Projector
Products
In The Lab
Forums
Newsletters
Join now
Best
Projectors Outdoor Portable Budget And Cheap Home Theater 4k Short-Throw Gaming Under $500 Under $1,000
Tools
Compare NEW Results Table Tool Review List Review Index Graph NEW Throw Calculator Review Pipeline Vote Custom Ratings
Popular
XGIMI MoGo 4 Laser XGIMI HORIZON 20 XGIMI HORIZON 20 Max Hisense M2 Pro Hisense C2 Ultra XGIMI TITAN Valerion VisionMaster Max NexiGo PJ40 (Gen 3) Hisense PX3-PRO LG CineBeam Q Optoma UHZ36 Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen XGIMI HORIZON 20 Pro XGIMI Horizon S Max XGIMI Halo+ Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus TCL C1 Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 JMGO N1S Ultimate Anker Nebula X1
81 Projectors bought and tested
Supported by you via membership, and when you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
  1. Home
  2. Projector
  3. Test Bench 0.12

Test Bench 0.12  
Changelog

 0
By Pierre-Olivier JourdenaisUpdated May 11, 2026 at 01:32 pm

See the previous 0.11 changelog.

Projector Test Bench 0.12 expands our coverage of projector usability and setup with several new tests focused on real-world use. This update adds Judder, Screen Adaptation, Battery, Additional Carrying Features, and Physical Setup Flexibility, and updates Size, Inputs & Connectivity, and Smart Features & Sound. It also reorganizes information that was previously grouped more loosely under older Portability and Optics, making setup and carrying features easier to compare across reviews. That means older 0.11-era review text on portability and setup may no longer align directly with the new 0.12 presentation, even when the underlying projector hasn't changed. As with prior test bench updates, reviews that haven't been retested will continue to show the methodology version under which they were tested.

What's New In 0.12

Presentation changes

  • Portability presentation changes
    • Splits information that was often mixed together in the previous Portability box into the Size, Additional Carrying Features, Battery, and Physical Setup Flexibility boxes mentioned below. This includes physical size, carrying practicality, power requirements, battery-related considerations, and setup convenience information.
  • Optics presentation changes
    • Moves information around the projector type, mounting holes, and body adjustment features out of the Optics box and into the new Physical Setup Flexibility and Screen Adaptation boxes mentioned below.
  • Smart Features & Sound presentation changes
    • Added a test for Remote-Free Operation to check if the projector is fully usable from the unit itself, without having a remote.

New and updated tests

  • Updated Size test
    • Now reports projector volume in cm³.
    • Re-weighs projectors with their included power cable or power supply, since the older 0.11 results didn't include that.
  • New Additional Carrying Features test
    • Reports whether the unit has a carrying handle, lens protection, and if it comes with a carrying case.
  • New Physical Setup Features test
    • Separates setup-related hardware details into their own box.
    • Reports projector type, mounting holes, and body adjustment features.
  • New Battery test
    • Adds measured battery life at maximum brightness at its recommended picture setting, and with power-saving disabled.
    • Adds measured charge time using the included charger.
    • Reports which power sources the projector supports.
  • New Judder test
    • Checks whether a projector can display 24p and 25p content (such as movies and some European shows, respectively) cleanly using matched signals, 60Hz output, and native apps.
    • Valid de-judder settings are tested and reported when they actually work as intended.
  • Updated Inputs & Connectivity test
    • Adds a real-world Bluetooth support check by pairing the projector with wireless speakers or headphones.
  • New Screen Adaptation test
    • Reports Auto/Manual Focus, Auto/Manual Vertical and Horizontal Keystone, Post-movement Auto-Correction, Obstacle Avoidance, and Auto Screen Fit.
    • Scoring reflects whether the feature works as intended in practice, not just whether the toggle exists in the menu.

Summary of Changes

Size

The Size box is now more narrowly focused on physical dimensions, weight, and volume. In earlier reviews, size-related commentary was often bundled together with mobility, battery, and setup considerations under broader portability-oriented text. In 0.12, those ideas are separated into their own dedicated box.

The Anker Nebula Mars 3's Size box.
Our new Size box is really our old Portability box, renamed.

What it means for you: Weight and footprint are now more representative of what you actually need to carry or place, which makes 0.12 size comparisons more practical than older portability-style blurbs. This is especially important for projectors that rely on large external power bricks or bulky included cables.

Additional Carrying Features

We've separated day-to-day portability factors into a dedicated Additional Carrying Features box. This reports whether the projector has a carrying handle, lens protection, and/or a case.

The Anker Nebula Mars 3's Additional Carrying Features box.
The Anker Nebula Mars 3 is big, but it has a handle and built-in lens protection.
The Anker Nebula Capsule 3's Additional Carrying Features box.
The Anker Nebula Capsule 3 is easy to grab and go, but has no additional carrying features.

