For a big screen on a small budget, the Crenova XPE600 is an incredible value. The XPE600 is a native 1080p budget projector. Despite its low sub-$200 price tag, the XPE600 features excellent performance, particularly for the price. It’s a projector that delivers phenomenal band-for-your-buck. Learn why the Crenova XPE600 is the best cheap projector on the planet in our hands-on review!
What is the Crenova XPE600 – Specs and More
The Crenova XPE600 is a true 1080p projector. Its native 1920 x 1080 resolution is mated to an LED light source. There’s a reported 6000:1 contrast ratio along with a 6800 lux rating. However, its ANSI lumen rating is unlisted and nowhere near close to 6800 lumens. Likely, the ANSI lumen rating us somewhere around the 300-400 range. But anecdotally speaking the LED light source makes the resulting image appear much brighter than comparatively-specced bulb-based projectors.
There’s a maximum image size of around 200-inches. Although the XPE600 can generate a much larger image, it might start to get out of focus or look dimmer at sizes over 200-inches. For a 120-inch picture, the XPE600 needs to be placed around 4 meters back from the screen. On the connectivity side, the Crenova XPE600 sports a pair of HDMI inputs, dual USB inputs, a VGA input, AV input, and an audio output for connecting an external speaker or set of headphones. The top of the device features a focus wheel and keystone ring along with a set of touch controls. In the box, the XPE600 comes with a remote, HDMI cable, AV input cable, lens cap, cleaning cloth, power cord, and basic instructions.
Crenova XPE600 specs:
- Native 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution
- Inputs/outputs (I/O): 2 x HDMI inputs, 2 x USB, 1 x VGA input, 1 x AV input, 1 x audio out jack
- LED light source
- 6800 lux (ANSI lumens unlisted)
- 50% manual zoom
- 7000:1 contrast ratio
- 60,000 hour lamp life
- Supports Dolby audio decoding
- Included accessories: Remote, lens cap, cleaning cloth, HDMI cable, AV input cable, power cable, basic instructions
Crenova XPE600 Review – The Best Cheap Projector on the Market
The Crenova XPE600 delivers a much better picture than its price tag suggests, punching well above its weight class. At under $200 for its standard retail value, you’d expect the XPE600 to be a mere toy. What the Crenova lacks in advanced features, it more than compensates for with its excellent picture quality. The native 1080p image looked crisp on both my pop-up projector screen or simply a white wall in my home.
Out-of-the-box, color accuracy was perfectly adequate. There are a few presets, or you can tweak settings on your own. Its basic ±15° vertical keystone lets you account for a slight angle. The bottom of the projector includes four standard screw holes for using a ceiling mount, but a stand or shelf works just fine.
Movies and TV shows looked excellent. Both streaming content and videos played back from Blu-rays were marvelously rendered. Live TV such as sports were good. And I even tested out some gaming. Although I wasn’t able to officially test out its input lag, my gameplay was not affected for single-player titles. Though the XPE600 might not be an ultra-low input lag projector for gaming, and therefore unsuitable for online games and twitchy shooters, it’s a solid choice for casual gamers or single-player titles.
The native 1080p image made for a good on-screen image. While the Crenova XPE600, like most projectors, is best viewed in a dark setting, I found that the image held up even under some ambient light. Projecting onto a screen at mid-day with the blinds closed and sun still leaking in, the Crenova XPE600 generated a washed out but still watchable image. While it’s not a high lumen projector, the LED light source manages to make the resulting picture look somewhat brighter. In a dark room, the picture quality was absolutely stunning. There are several different user profiles including standard, vivid, and user. For situations with ample ambient lighting, vivid is the best choice, but standard is fine for dark room use.
The speakers are surprisingly capable. While they didn’t blow me away, I found the onboard speakers suitable for on-the-go viewing, and able to fill a small to medium-sized room. Nevertheless, I’d recommend an external set of speakers or a soundbar. Particularly for a big screen image, you’ll want a large soundstage to match.
Should You Buy the Cernova XPE600 Projector?
The Crenova XPE600 is an outstanding budget projector, and the best projector under $200. What it lacks in advanced features, the XPE600 compensates for with its shockingly well-rounded performance. It’s a fantastic projector that lets you achieve a massive screen for very little money. You won’t find many features common on mid-range projectors. For instance, the lumens, while unlisted, are pretty low. Bright room viewing is not recommended. Similarly, while the Crenova does pack keystone, it’s only a 15-degree vertical keystone, and no horizontal keystone. 3D, all but dead on TVs but standard on most projectors isn’t available. And while the Crenova is well-suited to casual gaming, it’s not ideal for low-lag competitive online gaming.
However, its feature set falls right in line with other projectors in its class. The colors are more accurate than the Crenova BL-76, and the overall image is a bit brighter as well. While you won’t find the horizontal keystone as on the Vankyo V630W, the XPE600 clocks in at a substantially lower price tag than the V630W. As such, the Crenova XPE600 boasts a phenomenal value. It’s cheap as chips, great for movies and TV as well as casual gaming, and bright enough to handle small amounts of ambient lighting. Although it doesn’t have the contrast ratio, black levels, and advanced features found on mid-range projectors, the XPE600 is half the price, and well worth the cost.
If you’re looking for a big screen that won’t break the bank, the XPE600 is a fantastic choice. It’s a good pick for anyone with a light-controlled room to use as a daily driver. For current projector owners, it’s still worth considerint the Crenova XPE600 as a projector for backyard movie nights. It’s easy to tote around, and with the low price tag you won’t have to worry if it gets knocked over or someone spills a drink on it. Overall, I think it’s totally worth the sub-$200 price tag.
Crenova XPE600 Review – The Best Cheap Projector Under $200
Ultimately, the Crenova XPE600 is incredibly competitively-priced. At under $200, it’s tough to beat. The picture quality might not be cinephile-caliber, but in its class, the XPE600 holds its own. And there’s something to be said of the wow factor that comes with watching movies or gaming on a 100-inch or larger screen. For a solid projector that won’t break the bank, the Crenova XPE600 is a complete steal.
Crenova XPE600
$200.00
Pros
- Native 1080p (1920x1080) resolution
- Bright image
- Long lamp-life, LED light source
- Good connectivity
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
Cons
- No horizontal keystone
- Not ideal for situations with lots of ambient lighting
- Onboard speakers aren't audiophile caliber
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