Vivibright F20Pro Projector: Full HD Cinema for $85!

In this review, I will talk about a video projector that is excellent for its price with real native Full HD resolution — Vivibright (AUN) or just F20 Pro 2022. Of the three Chinese projectors I’ve owned, F20 Pro is the best. In this review, at the same time, I will tell you how to choose the right projector for your home.

CHECK THE PRICE VIVIBRIGHT F20 PRO ON OFICIAL STORE

The prehistory is such (what it is and nothing more) that 15–20 years ago video projectors (and they were exclusively branded then) were quite an expensive pleasure. Remembering the carefree years of childhood, part of the time of which I spent in the dark watching filmstrips that were popular at that time, scrolling them on a slide projector, the opportunity to purchase a video projector always tempted me. Over time, the Chinese made this possible, and I bought my first Noname video projector on Aliexpress about 15 years ago, as I remember now, for something around $ 250 (at that time a rather big amount for me). Then I still did not comprehend the intricacies of choosing these devices, and therefore it turned out what happened. The native (real) resolution of that projector was 800x600 pixels, and I wanted a larger screen.

As a result, it turned out to be watchable (if you watch a movie from the opposite end of the room), but still, due to the rather big screen, the image was stretched, the contours of objects on the screen were blurred, and the brightness of the image decreased.

In the end, having played enough with it, I sold it. Googling, I decided that on occasion and eventually I would buy a projector with HD resolution 720p. (At that time they were expensive).

Time passed, and I became the owner of my second AUN C80 projector with 720p HD resolution.

The projector is good, compact and quiet, it cost me about $100. This time I decided to buy a deshman screen from the Chinese.

I took a diagonal size of 84 inches, however, firstly, the synthetic fabric itself had a gauze-like structure (transparent) + it also stretched, I could not evenly fix it on two planks, as I planned. Because of its translucency, the image on it did not suit me, there was no contrast, brightness, and the size was again too big even for HD. Thus, at the moment it hangs in the country house in front of the front door and acts as a fly and mosquito net.

Screen #2 turned out to be better due to the fact that it was completely opaque, and besides, it also had a special reflective coating to increase the brightness of the image. The second screen was slightly smaller (72 inches) and the image on it suited me … at first. I will make a reservation that I use this screen now. Generally, it is designed to stick on the wall. I decided to attach it to two tubes, top and bottom, but let’s omit my arm * post, because I didn’t succeed in doing all this absolutely smoothly, although I tried very hard. When the screen is suspended, waves and overflows appear on it (and the Chinese sent it, by the way, by simply folding the canvas several times, which is why small stripes formed on it, like on a chessboard).

Still, it’s good that, due to its reflective coating, bumps and waves are visible only from the side, and if you sit directly in front of it, the flaws are almost imperceptible. In general, if you want to save money and not bother — take this canvas, I recommend it.

Or buy a factory screen if funds permit.

The C80 projector with HD resolution was much better than the previous one, and yet, the eye clung to the “soap” on some scenes in the films, as a rule, there was not enough detail, for example, with the general plans of any cities or buildings, where there are a lot of small details.

Many Chinese Full HD projectors still cost $150 and up. What was my surprise when I went to stocks on Banggood and saw the F20 Pro video projector at a price of only $95? Having run to Aliexpress to compare the price, I saw that its price there fluctuates in the range of 150–200 (it is there and now with most sellers).

I read the reviews and asked if they really sell the F20 Pro version of the projector, because. there is also a version of the F20, but it has a real resolution of 720p, while the F20 Pro has 1080p. Yes, Banggood is selling the F20 PRO version for the promotion.

In a word, I became the proud owner of a Full HD projector at a ridiculous price. Interestingly, now, at the time of writing the review, the price has become even lower ($83)

A few words about how to choose the right projector for your home

Brightness and resolution are the two main parameters of a projector. For home projectors that are used in the dark, brightness is not so important, but it’s better not to save on resolution. In darkened rooms, you can use projectors with a brightness of 2000 lumens or more. Presentation projectors that are used in well-lit rooms have a brightness of 3,000–4,000 lumens or more. All of these values ​​must be labeled according to the ANSI luminance measurement standard. Popular global brands tend to measure brightness according to ANSI. As for Chinese brands, if the ANSI marking is not indicated next to the brightness value, then you can safely divide this figure in half (it all depends on the assessment methodology and the integrity of the manufacturer).

Also keep in mind that the larger the screen, the more light is scattered from the projector, and the more brightness it should have. Offhand, for every meter of screen width, lay down 1000 lumens for working in the dark and 2000 lumens for working in the light.

