Although Dangbei is a relatively new brand in the tech world, it has already received many design awards for its products, including the Red Dot Design Award and the iF Design Award. Today, Dangbei launched what it claims is “the world's first Google TV 4K laser projector” with Netflix – the Mars Pro 2.
When shopping for a projector, people generally have two choices: LED or Laser. The Mars Pro 2 is a 4K UHD laser projector with an extremely bright 2,450 ISO lumens, so it's easy to use at any time of day (even on bright days or dark nights). The laser technology chosen by Dangbei is known as advanced laser phosphor display (ALPD), and its benefits include better power efficiency compared to LED or lamp projectors, higher brightness, and wider color gamut. ALPD technology also helps the Mars Pro 2 provide a speckle-free experience – where some traditional projectors have a grainy shimmering effect – with deeper and more natural colors, and eliminates color fringing.
The Mars Pro 2 is also a versatile machine. In addition to its 4K capabilities, it supports HDR10+ and HLG, and can play 3D content in full HD (including 3D Blu-Ray), so users have many choices when it comes to the type of video content. When it comes to sound, the Mars Pro 2 is fully compatible with Dolby Audio and DTS
, and has built-in dual 12W speakers that provide good audio for their size. If you want better sound, the projector can also be connected to an external audio source – such as a home theater – made possible by HDMI eARC and S/PDIF connectivity.
One of the main selling points of this projector is the user experience, and it's powered by Google TV – the same operating system found in many popular TVs, including those made by Sony. Dangbei says the Mars Pro 2 is the first laser projector with Google TV and officially licensed by Netflix resulting in a very smooth and fluid experience. Since the device uses Google TV, all other popular applications like YouTube, Prime Video, and Disney+ can be downloaded onto the Mars Pro 2. Best of all, if you're lucky enough to have the space, you can project of Mars Pro 2 your favorite shows in a huge, cinema-like 200” image (and the smallest projection size is 40”) – it's important to mention that the brand recommends 80” to 120” as the ideal size for the clearest that image.
The Mars Pro 2 has plenty of connectivity options and can connect to everything from game consoles to computers – basically, anything that uses an HDMI connection. The device uses HDMI 2.1, the faster and more modern version of the connectivity standard found in current generation game consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X. While it is possible to play these consoles on the Mars Pro 2, there is a small input lag between the controller and the projection – quite minor, but if you're competitive in games like Call of Duty, you'll notice you're at a slight disadvantage because on the delay between what you press and what you see (there's also a low latency gaming mode option that addresses this issue). For less competitive games, the experience the Mars Pro 2 provides is out-of-this-world. Other connection options on the projector include dual USB slots, LAN, 3.5mm for audio, and fast Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
If you don't know what size TV to buy, this might be the right projector for you. The Mars Pro 2 is a truly modern projector made of glass and aluminum that fits into any setup, uses less than 30% of the power used by traditional lamp projectors and has a laser with a 30,000-hour lifespan.
The Mars Pro 2 is now available on the Dangbei website at a price of $1,899 USD. There is an optional gimbal stand that can be purchased separately.
