From teaching and office equipment to a substitute for home TV, projection is gradually entering thousands of households. Now, with the advancement of related technologies and the reduction of costs, the scene adaptability of projection is becoming more and more popular among users.

Five years ago, it was just a last resort for many people who rented houses - compared with TV, it was more convenient and reduced the pressure of moving. Now, young people have used this large-screen giant screen that can be picked up and taken away in more and more ways. Whether it is fitness in the living room, watching movies in the bedroom, playing games in the car, watching TV series in the camping, or watching football games at a barbecue stall, a small and portable projector can maximize the immersion and experience.

So, how much does it cost to have such a trendy lifestyle? Coocaa's answer is: 599 yuan.

Coocaa Smart Projector X3 is the first projector product of the Coocaa brand. It was officially released on December 1, 2022. The official price is 999 yuan (599 yuan on JD.com), which can be called the strongest projector under 1,000 yuan. It uses LCD technology, has 600 ANSI lumens brightness, 1080P resolution, built-in battery, autofocus correction, voice remote control and other functions, suitable for young people's diverse scenarios and trendy lifestyles.

So, how does this projector actually perform? Can it satisfy users' dreams of home theater? Let's take a look.

Simple and stylish, the dream phone for young people

The appearance design of Coocaa Smart Projector X3 is very simple and stylish. The overall shape is a rectangular block, the size is 18cm×17.4cm×7.4cm, and the weight is only 1.1kg, which is very easy to carry and move.

The body is mainly space gray, with black top, bottom, and projection lamp area. There is a black circular area on the top, designed to resemble the style of a vinyl record.

There is a transparent window in the middle, with a Coocaa logo inside and flashing lights. There is also a passive bass basin in the corner, which gives it a very technological and textured feel.

There is a large lens port on the front of the body, and next to the lens is a sensor for autofocus.

There are many interfaces on the back of the projector, including infrared receiving window, power button, power adapter interface, 3.5mm headphone interface, HDMI interface and a USB interface from left to right. Through the HDMI interface, you can connect to computers, players, game consoles, and release the value of the projector to the greatest extent. The 3.5mm headphone can be connected to your headphones and speakers. The USB can be connected to external devices such as U disks, hard disks, etc., and the files in them can be played directly.

There are four rubber pads and a standard screw hole on the bottom of the machine body, which can be installed with a bracket or ceiling mount. The bottom of the machine even comes with a small bracket to facilitate adjusting the projection angle, which must be praised.

Coocaa Smart Projector X3 is equipped with a voice remote control, which is mainly black and simple in shape. There is a round navigation key and regular function keys (back, menu, home, mute), as well as a voice key and a power key on the remote control. The remote control connects to the projector via Bluetooth and supports voice search and voice control functions, which is very flexible and convenient to operate.

In addition, there are three focus adjustment buttons at the bottom of the remote control. Of course, the middle auto focus is very easy to use in most cases, and most of the time we don’t even need to press the auto focus manually, because the Coocaa Smart Projector X3 has a built-in sensor that can automatically turn on the focus function when it senses that the body is moved, which is very user-friendly.

Smart and convenient projection system

Coocaa Smart Projector X3 is equipped with Coocaa 9 system, which is a smart projection system developed based on the Android system with rich application resources and content resources.

The Coocaa system has been evaluated many times. It is definitely at the first-tier level among domestic smart TV systems. It is one of the moats of Coocaa TV and one of the main reasons why many users choose Coocaa products.

Coming to the system interface, the design is simple and clear, divided into common modules such as homepage, selection, content, and application. The application module provides a variety of application downloads and management, including video, music, games, education, tools and other categories. The settings module can adjust and optimize various parameters of the projector, including picture mode, sound mode, network connection, Bluetooth connection, system update, etc.

It is worth mentioning that Coocaa sets the homepage of its projection as the screen projection interface. After turning on the machine, users can project the screen by scanning the code, casting the screen code, connecting to the local area network, etc. It can be seen that at the system level, the priority of screen projection is very high. It is very convenient for users who want to project the half-watched TV series and short videos on their mobile phones onto the giant screen after returning home.

When you take the Coocaa Smart Projector X3 outdoors where there is no WiFi, you can also use it directly through the built-in battery and screen projection. It seems that Coocaa has also fully considered these scenarios.

The ecological resources of Coocaa Smart Projector X3 are also very rich. The system supports the installation of applications from mainstream video platforms such as Coocaa Video, iQiyi, Tencent Video, Youku Video, bilibili, etc. Users can watch a large number of movies, TV series, variety shows and other content, and can also directly continue to play the video content in the application through the historical playback records of the system interface. In this regard, the Coocaa system is even more convenient than smart phones. I wonder when mobile phone manufacturers can follow up?

The audio and video performance is definitely more than 500 yuan

The image quality of the Coocaa Smart Projector X3 is the focus of our evaluation, after all, it is the most critical factor in determining whether users are satisfied. We have conducted actual viewing experiences with the Coocaa Smart Projector X3 in different scenarios, and also selected some different types of video content, such as movies, TV series, animations, games, etc., to test its image quality restoration and adaptability.

