Nebula Capsule 3 Laser (D2426) review

Full review

The Nebula Capsule 3 Laser shrinks the idea of a projector down to roughly the size of a drinks can. At 0.9 kg and with a built-in battery, it is the sort of device you can take to a garden, a bedroom or a holiday rental and have a big picture running in minutes. Google TV is built in, so streaming apps are available without a separate stick, and an HDMI input handles consoles or laptops.

The laser light source gives it a long rated lifespan and punchier colours than most LED pocket projectors, but the claimed brightness is only 300 ANSI lumens. That is fine in a properly dark room at 60 to 80 inches, yet the image washes out quickly with ambient light, and the maker's own quoted image sizes are inconsistent across its page, so do not expect a very large picture. Contrast is also modest, with a claimed 500:1, and the maker does not list HDR support.

The single 8 W speaker is loud enough for a small room, though it will not replace a soundbar. Battery life is about 2.5 hours in Eco mode, which is tight for a long film, so keep a USB-C power source nearby.

It makes sense if portability matters more than picture quality. If the projector will live in one room, a brighter 1080p or 4K model at a similar price will give a noticeably better picture.