The XGIMI Elfin utilizes many of XGIMI’s popular features and proprietary technologies discussed in detail in ourXGIMI Halo and XGIMI Horizon Pro reviews. I will, however, summarize some of the more notable XGIMI features found on the Elfin.
SMART FEATURES
The Elfin is powered by Android TV with 5000+ native apps. Users can play video games or stream directly from the Android TV interface. Note that while you can download the Netflix app from the Google Play store, Elfin like most Android TV-equipped projectors can not stream the service because it is not a Netflix-approved device. Hopefully, this issue will be corrected in the future.
Google Assistant is only a button press away
The Elfin can be voice-controlled via Google Assistant and it worked great on the projector. With its built-in microphone, the remote is used to control a wide variety of functions using only your voice. Press and hold down the Google Assistant mic button to activate the microphone; it is the only colored button on the remote. I used the voice control for things like, “who won women’s volleyball at the Olympic Games in Tokyo,” “tell me the weather outside,” “go to YouTube,” and the Elfin responded perfectly to every voice command.
I never had to repeat myself, which was great compared to some of the other frustrating smart devices in my home. Some of these electronic assistants in my house take numerous voice commands before they get it right, but I digress, back to talking about the Elfin.
MEDIA PLAYBACK
The Elfin has a built-in media player with 16 GB of internal storage. The internal storage could be used to store music or some of your favorite movies on the projector.
There is a single USB 2.0 input located on the rear chassis which can be used to connect a USB device such as a mouse, keyboard, or USB memory stick. The Elfin worked fine with the Razer Naga Trinity gaming mouse I connected to the USB input.
XGIMI File Commander
In order to utilize an external hard drive, it needs to be properly formatted. The Elfin supports FAT32 and exFAT formatted USB memory devices. You can access video, photos, and music via the Elfin's File Commander
When I plugged in my NTFS formatted WD My Passport Ultra HDD, I was not able to use the Elfin’s File Commander to access media, files, or view photos. I got an on-screen message that stated in part, “This requires the USB drive to be formatted to make it secure. After securely formatting, this drive will only work with this device.”
You can expand the Elfin internal storage by adding a USB storage device and formatting it using the projector settings menu. This will increase the "Internal" storage capacity of the Elfin to hold more apps. However, if you choose to set up the drive as internal storage, you won't be able to move data to another Android TV or device.
AI-POWERED IMAGE CORRECTION TECHNOLOGY
The XGIMI Elfin includes several features which simplify setup
The Elfin is quick to set up and easy to use due to the integrated AI, auto keystone correction, and autofocus. The Elfin simply automatically recognizes the screen area and intelligently adjusts the image to fit the space. The Elfin uses a 4-point auto keystone (vertical ± 40 degrees and horizontal ± 40 degrees), paired with autofocus as part of its AI-powered image correction.
Elfin features XGIMI’s proprietary auto keystone correction and autofocus technology to optimize the user experience through utilizing AI-powered image correction technology. The auto keystone and autofocus worked great when I took the Elfin on the road with me. I projected the Elfin onto an uneven wall just to test it out, and it adjusted itself perfectly.
XGMI Elfin Obstacle Avoidance feature
The Elfin can also instantly optimize screen size and avoid obstacles like the lampshade and wall outlet in the above pictures, removing the stress of setting up the projector. I turned the lights on for the third photo so you could see the obstacles better. Yes, that is a yellowish textured wall that I projected onto. The yellowish overhead light makes it look worse than it was.
The auto keystone, autofocus, and obstacle avoidance removed many of the setup annoyances found when setting up some other projectors.
The XGIMI Elfin paired great with the 75-inch portable Elite Screen
Of course, I did not keep the projector on the textured wall, but I could have if that was all I had to work with, because watching the Elfin on the textured wall was still better than the small TV in the room. I always travel with a portable projector screen for my reviews. I set up my 75-inch Elite Screens Yard Master 2 Series CineWhite® UHD-B screen and used it during my stay at the hotel.
HDR (High-Dynamic Range)
The XGIMI Elfin support both HDR10 and HDR10+
The XGIMI Elfin supports High Dynamic Range (HDR). While the Elfin is a 1080p projector, it can accept a 4K HDR video signal via a single HDMI port. The Elfin is compatible with HDR10 which is the most commonly used format found on UHD Blu-ray discs (4K movies), and most streaming content.
The unit also supports HDR10+ which is based on the more mainstream HDR10. The difference between the two versions is what type of HDR metadata is delivered to a video display to help it tone map HDR content. HDR10 material contains static metadata while HDR10+ content includes dynamic metadata which ensures more precise tone mapping scene by scene to better maximize the display’s brightness capabilities.
The HDR can provide a major improvement in dynamic range as well as color. It lets you see more detail in the shadows and the bright areas and delivers more saturated lifelike colors.
3D READY
The Elfin projector supports 3D viewing via XGIMI’s active shutter 3D glasses. The 3D video setup can be found by pressing the shortcut settings button on the remote. The Elfin has settings for 3D side-by-side, 3D top and bottom, 3D to 2D side-by-side, and 3d to 2D top and bottom.
