Watching movies at the cinema has always been our favorite family bonding. Who wouldn’t? When we watch movies together, it seems that time stops and in those two hours, you are all glued to the screen, yes, but together. You are swept into the time where the movie brings you, and together as a family, you whisper to each other and talk something about the movie, and you munch popcorn together. Isn’t that sweet?
As a mom, I really treasure our times together more and more as I feel how times pass by more swiftly than ever. When the pandemic happened, I felt that we missed two years of our lives and that’s a lot. That’s why when the theaters had started opening, I immediately booked tickets for the first movies that we could watch. I want to make up for the years that were lost. Sadly, I realized that it’s not very economical to do so and more. Cinema tickets got steeper with higher prices, and you know what, my eyes got a little bit dimmer. That means I need to get tickets in much more expensive kinds of cinema with clearer screens .
When the kids got bigger and the internet has become more accessible to everyone, meaning faster speed, more stuff to watch and all social media platforms have all these videos to eat everyone’s attention, spending time together and scheduling for all of us to go to the movies had become a bit of a struggle. There’s not enough time to gather everyone and I feel that this will get worse when the kids go back to school or when my daughter goes to college.
But something gave me hope that we can still enjoy the magic of cinema watching without even going to the theaters, thanks to LUMOS Projector. LUMOS brings back our love for watching movies together on a much bigger and brighter scale, but within the comfort of our home.
We gave LUMOS a test run for a couple of weeks so that we can give you a full review and here they are summarized:
Features of the LUMOS RAY Smart:
– Watch your favorite movies or videos through its built-in streaming apps like Youtube, Netflix, HBO Go and more.
– Watch movies or videos through the AV, HDMI and USB interfaces. Having these interfaces makes it possible to use the LUMOS RAY Smart for video presentations, gaming consoles like PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and XBOX. The USB Storage can be used for generic storage drives, mouse and keyboard. It is similarly able to support external inputs like laptop/USB/TV Box/consoles etc.
– You can mirror your IPhone/Samsung phones through the inbuilt Airplay/AirScreen app.
– Connects to WIFI
– With its theater-like dual built-in Dolby Audio Speakers, it can be used as a bluetooth receiver where you can play music from your mobile phone, laptop, computer and other compatible sources. You can also use the speaker for Alexa, Google Home & Soundbars.
– It can also connect to your other bluetooth speakers
– You can download more apps through the TV Store and Google Play app.
– Light and handy. You can take LUMOS RAY Smart projector anywhere.
Tips and Observations:
- Great picture quality! Even at 360p to 1080p screen resolutions, you won’t notice too much difference.
- Surprisingly bright even in daylight viewing so what more when you watch it at night!
- Fast Youtube search and playback (it supports 4k but not recommended, stick with 720 resolution for smooth playback. You can easily link your existing Youtube or Netflix accounts through QR codes.
Here’s our discovery tip:
Open the KODI app and click on Add Ons. Click on Netflix and you’ll be logged in with your account!
- You can adjust keystone settings (good for adjusting the angle of the projection which is good for small rooms).
- It’s better to use the TV Store instead of Google Play Store for app downloads.
- You can download more useful apps like HBO Go, Disney+, facebook, twitter, instagram, Spotify, AppleTV and more…
- Do not update inbuilt Netflix and Youtube as the instruction says. Even though the Netflix app requires so, we still did not do so.
- It can project on most surfaces but to get the most of it, we recommend a white and flat surface to have the best natural colors and curves.
- The power cord is short and an extension cord is recommended.
- Fast browsing in the Chrome app.
- We recommend installing an internet browser app. Why?
When we were testing the LUMOS RAY Smart in the hotel, it connects automatically to their WIFI but requires an authorization code for guests. To access this page, you need to have an internet browser app.
- Before we forget, above the lens there is a focus knob for adjusting sharpness. This will work if you follow the recommended projection distances (1.16M – 5.5M).
- It may not be wise to look directly at the lens while it’s ON because of the 3000 lumens brightness. Anything over 90 to 130 lumens is bright enough to blind your vision for personal defense.
What’s in the box?
– Projector
– Remote
– User Manual
– AV Cable
– Power Cable
Price:
RAY regular P8,999
RAY Smart (With Netflix, Youtube & Apps) P11,999
Regular version DOES NOT support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Keystone Correction. It requires an external input like a laptop/USB/TV box to display content.
Smart version has its own operating system (Android OS). It is Wi-Fi enabled with Inbuilt Netflix, YouTube, Casting Apps, Playstore & Bluetooth.
According to their website, LUMOS is a direct to consumer brand and they ship direct from the production houses. All projectors are subjected to a 5-Star Performance checklist before it is shipped out – meaning that only the best ones will reach the buyers.
More Exciting Ways To Use LUMOS Projector
More than movies, what I love about LUMOS s Projector is that it opens a lot of opportunities to enjoy our time staying at home. You just have to explore it a little bit and you will find out how flexible it is when it comes to other activities. For one, we can enjoy chatting with our friends and relatives as we connect our computer and zoom out our chat on the wall. We also enjoyed connecting our Playstation console to LUMOS Projector and giggling as we play our cooking games, scary Resident Evil games, and my husband so excited seeing Star Wars firefighters soar in the sky on a much bigger screen.
When I am in the mood to bake or cook in the kitchen, I can easily zoom out the recipes on the kitchen wall using the LUMOS projector. And while I’m cooking, I can connect my Spotify to LUMOS and listen to my favorite tunes. How much cooler can that be, right?
If you are more of a phone user, you can mirror whatever it is in your phone to your wall using the LUMOS projector. This is very convenient for me when I’m attending a zoom meeting and I’m somewhere in the house doing something. It’s very convenient when there’s a big screen projected on the wall and I can easily see what’s happening in the meeting. That’s easily a multitasking 101 for busy moms.
Our Verdict
The fun of watching any videos on the big screen like watching a movie in the cinema is now made possible with the LUMOS RAY Smart Home Cinema Projector. The recommended projector distance from the wall is just enough for small to medium rooms without losing quality. And to complete your movie experience, they added the dual built-in Dolby Audio Speakers making it one of the best portable and lightweight home theater projectors in the market. Another great feature is that you can stream videos from Youtube, Netflix, HBO Go and much more. We just wished they added a LAN port to add options for internet connectivity instead of using only WIFI which are sometimes affected by signal obstructions. Last but not the least the USB port which can be used to play local movies but adding 2 more USB ports makes it better for mouse and keyboard. Overall, we recommend this product for 9/10. With this score, I can’t imagine how our movie watching at home can be any much better. Plus, with the variety of ports and gadgets that can be attached to this humble but powerful projector, I bet my kids would be able to resist more bonding time with mom and dad no.
We have a smooth white wall that is PERFECT for this! I have to get one.
Technology has changed everything so much! There was a time when you needed a DVD, film strip, etc. Now, you just add a streaming service to the projector and you’re ready to watch your favorite movie.
Wow! This sounds absolutely amazing! This is perfect for watching movies and series! My kids would love this so much!
Nnnnniiiicccceeeeee…for a while now, I have wanted to get myself a Lumos projector. You’ve awoken my desire! Thank you.
This is cool, I’ve never had a cinema at home or in my apartment. I will see if I can do it.