Lenovo is one of the largest Chinese manufacturers of computer technology and various peripherals. And usually at a very acceptable price-performance ratio. It is therefore not surprising that Lenovo also has projectors in its range. The Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P is in a price range that is not expected to offer particularly high performance. Rightly so? This is what we investigate in the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P test, in which we look at all the features. Because – caution: spoiler – this projector surprised me several times.
Specifications
| Lighting technology | LED / DLP |
| Max. power consumption | 35 V / 4 A = 140 W |
| Size | 225.3 x 198.3 x 175.5 mm |
| weight | 2.2 kg |
| Brightness | 1,300 ANSI lumens |
| resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Connectivity | HDMI, USB, WLAN, Bluetooth, headphone jack |
| Price | € 239.16 * |
Packaging and scope of delivery
- Chic, not overloaded packaging
- Quite a high proportion of plastic
- Protective film on the device
- Accessories consist of a power cable and a remote control without batteries
It’s hard to say what I expected, but the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P – including the packaging, of course – is larger than I expected in this price range.
The packaging design is clean and functional. The box itself is still protected with a plastic film, which protects the device and the packaging from dirt and moisture even during longer storage, transportation and so on. There is a little more waste, but there should be no problems if you find the original packaging in a few years’ time. If you open the packaging, you’ll find the projector in another plastic protective cover, protected by two foam trays. There wasn’t really a good way to grip the projector, but by turning it over you could pull the box down. One of the foam trays is wider and if you look at the outside, you can see why: it not only holds the projector, but also the accessory box.
Protective films can be found once on the protective glass in front of the lens and once over the entire front. This was somehow a little difficult to grip. But good, no witchcraft either. There are two adhesive strips with tips on the device and these can also be removed for a cleaner look.
The accessory box contains a 1.8 m long C5 power cable, a remote control and a multilingual quick start guide. So no surprises and nothing unexpected. Okay, but there is one unexpected detail: no batteries are supplied for the remote control. But that’s not a big problem: two standard AAA batteries are easy to get hold of and most households probably already have them in reserve.
Design of the Lenovo 100P
- Clean, modern design
- Special stand
The Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P has a bright, friendly design with a white housing and light gray fabric casing. It is therefore fully in line with the modern design trend, which can also be found on some IKEA furniture, the Amazon Echo, various PC cases such as the Fractal Design Ridge or Mood and also in some other areas. Personally, I think it’s quite chic and I find it interesting how such trends are gaining widespread acceptance, making it possible to harmonize your furnishings visually. Of course, there’s no compulsion in this area. White and gray are neutral enough to not stand out too much independently.
The base of the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P is of course a special feature. This sets the projector apart from the mass of projectors that stand or hang around as very technical boxes. It is quite refreshing that the design has been given a certain value and that the projector does not have to look like a foreign object in the living room. The design with the base and the height adjustment and rotatability is also refreshing in terms of alignment when setting up. But more on that later.
Build quality
- Good workmanship
- Very stable height and angle adjustment
- Unfortunately, a clearly audible fan is installed
- Unreachable spots on the lens
For the rather low price range of the projector, I am also positively surprised by the workmanship of the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P. I didn’t spontaneously notice any acute weaknesses here. The fabric is cleanly applied and also covers the speakers without hindering them too much.
The special feature of the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P is of course the stand. And this is also very firm, so that the selected orientation remains fixed. The concern that the stand might be too smooth and cause the projector to drop was unfounded. Of course, you need both hands to adjust it. The base plate of the stand is rubberized over a large area so that the stand is secure and firm.
Nothing wobbles and the structure of the Lenovo 100P looks sensible. The fan draws in fresh air around the opening at the front and then blows the warm air out the back. However, the projector lens is protected by a frame so that the drawn-in air does not draw dust onto the lens.
But where the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P test seems to be almost overly positive so far, here we come to the first points that tarnish the good impression a little: Firstly, there are dust inclusions and fingerprints on the lens on the test model – out of reach on the front lens of the lens, which sits behind the protective glass. Realistically, this has no effect on the image quality, as it is completely outside the focus area, but it doesn’t feel really satisfactory not to be able to get at it for cleaning. Secondly, the fan is very audible. And the housing also offers no real access, so there is no realistic possibility of replacing the fan with a quieter model at a later date.
Of course – you have to make sacrifices somewhere in the price range. In continuous operation, I measured a volume of 40 dB(A) at a distance of half a meter. This is not excessive, but can be heard very clearly throughout the room and may be disturbing in quiet movie sequences.
Setup and installation
- Beamer is very versatile to set up
- Standard cable is easy to replace if required
- Focusing is automatic
Setting up the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P proved to be particularly easy in the test. Thanks to the flexible stand, the projector can be set up in virtually any position you need. For example, the projector can also be aligned downwards, not just upwards, as is the case with many regular projectors, which are difficult to align as soon as they are raised. It can also be hung on the wall or placed upside down. In short: almost any angle you could wish for is possible – and without a great deal of effort.
