Hi 👋 From now on, instead of just reposting my design work on here, I will be doing more unique posts... answering questions, writing about games, products, & hopefully design process as well.
First, I wanted to talk about a projector, the BenQ CH100.
My apartment is strangely-shaped & I was worried about even having a wall that would be suitable for a projector, but I’ve used the CH100 almost every day since I got it. My favorite spot for it is in front of my bed, projecting onto a wall about 5″ away. I was glad I didn’t have to install it on a wall or ceiling... I just put it on an Ikea bench & adjusted the picture accordingly with the remote... simple.
The CH100 is extremely easy to set up & use. There’s a touch-sensitive on/off button & a focus knob, & that’s... pretty much it.
When I think of projectors, “clean, minimalist, portable design” isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, but the CH100 really is slick-looking & nicely designed. It’s refreshing to see electronics that don’t feel like Apple rip-offs. I like simple shape of the device & how the air vents are incorporated into the design.
You can easily carry it around without worrying too much about it breaking; it has a very solid feel, while still being lightweight. It even comes with a carrying case, which is handy & emphasizes the portability of this projector: you’d think it would be a hassle to bring a projector somewhere with you, but the thin profile combined with the carrying case makes it really simple.
The lens can be covered with a handy sliding plastic door.
2D animation looks insanely crisp.
I leave the CH100 remote (the white one) on my nightstand. I can sit in bed & watch something without having to get up to turn it on.
I’m very pleased with the amount of ports on the back. I hooked up a Roku Stick, & am powering it via the adjacent USB port. The Roku stick is cheap, tiny, & has accent to an insane amount of streaming apps (still waiting for the FilmStuck app though 😤)
There’s two more HDMI ports, which I occasionally use for my MacBook Pro or PlayStation TV. I might hook up my NES Classic Eventually too, those pixels would look so crisp on this thing.
There’s also several more legacy ports, if you have some older hardware you’d like to hook up.
The built-in speakers are ok for on-the-go, but at home they sound very tinny & aren’t good enough to watch a movie or TV with. I hook up this Beoplay A1 Bluetooth speaker with an aux cable, & just leave it plugged into the wall for power. It has tons of bass for it’s size & sounds better than normal TV speakers.
The picture is sharp, super-bright (I really have to emphasize how bright it is), & the colors really pop. It really just looks like I have an enormous 80″ or 90″ TV on my wall. It’s easy to tune the focus the picture with the knob on the top, which is satisfying to rotate.
Some of my favorite things to do with this projector:
Play games on Switch / PS Vita / etc while watching Seinfeld (pictured).
Hooking up a PlayStation TV & using Remote Play play Persona 5 from my PS4 Pro in the other room, on a gigantic projection while in the comfort of my bed.
Hooking up my MacBook Pro to the projector with an extra long HDMI cable, & doing design work or browsing the web extra large.
Part of me has always wanted a projector, but it seemed like it would be impractical & a hassle to install. The CH100 has totally changed my mind. Despite having recently bought a nice new TV last year, I now want to watch all my movies & TV shows on this thing.
Photos taken with Sony RX1 & edited in Adobe Lightroom.
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Disclaimer: Some products have been sent to me by their respective companies. I do not accept payments and no posts are sponsored.