If you’re in the market for a projector, you’ve got more choice than ever these days. Beyond the usual, more traditional options, a plethora of ‘smart’ options have also entered the picture.

These combine a standard projector body with an operating system like you would find on a streaming stick, and are pitched squarely at people who aren’t up to scratch on their projector jargon.

The Emotn N1 is a prime example, and is priced for those who want to dip their toes into big-screen TV and movies, but who don’t want to spend a fortune on an all-singing all-dancing model.

Its claim to fame is that it comes with official Netflix licensing, something a lot of the competition lacks, including options from Xgimi and Anker. This means Netflix’s streaming service sits at the heart of this little projector, ready to stream anything from its huge catalogue (subscription required, natch).

Beyond this it has a small form factor, a brightness rating of 500 ANSI lumens and dual 5W speakers – everything you would theoretically need to have a plug-and-play movie night with minimal fuss.

At a budget price of $399 / £399, it seems like there is nothing to lose, but does the Emotn N1 live up to its full potential? Read on for my full review.

Design

• Weighs 3.5kg
• Has built-in 5W speakers
• Charges via barrel pin connector

Smart projectors as a category seem keen to shake the maybe fussy and cumbersome image that traditional projectors might have. They emphasise portability and fun, and these mantras were clearly baked into the Emotn N1.

At roughly 3.5kg it is light enough to scoop up without too much care, and standing just over 7 inches tall it can fit in a bag without too much issue.

Though it is light enough to be portable, it is powered through a barrel pin connector, meaning this isn’t a projector you can easily connect to a battery pack. If you want a garden movie night, you’ll need to be prepared to daisy chain extension cords.

The Emotn N1 is entirely made of black plastic, and has a speaker grille on the front and rear. It feels substantial and premium despite its relatively low price tag, and it has a tripod mount on its base. A handy inclusion is a little kickstand, which boosts elevation by 12 degrees and makes it easier to compensate for less conventional projection positions.

On the back you can find the power connector, along with a single HDMI port, a USB slot, a line-out for optical audio and, oddly, an ethernet port. An extra HDMI slot at least would have been appreciated, but the connectivity options should be robust enough for most home setups, though power users will want more.

Sound is provided by two 5W speakers that offer Dolby Digital Plus, and though these didn’t get quite loud or detailed enough to make a positive impression, they are handy in a pinch.

There’s also an included remote, which pairs over Bluetooth and has a standard Apple TV remote layout – which means a wheel cribbed from the iPod. It has dedicated buttons for YouTube, Prime Video and Netflix, and worked quickly and reliably in testing. As it works over Bluetooth, no line of sight is required, which is always handy.

Software and setup

• Runs a custom OS
• Netflix is officially licensed
• Limited app selection available

For the most part, smart projectors come running a version of Android TV, using a well-known interface with an established presence. The Emotn N1 takes the path less travelled, running on a custom Linux operating system with roots in Android TV.

On first set up, entering Wi-Fi passwords with the remote is a standardly frustrating and slow process, and it would have been a great to be able to pair with a smartphone to achieve this – something many TVs now offer. The look of the interface itself is nothing new, a series of tiles that is simple enough to navigate and that feels fluid and responsive.

Performance on the built-in apps is fast too – YouTube, Netflix and Prime Video all worked without missing a beat, and those alone should cover off a lot of streaming needs. However, if you want to move beyond this trio, this is where things become frustrating.

The included app store offers very little of value, with Plex as the only other big-name offering, while other channels are a bit odd to say the least. TikiLive, an aggregation of various channels is featured prominently and promotes One America News with gusto. There’s no Disney+, Channel 4, BBC iPlayer. Paramount+ or others, so you’ll need to use a streaming stick if you want to go beyond what is pre-installed, somewhat defeating the point of a ‘smart projector’.

Casting content is an option, and in Prime Video, YouTube and Netflix this worked without a hitch. Trying to use either the ‘Screencast’ or ‘HomeShare’ options didn’t work as well however, with the N1 failing to recognise devices on Android, iOS and Windows. In all, it feels like sticking to Android TV might have been a safer option.

Moving on to the question of adjusting the picture, this is thankfully very easy due to the built-in auto-keystone correction and autofocus. Whenever powered on the Emotn N1 will pull focus back and then dial-in until the picture is sharp, while the keystone function keeps things level for the most part. There were times when this wasn’t quite as reliable, but you do always have manual keystoning to fall back on for tweaking.

Picture quality

• 500 ANSI lumens
• 1080p resolution
• HDR10 support

If there’s a trade off that comes with portability in a projector, it is reduced brightness, though this is a consequence of going budget too. Regardless, the takeaway is that at 500 ANSI lumens (at best), the Emotn N1 is far from the brightest projector on the market today. It is still brighter than both the Anker Nebula Solar and Xgimi MoGo Pro however – two of its biggest competitors – so that gets it some kudos.

Typically over 1000 ANSI lumens would be required to produce a good clear image in ambient lighting, and so it makes sense that the N1 struggled in some conditions. With the curtains drawn, contrast and colour improved dramatically – this is a projector that needs a little help to bring out its full potential.

The Emotn N1 can project from 60 inches up to 120 inches, at which point its maximum resolution of 1080p begins to strain a little. At smaller sizes it was able to showcase its sharpness more convincingly, so I’d recommend sticking to something a little lower to get the very best results – somewhere around 80 inches looks great.

Picking Attack the Block as a showcase, and the picture looks good, with reasonable expectations managed. Overall colours look vivid without being unrealistic, and contrast is decently impactful too. I did notice a little noise appear in darker areas though, and a loss of finer shadow detail too – but motion was pretty solid throughout.

There’s HDR10 support here, with compatible content, and this boosts overall brightness and contrast even further to give some extra ‘pop’ to proceedings. There’s no doubt that for the price class, the Emotn N1 serves up a picture that’s hard to grumble with.

Verdict

The Emotn N1 is a budget smart projector that has a lot going for it. Picture quality is generally good and brightness is also strong for the price class. Its lightweight design makes it easy to carry, and with built-in speakers it works well for impromptu movie nights.

Things begin to fall apart when it comes to software though, with a lack of popular apps and issues with casting. As it stands the Emotn N1 is a competent smart projector, but it needs a streaming stick to unlock its full potential.