JMGO N1 Ultra 4K Projector Review

Established in 2011, JMGO is a prominent technology enterprise that focuses on delivering innovative home entertainment solutions. With a primary emphasis on projectors, smart TVs, and audio devices, JMGO has made significant strides in the industry. The company adopted a crowdsourcing approach to secure initial funding, distinguishing itself as a fresh contender in the projector market.

The company has recently unveiled the N1 Ultra projector, showcasing its impressive features. With a 4K resolution and a brightness rating of 4,000 lumens, it stands as one of the brightest projectors on the market. Priced at $2,299, the N1 Ultra is now available for purchase.

Specifications

The N1 Ultra is a Digital Light Processing (DLP) projector that utilizes a 0.47-inch Texas Instruments Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) with Extended Pixel Resolution technology. The DLP chip has a (1920 x 1080 x 4) imager, enabling it to display a 4K image.

The projector incorporates an integrated gimbal solution for improved versatility. Its Ultra-Thin 2-axis Gimbal System allows for vertical adjustment up to 135° and horizontal adjustment up to 360°. The N1 Ultra fully supports 3D content for both movies and gaming, provided the user has compatible 3D glasses. These glasses are available as an optional accessory from JMGO.

The N1 Ultra exhibits a native contrast ratio of 1,600:1, resulting in a noticeable visual impact. This projector fully supports HDR content and is compatible with HDR10 and HLG formats. Another notable feature is the inclusion of an HDR on/off control in the menu, allowing users to toggle HDR settings according to their preferences, rather than being locked into auto-detection, as is common with most HDR projectors.

The JMGO projector offers real-time auto focus with its innovative TMR electromagnetic induction technology, ensuring millisecond focus for sharp and clear images. It also features instant image calibration through a 6-axis gyroscope. The gyroscope data is seamlessly integrated within 20ms, allowing the projector to adapt to the attitude angle and accurately detect position movements within 100ms.

On the back of the N1 Ultra, you'll find input and output ports conveniently located. Positioned in a single row below the exhaust grill, you'll find a USB-A 2.0 port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and two HDMI ports. One of the HDMI ports also supports eARC functionality. To enhance convenience, the DC power port is integrated into the right arm of the stand, ensuring it remains unobtrusive while adjusting the vertical tilt. To enhance portability, the company provides a carrying case, allowing for convenient transportation of the projector to different places.

The JMGO N1 Ultra is equipped with a sound system co-created by Dynaudio. It comprises two 10W speakers that offer a satisfying bass response of 45Hz. Notably, the sound system of the JMGO N1 Ultra has received certifications from both Dolby and DTS, ensuring a quality audio experience.

Design

The JMGO N1 Ultra stands out among portable projectors with its distinctive design. Its premium appearance features a sleek grey color with a two-tone finish that blends seamlessly with most living room aesthetics. The projector is mounted on a swivel that allows for a 135-degree rotation, enabling ceiling projection if desired. Weighing 9.92 lbs. and measuring 9.49-inches x 7.99-inches x 9.29-inches, the JMGO N1 Ultra strikes a balanced size and weight.

On the upper side of the projector's rotating stand, there is a single power button for easy on/off control. However, the projector does not feature a control panel for menu navigation or volume adjustment. The front of the JMGO N1 Ultra is home to the projector's lens and sensors, allowing the projector to adapt to the surrounding environment.

The remote for the JMGO N1 Ultra is constructed from gray plastic, which does leave some to be desired in terms of quality. Another notable drawback is the absence of a backlight feature, which makes it tough to use in low-light or dark environments.

On the top left of the remote, you'll find the power on/off button, providing easy access for turning the projector on and off. Positioned on the right side is the Google Assistant button, enabling convenient voice control. Below these buttons, there is a D-Pad-like 4-direction controller with a select button in the center, facilitating smooth navigation through menus and options. The remote also features dedicated buttons for back, menu, home, and volume control, adding to its functionality.

Smart Features

During the initial setup of the Ultra N1 projector, I was prompted to connect it to my home's Wi-Fi network and log into my Google account. This allowed me to easily access the familiar Android TV interface. Using the provided remote control, navigating through the interface was intuitive and hassle-free.

With its Android TV 11 integration, the Ultra N1 offers the added advantage of the Google Play Store. This grants users access to a diverse range of downloadable apps, expanding the projector's capabilities beyond conventional viewing. The inclusion of Google Assistant also enables convenient voice control and effortless interaction with the projector using the remote.

The operating system of the Ultra N1 offers a smooth and glitch-free experience while navigating through its interface. Although the Netflix app is not directly available for download from the Google Play Store, there are alternative solutions such as purchasing a streaming stick or external device that supports the Netflix app.

Setup

The swivel gimbal system of the N1 Ultra projector is surprisingly sturdy. I found it easy to adjust the projector vertically without any unintended sideways movement. Once set, it remains securely locked in position.

