INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    As technology advances prices drop and this has been particularly true with LCD TVs and projectors. Still, even though LCD TVs have become more affordable than ever before (OLED prices also dropping but still not where they should be) projectors still represent the easiest and most cost-effective solution for people looking to watch their favorite movies and programs on 100 inches or more. The same goes for consumers with space restrictions and who just don't have the necessary space/room for a very large LCD screen and well, that's where projection screens and even special projection recommended wall paints come in. Now the good news is that compared to even just 10 years ago there are countless more projector models in the market by a wide variety of manufacturers and well, although that might make it harder to choose the right one for you having more choices is always a good thing. Wanbo recently released their latest projector called the DaVinci 1 Pro and that's exactly what i have with me today.

    Wanbo, it’s an intelligent and innovative brand of Shenzhen Wanbo Technology Co. Ltd, which Incorporated in 2016 with the core orientation of product appearance design and excellent user experience, committing to the development of DLP and single LCD projectors, who is a high-tech company integrated with R&D, design and research, manufacturing, sales and service for projectors.

    Unlike the Mozart line which had 2 models in it (Mozart 1 and Mozart 1 Pro) Wanbo has released only the DaVinci 1 Pro for now (silver color) which runs Android TV 11.0 (Google TV certified to Google Widevine DRM L1 for increased security) and features a native resolution of 1920x1080p (Full HD - 4k is also supported) together with a contrast ratio of 2500:1 and a maximum brightness of 600 ANSI lumens. Thanks to their 1.33:1 throw ratio the PixelPro 5.0 fully closed optical machine (IP5X dust proof certified - 4 layer ultra precise optical lens) used with the DaVinci 1 Pro (lamp life according to Wanbo sits at 20.000+ hours) can produce a 180-inch screen from just 5 meters away. Of course, Wanbo has squeezed several other things inside the CNC precision cut and sandblasted enclosure of the DaVinci 1 Pro including dual 8W Hi-Fi Speakers with independent DSP amplifier (460CC cavity volume), 2.4/5G WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity, cooling fan, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 8GB eMMC, 7 degree retractable stand, HDMI v1.4 port, two USB 2.0 ports and a 3.5mm audio jack. Once again and just like with the Mozart 1 Pro it's worth pointing out is that the DaVinci 1 Pro is among a very small number of projectors that not only comes ready with Netflix available but also offers auto-focus, auto keystone correction (4-Point manual keystone correction available), auto screen fit, intelligent obstacle avoidance and manual zoom function (Wanbo calls this the All Scene Smart Algorithm 3.0). The Mozart 1 Pro delivered on most of the things I was expecting it to so let's see what the new DaVinci 1 Pro is capable of.

 

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our DaVinci 1 Pro sample arrived inside a plain cardboard box that has a product drawing on both the front and the rear.

 

 

Inside we found the main package which has the company logo and a product drawing on both the front and the rear.

 

 

The projector is wrapped inside a synthetic bag and placed between two pieces of foam (the rest of the bundle sits in a compartment right beneath the projector).

 

 

Along with the DaVinci 1 Pro and its power cable inside the box you'll also find the remote control, certificate of approval and the instruction manual.

 

 

 

THE DAVINCI 1 PRO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Measuring 175mm in height, 222mm in width and 196mm in depth the DaVinci 1 Pro is a medium sized projector.

 

 

I am certain many of you will wonder how it compares to the Mozart 1 Pro so i placed them right next to each other (overall they are close in size).

 

 

As expected at the front of the projector we find the 4 layer lens and the sensors in charge of most automated functions.

 

 

Both sides of the enclosure are perforated to allow hot air to exit the interior (and lots of hot air does exit).

 

 

Moving at the rear of the enclosure we find the on/off power switch, what seems a reset switch (not clarified in the user manual), two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI v1.4 port, 3.5mm mini jack and the power port.

 

 

At the base of the enclosure, we find 4 large feet and a 7-degree retractable stand.

 

 

The stand is very easy to use and could come handy.

 

 

The bundled remote control is nothing special but at least it has the Netflix button on it (unlike many others).

 

OS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first thing you'll see once you start setting up the DaVinci 1 Pro is the automatic focus and keystone features.

 

 

Of course, for the best possible results (and the largest possible screen) i do suggest using the 4-point manual keystone.

 

 

After that you will need to select the subscription services you are using (for my review i chose just YouTube which is the only one i used aside playing movies).

