The Nebula Capsule II Portable Projector Is My Favorite Summer Companion

Of all the home electronics one can have, a mini movie projector like the Nebula seems to be the most excessive, doesn’t it? Who needs a device that casts movies on a wall or screen? We have TVs and iPads and phones on which we can view an overload of content. So why do we need another portable projector?

Well, friends, need is a strong word. But in this, the season when everything is better outdoors, a projector provides the key to the ultimate outdoor movie night. And projectors are no longer the exercises in excess they once were. Pictures are sharper, and the tech is far less bulky. In fact, you can snag a fantastic one for the same cost as a fancy Bluetooth speaker. And, much that modern boombox, it’s well worth the cost.

I recently acquired once such projector, the Anker Nebula Capsule II, and, whoa boy, is it great. About the size of a beer can, it’s the portable projector I’ve always wanted. Its interface is simple to use, it can mirror screens of iOS or Android devices, and also runs Android 9.0 on its own. That means it can also stream pretty much anything from any monthly service or movie downloaded on your device. It lasts 2.5 hours per charge and can cast picture up to 100 inches wide. You get 720p HD picture quality, coupled with an 8W speaker and one second autofocus.

And man is the Nebula versatile. It easily fits into a bag, making it easy to use in a number if different scenarios I’ve use it in my backyard, casting movies on a hung bed sheet for a group of neighbors. I’ve used it for streaming shows on my ceiling when I’m having that kind of day. I’ve constructed a mattress fort with my little cousins and used the projector for a viewing session of Trolls inside it. Last weekend, I brought it camping and cast a scene from IT on the side of tent to freak out my buddy who went to bed early. Like I said, versatile.

Now, there’s a minor concession: It doesn’t cast cinema quality images. But who cares? The picture is totally fine. You can see it. It’s just not ultra crisp or anything. Second, while flat and easy to rest on surfaces, the Nebula is a bit hard to position for the ideal picture. This is easily fixed, however, with the purchase of a tripod (it has a tripod-compatible slot on its underside). Otherwise, I have no gripes.

Perhaps I’m in my honeymoon period with the Nebula. I’m pretty head over heels for this thing. Call it summer love. Call it forever love. But, I can’t see anything that will make me lose my faith in it in the future. It’s portable, easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and equally adept at playing movies for kids as it is creeping out your friends. What’s not to love?

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