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Anker doesn’t say what size DLP chip this uses, but judging by the sharpness and the size of the projector, I’d say that it most likely has a native Full HD chip in it. When watching movies in a quiet room, I found that I only needed to use about 20% volume. The speaker can get so loud that I feel like I would get a noise complaint with anything over 80% volume. So if you’re watching a movie outside in a large space, this projector will get loud enough to comfortably satisfy a medium-sized outdoor crowd. Anker says it is looking into the problem to see if it's a compatibility issue that a future firmware upgrade can fix. In the meantime, if you run into it, the easy workaround is to set the video source to 4K or 720p. Even the Bodnar meter worked using 4K/60Hz input, reporting a 26.6-millisecond input lag, which is suitable for casual gaming. (Credit: Anker)
I have tested the projector a few times. Although the auto keystone feature worked most of the times, only once it completed failed me during a camping trip. My theory is that it was because it was complete darkness and it was not able to figure out the edges of the projector screen edges. But when it is able to detect the edges of the screen, it works flawlessly. The STANDARD mode is brighter but cooler (slight bluish whites). Colors produced by the BRIGHT setting come across very well, with color accuracy starting to suffer in darker scenes. In all user modes, the highlights are blown out in some cases. To fix this, you can reduce the contrast settings and increase the brightness. Brightness (light output) will vary depending on the conditions in which the projector is being used. Light output is measured in accordance with ANSI IT7.228-1997. The nominal value represents the average value of mass production and is tested under ideal laboratory conditions. Brightness diminishes over time as usage increases.Inside the box, there's a 1,920-by-1,080-pixel DLP chip and an LED light source rated at 25,000 hours in full-power mode. Also inside are the already-mentioned sound system and the battery. The sound system takes advantage of a 40-watt, three-way speaker (meaning there are separate drivers, or components, for high, midrange, and low frequencies) plus Dolby Digital Plus. The battery is rated at 2 hours in full-power mode for video, 5 hours in Eco mode, and 15 hours for audio only when serving as a Bluetooth speaker. The projector can also serve as a power bank to charge other devices.
Using the projector inside, I could fill an 80-inch screen during the day, provided I shut the curtains. Even then, the Anker Nebula Mars 3 was better suited to bright and colourful content, as moodier films and TV shows were a bit harder to see until light levels dropped. Mars 3 has passed IPX3 waterproof testing, which can effectively prevent rainwater from entering the machine and causing product damage during normal use. After rain or if the product is splashed by water, please ensure the product is placed vertically in a dry environment. It is not recommended to use this product in extreme weather conditions, in environments with unknown liquids, near hot springs, or near corrosive liquids. Sensors at the front of the projector can detect its angle and distance from the screen, giving fast and accurate autofocus and auto keystone correction. Impressively, the projector can also detect a screen and resize its image to fit automatically. Since the Nebula Mars 3 is meant for outdoor use, your experience with color accuracy will fluctuate quite a bit based on the surface the image is projected on. Your image will also look different if you’re watching content at dusk or in total darkness. With that in mind, these tests were run in a totally dark environment using a matte white screen. In addition to the speakers, you can use Bluetooth headphones for audio. For wired headphones or speakers, you can use the 3.5mm audio output. And finally, I tested the USB-C port for audio out and found that it is indeed compatible with your USB-C headphones.It’s a decent smart projector in its own right, too, with vivid colours and loud speakers. Contrast could be better and the Netflix workaround is a little fiddly. Design As far as content goes, Anker’s covered all the bases with Android TV 11 built-in, so you don’t need to connect it to a streaming device or mirror a device to it to access all your preferred streaming services. But you could, as the Mars 3 is also Chromecast compatible in case you want to cast a smartphone or laptop to it, too. It’s even Google Assistant capable via its included remote control so you can use voice commands.
Rated at 1000 ANSI lumens, the Anker Nebula Mars 3 is relatively bright for a portable projector, although it does fall behind the Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser (1840 Lumens) and the XGIMI Horizon (2200 Lumens). Anker has an AI image mode, automatically adjusting brightness based on the ambient conditions. It’s useful to have, as means that you don’t have to adjust brightness manually as it starts to get darker. The Mars 3 is a DLP-based portable projector with a 1080p resolution and a 1,000 ANSI Lumens maximum brightness level – specs which put it squarely in the top tier of portable projectors. It also features built-in Android TV 11 streaming, with access to the Google Play store, and a 40W Dolby Audio sound system, giving you everything you need in one box, as long as you’re in reach of Wi-Fi. Crucially, it has a 185Wh battery, enabling you to run the projector for up to five hours without needing to plug into the mains. Physical setup requires little more than pointing the projector at whatever you're using for a screen and turning it on. Connecting a power cord is optional, as long as the battery is charged, as is connecting cables from a video source to the one HDMI port. There's also a USB-C and a USB Type-A port available for charging or powering other devices. Initial Android TV 11 setup is standard, and requires a Wi-Fi connection to the internet. Note also that in addition to serving as a Bluetooth speaker itself, the Mars 3 can connect to another Bluetooth speaker for output, and it includes an audio delay adjustment should the video and sound fall out of sync. Like the previous Mars projectors, the Mars 3 is a portable single-chip DLP projector with an LED light source. It's rated for fewer light source hours—25,000 vs 30,000—but at 1,000 ANSI lumens, the Mars 3 has double the rated light output of the Mars II Pro in its brightest mode. In its Eco, the 185Wh built-in power bank allows for up to five hours of viewing on a charge, although it also lowers the brightness to 300 lumens.Given the small size, it not surprising, the built-in speaker, although adequate is not excellent. You’d want to connect a bluetooth speaker for a more cinema like or even TV like experience. Built for the Outdoors: With IPX3 water resistance, 0.5 m drop resistance, 0.7 mm dust resistance, a built-in stand, a lens cover, a camping light, a power indicator, integrated controls, and a carry handle, you can keep watching, no matter what the great outdoors throws at you. It does NOT do full indirect sunlight -- do not but this projector if you want to watch this on a sunny day.
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