Affordable Projector owners thread - Egate, Aun, Akey..etc.

[Srinivasa Rao]

Dear Forum Members,

This forum had helped me a lot in many things, while i set-up my high-end home audio setup, TV etc.. Seeing some recommendations, threads here i finally plunged to purchase E-GATE, i9 Model projector from Amazon. I liked it for the cost. Ok ok contrast and image quality. Unfortunately in one month of its usage, suddenly it stopped working. The Projector red light is not turning on and its totally dead. I am having the warranty card but i am unable to even contact E-Gate. I tried phone, E-mailed but no response. I am afraid if my purchase is gone as a waste with in one month.

Please shed your thoughts on what could have gone wrong, Is that anything i can try at home to revoke my projector or At least how do i get it serviced under warranty. I have not opened the unit because it might void the warranty.

Cheers!!!

I'm no expert, but please check if fuse is blown. Most probably fuse will be there next to the power chord socket. All the best.

 

[Udhay]

I'm no expert, but please check if fuse is blown. Most probably fuse will be there next to the power chord socket. All the best.

Thank you Sir, I am a novice when it comes to projector. If the Fuse is blown, then will it be available online to buy and replace? Will it void my warranty?

 

[arnprasad]

Check out the below link for review of AKEY6. Hope this helps you in making a decision whether to purchase this or not. I cannot give a comparison decision as I have not owned any other projector. All the best.

Ordered the Akey 6s..the android version for 16.5K. Hope is its 80% as good as my 720p Acer and lasts 5 years. Cannot expect more from such a low price. Quote my name in case anyone is buying ..number is 8700091452.

For me to check if the resolution is 1080p or not is really simple. Currently I cannot see the LED letters on a cessna on microsoft simulator as its 720p. I should see it clearly on 1080p

 

[arnprasad]

Hi..I got the Akey. I cannot figure out if it Akey or Akey6s since I bought the latter. My initial impressions are not that good. While it is better than Egate - it pales in front of my Acer..given this one is 1080p. I have asked the seller to help me set up since the menu is very confusing. Let me tweak it myself and also get some help from the seller.

I hope and pray it improves as I gave away my Acer to my nephews and am missing it big time.

Few of the my current issues:
(a) The clarity of text varies from one part of the screen to another. On the right hand side its better than left hand where it extremely blurry. Not sure if moving the projector around will help. Focus ring definitely doesnt help
(b) Tried pressing every button but cannot go the menu screen where I can check video setting. Definitely needs an Einstein to design such a menu!
(c) I think most of these projectors are manufactured by select few who just change the chassis and sell it under various brands. I say this as this one seems to be a cousin of egate - may be manufactured by the same company
(d) Assuming this doesnt get better - this is a very good example of how specs is useless. For 17K they have crammed every bloody tech in this.. wifi..bluetooth..android...you name it..you get it. However what good is any of this if picture is not upto the mark?
(e) Noticeable lag between when I type and how it appears on screen

Again - this projector is not bad for its price if you haven't seen a branded one in action. Just keep that in mind when buying this. Projectorcentral.in..caviar tech...etc. All same guy

y.

Hopefully I will get back with a cheerier update in a day or two.

Any one wanting to buy a projector immediately - please be on the lookout for someone selling a used branded one like Acer, Benq, Epson..etc for around 25K for 1080p. Difference will be night and day. The windows explorer image below is one of the doodh ka doodh paani ka paani test.

I have a 65 inch TCL TV. While TCL may be getting rave reviews in US thanks to the better models, it is still lesser known in India. The price of this TV is half or one third compared to Samsung or Sony. I am guessing it will be 80-85% as good for laymen who dont pixel peep. That analogy doesnt seem to hold for these cheap chinese projectors. I have great admiration for China and what they are doing. But this one seems to be bad

 

[arnprasad]

Okay - I have spent an hour tweaking after watching few calibration videos. Here is my review of Aun Akey 6s:

Whom is this for:
(a) Somebody who wants a large screen for an affordable price ( I paid 16.5K for the costlier android version)
(b) Somebody who has never owned a branded projector - not even 720p
(c) For Kids online classes
(d) Watching movies

Who should not buy:
(a) Pixel peepers, people who care about color reproduction, true to life....etc. Just keep away from this
(b) Occasional office presentation is fine..but not regular