First, let's take a look at the brightness performance of the Coocaa Smart Projector X3. Brightness is an important factor affecting the projection effect, especially in a bright light environment. The higher the brightness, the clearer the picture will be. The brightness of the Coocaa Smart Projector X3 is 600 ANSI lumens, which is relatively high among projectors under 1,000 yuan. However, we still do not recommend using it in an environment with poor light shielding during the day.

If you want to get better results, it is recommended to use a special anti-glare screen or draw the curtains to reduce light interference. We used the Coocaa Smart Projector X3 in the bedroom at night. Even if it was projected to 80 inches, the picture was still very bright and delicate, without any blur or distortion. (Note: The following evaluation was completed at 80 inches)

For animations with brighter colors, the projection performs well, with bright colors and clear and delicate image quality.

When playing the high-contrast NASA documentary, the Coocaa Smart Projector X3 also performed excellently. The contrast performance was amazing in the picture with strong contrast between light and dark.

Of course, mirroring the screen and playing games on a giant screen is another kind of shock.

The brightness comparison of the same picture in a completely dark environment and in a lighted environment. The picture with the light on at night is acceptable, and the bright picture can still be presented clearly.

In terms of color performance, compared with the color style of Apple iPad Pad, the overall tone of Coocaa Smart Projector X3 is cooler, and the picture looks more severe. The brightness is roughly equivalent to that of iPad Pro adjusted to about 20%, which may not seem high at first glance, but considering that the projection is basically used in a pure black environment, this brightness is definitely enough. In the dark, the brightness of the mobile phone or tablet is too high, and the eyes themselves cannot bear it.

In comparison, the giant screen brings a greater shock. Compared with the 120-inch cinema-like picture, the 11-inch iPad Pro screen looks very mini.

In addition, I have to praise the decoding capabilities of the Coocaa Smart Projector X3, which is very compatible with high-bitrate 4K video files. Whether it is a mobile hard drive, NAS, or a computer folder shared through SMB, it can be projected smoothly and conveniently through the system player.

Finally, let's take a look at the sound performance of the Coocaa Smart Projector X3. Sound is an important factor in determining the projection viewing experience, especially when watching video content with sound effects and music. The clearer and more pleasant the sound, the more shocking and touching the picture.

The Coocaa Smart Projector X3 has two built-in 5W speakers and adopts a visual passive bass basin design, which can provide excellent low-frequency effects. At the same time, it also adopts an independently developed butterfly-style body air duct design, which can effectively reduce heat dissipation noise and make the sound purer and clearer. When we watch different types of video content, we can feel that the sound performance of the Coocaa Smart Projector X3 is very good. Whether it is dialogue, music, explosion, gunfight and other scenes, it can present clear and three-dimensional sound effects without distortion or noise.

Of course, if users want to get a better sound experience, they can also connect external headphones or speakers through the 3.5mm headphone jack or Bluetooth.

In addition to its excellent image quality and sound quality, the Coocaa Smart Projector X3 also has an eye-catching feature, which is the automatic focus correction function. This function allows users to automatically achieve a clear and smooth picture by simply placing the projector in a suitable position without having to manually adjust the focus or correct the picture angle.

This function greatly improves the convenience and comfort of using the projector, so that users do not need to worry about whether the picture is clear or skewed. When we use the Coocaa Smart Projector X3 in different positions and angles, we can feel the convenience and surprise brought by this function.

In addition, the built-in 7800mAh battery design also makes the Coocaa smart projector more useful outside the living room. Even without a power source, it can play independently for more than two hours, which is more than enough to watch a movie, two episodes of a TV series, or a football game.

For example, it can be used as a private theater device in the bedroom, allowing users to enjoy a large-screen audio-visual feast in a comfortable bed. Users can watch their favorite movies, TV series, variety shows, etc., or play some relaxing music or dynamic wallpapers to create a warm atmosphere.

Coocaa Smart Projector X3 can also be used as an outdoor cinema device for camping, allowing users to enjoy a large-screen audio-visual feast in a natural environment. Users can watch some nature-related content, such as documentaries, landscape films, etc., or play some relaxing music or dynamic wallpapers to create a romantic atmosphere.

To this end, Coocaa even provides the X3 with a high-quality velvet bag, making it easier for users to take it to more usage scenarios.

Summarize

To sum up, as the first projection product of Coocaa, Coocaa Smart Projector X3 is only an LCD projector priced under 1,000 yuan, but it has 600 ANSI lumens brightness, 1080P resolution, built-in battery, autofocus correction, voice remote control and other functions. Its configuration and performance completely exceed the price. It can be said to be a "make friends" product.

However, in addition to the hardware configuration, Coocaa provided an excellent appearance design and convenient user experience on its first device, and even demonstrated advanced understanding and foresight of the market and industry in terms of system and usage, which is extremely rare.

For those users who have been watching projectors for a long time, the Coocaa Smart Projector X3 priced at 599 yuan is very suitable as an entry-level device. At this low price, it is a highly cost-effective product that not only has excellent sound and picture quality, but also allows users to feel the charm of projection products. I believe that most users will not be disappointed.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.