What it means for you: Rather than relying on a single vague portability blurb, you can now see which practical Additional Carrying Features a projector actually has. This makes it easier to distinguish between a projector that is merely small and one that is actually convenient to pick up and carry away from a permanent setup.

Physical Setup FLEXIBILITY

We now surface hardware placement traits in a dedicated Physical Setup Features box. Information like projector type, mounting support, and body adjustment was previously covered more loosely, often in the Optics box or general review text, but 0.12 makes these details easier to compare directly across products.

A screenshot of the Anker Nebula Mars 3's new Physical Setup Flexibility box.
The new Physical Setup Flexibility box takes in many elements from the old Optics box.

What it means for you: It's now much easier to compare the practical setup flexibility of different projectors without digging through long-form text or manuals. This is especially useful for differentiating fixed-chassis home-theater units from lifestyle models with built-in stands, gimbals, or other body adjustments.

Battery

We now measure battery life by running the projector at the recommended picture setting at maximum brightness with power-saving disabled until it shuts off, and we measure charge time until it returns to full charge. We also report which power sources the projector supports.

A screenshot of the Anker Nebula Mars 3's battery box.
We now test battery life, alongside charge time and the supported power sources.

What it means for you: Battery figures in 0.12 are now based on a consistent high-load test, making it easier to compare products directly. Since the test is done at maximum brightness, many projectors will last longer in real use at lower brightness settings, but 0.12 gives a clearer apples-to-apples baseline. Charge time is standardized around the intended charging setup rather than ad hoc charging methods.

Judder

We now publish a dedicated Judder box that checks whether a projector displays 24p and 25p content smoothly with matched frame rate, 60Hz streaming-device output, and native apps. When a setting such as MEMC, De-Judder, or Frame Interpolation is required for proper playback, we note it.

A screenshot of the Anker Nebula Mars 3 review's judder section.
Portable projectors like the Anker Nebula Mars 3 often struggle with judder.
A screenshot showing the XGIMI HORIZON 20 Max's judder section.
Bigger models like the XGIMI HORIZON 20 Max often handle judder better than portables.

What it means for you: If you watch a lot of movies, TV, anime, sports, or international content, you can now quickly see whether a projector handles motion properly or whether it needs a specific setting or source configuration to avoid visible judder. This also makes it easier to compare projectors, which often behave differently depending on whether you use their internal apps or an external streamer.

Inputs & Connectivity

The Inputs & Connectivity test has been updated to verify whether Bluetooth is present and whether it actually works with a wireless speaker or wireless headphones.

What it means for you: A Bluetooth logo or menu toggle is no longer enough on its own. Under 0.12, Bluetooth support is now confirmed through an actual device connection, helping catch unreliable or misleading implementations.

SMART fEATURES & soUND

We added a test for Remote-Free Operation to the Smart Features & Sound box.

The Anker Nebula Mars 3's interface home screen.
We've added tests for Remote-Free Operation in the Smart Features & Sound box.

What it means for you: This tells you whether a projector is fully usable without a remote, which is handy if you forget it at home with portable units, or simply if the remote is in another room.

Screen Adaptation

We now surface setup-automation features in a dedicated Screen Adaptation box. While many of these features were previously discussed in the Optics box, 0.12 separates them into their own results and scores them based on whether they actually work as intended in practice.

A screenshot of the Anker Nebula X1 shows the new Screen Adaptation box, which takes in many elements that used to be in the Optics box.
The new Screen Adaptation box takes in many elements that used to be in the Optics box.

What it means for you: Projectors that advertise lots of automatic setup tools will now be easier to compare, and weak or unreliable implementations will be more obvious. This is especially useful for portable and lifestyle models that are often moved between rooms or used casually without careful manual setup.

Which Reviews Are Being Updated?

Not all legacy reviews will be updated to the new test bench; however, in many instances, reviews on the new test bench are broadly compatible with units left on 0.11. Test Bench 0.12 adds several new boxes to projector reviews, so it changes how setup, mobility, and convenience information is presented compared with 0.11. Older 0.11 reviews may still mention some of these concepts, while 0.12 retested reviews break them out into separate, easier-to-compare results. As with prior updates, the methodology version shown on each review remains important when comparing products tested under different benches.

22 Projectors Updated So Far

We are retesting popular models first. So far, the test results for the following models have been converted to the new testing methodology. However, the text might be inconsistent with the new results.

35 Projectors Planned To Be Updated

We are also planning to retest the following products over the course of the next few weeks:

We make money directly from you via Membership (which gives you access to extra features) and when you buy a product after clicking a link to a retailer. Learn more about how we work.
We buy our own products, just like you, mostly from the United States. When a product is discontinued or no longer popular, we sell the review units locally. See what products we currently have for sale.
© 2026 9298-5266 Quebec Inc. All Rights Reserved.