Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro Review: An Ideal Small Video Projector

The Xgimi MoGo 2 Pro won us over when it was released with its compact format and its auto-optimization technologies, but it lacked an important ally: the Netflix app wasn’t native and we had to do with the web version in poor quality. fell It’s hard to do without the most popular streaming application, a problem now rectified as the MoGo 3 Pro integrates the Google TV interface with native Netflix and a host of other applications.

We get a DMD 0.23 chip from Texas Instruments and its native 480p definition (960 x 540 pixels) that replicates the previous model’s Full HD (1920 x 1080p) via wobble, but this is a completely new design. which is offered with this version. 3. The MoGo 3 notably includes a very practical integrated stand, but we’ll come back to that in the section dedicated to ergonomics.

Brightness is announced at 450 ISO lumens, slightly higher than the MoGo 2 Pro’s 400 lumens. Here we also find Xgimi’s ISA 2.0 technology, which promises autofocus and keystone correction. The MoGo 3 Pro retails for €500 when it’s released, but there’s a pack with a tripod that includes a battery for €580, potentially interesting for backpackers or those enjoying a cinema session in the garden. .

The MoGo 3 pro can technically project an image from 40 to 200 inches, but Xgimi recommends a projection area of ​​60 to 120 inches for best results. To get the usual 2m base image for our tests, we placed the projector 2.4m from our canvas.

Full HD image quality is admirable, but obviously doesn’t reach what we get on 4K video projectors that are usually much more expensive. The MoGo isn’t meant to replace a television or provide a cinematic image, it’s meant to act as a second screen or travel companion, remember. After that it plays its role well.

gave The spot In any case it is completely missing because the video projector uses an LED light source and not a laser. The image is very sharp in the center, but the wobbling technique used often makes the edges a bit blurry and the MoGo is no exception to this rule. However, it is not very annoying to use. FYI, we don’t get a fluidity improvement setting on this model.

MoGo does not offer movie mode, only a standard mode, game mode and desktop mode. It is this funny title that remains perfectly calibrated with warm rendering. The average color temperature thus increases from around 9000 K in Standard mode to 7460 K in Office mode. It’s still very cool, but much more acceptable. Color accuracy is often a problem on portable video projectors and here we measured an average delta E of 6.8 with a maximum of 11. Classic, and we can’t say the colors are faithful.

In contrast, we stay true to the previous model with a 245:1 aspect ratio, which is extremely low and clearly far from ultra-short-throw video projectors such as FormMovie Theater, but again, it’s completely on par with pico projectors. But it’s normal. Kind of

Finally, the gamma is stable around 2 and therefore the gray level is slightly lighter than expected (the reference value for video projectors is 2.2).

HDR

The MoGo 3 Pro supports HDR10, but only when the content is served via a streaming app. In any case, you shouldn’t expect different rendering from SDR, but these are the measurements we got.

The EOTF curve cannot be followed perfectly, especially in highlights due to the low brightness of the video projector. It effectively reaches 41 cd/m². This is better than the previous model and other very entry-level products, such as the Xming Episode One which barely reaches 17 cd/m², but half the compact Dangbei Atom, not to mention the ultra-short-throw models which reach 100 cd/m². more

As usual in HDR on this type of model, colors are fully enhanced with Delta E bursting to an average of 17. The video projector anyway covers 77% of the DCI-P3 space, 61% of the Rec. 2020 (rarely used in cinema), and only 85% Rec. 709.

The big change in 2024 on most Xgimi video projectors: The MoGo 3 Pro has been completely redesigned compared to the previous version. It now sports a beautiful metallic gray color and a cylindrical shape reminiscent of a portable speaker. It weighs 1.1 kg and has a height of 20 cm and a diameter of 9.5 cm. Once opened, it can be rotated up and down for better framing on the desired projection surface, and is really practical for everyday use. No need to move the projector with the book to change its tilt, which we appreciate.

Xgimi has been offering automatic keystone correction on its video projectors for some time, which is effective here. So you don’t have to place the MoGo right in front of your wall or your canvas, which is very useful in some interiors. The projector can also avoid obstacles and will crop the image accordingly. Focus is also automatic and will happen as soon as you move the projector. It wasn’t perfect 100% of the time and we ended up with a blurry image many times. Fortunately, a simple click on the remote control will reset the focus and fix it in a few seconds. By the way, there aren’t many adjustments for image editing other than the classic brightness, white balance and other noise reduction.

The MoGo 3 Pro’s connectivity goes down to the essentials, more than the essentials as behind the small cover we only find a USB-A port and an HDMI port, the USB-C port is used only for food. A micro-HDMI port is perfect, and that’s a little disappointing, since this standard is really rare and the manufacturer didn’t include an adapter in the box. So you will need to get an HDMI to Micro-HDMI cable or an adapter to connect your computer to the video projector.

Google TV OS is up and running in the fast video projector market. There you can find all streaming apps like Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Molotov, Arte etc. Good news, Netflix is ​​now natively integrated! Xgimi therefore corrects one of the biggest flaws of the MoGo 2 Pro which was having to go through an APK to use the streaming service, resulting in disappointing picture quality.

The remote control is well designed and has a microphone for using Google Assistant in addition to some shortcuts to applications like YouTube, Prime Video or Netflix. Unfortunately, it’s not backlit, which can be annoying during full projection.

Finally, the MoGo 3 Pro is very quiet overall, as it did not exceed 33 dB. We appreciate that the ventilation of video projectors can be annoying at times. You may hear a slight hiss here, but the film’s sound should more than cover it.

Bonus optics and optional stand

As a bonus, the Xgimi MoGo provides a small optic to attach to the lens to use as an ambient light diffuser. The picture is no longer rectangular, but will surround the room in a colorful atmosphere. This gadget probably won’t be used very often, especially since you have to be in the dark to take advantage of it, but if you ever feel like brightening up your evenings…

For €80 more, there’s also a pack that attaches a small tripod to the MoGo, allowing it to be mounted anywhere without placing it on a table or the ground to minimize damage. Best of all, this stand includes a battery, allowing you to enjoy projection outdoors or on the go without plugging in a video projector. Be warned, it only lasts for 2 hours and so you’ll have to make do with a relatively short movie or a few episodes of your favorite series.