It’s also nice that the power supply is built in, so you don’t have a block lying around on the way to the socket. And no special connection is required for the power supply either, but a C5 cold appliance cable (“Mickey Mouse plug”), so you can easily get a replacement or buy a more suitable length. The scope of delivery includes a 1.8 m long cable. This is longer than I have experienced with some other devices, but beamers can be set up so individually that you may still need longer cables – you’ll have to see for yourself. But as I said, changing is not a problem here.
When switching on, you first have to set the language and when the projector is moved, it throws a text image and uses the built-in camera to focus automatically. This also works quite reliably. Impressive and very simple. Keystone correction is not applied automatically; you have to do that later.
There are no controls on the device – it can only be controlled using the remote control.
Software
- Smart projector based on Android
- Poor German translation of the menu
- Direct streaming from the usual providers
Smart TVs are now the standard – and corresponding functions are also available on the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P. Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube: All available without additional hardware and can be used directly. Android 9 runs in the background – I was a little surprised by this on a current device, but ultimately you don’t really use many Android functions here and you don’t get a typical Android interface.
In the menu, it is noticeable that the translation was obviously carried out automatically and without checking. If you come across “Formal investment” for a normal image alignment or “Withhold investment” for a display for rear projection screens… But keystone correction to compensate for angled projector alignments is also referred to as “ladder correction” and so on. Too bad. Too bad – in principle, the settings are easy to make, but the very, very bumpy translation makes it much more difficult. I actually found it easier to switch to the English version, which has fewer translation problems.
Control of the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P
- Only one HDMI input for a cable connection of external devices
- Headphone connection and Bluetooth speaker possible
- Streaming services and YouTube are accessible via WLAN
Originally, however, projectors were rarely stand-alone devices, but were used to display external sources like a screen. The connections on the Lenovo 100P are a little tight. Sure, the most common standard is covered with HDMI, but that’s where it ends. VGA, display port or other connections, such as an AUX for audio? Nope. What you will still find is a headphone connection, which can of course be used to operate external speakers. Alternatively, it is also possible to connect to loudspeakers via Bluetooth. And there is also a USB port from which you can play media.
Otherwise, it remains largely wireless: you can access streaming services via WLAN.
Bluetooth: You can also use the Lenovo 100P as a Bluetooth speaker. If you press the power button on the remote control, you can choose whether the device should be switched off or whether you want to switch to speaker mode. If you press this, you can now establish a Bluetooth connection with a device (e.g. laptop or smartphone) and use the 100P as a Bluetooth speaker.
The Lenovo 100P is controlled via the remote control. A certain latency is noticeable here and if you press too quickly one after the other, individual button presses are sometimes swallowed up completely. Not a catastrophe – you quickly get used to it if you are not already used to it from other devices. The rather low price range is simply noticeable here.
Sustainability
- No possibility of opening for repairs
- No control possible on the device
- Nevertheless: Long service life of the LED lighting is to be expected
- Booting to the HDMI input can be set in the menu
What I see as somewhat critical is the sustainability of the Lenovo 100P. And I’m not even referring to the high plastic content of the packaging. In particular, I am concerned that there is not really a way to open it for maintenance or repair. Sure: I don’t expect it to give up the ghost too quickly, after all, it uses LED lighting, which is more durable than other technologies. The lifespan of the light is estimated at 30,000 hours compared to the 1,000 – 4,000 hours expected for other projector lamps. That is good. But there are no plans to open the device. On the other hand, repair costs would quickly exceed the low new value of the device anyway and, due to the built-in power supply unit, opening it yourself without specialist knowledge could be dangerous.
There is also the fact that you cannot make any settings or controls on the appliance itself. So if you misplace the remote control or it gives up the ghost at some point, the projector can no longer be operated. Okay, you can certainly find a replacement somehow, but it will probably involve a certain amount of effort.
Here’s a tip: In the menu, you can enable the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P to access the HDMI port directly at startup. Activating this is highly recommended, because then you could at least control it via an HDMI source if you misplace the remote control, as you can no longer even select the source without the remote control. In everyday use with the remote control, this makes no difference, because even if you do not want to control it via HDMI by default, it automatically switches to the home screen after autofocus at startup if it does not receive an HDMI signal by then. So the only difference is that you get a blue screen for 3-4 seconds at startup.
And this is not meant to be scaremongering: The remote control may be light and compact, but it seems quite decently made. So I wouldn’t assume that it will spontaneously give up the ghost. I just know how quickly you can misplace remote controls or lose them under certain circumstances (use at a friend’s house / transportation ala “which bag did I use for this?” / moving house / etc.). And I think it’s a shame that there is no fallback level.
Options for alignment
- Can be rotated and swiveled
- Projector can be aligned in all directions – upwards and downwards
A special feature of the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P is the stand. This allows you to adjust the height of the projector unit, but also tilt it upwards and downwards. And to the extremes. Projecting onto the ceiling? No problem. Quasi cinema in bed. But even if the projector is raised, like on a shelf, it can be angled downwards so that the screen is not too high. Many other projectors only offer the option of screwing the front upwards (to a limited extent) without the use of an additional stand. Last but not least, the projector can also be rotated on its base. This works very well in practice, but a recommended rotation range is marked at the back for the best stability.
