I used to project onto the wall in my kid’s room with an Epson EF12. After we assembled a new iloom loft bed for my child, there was no good wall space left, so I started looking for a replacement.

Since we already have the higher-end Epson EF11 and EF12 mini projectors, this time I focused on cheaper options and portability. I really wanted the RICOH WXC1110 at one point, but it seems discontinued. I also considered the Philips Screeneo U4, but it’s expensive, and ultra-short-throw projectors seem to demand a better screen. OVO recently released a KS1 that looks similar to the U4, but I’m not familiar with the brand and NT$26,000 felt risky. Long story short, I ended up considering the BenQ GV10, GV11, GV30, and GV31.

Among these, the GV10 has the least information. There are hardly any unboxings or reviews, and from the specs it doesn’t even look like the same series. All are DLP, but only the GV10 lists a contrast ratio of 400:1 (even the older GV1 is 100,000:1), and only the GV10 is rectangular. In the end, I planned to “stick” the projector to the ceiling under the loft bed, and the GV10 was priced very aggressively (NT$3,990), so I bought it.

On image quality, this is my first DLP projector, so I don’t have a direct reference. Of course it can’t compare to the 3LCD EF11/EF12, and you can see noticeable shimmer up close. But this isn’t a home theater setup, and overall I can accept it. It’s under 400g; I used three sets of 3M large picture-frame hooks and it sits securely on the underside of the loft ceiling. My only real complaint is USB power. The official marketing says USB-A can supply 1.5A, and the spec sheet even says 2.0A. In theory, that should easily power a 7.5W Chromecast 4, but in reality it doesn’t work — not even when the projector is plugged in. My guess is they tested with the BenQ QS02 (NT$1,999), which I really don’t want to buy just to test. Fortunately, the Chromecast 4 can run off a power bank. The GV10’s stated 160-minute battery life for video playback also feels a bit optimistic. Another odd issue is that auto keystone sometimes kicks in and disturbs viewing, but you can just turn it off.

Here are my subjective pros and cons.

Pros

• Cheap. Current promo price is NT$3,990, which feels like clearance.
• Lightweight and easy to carry.
• The rectangular shape makes mounting easy; you can even place it at the loft bedside to project onto the ceiling.
• Shorter battery life can prevent kids from getting stuck watching TV too long.

Cons

• USB doesn’t power a Chromecast 4. This model doesn’t include a TV stick; buying one separately lowers value. The GV11 has Android TV, dual-system casting, higher brightness and contrast — a much better deal overall. PChome sells it for NT$8,990 and includes a stylish carry bag.
• The power is a hardware switch. Besides power, the only physical controls are volume buttons. Without a built-in OS, it’s not very useful on its own, and you still need the remote to set projection direction.
• Can’t charge or power via USB. For travel you still need the bulky adapter. This adapter is different from the GV11’s, again making it feel like a different product line.

Not being able to power a Chromecast 4 is a minor flaw, but it still feels misleading. BenQ support said they were looking into it.

Update

Support later said they confirmed the USB output is 2A, but they still don’t know why Chromecast 4 won’t work, and suggested using external power. All I can say is: please keep this in mind if you’re buying one.

Note: This article was machine-translated from Traditional Chinese.