We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Anker’s Nebula P1i Portable Projector is down to $295 on Amazon from its usual $369, and according to price trackers , that’s the lowest it has gone so far. That makes it one of the more affordable ways to get a full HD projector with built-in streaming. The P1i is designed around convenience—it runs Google TV out of the box, so you can jump straight into apps like Netflix without plugging in a streaming stick. Setup is also simple: Anker’s Smart Instant Setup handles autofocus, keystone correction, and screen alignment, so you can place it down and get a usable image in seconds.
At just under five pounds, it’s also easy to move, although that light build comes with a small downside. If the projector gets nudged, the image can shift, which means you may need to readjust it. Using a tripod helps, especially if you’re setting it up outdoors or want something more stable at home. In terms of connections, it keeps things simple with one HDMI port, a USB-A slot, and a headphone jack. You can hook up a console or streaming device if you want, but the built-in interface already covers most use cases. The Nebula P1i can accept a 4K signal but scales it down to 1080p, which is fine for movies and casual viewing.
While the image looks good in the center with colors that come across as fairly natural, the edges soften a bit if you’re projecting at an angle. Brightness is another constraint, so it performs best at night or in a dark room—daytime viewing with ambient light washes out a lot of detail. Also, while its fold-out speakers are loud enough for a small gathering and make voices easy to follow, they lack depth, so movies do not feel as full as they should. You can pair Bluetooth speakers for better audio, but that adds to both cost and setup. There’s also no built-in battery, so it always needs to stay plugged in, which takes away some of the flexibility you might expect from a portable projector.
