A video projector a state-of-the-art projector that’s equally at home in the living room or bedroom, with 4K resolution, good brightness and powerful sound. Netflix natively? Not possible? Now it is! With Cosmos 4K SENebula seems to tick all the boxes and offers a family projo that is more than desirable. 20 Minutes was able to test.
Better than a spare projo
Nebula? The name probably doesn’t ring a bell. It’s a brand of the Anker group (known for its batteries and smartphone accessories) dedicated to video projection. Emerging in France, Nebula is much better established in the United States, where the company is making life hard for Xgimianother projector manufacturer that’s also on a roll.
With its Cosmos 4K SE, Nebula is targeting those who, in search of a big picture at home, don’t want to make do with a small auxiliary projo. For those who, perhaps having already been equipped with an inexpensive projector, are now looking for a more sophisticated solution. a more powerful device.
Screen-bursting brightness
The technical specifications of such a piece of equipment can’t do without certain special features. Nebula’s Cosmos 4K SE understands this. As its name suggests, this projector is native 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision compatible. It also boasts a remarkable brightness of 1,800 ANSI lumens. On paper, this means it can be used in daylight.
Running under Google TVthe device embeds all the applications from streaming including Netflix. It thus sets itself apart from Android TV projectors, which don’t have Netflix pre-installed and require some technical acrobatics to equip. And the Cosmos 4K SE delivers powerful sound: 30 watts, ten times more than the first of the classic video projectors!
If all this sounds dreamy on paper, what did we find during our various tests?
Weighing 4.5 kg, but equipped with a carrying handle, the Cosmos 4K SE is not the most discreet (26.3 x 16.5 x 26.5 cm) on a table or piece of furniture, set against a white wall. But that doesn’t mean it’s unsightly. Simple to configure, the device requires installation via the Google Home application before it is operational. Just a few minutes of patience…
Supplied with a remote control (with backlit buttons dedicated to Netflix, YouTube and prime video), the projector can also be controlled using the Nebula Connect app, which is less practical, but very responsive for navigating Google TV menus.
Excellent results
First observation: the projo fan is extremely discreet. We measured its noise level at around 37 dB (A) at a distance of one meter, which is nothing to sneeze at, as this level is largely covered by the sound of the first program launched.
Autofocus and keystone correction (to obtain a perfectly right-angled image if the projector is not positioned perpendicular to the screen) are two features that are immediately appreciated.
What’s most flattering is image quality. We tested the Cosmos 4K SE with the film Kaizen from Inoxtag on YouTube, with episodes from the new season of the detective series Lincoln Defense on Netflix (in 4K, Dolby Vision) and… with some footage from the Star Academy on TF1 +. By selecting the most appropriate mode (Standard, Vivid Color, Sport, Movie, Game, Conference), fine-tuning black levels, contrast, saturation, hue and sharpness, the results are excellent.
Not quite in full light
When in 4K, images are razor-sharp (with razor-sharp contours), colors dense and contrasts pleasing. Despite its 1,800 lumens, however, the Cosmos 4K SE is at its best as soon as you draw the curtains or close the blinds. Even if it can be used in a brightly lit room, its images, broadcast by a hybrid system of laser and LED lamps, only fully delight the retina under these conditions.
Nebula recommends a maximum image diagonal of 120 inches (or 3 meters) in a bright room. And up to 200 inches in a darkened room. That’s up to 5 meters diagonal!
Our tests show that you can be just as comfortable in daylight, and fortiri in the dark, with an image of around 85 inches diagonal (or 2.20 meters), and a projection distance of just over two meters. That’s enough for most living rooms. And the equivalent of a very large TV set.
Sound that makes itself heard
And as expected, the two 2 x 15 watt speakers are more than sufficient for most uses. Set at 35%, the volume is already quite sufficient for good immersion, with clear dialogue and muscular soundtracks. Of course, the “cinema” experience will only be enhanced by the addition of a sound bar to the projector. The Cosmos 4K SE is Bluetooth-enabled, but is also equipped with an AUX output, two HDMIs (including an HDMI eArc) and a USB slot.
It is also possible to cast your smartphone content using a screenshot. The experience is less pleasing. To do this, you need to download the NebulaCast application onto the projector, open it, and then start broadcasting the desired content to your mobile device. Great for photo shoots. Less so for viewing personal videos, which are displayed with a fair amount of jerkiness that spoils the session a little.
Overall, the experience is very satisfying. And complete: Google TV offers access to just about everything. All the same, the entry price is 1,299 euros. Expensive? Yes, but that’s about the budget required for a family projector that lacks nothing. Or almost. Nebula boasts that it can be used outdoors. But the Cosmos 4K SE has no battery and, above all, no protection against dust or humidity. At your own risk.