Philips PicoPix Max Projector Review – Hardware: Control Panel, Inputs and Connectors, Lens
When facing the unit, the projector’s lens is located on the left side of the front panel. Focus and Zoom are done digitally via the remote, and menu's accessed from the home screen of the projected image. On the top of the unit is the touch pad, as well as 5 other touch buttons that allow you to adjust the volume, access the menu, the home screen, and go back to the previous screen. There are vents on all 4 sides of the unit, and speakers on both the left and right sides. All the A/V inputs and the AC power connection are located on the rear of the projector.
On the bottom there is a threaded mount to attach to various mounts, such as tripods and ceiling mounts. Dimensions are about: 5 1/4″ x 5 1/4” x 1 3/4“ and the projector weighs just under 2 pounds.
The PicoPix Max’s control panel is located on the top of the projector and takes up most of the back half of the unit when facing the projector’s lens. Whether the projector is placed on a table or ceiling mounted, the control panel will be easily accessible.
The AC power and signal connectors for the PicoPix Max are located on the rear panel of the projector. There is an Audio OUT stereo mini-jack, a USB-C video input, standard USB input, MICRO SD slot, and a single HDMI input. One connection that is missing on the PicoPix Max is an ethernet port to connect to a wired LAN. To connect the projector to a local network or the internet, you must utilize the integrated wireless feature, but some users would prefer the additional reliability provided by a wire.
Although the PicoPix Max projector’s lens has no manual zoom or focus ring it does have a digital zoom feature. To adjust the size of the image, you need to physically move the projector back and forth. The PicoPix Max has a throw ratio of 1.2:1. Below is a simple chart showing the screen distance for a few screen sizes.
Throw Distance for a 16:9 Screen
| Screen Size (Diagonal) | Min Screen Distance (in) |
| 60” | 68” |
| 80” | 92” |
| 100” | 113” |
| 110” | 123” |
The included remote control for the PicoPix Max is palm sized and black, with all of the same buttons that are found on the top of the projector, in addition to an auto zoom button. It takes two AAA batteries. The remote needs to be pointed at the rear of the projector in order to work.
The PicoPix has multiple menus and apps such as Netflix and the Firefox web browser can be accessed from the main interface, as well as a settings menu that gives access to multiple sub menus. From the settings menu you can select: the input source, Airplay and Miracast, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connections, the image menu, color adjustment menu, keystone adjustment, digital zoom, wallpaper selection, and power toggle.
Some of the settings menu options, such as color adjustment, autofocus, keystone, and zoom, are redundant, and appear in both the settings menu and image sub menu. None of the menus can be accessed while using an app, so if you want to adjust the color settings, for example, while watching a movie, you need to back all the way out to the main menu, then access the settings menu.
