Anker unveils mobile theater with inflatable screen

Following the success of its Nebula X1 outdoor projector, Anker’s smart entertainment brand – Soundcore – has wrapped a Pro version in a big ol’ wheeled outer skin and paired it with a 200-inch inflatable screen for what’s being billed the “world’s first mobile theater station.”

The Nebula X1 Pro shares much with its smaller sibling, starting with a triple-laser projection engine based on a DLP chip with a 0.47-inch DMD heart and a light source that puts out 3,500 ANSI lumens.

Viewers can look forward to 4K (3,840 x 2,160) visuals at up to 300 diagonal inches when the unit is pulled back at least 20 ft. The company is promising 110% coverage of the Rec.2020 color gamut, industry leading 0.8 Delta E color accuracy, 5,000:1 native contrast and 56,000:1 dynamic, and support for Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG decoding.

If you don’t have a wall big enough, and prefer outdoor watch parties anyway, the projector can be bundled with a 200-inch inflatable screen. This is made of PVC-coated mesh fabric with a polyester screen at 1.0 gain flattening out ahead of show time. Soundcore reckons that the screen’s large footprint should help prevent the odd gust of wind from spoiling the yard or pool party. And you don’t need to worry about huffing and puffing to set it up, as it’s bundled with a battery powered air pump that should have it ready in under 5 minutes.

The X1 Pro features AI-powered image adaptation technology for quick and easy setup, shaping up as autofocus, keystone correction, resize to avoid obstacles, fit-to-screen, and optical zoom. A built-in micro gimbal also allows the 14-element glass lens array to tilt up to 25 degrees for flexible placement.

The smart projector sports technology to reduce banding for smoother tonal transitions, and a system algorithm is reported capable of real-time adjustment of HDR tone mapping depending on screen size, ambient light and content type. The projector can also adapt the output to account for different wall colors.

In case it’s not clear from the promotional imagery, this is a beast of a machine, measuring 17 x 13.5 x 30 in (435 x 343 x 761 mm) and weighing in at a formidable 72.4 lb (32.8 kg). It comes wrapped in IP43-rated skin, and rolls with integrated wheels and a pull handle – making it much easier to get it where it needs to be compared to just hefting it around with grunt force alone.

Anker/Soundcore

However, the Pro doesn’t have an internal battery so will need to be plugged into a wall outlet. As luck would have it, Anker also makes portable power stations, and there are two deals running as part of the Kickstarter. A Solix C1000 model should be good for more than 3 hours of use with the X1 Pro, and can be optioned into the bundle for an extra US$429 until October 9, or $499 thereafter – the unit normally retails for $799. If you want nearly 10 hours of portable play time per charge, the Solix F3000 can be had for an extra $1,599 (retail price comes in at $2,599). Sure, it would be nice for the X1 Pro to feature built-in batteries for an all-in mobile solution, but that would add significantly to the size and weight – plus the cost – of the already large unit.

Though silent movies can be fun to watch, we’re now well into the age of the talkies. Blockbuster soundtracks are well catered for here with two 5.25-inch subwoofers rated at 80 watts each plus two articulating speakers that can each rotate to 90 degrees at the push of a button.

Each speaker features two front drivers driven by a 40-W amp along with one upfiring driver powered by a 20-W amp plus a side-firing driver powered by another 20-W amp. They can both detach from the housing and be positioned near the screen or anywhere else in the room thanks to a lag-free, high-bandwidth direct Wi-Fi connection.

Anker/Soundcore

The unit is also home to two more wireless speakers stored in a rear compartment, which can be removed and positioned for immersive surround-sound potential in a 7.1.4 configuration. Soundcore reports that this translates to seven horizontal channels, one woofer and four overhead channels that combine to “deliver audio that surrounds you from every direction – even from above.”

Each of the wireless speakers can boom out sounds for up to 8 hours, and can recharge when housed in the main unit or topped up individually over USB-C. Naturally, they’re designed to resist the odd shower or dust storm to IP54 standards.

A new feature in the menu screen can help users calibrate the listening experience, where emitted tones are picked up by microphones to the top of the main unit to determine optimum distance and angle. Firing up the full 7.1.4 setup should give outdoor movie watchers 400 watts/107 dB of Dolby Atmos surround-sound oomph.

The X1 Pro runs Google TV over Wi-Fi 5 for official Netflix along with other popular streaming apps, and access to thousands of movies and shows. The system supports screen sharing over Google Cast or Nebula Cast. But those who prefer to cable can do so over HDMI – with 19-millisecond input latency on offer for console gamers.

Controlling the entertainment is undertaken via the top of the unit or by pushing buttons on the remote, which can be stowed in a top compartment together with two wireless microphones that cater for karaoke sessions. A door to the bottom of the main unit hides a power cable for the projector (and speaker charging).

Anker/Soundcore

Anker Soundcore has launched the Nebula X1 Pro on Kickstarter, where it’s already blown way beyond its $500,000 campaign goal. Early bird packages for the projector/speakers and the inflatable screen currently start at $3,698 – which is 47% off the expected retail price.

There’s a bundle available with a 120-inch inflatable screen and pump for $3,478, but if you don’t need either of the outdoor display packages, there’s a pledge level goes at $2,999 (40% off the MSRP) for the X1 Pro on its own.

Crowdfunding campaigns always carry an element of risk, but Anker is almost a household name and previous Soundcore Kickstarters have all delivered. If all goes to plan with this project, shipping is estimated to start from December.

Source: Soundcore