1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: All Zone Media. Helen, Welcome to this week's Better Offline Monologue. 2 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: I'm your host ed ZiT Trunk, and today I'm talking 3 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 1: about stuff I actually like, specifically the Anchor Nebula X 4 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: one projector. For many years, I've dreamed about a projector 5 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: that you could just kind of sit down and project with. 6 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: You don't have to fuck around with it too much 7 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: done to suspend it from a ceiling or sit perfectly 8 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: in front of a scream inasmuch as poss but you 9 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 1: could just point it out a wall or a screen 10 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: and it would work, and you could just start watching stuff. 11 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: And the X one is about as close as I 12 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,639 Speaker 1: think we're ever going to get. It's fairly compact. It's 13 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: maybe the size of a subword for or half the 14 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 1: size of a carry on suitcase, weighing in just under 15 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: fourteen pounds, with a handle that pops up with a 16 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: satisfying click. It does four K resolution, uses something called 17 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: triple laser technology that Anchor has a great deal of 18 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: marketing material about that mostly just comes down to it 19 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: looks very very good, and it bloody well should. Because 20 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: the X one cost just over three thousand dollars with 21 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: the wireless speakers, which you'll get to in a little beer. 22 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: And yes, I bought it with my own money. I 23 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,479 Speaker 1: don't really spend money on myself outside of diet coke 24 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: and baseball tickets anyway. Really though, it looks really really good, 25 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: like a very high end four K TV, though perhaps 26 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: not as contrasty as a high end O LAD. It's clear, 27 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,199 Speaker 1: it's crisp and looks that way if you're projecting onto 28 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: a wall or in my case, something called an EPSOM 29 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 1: duo eighty inch screen. I chose the duo because I'm 30 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: using this projector in a cramp New York apartment with 31 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: no big water project onto and the duo literally clips 32 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: onto a tripod and pulls open in fifteen seconds. I'll 33 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: link to it in the episode notes I love this screen. 34 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: It's just you put the tripod down, you slide the 35 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: thing on, and you pull it open. I had a 36 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: few bolts pop out on mine, but you can just 37 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: screw them back on. It's very much a working presenter 38 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: type thing. You can imagine some horrible salesman wheeling it 39 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: around and trying to sell you. I was going to say, ties, 40 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: I don't think you really get door to door salesman 41 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: of ties. Anyway One, for the most part, just works. 42 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: It runs on Google TV, meaning that it has all 43 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: the apps you'd expect, like Netflix, Hulu, to b Poo Boo, 44 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: brung Us and funt Of course, though I will say 45 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: that while playback is great, the user interface lags and 46 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: chugs far too often for a projector that costs as 47 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: much as a gaming laptop. I'm actually genuinely calling this 48 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,639 Speaker 1: out as bullshit. I have an Apple TV even five 49 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: years ago, that runs smoothly. I don't know why the 50 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: X one chugs so much, and I refuse to believe 51 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: that there was no way of making it work. Well, 52 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: they've crammed it full of crap. It's full of all 53 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: of these classic Google TV like random windows of stuff 54 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: from recommending me stuff I'm never gonna watch. I don't 55 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: know if this is a Google problem or an anchor problem, 56 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,119 Speaker 1: but again, three thousand dollars, you need to get this right. 57 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: I can forgive this, though, because the X one also 58 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: has several incredibly useful features, like this built in gimbal 59 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:51,639 Speaker 1: that allows you to move and adjust the image so 60 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: that you can have the X one shooting from the 61 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: side of a room rather than directly onto a surface, 62 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: with the ability to digitally enhance enlarge and keystone, meaning 63 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: you can pull the corners of the image to make 64 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: it look right on a particular surface, to make it 65 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: project just about anywhere. And it really does work. When 66 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: I was first using it, I quite literally had it 67 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: crammed in the corner of the room, had it project 68 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 1: onto the surface, it looked awful. But with digital keystoning, 69 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: you could just pull the corners on so it looked 70 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: like it was meant to be there. And when I 71 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 1: say gimbal, I mean it quite literally has the focus 72 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: element inside it, the actual lenses you can hear it go. 73 