While premium projector models appeal to hardcore cinephiles with cash to splash, an appetite for more affordable coffee table models has grown over the last decade.
After all, they offer a way for viewers to experience their favourite content on a large screen without breaking the bank. And, unlike a massive TV, they can be packed away when not in use.
One of the latest to enter our test rooms is from the relatively young Chinese brand Wanbo, which immediately has us humming Mambo No.5 by Lou Bega.
The Vali 1 is one of the least expensive projectors we have reviewed, so our expectations are not exactly sky high.
What a joy it is, then, to discover that while the Wanbo Vali 1 might not come with a little bit of Sandra in the sun, it does far outperform its price tag.
Price
As established, the Wanbo Vali 1 is impressively affordable, coming in at just £270 / $279 / AU$499.
Few models in our test room have come close to this price. The Xgimi MoGo 4, which launched at £509 / $499 / AU$1399, is the next most affordable projector we've recently tested and currently holds the title as the best model for portability in our best portable projectors guide.
We gave this entry four stars, praising its sharp picture and easy setup. It’s quite a different type of projector from the Wanbo, though, with this more expensive price tag and the inclusion of a built-in battery.
Build
The friendly-looking Wanbo resembles the love child of Wall-E and EVE with its white, rounded body and large single lens. At the front, a neat black frame circles the projector’s ‘face’.
Resolution 1080p Full HD
HDR HDR10
Projector type LED
Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, HDMI, 3.5mm
Operating system Android TV 11
Picture size Up to 180 inches (claimed)
Brightness 900 Lumens (claimed)
Attached to the body is a handy stand that sits fairly nicely on our coffee table. You can tilt the body up to 200 degrees, so the image can be projected onto a screen, ceiling or the wall (we strongly recommend investing in a screen to get the best picture quality from the hardware).
It’s worth noting that when the body is tilted even a little, the top corners of the image get a little blurry. The less you angle it, the more consistently sharp the image will be.
Because of this, we give it the best chance by placing it behind us, a little above head height. We are well aware, however, that most people will not be able to position it like this, and so will have to accept some of that corner blurring. Keep in mind that, at such a low price, this kind of compromise is to be expected.
The remote is a simple affair, featuring a tactile D-pad near the top. There are a good number of shortcuts available as well, including quick access to picture settings, the home menu and a range of different streaming platforms.
In terms of connectivity, there is a single HDMI, USB and a 3.5mm aux input situated at the back of the body.
Features
The Vali 1 comes with Android TV 11 built in, trailing a long way behind the most recent version, which is currently Android 16.
Netflix is pre-installed, with Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube also available. For UK users, BBC iPlayer and Channel 4 are nowhere to be found, which is a shame considering we suspect most people will rely on the smart platform rather than plug in a source such as a Blu-ray player.
Setting up the projector is made easier with a range of smart calibration features, including auto-focus, auto-screen fit and keystone correction.
The focus and zoom can’t be adjusted very well without interfering with each other, which is a bit of a pain when trying to fine-tune your position. But if you just click ‘auto screen alignment’ in the settings menu, set-up is completed fairly quickly without too much manual fiddling.
The projector image can go as large as 180 inches, which should more than please those looking for the big screen experience.
It won’t come as a surprise that there is no 4K on the cards with this model, and the LED projector only offers 1080p resolution.
One of the boldest claims from Wanbo is that the Vali 1 can produce 900 ANSI lumens of brightness, which the brand says delivers “vivid and vibrant visuals even in brightly lit daytime rooms".
That’s significantly brighter than many more expensive rivals. The Epson EF-12 trumps it with a claimed 1000 ANSI Lumens, but it costs more than triple the price of the plucky Wanbo.
As ever, though, numbers such as these should be largely ignored in favour of real-world testing.
The built-in audio system features a 2 x 6W sound system, but you can alternatively output sound to a wireless speaker via Bluetooth.
It’s worth noting that the Vali 1 is not a portable projector. It’s light and compact enough to be easily moved between rooms, but there’s no built-in battery, so it isn’t the best option for camping trips or garden cinema sessions.
