Blitzwolf BW-VP8 Review - The LOW COST projector with the QUALITY you don't expect
Talking about such a product is quite unusual if it does not belong to the niche of extreme DIY lovers. But this does not mean that this product cannot be of interest to the most common users, and I will turn to them in the complete review of the Blitzwolf BW-VP8 mini projector that you can find on the Banggood.com store, which provided us with the sample and that thank you warmly.
Really rich packaging even if the external appearance is decidedly minimal, as it comes in a white hardcover with the company logo and product code on the front and a few specifications on the side. Inside, in addition to our mini projector, we find a multilingual user manual (including Italian language), a lens cleaning cloth, power cable with European socket, HDMI cable, VGA cable, composite AV cable, remote control and small screw to be placed in the bottom of the projector for different viewing angles.
The idea of a projector brings to mind its use in environments such as schools, offices, theaters, cinemas, etc. and it is difficult to think of its use in common homes, which is instead possible precisely due to the technological development that led to miniaturization. of the basic elements that make up a projector without giving up good hardware and good graphics.
And let's start from the dimensions, equal to 275 x 175 x 80 mm and a weight of 1950 grams, which overall allow to anchor the Blitzwolf BW-VP8 projector to a tripod or directly to the ceiling through a dedicated structure. We are not therefore talking about a portable product also because this must be powered and there is no integrated battery.
Blitzwolf BW-VP8 has a chassis completely made of black plastic where the small silver inserts stand out, such as the buttons inserted in the upper part that allow you to navigate the system without having to use the remote control. Also on the front we find the company logo while on the front there is the protagonist of each projector, or the lens, in this case protected by a practical plastic cap and which also offers a ribbed knob for focusing (only for manual type) and an additional silver lever that will be used for any manual correction of the Keystone distortion angle with adjustment equal to +/- 15 °. In other words, the KeyStone is used to compensate for the trapezoid effect on the image that is obtained when the plane of the screen and that of the projector's optics are not parallel.
Also on the front is the IR receiver, or rather one of the two, as the other is positioned on the back of the projector and this care allows you to receive commands from the remote control from any angle, without necessarily having to be in front or on the back of the product. And it is right here on the back that we find the maximum expression relating to connectivity, as there is a VGA input, AUX input, AV input, 2 USB 2.0 ports and an HDMI input. On the left side we have instead a grid that allows the sound to escape from the integrated speaker, a 3W unit and an impedance of 4 Ohm while specularly we have the input for the power plug and an additional grid for the dissipation of heat that occurs by by means of a small fan, which overall was not particularly noisy and therefore does not disturb during the use of multimedia content.
The last detail that characterizes the care that the company has placed in this product, we find it on the lower part where a small removable structure has been inserted that integrates a dust filter net, thus allowing a little maintenance without having to disassemble the product. but we can also remove a small access cover to the lenses to possibly give a clean with compressed air, for the benefit of the image quality that will be clearer.We also find 4 non-slip silicone rubber pads and the standard ¼ inch attachment for anchoring the projector to a tripod, really convenient in situations where we do not benefit from an adequate support base for what will be the final dimensions of our screen.
We do not have spaces dedicated to inserting a smartphone but we still have the possibility to take advantage of the mirroring function from our smartphone towards the Blitzwolf BW-VP8, which boasts the presence of a WiFi a / b / g / n / ac thus being able to enjoy viewing multimedia content but also games, directly on a "display" up to 150 inches. Compatibility for both iOS and Android devices but if necessary we can also use the integrated Bluetooth 5.0 to associate TWS headphones or directly Bluetooth Speaker, assuming that we do not want to take advantage of the integrated speaker which despite the economic nature offers more than enough sound and good listening volume.
But the real actor of the Blitzwolf BW-VP8 projector is the lens that integrates a 65W lamp with 5500 lumens (not to be confused with ANSI lumens), guaranteed for a duration of 40000 hours (over 4,5 years with use continuous for 24 hours a day) and contrast of 2000: 1. As already mentioned, next to the luminous optics we also find a wheel that will allow us to adjust the focus of the image as the Blitzwolf BW-VP8 projector promises a projection distance from a minimum of 1,5 meters to a maximum of 5 meters. obtaining a minimum screen of 50 inches up to a diagonal of 150 inches. The technology used is not clear but the details of the images and videos displayed are of good quality, even if the native resolution is 1280 x 720 pixels therefore HD but resolutions up to 1080p at 30 fps in 16: 9 format are also supported. What surprised me is that despite having carried out some tests during the day and on a decidedly unsuitable wall, I was able to visualize perfectly and with good definition what was transmitted by the projector.
All the most common image formats are supported as well as for video, but no support is given to HDR content, still allowing viewing. The system interface, once the projector has been started, is very basic, basically offering the possibility of switching between the different sources from which to project or enter the Settings, which are also limited, but essential, such as the possibility of overturning the image both vertically and horizontally. We can navigate the system by means of the remote control which is powered by 2 1.5V LR03 AAA batteries (the classic ministyle) not included in the package, which will be inserted under the small removable door located in the lower base. We have the power button, menu, source, a directional pad, the confirmation button, volume control + and - and mute button, as well as play / pause and exit button.
So far everything normal, but thanks to the HDMI input offered by the Blitzwolf BW-VP8 a real magic is created, as we could connect for example TV sticks such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick or the Mi TV Stick which therefore offers the Android operating system TV. But if we really want to exaggerate we can install an HDMI switch in order to expand the potential, for example by inserting in addition to the TV stick, also a console like Nintendo Switch and maybe a flying cable ready to use to insert notebooks and / or sources that can exploit that entrance.
We can therefore expand the magic by using Youtube directly, install applications and everything that a key like that of Amazon offers us, but being able to enjoy a virtual display up to 150 inches.
Maybe you are in the same condition as me, in which I do not have any walls with a white background (even if the operation is guaranteed even with surfaces of a color other than white) but above all free walls to be dedicated to the projector, but despite this I was able however appreciate the image quality and color reproduction that this projector can offer. It should not be underestimated that even from close range, particular definition is not lost and above all our eye is not bothered.
A small note must be made to the USB inputs, which also allow you to take advantage of large hard drives (I did a test with a 1 TB HD), but in this case the system cannot manage well the viewing of the videos, reproducing the same jerky, while no problem if we use keys up to 64 GB or powered Hard Disks. Further note goes to the Mirroring function, which in my test (with vivo Y70 smartphone) worked very well for what concerns the screen transmission, but the Smart Mirroring function allows you to transmit only images, but perhaps this is a problem of the smartphone and not the projector.
Overall, the use of the Blitzwolf BW-VP8 has never concealed problems and I have never repented of any type of overheating. Having said that this projector is certainly an interesting product that with the help of small tricks, such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick that you can now also find at ridiculous prices (19,99 euros during Black Friday), offers interesting and versatile alternative uses of the classic vision of contents, being able at the same time to control home automation.
PROJECTED IMPACT
Blitzwolf BW-VP8 becomes a must have for those who want to enhance their work during small conferences, or to a movie lover who has managed to carve out a corner of space in his rumpus room or why not maybe a gadget to give to their children to connect their PS4 / Nintendo Switch / XBox allowing them to play with a screen that would be the envy of the coolest of their friends. Blitzwolf BW-VP8 is available on the Banggood shop at a price you won't want to miss.
