The TCL PlayCube is a 1080p portable projector with a clever design that's somewhere between a Rubix Cube and the robot TARS from Interstellar. The twistiness is more than just for show: It lets you pivot the lens upward so it can project an image much higher than where it's sitting. Inside is Google TV for streaming and a laser light engine that's decently bright. Oh, and it has a 66Wh battery that's good for a claimed 3 hours of playtime -- some competitors struggle to get through a whole movie.
Overall, performance is quite good. The image is bright for a portable, the colors are reasonably accurate, and the contrast ratio is better than most portables. It even sounds decent, which is good since the unit can also double as a Bluetooth speaker.
There aren't many downsides, other than a few software issues that will hopefully get patched out. The main one is the price, which is several hundred higher than our favorite portable projectors. Some aspects of its design and performance justify that higher price, but not completely.
Specs and such
Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Resolution: 1080p
Lumens spec: 750 (ISO)
Zoom: No
Lens shift: No (well, kinda, 3/4 of the thing pivots)
Battery life (claimed): 3 hours, 1h after 30 minutes of charging
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