Projector resolution (this is the number of dots horizontally and vertically from which the image is formed) I recommend choosing at least HD (720p). The higher the resolution, the clearer the image will be on the screen, the lower the resolution, the “grainier” and blurrier the picture will be. When using a daylight projector (presentations, graphics, diagrams and small text) with a screen size of 150 inches or less, XGA resolution (1027x768) or higher will suffice. With a screen no larger than 100 inches, SVGA resolution (800x600) will also be digestible.

A projector for playing movies or games must have a resolution of at least 1280x720 pixels, and even better — FullHD 1920x1080 pixels. If the screen diagonal is more than 150 inches, you should think about buying a 4K projector (see how much 4K movies weigh, how and where you will take / download them).

Nuance: the projector has 2 types of resolution — supported and physical (real). The supported resolution refers to the maximum video resolution that the projector can handle. Most modern models can work with the standard up to 4K. Much more important is the physical or real resolution of the matrix, since it shows how many dots the final image on the screen will consist of. And no matter how much you send a Full HD signal to a projector with a matrix of 800x600 pixels, you will get an image with a resolution of 800x600 pixels on the screen. Therefore, first of all, pay attention to the physical, native or real resolution of the video projector.

The next thing to pay attention to is the projection ratio. Multiplying the throw ratio by the width of the projection screen will give you the distance in meters from the projector to the screen. There are standard focal length (1–2), short throw (<1) and long throw video projectors (>2).

When choosing a projector, calculate in advance how wide your screen will be, where you will hang it, and also determine the place where you want, and most importantly, you can install the projector. The distance from the projector to the screen is always fixed; when it is reduced, the image will not fill the entire screen, and when it is enlarged, it will not fit on it.

Next, pay attention to the connection connectors that the projector has. Most projectors have a universal HDMI connector and a legacy VGA connector. By the way, the shorter the cable length between the signal source and the projector, the better the quality of the video signal.

Also note the 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. The latter is being used more and more. Most modern projectors are able to switch between these two aspect ratios (check this feature before purchasing a projector). If there is no such function, and the projector format does not match the screen format, then you will not be able to completely fill the screen with the image (there will be empty bars at the top and bottom, or on the sides of the screen).

Please note that many projectors have USB connectors, which allows the projectors to read video files directly from a flash drive. However, please note that not all video files can be launched, or they can be launched, for example, without sound. Despite the declared support for most video and audio formats and encodings, in practice, not all of them are capable of being perceived by the projector. In order for the projector to read “everything in a row”, the best option would be to connect a laptop, TV stick or TV set-top box on Android to it as a video signal source.

Features Vivibright F20 Pro:

• Model: F20 Pro
• Projection type: LCD (5.8 inches)
• LED: 70W, 25K color temperature, life 50,000 hours
• Real physical resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
• Chipset: MStar V56
• Throw ratio: 1.38
• Brightness: 4200 lumens
• Screen size: 40"- 120"
• Image aspect ratio： 16:9/4:3
• Dynamic Contrast: 15,000:1
• Contrast: 5,000:1
• Number of colors: 1.07 billion
• Lenses: F=180mm / glass
• Focus: manual adjustment
• Keystone Correction: Manual / ±20° (Vertical)
• Resolution support: VGA to 4K (3840 x 2160)
• HDTV: 480i, 480P, 576i, 576P, 720P, 1080i, 1080P, 2160P
• Noise: up to 29 dB
• Built-in speakers 2 x10 W
• Multimedia: Video/Photo/Audio
• Video formats: RM/RMVB/AVI/MKV/WMV/MP4/VOB
• Audio Formats: MP3/WMA/AAC
• Photo formats: JPEG/BMP/PNG/GIF
• Languages: 28 (English, etc.)
• Power supply: AC 100~240V 50/60Hz
• Power: 130W
• Weight: 2.75kg
• Dimensions: 295×245×120mm

Connectors:

• SPDIF: x 1
• USB: x 2
• HDMI: x 1
• Audio Out: 3.5mm x 1
• Remote control signal receiver: x 2, front & rear

Set:

• 1 x remote control,
• 1 x power cable,
• 1 x instruction (in English),
• 1 x lens cap

Equipment and appearance

The projector comes in a large cardboard box, inside which there is a foam box that reliably protects the device from possible damage.

The parcel turned out to be quite weighty (the total weight of the parcel was 3.6 kg).

The projector itself is not small (the previous one was almost 2 times smaller). At first, the inscription F20 Projector on the box made me nervous (after all, I ordered the F20 Pro). It was only when I took the device out of the box and read the label on the belly of the device that my heart was relieved.

The unit is made of plastic, there are ventilation holes on the sides, the lens is protected by a cap. On the bottom there is a folding bar for lifting the case up.

There are rubber feet around the perimeter.

