This Viral Mini Projector Promises a Home Cinema Experience - so I Tried It

The internet made me believe I could turn my white bedroom wall into a movie theatre. You’ve seen the clips—someone lying in bed with fairy lights, popcorn, and a perfect HD projection of Dune dancing across their ceiling. It looks dreamy. But when I saw one of these mini projectors on sale for under $80, I had one thought: how good could it really be? I’ve now spent three weeks watching everything from blockbuster movies to football games on one of TikTok’s most talked-about gadgets. Here’s what actually happened when I swapped my TV for a projector the size of a sandwich.

The Setup: Surprisingly Easy

The model I bought was no-name but highly reviewed (classic), with USB, HDMI, and screen mirroring support. It came with a remote, power cable, and tripod mount. Setting it up took under 10 minutes. I plugged it in, connected my phone via AirPlay, and projected the image onto a blank wall above my desk.

No professional mounting, no drilling—just point, focus, and watch.

Pro tip: if you don’t have a plain white wall, get a cheap projector screen or even a white bedsheet. The sharper the surface, the better the picture.

Picture Quality: Better Than Expected, But Know What You’re Getting

Let’s manage expectations. This is not 4K Dolby Vision. It’s decent 720p (sometimes upscaled to 1080p), and in the right setting—dark room, still background—it actually looks good. Not Netflix-on-a-TV good, but way better than “novelty gadget” levels of bad.