 

 

Google TV may not look exactly the same as previous versions, but the home screen is very similar.

 

 

From the apps screen you can see which apps are installed in the device (even though i only chose YouTube it installed all of them).

 

 

You can search for specific content from the library screen as seen above.

 

 

From the settings option (top right corner) you can access the typical Android screen.

 

 

The settings that stand out here are obviously the ones for display and sound (unfortunately the DaVinci 1 Pro doesn't come with native HDR and DV support, but it does have a game mode which optimizes responsiveness).

 

 

I was a bit surprised that the device is recognized as a 4K Google Stick but i guess that has to do with the license.

 

 

Inside the remotes and accessories, you will find the paired remote control and can of course add other compatible devices too.

 

 

Just like with the Mozart 1 Pro you can access the main settings from the settings button of the remote control.

 

 

Functions like auto keystone correction, 4-Point manual keystone correction, auto screen alignment, smart obstacle avoidance, display scale (zoom) and keystone reset are all placed inside the image correction tab.

 

 

Wanbo offers 4 screen presets, standard, vivid, soft and user (standard works well in most cases).

 

 

On the other hand, we have 6 sound presets, standards, news, music, movie, sports and user.

 

 

All the automatic screen adjustments are placed inside the advance setting tab.

 

AUDIO / VIDEO QUALITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As with other standard/long throw projectors i used my 100" VividStorm motorized screen along with the Max Vision 4K media player by HD Dune.

    600 ANSI lumens may not seem as much, but the DaVinci 1 Pro did a very good job during my tests, at least in regard to scenes with plenty of light. Unfortunately, dark scenes are not that great just like with the Mozart 1 Pro but still, it's something you need to accept the moment you decide to get a somewhat cost- effective model like the DaVinci 1 Pro. Color reproduction is also good and the same applies for screen fluidity, even during fast passed ones. The lack of support for HDR wasn't really an issue since the projector reproduced such content many times, both via the Max Vision 4K Media player by HD Dune and via its built-in player. Unfortunately even though the two 8W speakers are quite good for the most part, the built-in media player wouldn't reproduce the sound of even 1 of the movies i tried to play with it (AC3/DTS/Dolby/TrueHD, you name it) and so if you want a projector for movie playback you will probably need to pair the DaVinci 1 Pro with an external media player (just like with the Mozart 1 Pro basically). Also, since some of you asked in previous projector reviews this time i used a YouTube UHD trailer for my YouTube & TikTok showcase.

 

 

 

SCORE / POWER CONSUMPTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since many of you asked i decided to make a quick chart based on my objective opinion for each projector i test. This of course is my opinion based on what i see and my personal experience so just like other similar charts you should take this with a grain of salt (i do stand by my charts but in all likelihood, some will not agree). Also, since August 2023 I'll also be including a chart showcasing average power consumption while playing 4K content.

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Wanbo send their DaVinci 1 Pro almost a month ago and so I ended up using it for just over a full week. Picture quality is good, it may not be quite on par with that of the Mozart 1 Pro if you take a very close look, but it does come exceptionally close. Same applies for audio, although the DaVinci 1 Pro does fall a bit back in terms of bass levels and clarity (unfortunately both lack support for most audio codecs so once again, I would consider pairing them with a media player). The auto functions work well for the most part (smart obstacle avoidance did give me a bit of trouble) and as for power consumption the good news is that the DaVinci 1 Pro consumers roughly half of what the Mozart 1 Pro does. Finally in terms of build quality the DaVinci 1 Pro does very well and some parts of it actually feel more robust than those of the Mozart 1 Pro (still overall build quality drops due to the rear and bottom of the enclosure).

    Right now, Wanbo is running their 8^th anniversary even and so the DaVinci 1 Pro retails for a very tempting price of USD289 directly from the Wanbo online store. Now I can’t possibly say that the DaVinci 1 Pro is perfect, it’s not, it does however offer a very good price/performance ratio (especially now) so if you’re in the market for an affordable model I strongly suggest checking it out, this is why it gets the Golden Award after all.

PROS

- Good Build Quality
- Native 1080p
- WiFi 2.4/5GHz & Bluetooth v5 Connectivity
- Auto & Manual Focus & Keystone Correction
- Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance
- Dual 8W Speakers (16W Total)
- Bass Levels
- 7 Degree Stand
- Netflix Ready
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Brightness Levels (For Some)
- Lack Of Audio Codec Support (Built-In Player)