The lack of a thread for attaching the device to a tripod saddened me a little. However, it is unlikely that my flimsy plastic tripod would have withstood such a weight. The F20 Pro requires a gimbal or platform to mount (there are 4 threaded holes around the perimeter).

The kit includes a power cable, remote control and instructions in English.

Instruction

Instructions (Click to expand)

Rear panel connectors: 2x USB 2.0, HDMI port, SPDIF port, headphone audio output, infrared receiver. Below we see a connector for connecting the power cable with an on / off button, and on the right — a panel with buttons for controlling the projector without a remote control.

Launch and usability

I’ll make a reservation right away that the main advantage of the F20 Pro is the picture, and again the picture. And another price for which you can forgive all other flaws.

With my screen width of 1.6m (72 inches), the distance from the screen to the projector was 2m. The optimal distance from the screen to the viewer is 3–5m, i.e. note that the home projector will always be between the screen and the viewer.

We turn on the projector and immediately hear the noise of the fans. The projector itself is noisy, much more noisy than my previous one, and I doubt its noise will fit into the 29 dB range stated in the specifications. Well, nevertheless, you can live with it, and you will have to live with it. There are no silent projectors.

The next thing to note is the slight keystone adjustment angle. I also found it to be smaller than my previous C80 projector. To straighten the picture, the projector must be slightly above the bottom line of the screen. Having tinkered, you can achieve this by placing, say, a box from it on a stool and piling it up, or by adjusting the height of the screen. All this can be adjusted if desired (I don’t have a rack yet, I think I’ll buy it over time).

The sound of the projector is loud, the speakers yell loudly enough. But, of course, in order to enjoy watching a movie, you should output the sound to some more or less decent multimedia system with a small subwoofer.

But the image more than suited me. I must say, my inexpensive camera somewhat distorts the whole extravaganza of the image, but this is what I lacked — detail. As they say, “I want the picture to come to life.” Yes, there is a slight blur in the corners of the image, which is typical for all “Chinese”, but not critical, and who looks at the cinema in the corners?

I note that until recently, such image quality at such a price was simply unavailable.

The projector can also be used during the day/evening with curtains closed. Naturally, this reduces the contrast of the image, but with the “Dynamic” mode set, the movie is quite possible to watch. A digestible picture even when the sconce is on in the room. But, of course, in the dark you will get both the “cinema effect” and the “Wow!” effect.

As for reading video files from a flash drive, everything is also ambiguous here. Despite the announced support for most modern formats, for example, the same beloved MKV, the first two movies downloaded from torrents were played without sound. With the MP4 and AVI format, the situation is better, but keep in mind that there is no guarantee that you will download the first movie that comes across and the projector will play it as it should. Hence the way out: use it only as an image output device, and transfer the encoder functions to any external device — the same laptop, for example, by connecting it via HDMI. In this case, all problems with all kinds of compatibility, image and sound processing will simply disappear. For me, this is the best option.

When connected to a laptop, by the way, the projector was identified as a TV1 device with a recommended connection resolution of 1080p.

Connecting a set-top box or TV stick with built-in WIFI, Chromecast and other goodies is an even cheaper option if you don’t have a laptop. For example, I see no reason to overpay for a projector with built-in Android or WIFI. On the one hand, this is possible, convenient, but sooner or later it will become obsolete, or, for example, the firmware will fly off, and you are unlikely to find a new one. Well, it’s all a matter of taste.

There are not many settings in the menu, here you can adjust the color temperature, brightness, contrast and saturation to your liking or use the ready-made settings.

There is a setting for flipping and reflecting the screen.

You can also reduce the image of the playback file to 70% (and, accordingly, reduce the distance to the screen). This function is only available for video file, the size of the projector’s general menu is not reduced.

There are also subtle audio settings that do not greatly affect the overall picture of the sound. I repeat: it is better to bring the sound to a third-party multimedia system with a subwoofer.

In a word, despite some shortcomings, the F20 Pro has one, but the main advantage is the picture and again the picture in Full HD.

Outcome

F20 Pro is a great budget projector with good image quality and true 1080p resolution. I think that it is worth every ruble or dollar spent on it. Despite some shortcomings, F20 Pro has one, but the main advantage is a picture in Full HD. For me, this is without a doubt the best buy in 2021. I think that today there is simply no cheaper video projector with Full HD resolution. I can definitely recommend you buy it.

pros

• Picture and picture again
• True physical resolution 1080p
• Good brightness, rich colors
• Nice loud sound
• Wow effect when viewed in the dark

Minuses

• Noisy fan
• A small “soap” in the corners of the picture
• Not omnivorous in video formats when viewed from a flash drive
• Small trapezoidal adjustment angles
• Too heavy/massive

Well, that’s all, friends, thank you for your attention and happy shopping on the Internet!