The JMGO N1 Ultra projector offers a throw ratio of 1.2:1. With a digital zoom lens and powered lens focus, it provides flexibility for adjusting the image size and achieving optimal focus. While the projector includes convenient autofocus functionality, it also allows manual focusing if preferred.

To simplify the setup process, the JMGO N1 Ultra features autofocus and auto keystone correction that works within 100ms. These smart auto-setup features ensure quick and precise adjustments, making it easy to achieve a squared picture. I recommend aligning the projector as accurately as possible before engaging the auto keystone correction, as this correction is achieved digitally and can lower the actual projection resolution.

The JMGO N1 Ultra is equipped with Auto Obstacle Avoidance. Using its sensors, the projector intelligently detects obstacles such as light switches and adjusts the main image size accordingly to work around them, ensuring a seamless viewing experience.

Performance

The N1 Ultra projector supports 1.07 billion colors at a 10-bit color depth, resulting in vivid and vibrant images. JMGO provides six preset picture modes for the N1 Ultra: Vivid, Movie, Standard, GAME, OFFICE, and USER. The projector comes with the STANDARD mode as the default setting, which does produce slightly oversaturated colors. I found that Movie mode provides the best and most accurate picture.

The JMGO N1 Ultra stands out among standard throw projectors since it’s equipped with an RGB laser light source, enabling it to reproduce a wider range of colors compared to most projectors in its category. With its impressive 4K resolution, the N1 Ultra delivers exceptional visuals that showcase enhanced detail and vibrant colors.

In the movie "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," there is a scene that particularly captures attention: Scott Lang's first entrance into the quantum realm. The N1 Ultra accurately portrays the intricate details and colors of this scene, immersing viewers in its captivating visuals. By rendering fine details and bringing out the vividness of colors, the N1 Ultra provides an enjoyable viewing experience, making it an excellent choice for appreciating visually engaging content.

When it comes to brightness, the JMGO N1 Ultra truly shines. Its impressive brightness ensures a satisfying viewing experience even in well-lit environments. You can comfortably enjoy your content during the day without worrying about distracting ambient light.

The N1 Ultra projector's impressive brightness does come with a slight trade-off when it comes to black levels. While the projector excels in delivering bright and vibrant images, I did notice that the black levels appear more like dark grays. While this doesn't significantly impact the overall viewing experience, it does limit the projector's ability to achieve optimal black levels and contrast, particularly in darker scenes. However, this is a common characteristic among projectors in this brightness range.

The JMGO N1 Ultra projector showcases its upscaling capabilities quite decently, particularly when watching HD content. During my viewing of the film "Nightcrawler," I couldn't help but notice the impressive level of detail in the upscaled imagery. One specific example that stood out was the intricate texture of Louis Bloom's jacket and the fabric of his pants. The projector effectively rendered the fine details, allowing me to appreciate the quality of the materials and the nuances in their textures.

Gaming on the JMGO N1 Ultra projector offers a truly enjoyable experience. With an input lag measurement of approximately 18ms at 4K 60Hz, the projector ensures a responsive and smooth gaming session. The fast-paced gameplay and fluid movements while playing “Madden 23” were accurately rendered, allowing me to fully immerse myself in the game.

Audio Quality

The JMGO N1 Ultra projector offers a variety of audio preset modes to cater to different content genres and preferences: Music, Standard, Movie, and Sports. With its powerful audio capabilities, the projector delivers ample volume, allowing you to enjoy your content at high levels without any noticeable distortion in sound quality. When compared to other projectors with integrated speakers, the N1 Ultra stands on par with them, offering a satisfying audio output that surpasses the performance of typical TV speakers.

One notable aspect of the N1 Ultra's audio performance is its bass reproduction. The projector delivers deep and immersive bass, enhancing the overall audio experience. While it still can’t compete for those seeking a more immersive experience, it does a decent job if you’re on the go or in small spaces.

What is a gimbal projector?

A gimbal projector refers to a projector that incorporates a gimbal mechanism or system. A gimbal is a pivoted support that allows for rotation along different axes, typically used to keep an object or device stable and level. In the context of projectors, a gimbal system allows for easy adjustment and positioning of the projector, usually for vertical and horizontal adjustments. This flexibility enables users to achieve the desired projection angle and optimize the viewing experience.

What is the difference between ultra short throw and long throw projectors?

To put it simply, the distinction between short-throw and long-throw projectors lies in the distance at which they are placed from the screen. Long-throw projectors are designed to be positioned at a considerable distance from the projection surface, whereas short-throw projectors are intended to be placed closer to the screen.

Is Android TV the same as Google TV?

No, Android TV 11 and Google TV are not the same. Android TV 11 is an operating system developed by Google specifically for smart TVs and streaming devices. It is an updated version of the Android TV platform, offering improvements and new features.

On the other hand, Google TV is a user interface (UI) and content aggregation platform that runs on top of the Android TV operating system. Google TV provides a more personalized and curated experience for users by organizing content from various streaming services into a unified interface. It includes features like personalized recommendations, a Watchlist, and voice search.