Projector watch: Acer K135 good for home entertainment, small offices

ACER K135
Price: Rs 44,999
Specs: DLP + LED projector, 500 lumens brightness, 1,280 x 800 pixels resolution, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, HDMI, microSD, USB slot, 2W speaker, 430 grams
Rating: 4/5

The growing popularity of projectors has seen the rise of portable projectors. Acer's K135 is a good one.

Weighing 430 grams, it looks smart. It has its hardware controls on top along with a manually adjustable focus control just above the lens. There are cooling vents on the sides and a variety of connectivity ports at the back. There is a full HDMI port with MHL support, a USB port, microSD slot, universal I/O and the DC in port for connecting the charger.  

Packing in a 1280X800 pixel resolution, it has 500 lumens brightness and 10,000:1 contrast ratio. Its compact size makes it an apt projector for home theatre. It can be used to project a size of up to 100", which makes it a better choice over a 42 inch or a 55 inch HD TV that would cost more than Rs 50,000.

Setting up the projector is child's play. It can be mounted on a small tripod, the sort used for digital cameras or on the wall. I plugged the K135 to my laptop using the HDMI port and was impressed with the projection quality. The videos were rich and the black levels bright. Even with presentations, the text appeared to be crisp.

Considering the size, the performance is commendable. However, Acer has had to compromise on connectivity ports because of the size. The Acer K135 does not have a VGA port for connecting it to old laptops. The sound output of the projector isn't all that good and one has to go for an external speaker.

A portable speaker that can be connected using a 3.5mm auxiliary cable would have been ideal. Unfortunately, there isn't any 3.5mm port here. There is an optional universal to audio cable that can be purchased from the market.

BAG IT OR JUNK IT:
Worth considering for home entertainment and small offices.