One of the most portable projectors I've tested isn't made by Epson and Samsung (and it's on sale)

ZDNET's key takeaways

• The soda-can-sized Capsule Air is extremely compact and durable.
• Connects to Google TV software for instant content streaming.
• Prone to vibration and refocusing, and the lamp could be brighter.

The first thing you should know about the Nebula Capsule Air projector (manufactured by Anker) is that it's rugged and highly portable. The hefty but diminutive device has an innovative design, although it isn't the only one in its class. Retailing for $399 on Amazon, it's an accessible option for watching videos wherever you can find a flat surface, whether indoors or outside. 

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The Capsule Air takes up minimal space wherever you place it unless you also attach its tripod accessory (more on that later). Its form factor resembles a Bluetooth speaker -- and it doubles as one -- but you can use it to watch your favorite shows just the same. All you need is a wall or screen to aim it at and a stable Wi-Fi connection.

While just under three pounds, I call the Capsule Air "hefty" because its construction is notably dense. Not that anyone should test this theory, but I suspect that dropping it on any surface besides concrete would leave it unfazed. Even contact with a hardwood floor or a tabletop might merely leave a mark instead of harming its internal components or, in the worst case, breaking its lens. But, of course, don't drop it.

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The second thing to know is that it's just not that bright of a projector. (No offense to its intelligence.) When testing, I found its 150 ANSI lumens to be somewhat anemic, even with the brightness turned all the way up to 100%. For the best experience, you're going to want your viewing area to be very dark, as is often the case when using projectors.

After experimenting with contrast, sharpness, and other settings, I flipped through the Picture Mode options. I turned on Movie mode but couldn't discern much difference between that and Standard. A third option is Conference mode, which washed out warm colors and gave the images a greenish hue, which somehow might be amenable to a well-lit conference room.

For a somewhat extreme example, I found the Ghost Hunters channel very difficult to view since most of it is filmed in night vision (basically black and white). The contrast was not strong enough to see where images began and ended, and the whole screen was quite shadowy.

Still striving to optimize its brightness, I sampled variations of all the Expert Settings (DNR, MPEG NR, DI Film Mode) to find no perceivable benefit. There's also the Screen Door Effect Reduction setting, which is meant to reduce the appearance of grid-like pixel patterns on the screen. It yielded a very slight (brighter) improvement after calibration.

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Where the Capsule Air is definitely intelligent is in its ability to modify its projected shape onto your surface. 

In our testing lab, I tried the projector at various distances to investigate the overall picture quality in different scenarios. (I aimed it at our 150-inch motorized drop-down projector screen.) The Capsule Air's throw distance range runs from about two feet to almost 10, and if you set the device too far from your projection surface, you'll get a message telling you you're out of range.

The Capsule Air can tilt on its base for angular projection that results in a flat, rectangular image.

Chris Bayer/ZDNET

In this scenario, I was impressed with the Capsule Air's keystone adjustment because I had to place it on a table in the corner of the room. This translated to an initial image that was extremely skewed (an asymmetric trapezoidal shape) because the projector's lens was sitting at a 45-degree angle from the center of the screen. With one touch of the Keystone Correction button on the top of the remote, the image corrected itself to be a perfect rectangle. Nice.

At a distance of three feet, the 16:9 image spanned 32 inches corner-to-corner and was actually fairly bright. But for a bigger image or the spatial requirement to sit further away from the screen, you'll have to push it to the back of your room a bit. The cool thing is, though, the lens can be situated at a 45-degree angle from the screen, meaning you won't need to place the unit behind where you sit -- instead, it can be off to the left or right. At just past nine feet, the image canvas measured a total of 96 inches. Yet, at that distance, the image was far dimmer.

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The 5W speaker is sturdy for such a small device. Its volume and clarity were adequate for the confines of our viewing room. As one might expect from its size, it lacks the depth and richness of a full aural spectrum, particularly where bass is concerned. However, the dialogue and sound effects in Vox Machina came through loud and clear.

Chris Bayer/ZDNET

There are three ways to control the projector: the haptic buttons on the Air Capsule's top, its remote control, or by pairing it with the Nebula app on your phone.

The top or "lid" of the Capsule Air features a circular control component with buttons for navigation, volume control, and confirming the autofocus. I found this latter function less than useful for two reasons. Pushing the center button to "confirm" seemed to make no difference after auto-focusing, and by pressing that button, your touch will invariably make the unit quiver, causing it to refocus again. 

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Because it's motion-activated, the remote control's buttons illuminate when you pick it up -- a feature that makes it easier to operate in the dark. Also useful in the dark is the Google Voice button on the remote. While holding down the Google mic button on the remote, you can be quite specific with your requests. "Advance two minutes" or "Go to volume 75" are some examples of commands. Beyond that, it's intelligent enough to help you find the next kind of show you want to watch.

You can also download the Nebula app to use your phone as the remote. This offers two advantages: the simplicity (and bright screen) of navigating on your phone and a feature only available through the app's "Toolbox." You can set the Capsule Air to display a wall clock (with several design variations) or any of six videos to create an atmosphere wall (such as a perpetual, repeating scene of an ocean shore).

Chris Bayer/ZDNET

Anker also sent me the Capsule Air's supplementary module, the Capsule Power Bank Tripod ($96 on Amazon). It serves as both a stabilizer and a power bank, yielding up to two additional hours of use (when unplugged).

I attached the power bank/tripod to the Capsule Air; when its legs are extended, the lens height is almost three times as elevated. But the telescopic neck also extends to 33 inches, making the lamp height around 38 inches from your floor or tabletop. What makes this design impressive is that, when collapsed, the tripod is no bigger than the Capsule Air itself. 

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Speaking of the power bank/tripod, here are some words on battery life. The Capsule Air itself is rated for two hours of playtime when operating wirelessly, which can cut it close for watching, say, a single feature film (especially when you factor in pausing and setup). By easily screwing in the tripod accessory, you can basically double your viewing time

One final observation, and it's a minor complaint. You'll want to be sure you have a flat and stable area to place the unit, whether it's on the tripod or not. The slightest bump will shake the image, causing it to autofocus each time it detects a vibration. If you were to set it up in an outdoor area, a hearty breeze might cause the unit to shake and constantly refocus. It does, however, have a setting to offset this a little: Motion Sensitivity. When turned to "Low," you'll get less scrambling to focus each time the projector shakes.

ZDNET's buying advice

It's hard to beat the compact durability of the Nebula Capsule Air. If portability is the main criterion for your decision-making, this mid-level projector is for you. While you won't find the sharpest precision in its picture quality or a high degree of illumination, the Capsule Air is a safe bet and a reliable option.