Positives:
(a) Nice bright image - I am using a 120 inch inflight screen
(b) Promised large hours - guess you will die first before the projector reaches the end of its life
(c) Brightness is uniform across the screen
(d) Extremely affordable for a brand new one
(e) Reviews are very good - not from Indian fanboys - but folks who have done some technical tests on this on youtube

Negatives:
(a) Not sure how to measure if this is 1080P. for me - higher the pixel count - more crisper the image. My Acer 720P is crisper than the 1080p here
(b) Noticeable lag when typing or even when watching movies
(c) Picture quality is average - again compared to a branded one. I watched few mins of several movies on Kodi and also few youtube videos - I am sure I will get used to this. However on day one...I am terribly missing my Acer
(d) the clarity of text is good in the middle and gets worse at corners

I am used to buying things from US and China- scouting for the best deals - particularly during black friday. Couple of years back - it wasn't that difficult to get a branded 1080p projector in the 3-400 dollar range during sale..when the exchange rate was closer to 60. Not sure if due to higher demand or lower production or both - even on Amazon US website - the cheapest one is around 35K INR today. I am a big fan of Xiaomi products and I am hoping they will release their youth edition projectors for less than 30K in India soon. Till that happens - and also given we cannot buy from the chinese sites directly now a days - this is not a bad deal for 17K. Just keep your expectations limited and you will enjoy this projector.

Other alternative is to scour OLX and also on this forum for used branded projectors. Say they have a life of 10K hours and its 20% used - I would buy that instead if offered for around the 20K INR mark.

 

[RaaR]

Okay - I have spent an hour tweaking after watching few calibration videos. Here is my review of Aun Akey 6s:

Whom is this for:
(a) Somebody who wants a large screen for an affordable price ( I paid 16.5K for the costlier android version)
(b) Somebody who has never owned a branded projector - not even 720p
(c) For Kids online classes
(d) Watching movies

Who should not buy:
(a) Pixel peepers, people who care about color reproduction, true to life....etc. Just keep away from this
(b) Occasional office presentation is fine..but not regular

Positives:
(a) Nice bright image - I am using a 120 inch inflight screen
(b) Promised large hours - guess you will die first before the projector reaches the end of its life
(c) Brightness is uniform across the screen
(d) Extremely affordable for a brand new one
(e) Reviews are very good - not from Indian fanboys - but folks who have done some technical tests on this on youtube

Negatives:
(a) Not sure how to measure if this is 1080P. for me - higher the pixel count - more crisper the image. My Acer 720P is crisper than the 1080p here
(b) Noticeable lag when typing or even when watching movies
(c) Picture quality is average - again compared to a branded one. I watched few mins of several movies on Kodi and also few youtube videos - I am sure I will get used to this. However on day one...I am terribly missing my Acer
(d) the clarity of text is good in the middle and gets worse at corners

I am used to buying things from US and China- scouting for the best deals - particularly during black friday. Couple of years back - it wasn't that difficult to get a branded 1080p projector in the 3-400 dollar range during sale..when the exchange rate was closer to 60. Not sure if due to higher demand or lower production or both - even on Amazon US website - the cheapest one is around 35K INR today. I am a big fan of Xiaomi products and I am hoping they will release their youth edition projectors for less than 30K in India soon. Till that happens - and also given we cannot buy from the chinese sites directly now a days - this is not a bad deal for 17K. Just keep your expectations limited and you will enjoy this projector.

Other alternative is to scour OLX and also on this forum for used branded projectors. Say they have a life of 10K hours and its 20% used - I would buy that instead if offered for around the 20K INR mark.

Some sample movie screenshots or video clip!?!

 

[arnprasad]

Some sample movie screenshots or video clip!?!

Seems stitching these different files made it even worse... will upload better ones later. It is not as bad as what you see here..its good with lots of caveats. People who live in west bangalore are free to drop in and see for themselves

 

[RaaR]

Seems stitching these different files made it even worse... will upload better ones later. It is not as bad as what you see here..its good with lots of caveats. People who live in west bangalore are free to drop in and see for themselves

I think for the pricepoint it looks too good. Thanks for sharing this.
Planning to purchase the non-Android version. Except for the Android part, all other specs remain the same between those models?!

