The BenQ Joybee GP1 is a mini-projector that is marketed by BenQ as a fun device that follows you in any room, in any place. The Joybee GP1 accepts VGA or analog signals, so it is compatible with a wide range of devices from laptops to game consoles or DVD players. Its resolution is slightly higher than DVD, which makes it a good candidate to play movie with. It is small – much smaller in fact than most projectors thanks its LED lighting system. That sounds pretty cool, but how does it do in the real world?
Setup
The slot at the bottom is where the video signal comes in.
VGA or analog signals can routed via the proprietary cable that comes with the Joybee GP1 projector. In this case, I tested it with a Macbook Pro 13″ using a DisplayPort to VGA connector. The projector does not need any setup, except for the focus. You have to realize that the power supply and the cables that go with it are 1/3 of the size of the projector. That said, it is easy to carry around and it doesn’t heat up too much – that’s a big deal. It means that it’s not burning hot at the end of the meeting, or that it’s safer to handle in general. It is also relatively quiet – although not completely quiet.
The marketing material doesn’t show the power supply, but here it is
When the image is projected at an angle and deformed (it becomes a trapeze), the Joybee GP1 will adjust itself so that the image stays square. It works really well if you don’t use an extreme angle (video below).
Image Quality
4 feet – in with closed blinds, but not in total darkness
The image quality can be very decent but because the projector’s brightness is only 100 Lumens of brightness (many projectors get to 800-2000 Lumens), the quality will largely depend on the ambient light (or darkness, I should say) and the screen/wall surface. I tried it on a white wall. It’s not the best surface, but it’s representative of what the Joybee GP1 was designed to do: be a casual projector.
So, in the dark, and with and with an image size of 30″ to 35″, you get more of less the equivalent of a bright LCD TV. From there, and depending to your tolerance to the loss of brightness, you can move it further back to get a larger image. I can imagine myself playing Street Fighter with a friend on a 60″ image that is somewhat dimmer than a TV.
Movies
Can you watch movies? Yes, but I would recommend doing so with a 40″ image at most, assuming that you are in the dark. Cartoons might be OK with a lower brightness. Again, it depends on your content, but you get the idea.
USB connectivity
If you want to display photos or MPEG1 videos, you can use a USB drive by connecting it directly to the back of the projector. That can be useful, and I’m sure that a lot of people would wish that it could read PowerPoint files too (yeah, I know, it’s much more complex, but…).
Conclusion
Is thatsmall emough for you?
Yes, the Joybee GP1 mini projector is a small projector that can easily be carried and setup in many places. In the end, it comes down to how portable you need your projector to be. With the suggested price of $499, it costs almost as much as larger, much more luminous projectors. However, the larger ones are also much bigger, heavier and… hotter. The Joybee GP1 is cool (as in “cold”) enough so that I wouldn’t worry too much about kids being around (I can’t vouch for it, but it’s not scary hot). Do you think that the pros outweigh the cons?
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