XGIMI Halo Portable 1080P Android TV Projector Review- Performance

XGIMI Halo Portable 1080P Android TV Projector Review – Performance: Color Reproduction, Brightness, Video Quality, Sound Quality, Audible Noise

The Halo’s color reproduction was respectable out of the box. The Brightness tab under Projector Settings has six presets which can significantly alter the on-screen image with adjustability to brightness, Red, Green, and Blue.

The XGIMI Halo has an additional six presets under Image Settings. Brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, noise reduction, and color temperature can also be manually adjusted in Image Settings.

The images above give a general idea of the color accuracy for each of the picture modes. However, when viewing in person, the colors will look much better than how the photos look on the display of the device you are using to read this review.

• BRIGHT – One of the brightest modes but the least accurate. This mode would be most suitable for content in a room with a large amount of ambient light.
• STANDARD – This mode provides a balance between brightness and accuracy with nominal video settings.
• SOFT – Provides a warmer image than the Standard Mode.
• OFFICE – Balanced image, very similar to Soft Mode
• GAME – This mode optimizes the settings to minimize lag for gameplay; I was unable to use game mode due to the game mode not supporting the keystone settings I had programmed for my front projected screen.
• CUSTOMIZE – This mode allows the end-user complete customizability to brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, noised reduction, and color temperature.

Below are a variety of screenshots showing color reproduction. 

I was unable to use game mode due to the game mode not supporting the keystone settings I had programmed for my front projected screen. Phil tested the XGIMI using his Bodnar lag tester. When the Game mode is engaged the latency playing 1080P at 60FPS was reduced from 97.6 ms down to 41ms.

The XGIMI Halo has a rated brightness of 600 to 800 ANSI lumens which is incredibility bright for a portable projector of its size. Just how close did the Halo come to hitting its target? I set the projector to Standard Mode, which is the brightest picture mode, and then took 3-4 readings about 15-20% out from the center of the lens.

XGIMI Halo Brightness (Standard Mode): 565 lumens

The Halo measured 565 lumens, which is lower than XGIMI’s brightness claim but this is still more than enough brightness for viewing video content on an 80” screen in a room with some ambient light.

The projector utilizes the DLP cinema-grade (active shutter 3D imaging) technology which is said to provide an entirely new viewing experience with XGIMI’s active shutter 3D glasses. I did not have XGIMI’s 3D glasses to test this feature.

Below are images of a variety of video and photo resolutions. Like all our photos, they remain unadjusted for color, so they do not look as good as what the projector produced. All of the images were taken with the Halo image mode set to either Standard or Customize.

The Halo has two 5-watt Harmon Kardon built-in speakers, located on the sides of the unit. The speakers provide good sound for a portable projector and are loud enough for an average-sized room. When you use the included remote to change the volume, the level is conveniently displayed on-screen.

I traveled for several weeks with the Halo and found it great just as a portable speaker. Sure, if I had a dedicated high-end portable Bluetooth speaker, it could possibly have better sound quality than the Halo, but it sure would not be able to project a movie onto my hotel room wall as I could do with the Halo. I even got 7 hours and 52 minutes worth of music playback when I listened to music with my review Halo.

We do not measure audible noise, but the fan noise produced by the Halo was at 28dB, 29dB, or 32dB, depending on the Brightness mode you are using. The Halo is a very quiet projector. Even with the projector set to its brightness light level, I could not hear the Halo’s fan from my seated position, even during quiet scenes.