AAXA M6 Pocket Projector Review – Special Features

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Nikki Zelinger

AAXA M6 Pocket Projector Review – Special Features: LED Light Engine, Media Player, PC-Free Presenting, Battery Power Option

LED Technology

The M6 features an LED light engine, aka “lamp,” that uses three RGB LEDs to create the entire color spectrum, projecting rich, vibrant colors. AAXA calls this “Vibrant Color Technology.” Of course, I'm skeptical about the technology being significantly different than other LED light engines using the same technique, at least not enough so as to justify giving it their own name, though AAXA definitely delivers on the claim.

The rated light engine life is 30,000 hours. That’s more some larger, more expensive projectors using LED light engines. However, these high claims are often contingent on using ECO mode, all of the time. Since ECO Mode is unlikely to fit your needs for everything, you can count on a shorter light engine-life than 30,000 hours for the AAXA M6, though far more than its lamp-based counterparts. In any case, you won’t need to change that light engine out before you’re ready for your next projector!

Media Player

This little pocket projector comes equipped with its own media player. That is a nice feature. When you hit the Home button on the remote, that opens up the menu. From there, you can choose the type of device you want to stream from. Pictured below, we have several options to choose from.

As you can see, one can connect a camcorder or other video device, via USB or Micro SD. Actually, all of the options use either a USB or Micro SD to connect. In addition to the camcorder, there’s also the option to choose from devices carrying photos, text, and music. Of course, you can also connect a computer via the HDMI and VGA ports.

PC-Free Presenting

Thanks to that media player, road warriors and teachers alike can enjoy all the benefits of PC-free presenting. Using a USB flash drive, USB hard drive, or TF-card, one can project their presentations without the hassles of wires or having to boot up a computer. Just plug and play for near-instant projection of your presentation, photo slide show, music or external video.

Some (not most) of the small projectors with media players are equipped to run Microsoft Office files like Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Not so the AAXA M6. For you Powerpoint users, there is a common work around. Powerpoint lets you export your presentation as a set of ordered JPG images, and when you select your first slide, you can begin your presentation. Use the M6 remote's navigational arrows to advance your slides - the media player automatically assigns transitions to the slides. There's no timer for moving between slides, so you will have to do this manually. Note that if your presentation had audio, it will not transfer over when you export as a series of JPG images.

I haven’t tested this theory with the M6, but I have known projectors that cannot read USB drives that are formatted specifically for Macs. Just to be safe, I would suggest a USB flash drive or USB hard drive that is formatted to FAT32, and is not partitioned. As a Mac user myself, I’ve come across many a device that rejects my Mac formatted drives. Oh well. This is just something to be aware of as a possible cause if you find the projector can't read your drive. You can format a Mac-only USB drive on your Mac to change it to FAT32, and there's a ton of tutorials and help articles online that can guide you through the process.

Battery Powered

The AAXA M6 features a removable battery for even more portability. The projector can last up to 90 minutes on battery power in ECO Mode according to the specs. This is an excellent feature for road warriors and teachers who may not have an outlet available where the projector must be placed.

The built in battery makes this a very serious projector solution for all types of in-the-field uses. And 90 minutes is a healthy amount of battery time for most portable applications. Also useful for home entertainment, the battery allows the M6 to be used outdoors. The only limitation here is that 90-minute life of the battery, so it wouldn’t work for the whole length of a modern film, though you could probably watch the entirety of older, feature length cartoon movies, as well as a couple of TV shows.

Gamers! With the built in battery, you should also be able to have a decently long gaming session with one or of your favorite video games, before needing to plug the projector back in. The battery was not at full charge when I set out to test it (not a big surprise - I'm notorious for forgetting to charge my own devices, like my Kindle). On that note, it takes about two hours or so for the battery to recharge. Not too shabby. As for battery life - it exceeded the 90-minute claim by a minute and a half. Oh

As for battery life - it exceeded the 90-minute claim by a minute and a half. Oh - the projector only operates in ECO Mode when running on battery. That's not really surprising, as it needs all the energy saving it can get. It lowers the brightness, of course, but that is to be expected of ECO. The claim is 500 lumens - in my testing, that was bright enough to handle some ambient light leaking from the windows. It would be satisfactory for non-serious viewing.

Warranty

The AAXA M6 has a one year parts and labor warranty. It states that if this LED projector was purchased from AAXA or an authorized dealer, it will be free from defects in material or workmanship for one year, under normal use. This is a limited warranty which does not cover normal wear and tear, exessive use, products purchased from a non-authorized dealer, damage due to misuse, damage caused by third party products, or damage caused by modification. This is pretty typical, and I've seen the same kind of parameters on higher priced projectors.