Google TV on a projector: what Bertel King found, from $3,500 to 720p

Bertel King writes for How-To Geek that Google TV is a genuine game changer on a projector, not on a TV. He states plainly that the software is even better on a projector than on a television, despite the name. That is his opinion, not a measured result, so treat it as one person's view.

He owns two projectors with Google TV built in. The newer one is the JMGO IRIS Ultra Max, which he describes as a review unit. The other is the Nebula Capsule Air, a Bluetooth speaker-sized model he says is now discontinued.

King placed the JMGO IRIS Ultra Max on a small coffee table in his bedroom. He powered it from an Anker SOLIX S2000 portable power station, so he did not need a cord running to the nearest wall outlet.

Setting up Google TV, he says, was as straightforward as on a TV and less frustrating than it used to be. He completed the whole process by scanning QR codes on his phone, which meant no passwords typed on a virtual keyboard. Because Google TV is built in, the power cord was the only cable involved.

The JMGO IRIS Ultra Max produces a sharp 4K image that King compares to his 75-inch Frame TV. The built-in laser light source, in his words, requires no knowledge or effort from him. Sound filled the room easily, and the included remote felt as intuitive as the one he uses with his TV.

He notes the projector booted up only slightly slower than a television. Once fully loaded, the interface was as quick to navigate. The unit is priced at $3,500, a figure he mentions himself.

With Google TV inside the JMGO, King did not need an HDMI cable to a separate streaming box or laptop, and no second charger for that device. He says this makes the projector easier to set up on a whim anywhere in the house, even though it is not meant to be portable.

The Nebula Capsule Air goes further. It has a battery inside, so no charger is needed for sessions under a couple of hours. That makes it easy to put in a bag and take along. It can be set up outdoors as easily as indoors, especially with an optional tripod that also extends battery life.

The Nebula Capsule Air resolves only 720p, King writes. He says the image quality is lower, but he bought it for a different reason entirely: portability. He describes it as similar to the Capsule 3.

His point about cables cuts both ways. Portability would be undone if he also had to pack a streaming box, a separate charger and the cables for them. Built-in Google TV removes that load.