The built-in autofocus camera is a great help, especially for frequent conversion and mobile use. When you are finished with the alignment, the camera focuses the image. However, it should also be noted here that there are of course physical limits.
Note the alignment
- Sharpest image when the lens is in the same plane as the screen and tilted as little as possible
- The greater the distance to the screen, the darker the image – but the sharper it will be
This section is a brief excursion into general knowledge about projectors and has nothing directly to do with the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P test.
The image is sharpest when the projector is pointing straight ahead so that the lens sits straight in front of the screen. The more you angle the projector, the more you have to compromise in terms of sharpness towards the edges, even if you get a seemingly straight image with keystone correction. But distance also plays a role. As in photography, which is virtually the reverse principle of projector operation, the depth of field also increases when the screen is further away.
With a greater distance between the projector and the screen, the image becomes more uniformly sharp and larger overall – but the light is distributed over a larger area, so it becomes darker. This is now more basic knowledge about projectors and not a special feature of the Lenovo 100P, but at least the sharpness aspect is even more important here, as you can align the projector freely and may wonder why the image is not consistently sharp. Let’s move on to the picture quality:
Picture quality of the Lenovo 100P
- Good picture quality
- Good image sharpness
- Very noticeable latency is bad for gaming
The picture quality of the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P proved to be very good in the test. The color reproduction is – especially in dark rooms – very nice, the sharpness is good and you actually get a Full HD display, whereas some other projectors in the price range (especially in the past) have often cheated and accepted signals in Full HD, but played them out in lower resolutions.
But 1300 ANSI lumens? I don’t have a calibrated measuring device here, but when I take the brightness of my laptop screen and compare the exposure brightness, I’m not entirely sure that the projector achieves the specified brightness. Don’t misunderstand: This is not a disastrous result for the price range and in dark rooms the picture is really good, but I wouldn’t want to use the Lenovo 100P in partially lit classrooms. However, it’s fine for watching movies in dark rooms at home.
But what about gaming, for example, when you connect a console or PC via HDMI? To be honest, you can largely forget about that. The latency is too high. With a mirrored computer screen, changes in brightness are noticeably faster than on the projector. The latency will be a good quarter of a second. This excludes all games where you have to react precisely. And while mirroring a computer screen is not really a problem, you can clearly feel how late the mouse pointer reacts if you are only looking at the projector image – and you will quickly miss the point you are aiming at.
In short: enjoy the media: Yes. Screen replacement for PCs: No. Gaming: No.
Sound quality and speaker mode
- Sound is okay
- Low bass content
- Fan unfortunately remains active even in speaker mode
The sound of the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P proved to be quite good in the test. The built-in speakers – stereo, one on the left and one on the right – are roughly what you would expect from a TV. This makes them better than any laptop speakers I’ve heard so far. But where they can reproduce good clarity, the speakers are simply too small to generate any particular pressure in the bass range. So there’s no great cinema feeling, but you don’t have to worry about causing stress with the neighbors either. Apart from that, the sound is fine. Even many smaller Bluetooth speakers don’t offer a finer-resolution sound here. While the Tronsmart Bang SE, for example, has a significantly higher maximum volume, the sound character is not all that dissimilar.
As already mentioned, it is possible to set the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P to speaker mode in order to use it as a Bluetooth speaker. The projection can be switched off completely so that only the speaker is active. So much for the theory. The problem is the loud fan, which remains active. In most cases, the music will drown it out, but the fan will still be audible between songs and in quieter sequences. I ran the mode in the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P test for a good while and the fan remained at a constant volume, i.e. it was neither switched off nor at least reduced, although the waste heat is much lower with the light unit deactivated. Where between 110 and 120 W are drawn from the socket in standard projector mode, only just under 10 W are drawn in speaker mode. Why does the fan still have to run at full power here?
Particularly because of the fan, partly because of the thin bass component, I consider the speaker mode to be more of a theoretical gimmick and would probably not use it in practical operation outside of the test.
Conclusion
I like the Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P LED projector. It’s easy to use and offers decent quality and versatility for a low price. A stylish design, easy alignment and good picture quality are all very relevant and the decent sound is a nice bonus. Of course, you don’t expect premium features in this price range, so the Lenovo 100P isn’t perfect – the fan is constantly active and the latency is clearly noticeable. In terms of value for money, however, it is very solid to excellent. And the flexible stand and autofocus in particular are outstanding features of this smart projector! A solid device for the bedroom movie theater or movie night with buddies!
- Very versatile alignment options
- Good image quality with true FHD resolution
- Automatic focusing
- Decent sound quality
- Low price
- Smart functions enable streaming directly from the projector
- Clearly audible fan
- Poor automatic menu translation
- Significant latency
- Control exclusively via remote control
Lenovo Xiaoxin 100P
Processing
Picture quality
Features
Sound
Price-performance ratio
90/100
The Lenovo 100P is very versatile and offers a good price-performance ratio. Only the fan is very present.
Hi, Is it possible to change the language? I purchased this from China but there is no ability to change the language to English.
Also how do I load apps on the device?
Thanks