Dangbei N2 Mini A compact, portable projector with crisp visuals and built-in streaming apps, the Dangbei N2 Mini offers a budget-friendly option for casual movie nights. Its clever, built-in gimbal makes even the ceiling fair game for an impromptu screening location.
I don’t need an excuse to head to bed early, but I’ll take one if it presents itself. With the ability to project my favorite shows right on the ceiling of my bedroom, the Dangbei N2 Mini projector has quickly become a quiet favorite in my tech rotation thanks to its combo of portability and its gimbal stand. It’s not something I use every single day, but when I do fire it up, it brings a kind of low-effort magic that’s hard to overstate.
Flexible screenings (horizontal or otherwise)
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
I have a pretty well-established routine of pouring tea, slipping on cozy socks, and claiming the corner seat of my family’s couch, all while my partner flips through streaming services to find us something I will inevitably pass out to ten minutes in. I typically use a projector for special occasions or unique use cases like an outdoor movie night. When I unpacked the Dangbei N2 Mini, however, I was immediately tickled by the prospect of ceiling projection. Catch up on The Bear without lifting my head off the pillow? I must. The idea might sound niche or even a little gimmicky, but lying back and watching scenes play out above you feels impossibly cozy and uniquely immersive.
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
The option to consume content like a corpse is thanks to the projector’s built-in gimbal stand. It offers up to 190 degrees of tilt, so you can aim at everything from your floorboards to your ceiling trim, and yes, even the ceiling itself. For this review, I regularly used the projector overhead but also beamed it at a variety of more traditional options, including indoor and outdoor walls. The shades of my oversized windows actually make for great screens. Like any compact projector, it delivers flexibility and portability, blowing out the limits of where you might normally set up an impromptu screening.
The Dangbei N2 Mini features a built-in gimbal with up to 190 degrees of tilt turning every surface into a screen, from floor to ceiling.
The N2 Mini projects at 1080p resolution, displaying a clear picture in full color with plenty of contrast. With a brightness rating of 200 lumens, it’s clearly designed for dim environments, and that’s fine. In dark rooms, the image is vibrant and detailed, fitting for screens up to 120 inches. During the day, it’s more limited, but not unusable, just like most options at this price point. It’s not meant to compete with bright living room TVs or big-screen beamers but will do in a pinch. I set it up as a secondary screen in my kitchen when hosting friends and it was fine but, ideally, it’s best used in cozy, low-light settings, which is generally the vibe I want for movies anyway.
Input, output, and effortless setup
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