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 1: It's kind of cool. Genuinely, at a time when I 74 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: bitch a lot about how bad technology has become, the 75 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: X one genuinely is actually innovative. It's a cool piece 76 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: of kit, and it really just it can go anywhere 77 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: that you want it to. For the most part, you 78 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: don't have to have this perfect setup, this perfect amount 79 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: of space. This is why I've generally not liked projectors, 80 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: because projectors require you to have, even with a good screen, 81 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: exactly the right positioning. If you're off even by a little, 82 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: it can kind of look like a dog's dinner. I'm 83 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: thinking of the various short threat projectors I've used, where 84 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: the whole thing is They say, oh, it just projects 85 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: them below it. Yeah. Maybe if it's not exactly the 86 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: right height, the exact distance, even a small distance, you 87 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: don't have the right table, you're screwed. With the X one. 88 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: I had it on some random coffee table in the corner. 89 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: I didn't do nothing fancy like, it was great. I 90 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: really enjoy it, which is why I'm immediately going to 91 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: start complaining about something. Yes, the X one, and this 92 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: is a marketing problem, has some automatic setup features, and 93 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: seemingly every single reviewer that I watch said they were excellent, 94 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: But in my experience they don't work. They just they 95 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: don't work. It's crazy. Everyone would show you this thing, 96 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:39,679 Speaker 1: and I think it's the I'll get to the exact 97 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: terms in a minute, but they would just point it, 98 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: they'd click a button, and it would know the exact 99 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: screen size. This was not my experience. Perhaps it's that 100 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 1: my projector screen is in front of two windows, or 101 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: maybe everybody else testing this did it in some sort 102 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 1: of ideal scenario. But these setup features are useful. I 103 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: find to get you close enough to something you can 104 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: digitally adjust to fit your surface. But they are not. 105 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: It's a cure all thing. I will also say this 106 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: is still the most single most versatile projector I've ever used, 107 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 1: and I was able to project from the corner of 108 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,920 Speaker 1: my room where no other projector would have worked. It 109 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: does work, it just does not work as easily as 110 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 1: Anchor says. And I only harp on about this because 111 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: Anchor's website says and I quote set up in ten seconds, 112 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 1: which is complete and utter bullshit. It's just nonsense. Anchor 113 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: massively overstates their AI spatial adaptation as one click perfection, 114 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: and other reviewers should have done a much better job 115 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: making sure this was true. That being said, once you've 116 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 1: found a spot that works, the X one does generally 117 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 1: remember it. However, if you adjust the screen or you 118 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: are just where the projector is even slightly, it doesn't. 119 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: And yeah, you can physically move it. I'm being a 120 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: little bit of a prick about this because this costs 121 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: so much money and Anchor's website repeatedly states that this 122 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: is just something you click one butoner and it works. 123 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: It does not do that. It does not, and all 124 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 1: the other if I don't know how any of the 125 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: other reviewers who have reviewed this would hear this, But 126 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: if you were one of them, you fucked up. You 127 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,919 Speaker 1: fucked up bad here. You really haven't sold people something dangerous. 128 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 1: It's still a great product. But stop doing marketing for 129 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: these companies. Try these products when I am eventually going 130 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 1: to get into more regular hardware reviews, and when I do, 131 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:17,520 Speaker 1: I am going to try and set stuff up in 132 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 1: the unideal space. We should not be trying to do 133 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: these things, these reviews in a space that exactly fits 134 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: the marketing request. No no, no, no, no no. We 135 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 1: need to be harder on these people, especially companies that 136 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: claim one click setups. But I should also be clear 137 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: that compared to literally any other projector I've ever used, 138 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 1: this the easiest to set up and most adaptable projector 139 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: I have ever seen. And you also get these wireless 140 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: stereo speakers with it, where you have to pay for them, 141 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:49,679 Speaker 1: and they truly do set up in seconds. The ones 142 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: that I think they even came pared, you just put 143 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:53,839 Speaker 1: them down in the