLP logo.

The bottom of the PP60 has the projector info, the serial number, a cutout for heat displacement , and a threaded socket for the included tripod. I did try other portable tripods with the PP60 and they worked, so you have options if you do not like the included tripod.

The front of the PP60 has the lens opening and two sets of cutouts on either side of the lens.

The rear of the Magnasonic PP60 has 3.5mm headphone jack, the HDMI/MHL cable input, a Micro USB port and the reset opening.

Looking from the front of the PP60, on the right side, you have the on/off slider and the two volume switches. The left side of this projector is smooth with no features.

One of the nice features of the Magnasonic PP60 is its simple to use “plug and play” setup. After charging up the PP60 you simply plug in the appropriate cables, turn it on and you are projecting. Although I could hear the built-in speaker, the sound left a little to be desired, so I plugged in my TEGO audio CERA speaker to get better sound.

The specs for the PP60 says you can project up to a 60″ image, but I found that making the screen between 24″ to 30″ seemed to give me the best images. That size is plenty big for personal use or even with friends. I did find and the website did state that the PP60 performs best in a dark environment. That would stand to reason with the max 25 Lumens LED. I watched movies and played games on my iPad using the PP60 to project the image on a white sheet, but the lack of light intensity made the images a little dark. Note: I wasn’t able to take a good photo of the PP60 in action. The image above was provided by Magnasonic.

So, what is my bottom line here? As an entry level self-contained Pico projector I like the Magnasonic PP60. Having an internal battery and speaker makes the PP60 usable almost anywhere. With all the included accessories you will be ready to go as soon as your PP60 is charged. That being said, the 25 Lumen LED is this projectors negative. At $169.99 the Magnasonic PP60 is worth a look if you are considering a good budget Pico projector with a lot of nice features.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Magnasonic. Visit their site for more info and Amazon to check prices and order.