BudPlus S3 Projector Review
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Design
(4.5)
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Build Quality
(4.5)
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Performance
(4.5)
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Features
(5)
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Software
(4.5)
Summary
The BudPlus S3 projector finally ends our search for a low cost, high quality projector! 1080P output, Android OS frontend with HDMI and AV input support, excellent quality speakers and automatic focus and keystone correction.
Overall
4.6User Review
( votes)Pros
- Amazing price
- Native 1080P output up to 300″
- Android OS
- HDMI & AV input support
- Excellent JBL speakers which pack a punch
- USB ports to expand storage etc
Cons
- No Google Play Store, but does have another store built-in
We have been looking for an amazing, low price, high quality projector for some time now. Have we found it with the BudPlus S3 projector? Please switch off your mobile devices, and grab your popcorn, as the BudPlus S3 Projector review is about to begin!
BudPlus S3 Projector Review Video
BudPlus S3 Projector Unboxing
We start our BudPlus S3 Projector review with an unboxing. First we have the BudPlus S3 projector itself. We will take a closer look at it shortly.
Inside the packaging we have a power brick and plug. We will include the correct plug adapter for your county. Next we have the user guide which is in English. There is a battery powered remote control. You will need to supply your own AAA batteries. And last but not least, there is an AV cable.
BudPlus S3 Projector Overview
Next in our BudPlus S3 Projector review we take a closer look at the projector. The BudPlus S3 projector measures 7.16 x 6.7 x 7.7 inches (18.2 x 17.1 x 19.8 cm) and weighs 1.6Kg.
On the top of the projector we have touch sensitive controls for commonly used functions for menu navigation. You can of course use the included remote control if you prefer.
On the front there is the projector lens, it is native 1920×1080 output at 30Hz with a brightness of 7500 lumens. It can display on a surface between 1 and 6 metres distance, providing up to a 300” projected screen. It can of course be ceiling mounted as well as used on a table or tripod for example. The hardware supports automatic and manual focus as well as automatic keystone correction.
The left and right sides have high quality JBL harman stereo speakers which pack a decent punch. Not like those tinny speakers you usually get in projectors. There is also a hand strap if you wish to carry it.
On the back are two USB ports which you can use for example to connect a memory stick and wireless keyboard and mouse. There is a 3.5mm headphone port and an AV in port which you can use with the supplied cables. And at the end is a HDMI input which you can connect from any device with HDMI output such as a PC, games console and even gaming handhelds.
Tech Specs
As part of the BudPlus S3 Projector review we are covering the technical specifications.
DEVICE
| DISPLAY SYSTEM | 3.5” LCD fully-sealed Optical Engine |
| NATIVE CHIP RESOLUTION | 1920 x 1080 (fHD) support resolution: 1920 x 1080 (fHD) |
| MAX BRIGHTNESS | 370 ANSI /7500 Lumens |
| LIGHT SOURCE | LED over 50,000 hours |
| ASPECT RATIO | Native: 16:9 & 4:3 |
| PROJECTION DISTANCE | Maximum Operating Distance: 1 – 6 meters |
| REFRESH RATE | 30hz |
| CONTRAST RATIO | 5000:1 |
| BUILT-IN SPEAKER | 5W*2 JBL Harmon bass speaker DSP technology |
LENS
| FOCUS | Digital Focus |
| KEYSTONE CORRECTION | Digital trapezoid correction ±15° for Android version |
| THROW RATIO | 1.25:1 1.5m distance for 60″ screen size |
| PROJECTION SIZE | 40-200 inch |
| MOBILE SCREEN PROJECTION | Airplay (IPhone)，Miracast (Android) |
| WIFI | 5G +2.4G Wifi 6 WIFI Dual-Band Wifi connection |
| BLUETOOTH | SingleMode Bluetooth version5.0+BR+EDR,and is backward compatible with 4.2,4.0,3.0, and 2.1 |
CPU & GPU
I/O
| INPUTS/OUTPUT | 1x HDMI input (HDMI Type-A)/ Audio, Video Input such as TV Stick / Laptop / DVD / PS3 / Sony PS4 /Xbox / TV box 1x AV /Audio, Video Input such as TV, Video devices 1x Audio Output port,to external Headphone/Audio amplifier, etc. 1x USB Type-A 5V,Power Video Input/Output |
| CONTROLS | Touch pad on top of device, remote control (included) |
PROJECTOR DIMENSIONS
| SIZE | 7.16 x 6.7 x 7.79 inches (18.2*17.1*19.8cm) |
| WEIGHT | 1.6KG |
Android OS & Menu Overview
The BudPlus S3 projector uses Android 9 which provides a wealth of additional features not found in most projectors which is why we are covering it in our BudPlus S3 Projector review. You can navigate the menus and use the pre-installed software like you would similar to an Android TV box or phone.