 

[arnprasad]

Just ping that caviar tech guy.. Very responsive.. There are youtube videos on how to open and clean dust!!! Maybe from the same guy

If u got friends coming over.. 399 not bad

Home Cinema 1060 1080p 3LCD Projector - Certified ReNew | Products | Epson US

Portable, bright and easy to use, the Home Cinema 1060 projector delivers larger-than-life Full HD entertainment at home. Get widescreen images up to 300 — up to 25x larger than a 60 flat panel — in 1080p. Easily connect Blu-ray Disc®, gaming, streaming and MHL-enabled devices via 2x HDMI...

epson.com

 

[arnprasad]

Here are direct uploads from my phone to youtube - both kodi and youtube.

 

[Srinivasa Rao]

Here are direct uploads from my phone to youtube - both kodi and youtube.

So, what are your impressions after using it for couple of days. You seems to be getting good brightness when projecting on a screen. Right now, I'm projecting on a wall and I think it is absorbing light and hence a little less brightness. Can you please share me your colour settings ie brightness, contrast and sharpness. I'm planning for a projector screen, fixed frame, which one you suggest? Thanks in advance.

 

[arnprasad]

Frankly I am waiting for the day when I can go back to hyd and get back my Acer and give this one to my nephews. I think the brightness is more to do with my mobile camera - that is because I didnt crack up the brightness of the projector itself- am sure it can be pretty bright

 

[arnprasad]

Just wanted to update on the Akey6 now that we have been using for three months now. Primary use is kids Google classroom/meet during day time and using it for gaming and other desktop applications at night and the occasional movie.

For 16.5K not sure if this one has competition. As mentioned in my earlier posts...if you haven't seen a good branded projector and want a large screen on the cheap...Just go for this one. At Least in India this is a steal given branded ones are out of reach for most Indians and are rarely discounted. Just hoping this lasts for at least 3 years. Do not buy from Amazon or Flipkart. Google the model and on Indiamart you will find Caviar Technologies selling this. Call him and bargain and hopefully the price is still 16.5k or cheaper. Recommended even if its a bit costlier. You will definitely be impressed. Do spend some money buying a decent projector screen for the best performance

 

[jataprok]

Does anyone have an idea of AUN AKEY7? All I see are the reviews for the 'young' model.
From the specs, it looks like it is a bit behind AKEY6.
Apparently, this model is sold on Flipkart by the same 'Caviar technologies', so I am assuming this is a real model by the company.

 

[arnprasad]

Best Projector

Best Projector Rank,Projector,Type,Price (USD),Purchase Link,Review,Device Size,Native Resolution,Gamut Coverage,ANSI Lumens,Power Usage,Light Source,Throw Ratio,Contrast Ratio,Keystone Correction,Uniformity,Fan Noise (dBA),Response Time (ms),Perfect 60Hz,Android 1,Hisense Vidda C1S,DLP,$1,697

docs.google.com

This guy does good reviews. Akey 6 is 20K on Amazon and I got for 16.5. Same logic..this one should cost around 13K direct from Caviar. Have pinged him..will update once I hear.

 

[jataprok]

This guy does good reviews. Akey 6 is 20K on Amazon and I got for 16

Thank you. I went through his reviews. The AKEY7 looks like a step back in terms of brightness and contrast, but has 4k support and less input lag for gaming (which I do).

The retail price online without discounts is 15.8k for the 7 and 19.5k for the 6.
So Is a price difference of about 4k justified for a little lower brightness and contrast?

I am not sure..

 

[arnprasad]

I messaged Caviar..he is saying he will give it for 17K and flipkart price is 21-22K. I did send him the flipkart screenshot that showed 16K. Not sure if they are different models. Anyways price is 17K if anyone interested from him

870091452

 

[jataprok]

I messaged Caviar..he is saying he will give it for 17K and flipkart price is 21-22K. I did send him the flipkart screenshot that showed 16K. Not sure if they are different models. Anyways price is 17K if anyone interested from him

870091452

Thank you for finding out! I pulled the trigger on AKEY7 on Flipkart for 14k , including discounts.

If it is really that bad, at least I can refund... I hope.

 

[dannyarcher]

I bought a AKEY6 from Caviar. Projector yet to arrive. Fingers crossed!

 

[jataprok]

I bought a AKEY6 from Caviar. Projector yet to arrive. Fingers crossed!

How much did it cost?