Picture
We want to open this section by saying that this projector is far from perfect, and there are a lot of flaws (which we will come to). But, considering its incredibly cheap price tag, we find ourselves pretty impressed by the plucky Wanbo Vali 1’s overall performance.
We start by adjusting the projector’s picture setting to User and turning the colour temperature to Warm, which we find delivers the most balanced yet cinematic image. We also knock the sharpness down from 50 to 30 to avoid the default over-sharpened look.
Next, we fire up Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes on Disney+. During the opening minutes, as our ape protagonists swing through the green undergrowth and out into the open trees, the projector portrays a surprisingly balanced image that neither jumps out as overly vibrant nor dull.
It has a reasonable sense of depth to the image, too; you can feel the stomach-swirling drop as the eagle soars miles above ground.
The projector continues to surprise when it comes to motion handling. When watching Mad Max: Fury Road on Blu-ray, a crowd of ferocious vehicles zooms across the Australian desert. The Wanbo portrays these movements with a natural smoothness and very little judder.
Thanks to our adjustment of the sharpness levels, the Vali 1 also delivers a pleasingly clean and composed image that makes for easy viewing without overly sharp edges.
As mentioned, the Vai 1 is not without its faults. Wanbo is playing it safe with the darkness of the image by not attempting to portray black extremes. This becomes particularly prevalent during scenes that should have more dark detail, as you cannot make out much beyond a vague greyness and finer aspects are overlooked.
The projector does not go very bright either, despite the bold 900-lumens claims, and scenes lack the dazzling light aspects we see in more expensive rivals. As Tom Hardy’s Mad Max leaps from the edge of a red cliff to a dangling chain against the backdrop of the blue sky, for example, the Wanbo struggles to portray the extreme brightness of the scene.
That’s a potential problem for people not using this product in a pitch-black room, which we suspect will be most.
We also encounter some issues when streaming in our test room. When watching Avatar: The Way Of Water on Disney+, the image for the first minute is incredibly juddery, with the frame rate erratic and the sound cutting out at points.
This fixes itself in time, but it’s quite tedious to have to sit through, and it’s not a problem we have with the other projectors connected to the same network at the same time.
Still, while the Vali 1's picture has its flaws and limitations, they must be viewed in the context of its price. Overall, it delivers a fairly accurate, balanced and crowd-pleasing experience.
Sound
The audio is unfortunately a little less unexpectedly impressive than the picture.
There is a limited range of sound settings, but we opt for User mode, which offers the most spacious surround sound without being as overzealous as Movie mode.
Starting with the positives, voices are clear for the most part. When watching Thunderbolts on Blu-ray, we can make out every word of dialogue as David Harbour’s Red Guardian rescues the rag-tag team from the desert. There’s also a fair amount of tonal expression in the vocals, which allows for a decent amount of distinction between characters’ voices.
The two speakers struggle to push the sound very far, though, and it sounds somewhat locked to the body of the projector as a result.
Volume is limited, too. We find that we have to turn the volume to maximum to feel any sort of impact, and anything below that is made almost inaudible when there are other noises in the room.
There’s also a limited dynamic range that removes some of the excitement from what we are watching. Explosions and fight scenes lack a change in gear between tense quiet and floor-shaking volume, so these moments feel quite flat. This isn’t helped by both the treble and the bass being rounded off at more extreme moments, so there’s no deep bass or tinkling trebles to be heard.
As this projector will most likely not be used in a silent room, we recommend connecting a cheap and cheerful speaker, either via Bluetooth or the projector’s 3.5mm socket.
Verdict
The Wando Vali 1 is not going to attract hardcore home cinema lovers but, at this budget price, that was never the market it was aiming for.
Instead, it’s a perfectly pleasant model that offers a 180-inch screen experience with a surprisingly cinematic image. If you don’t want to spend more than £300 for your big-screen movie experience, this is a good option.
SCORES
- Picture 4
- Sound 3
- Features 3
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