Similar in concept the Editors’ Choice Optoma Neo-i ($450 street, 4 stars) that I recently reviewed, the Cinemin Slice ($429 direct) combines a pico projector with an iPod dock to create what’s essentially a nearly instant home theater, lacking only the iPod, iPhone, or iPad to mount in the dock. As with the Neo-i, however, it’s not limited to working with Apple products. Rather, it offers a selection of standard connectors for computers and video sources.
The actual projector in the Slice is built around an 854 by 480 DLP chip. Rated at 16 lumens, it’s brighter than some pico projectors, but noticeably dimmer than the Neo-i, which is rated at 50 lumens. It’s also noticeably dimmer than some standard pico projectors, including, for example, the Optoma PK301 Pico Pocket Projector ($400 street, 4 stars), also rated at 50 lumens, and theSamsung SP-H03 ($300 street, 3.5 stars), rated at 30 lumens.
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The Slice weighs just 3.2 pounds, making it easy to carry with you if you need to. The size, with both the projector and dock sections in their storage positions, is 4.5 by 8.8 by 5 inches (HWD), but keep in mind that it feels smaller than the dimensions suggest, because of the triangular shape.
Cinemin Slice Specifications
- Engine Type
- DLP
- Type
- Consumer
Cinemin Slice Projector Connections
As you might expect, given the iPod dock, the Slice comes with an assortment of adaptors that WowWee says will let you connect any version of the iPod, iPhone, or iPad that includes video. All you have to do is put in the right adaptor, slide your iWhatever into the dock, and you’re ready to show videos and stills, or just play music for that matter.
You can also plug in computers and non-Apple video devices. The front of the Slice offers three connectors: a VGA port for a computer, a mini HDMI connector for a computer or video source, and a miniplug AV input for composite video and stereo audio.
The mini-plug input is fully equivalent to the more common choice of offering three RCA-phono plug jacks, with WowWee supplying an adaptor cable with a miniplug on one end and three phono plug jacks on the other.
Setup
Setup is standard fare. Instead of a zoom control, you can adjust the image size by moving the projector closer to or further from the screen. Focusing is a little tricky, with a slider that’s hard to get moving and then changes focus too much too quickly, but that’s a common issue with pico projectors.
The Slice lets you switch to the right source and adjust volume using either the remote or the touch sensitive controls on the rear of the projector. In my tests, the remote also let me give limited commands to an iPod to move though the menus and start or stop a video, although I had to look at the iPod screen to see the menu.
Brightness and Image Quality
I tested the Slice with a 32-inch-wide image (37 inches diagonal, with a 16:9 aspect ratio) under several lighting conditions. In bright daylight, with blinds drawn and lights out, but with bright sunlight sneaking in at the blind’s edges, the image was useable, but too washed out for my tastes for anything but short sessions. With essentially the same conditions but overcast, the image was much more usable, but still not something I’d want to use for, say, watching a movie. At night, with all the lights out, the image was at least arguably bright enough for watching a full-length movie without eyestrain.
As with most pico projectors, the Slice’s image quality, is good enough to be usable, but far from impressive. I saw no signs of motion artifacts, just a hint of posterization (with shading changing suddenly where it should change gradually) in scenes that tend towards the problem, and the projector did a reasonably good job with skin tones. However, it did a poor job with shadow detail. In some of the more demanding scenes in our test suite, large areas of the screen turned into a solid mass of black. Even in less demanding scenes, I saw an obvious loss of detail in the shadows.
Like most single-chip DLP projectors, the Slice also shows a rainbow effect—the tendency for light areas to break up into little red, green, blue rainbows when you move your eye or an object moves on screen. The Slice shows this problem less frequently than some other projectors, but often enough so if you’re sensitive to the effect, as I am, you may consider it annoying for long video sessions.
Cinemin Slice Audio Quality and Other Issues
The Slice’s audio system is surprisingly good. The quality is better than you’ll find in most projectors, and it’s easily loud enough for a family-room setting. There’s also a headset jack, so you can watch and listen without disturbing others.
The only real issue for the Slice is its price. Given that the Neo-i, with its brighter and higher-quality image, is more expensive by roughly the price of a large pizza with toppings, it’s hard to argue that getting a Slice is worth the savings. On the other hand, the Slice has better audio quality than the Neo-i, it can certainly do the job Cinemin Slice meant for, and if you can get it at a low enough price, it’s just as certainly worth considering.
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