How to setup a Home Movie Theater (Strenter Mini HD LED Projector Review)

Since all the movie theaters here in california are shut down, I have been wanting to set up a home movie theater experience on a budget. I don't have a dedicated media room, so I would like to get a projector that is light, portable and easy to set up. All I want is the ability to watch movies, anywhere in my house, be it my living room, bedroom or even my backyard. I think this Mini HD Movie Projector from Strenter looks like a promising candidate.

Let's start with the specs. This projector delivers 1280 by 800 resolution images and is capable of accepting a Full HD 1920 by 1080p video input. The company claims 5500 lux of brightness and a contrast ratio of 5500 by 1. In my testing, I have found that as long as you use this projector in a relatively dark room, the video quality is quite good. Now the brightness and contrast ratio of the projected image depends on the screen size. The bigger the screen the dimmer the video. I think the sweet spot for this projector is 100 inches. That's large enough for enjoying a blockbuster movie without compromising on the video quality. If you try to go bigger, the projected image starts looking dull for my taste. 

While the makers of this projector claim that you can go all the way up to 200” screen, I wouldn't recommend doing that. At that size, the brightness falls below the acceptable threshold for watching movies. But at 100 inches, the video quality looks really nice, images are sharp and colors pop out. Note that I am not even using a proper movie screen. I have made a makeshift movie screen using a high thread count cotton bedsheet pinned to my wall. Obviously, if you are going to use a proper movie screen, the image quality will be much better. Links to an affordable high quality projector screen as well as the high thread count bedsheet can be found in the video description below.

Let's talk about the build quality of this projector. It's mostly plastic but the top half is wrapped in silver-grey color fabric which gives this projector a pleasing aesthetic look. The fabric isn't just for show, it also helps reduce the fan noise. This projector is using a dual-fan system to push hot air from the side vents to keep the body cool. When it comes to connectivity, there are plenty of input ports. You get 2 HDMI ports along with an old school VGA port for connecting any media player like Roku, Chromecast, Android TV, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire stick. 

You can also connect your phone to this projector using a USB Type C to HDMI dongle. But remember, not all phones support video playback over USB, so make sure that your phone is capable of doing that. I am personally using this projector with my laptop and my Roku streaming box. Another interesting feature in this projector is the built in speaker which is surprisingly loud. Now if you prefer theater audio quality, you can always use a Surround sound system or a soundbar. The projector also comes with a handy remote control with typical multi media playback buttons. You also get an HDMI cable along with an RCA/analog breakout cable for hooking up older devices.

Now, I have watched a few movies on this projector with my family and we all had a great time. I think this projector is a nice little device for creating movie theater experience in your home on a budget. So how are you guys dealing with the lockdown and lack of movie going options in your neighborhood? Let me know in the comment section below.

Purchase Links

👉 Buy Strenter Mini HD LED Projector
👉 Buy high thread count cotton bedsheet (DIY Movie Screen)
👉 Buy 120" Projection Screen

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