corners. They have L and R 144 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: on them, So if you're like me and you forget 145 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 1: they just have it in a big letter and you 146 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: hit a button and bang that cat and they create 147 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 1: a really convincing surround sound environment. Combined with the speakers 148 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: that are actually baked into the X one's body, they 149 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: sound fantastic. And when you've found a consistent spot for 150 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: the projector and the screen, yes, you can be up 151 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: and running in ten seconds. Also is another thing I'm 152 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: gonna harp on about as on the side. Anchor should 153 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: absolutely be ashamed of themselves for keeping motion smoothing on. 154 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: It's on by default. What year is this anchor? Is 155 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: it two thousand and seven? Is it two thousand and nine? 156 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: What are we doing? It's motion smoothing? Nobody likes? Who 157 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: wants this? Tom Cruise is going to get very angry 158 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 1: when he hears this. I assume Tom Cruise is a 159 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: better offline listener. Anyway, If you buy this thing, and 160 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: I do recommend it seriously, it's called me EMC, go 161 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: into the settings. It's in there. I do not know 162 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: why this feature is present. It's so annoying. It's so 163 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 1: very annoying, and again, would not be this harsh if 164 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: this was not three thousand dollars anyway, Anyway, I know 165 00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: I've gone into a lot of negatives here, but I 166 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: truly adore the X one. I do not recommend it 167 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: for gaming, as the input leg is bad, but for 168 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: everything else, it's one of the single coolest pieces of 169 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: hardware I've ever used. It looks good, it works well, 170 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: it's beautifully engineered, it feels nice and hefty, has its 171 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: wit like. The kit is all nice, it's smooth surface, 172 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: and the UI generally is great, and when you've set 173 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 1: it up in the right place, it really is as 174 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: turnkey as Anchor says. But that's a big if. And 175 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: while I've been quite critical of the auto set up 176 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: in general, the X one will work in many, many 177 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: more environments than any other projector. I've watched several films 178 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: and TV show episodes on it. They looked and sounded great. 179 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: I even watched the Steven Seagal movie called A Good Man. 180 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: It was a very bad movie. But if you want 181 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 1: to laugh, if you want to really just laugh, laugh 182 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: yourself silly. I recommend I don't know pirating it. You 183 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: shouldn't give them any money anyway. It's also relatively portable 184 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 1: fourteen pounds it's thirteen point seven based on their website. 185 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: It has the lovely little handle. Everything runs off a 186 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: single power adapter, and Anchor sells a chunky carrier case 187 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: that fits both the X one and speakers. I also 188 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: recommend anchors gimbal, which is just a fancy way of 189 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 1: saying thing you click it onto, which lets you tilt 190 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: and turn it to make it even more adaptable, in 191 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:10,680 Speaker 1: my case, allowing me to project up from the floor 192 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 1: rather than the table in the corner of my apartment. 193 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 1: So I really do love the X one. I adore it. 194 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 1: I'm so glad I bought it. It's great, great value 195 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 1: for money. I know that sounds weird at the price point, 196 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: but it just works. I'm going to take it with 197 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:27,440 Speaker 1: me on a little romantic trip going on, going to 198 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: the woods, going to project onto the screen, and with 199 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: the duo, you could just block it up there. I 200 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: use it to watch all sorts of movies and TV. 201 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: I really do like him, and especially at a time 202 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: when tech has become so negative, when I spend so 203 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: much of my time complaining about the tech industry, with 204 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: good bloody reason, it's nice watching a company build something cool. Now. 205 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: I haven't done too much of a deep dive on 206 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 1: to Anchor, so I'm sure that there's something someone won't like, 207 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:54,560 Speaker 1: but I've used a lot of their products. I like 208 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: a lot of their products, have a bunch of their 209 00:09:56,080 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: battery packs. In general, it's nice watching a company build 210 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: things that actually help people and that people like. I'm 211 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:06,679 Speaker 1: sure people email me saying they found something they don't 212 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: and of course I do want to hear about that 213 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 1: easy at better Offline dot com. But I look forward 214 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: to doing more hardware stuff in the future. Thanks for listening.