There’s a few apps pre-installed including YouTube, some popular streaming apps, utilities and media players.
You also have an App store where you can download a variety of additional apps. Please note Google Play Store is not installed.
Usage
We continue the BudPlus S3 Projector review with some usage examples. You can use the supplied media players to play your content on the mini projector. There is support for a wide variety of video formats from MPEG1 up to H.265 and audio such as MP3 through to FLAC. You can play these directly from your memory stick if you wish to. Or you could get more advanced and connect wirelessly to a NAS with compatible apps for example.
If you have an external device, you can change the input to HDMI or AV. You can connect any compatible device such as games console, PC, handheld and display up to 1080P. For older hardware such as a VHS recorder or camcorder you can use the AV cable.
For more modern devices such as mobile phones, you can use the built in mirror cast and google cast over wifi. Simply follow the on screen steps to get connected and you can display content from your device.
It is possible to install your own apps. You can do this through the web browser or download the APKs to a USB drive and install from there. We installed RetroArch and set up a few emulators to see the performance. We saw very good performance for all the 8-bit and 16-bit systems. When we get to PlayStation 1 performance we start to see some performance issues on games. You can also get PSP running, but again you will see some performance issues. Overall it is very impressive for this CPU and a nice bonus to have if you are a retro gamer.
There are automatic and manual focus options which will sharpen the projected display. And if you have the BudPlus S3 projector at an angle, the automatic keystone will adjust when the angle is changed so that it will display correctly on the projected surface.
The built in JBL Harman speakers are very good quality, it’s impossible to reproduce audio quality over recorded video. Check out our BudPlus S3 projector review video above for a sample of the quality.
For the average house living room, in the UK especially, the speakers will definitely fill out your room and you will not require external speakers like with other projectors.
We have limited space in the office, so we have been trying on the largest white wall we have for demonstration purposes. We do advise buying a decent quality projection screen for the best quality display. Our office blinds were open while recording so it is letting in some light, we recommend the room being as dark as possible for the best results.
Final Thoughts
We sum up our BudPlus S3 Projector review with our final thoughts. The main highlights with the BudPlus S3 projector are that it is actual 1080P quality, not upscaled from lower resolutions. It requires as little as 1 metre to get a projected display, obviously 6 metres will give a larger display though. It has Android 9 which means you have a choice of apps to use, you can even sideload your own. The audio quality is great with the JBL Harman stereo speakers.
Over the past few years we have been searching for a low cost, high level of quality projector. With the BudPlus S3 projector, that search comes to an end. It really is a great projector for the home cinema and with a bit of built-in android and retro gaming thrown in, at this price you won’t find much better.
You can learn more and buy your BudPlus S3 projector here.
Also check out our getting started with the BudPlus S3 projector guide here. It covers everything you need to know about setting up and using the projector, there’s also some suggestions for projector screens, ceiling mounts, stands, accessories etc that you can use.
Thanks for reading (or watching) our BudPlus S3 projector review, we hope you have found it useful. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments.
