Nebula Cosmos 4K SE Review: Handy 4K projector with a great picture

A good two years ago, Anker subsidiary Nebula launched the Cosmos 4K, a smart 4K laser projector that combined high image quality with a fair price and handy design. A new edition has now been announced, which bears the name Nebula Cosmos 4K SE. The dimensions and weight remain largely unchanged, but the new model has made some significant improvements in terms of features. And at an even lower price. Our test reveals more.

Technical data

Nebula Cosmos 4K SE Review: Handy projector with laser and LED

At first glance, the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE looks very similar to the Cosmos 4K. Silver plastic housing, red ring around the lens, practical carrying handle on the top. But a second glance reveals a few new features of the 4K projector.

There are two sensors to the left of the lens and one to the right, which use artificial intelligence and IEA (Intelligent Environment Adaption) 4.0 technology to smartly adapt the image to the respective conditions.

These include object avoidance, automatic image adjustment, automatic adjustment of the brightness to the ambient light, adaptation to the wall color and an eye guard function that deactivates the image if someone is between the projector and the wall. Sounds extremely promising, but more on that later.

As far as the Cosmos 4K SE is concerned, it measures around 26.5 cm x 26.3 cm x 16.5 cm (depth x height x width) and weighs just 4.5 kg. Perfectly suited for mobile use, even if the Mars 3 Air (our test) from our own company is of course much more mobile. But it doesn’t have a 4K resolution either. Instead, it is on a par with the JMGO N1 Ultra, which we were also able to test recently.

The Cosmos 4K SE certainly makes quite an impression visually and in terms of workmanship. In addition to the projector itself, you will also find a power cable, a remote control (including batteries!) and a quick start guide.

Nebula offers various optional accessories. These include a transport bag, a stand for the floor and a table stand that allows complete rotation and angling.

Connections and features of the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE

• two HDMI 2.1 ports
• impressive dual 15-watt speakers
• Bluetooth mode;

When selecting the connections, the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE makes up for one of the biggest weaknesses of the Cosmos 4K and uses the modern HDMI 2.1 standard instead of an HDMI 2.0 connection, whereby the connection also functions as an eARC.

The second HDMI port is also available as version 2.1, which means that both ports enable 4K HDR at 60 Hz and also work with the latest games consoles. According to the manufacturer, the latency should be just 19 ms.

A USB-A port is also available if you want to use external players such as hard disks or USB sticks. The projector can also be used with external speakers or a sound system via the AUX connection.

However, this is not really necessary, as Nebula has also updated the integrated speakers and now delivers two 15 watts in stereo mode, including support for Dolby Audio and Dolby Digital Plus.

The speakers achieve a pretty impressive maximum volume (a value of 30-35 out of 100 is more than enough to fill a large living room with sound). In terms of sound, the speakers also deliver a good result and score particularly well with clear mids. However, the treble range could be a little more detailed – but the sound system is really well positioned for integrated speakers.

If you like, you can also use the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE as a Bluetooth speaker. There is a corresponding mode in the menu, where the lens or image remains switched off.

Setup, operation and practice

• Quick and easy set-up
• flawless automatic picture adjustment
• smooth operation

A big plus point of the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE is the simple setup. Simply supply the projector with power, switch it on and you’re ready to go. The setup is done via the Google Home app if you opt for smart Google TV operation. Alternatively, this is also possible directly via the projector.

The Nebula Connect app, which actually only functions as a smartphone remote control, also proves useful here. However, it also allows you to make text entries (e.g. for the Wi-Fi password or various accounts) using your smartphone’s keyboard.

However, if you want to use the included remote control, you will be pleased that it has white lighting so that you can reliably find every button even in dark environments.

Within a few steps, the Cosmos 4K SE is ready for use and you will find yourself in the current Google TV interface. Here you first select which apps should be pre-installed – including various streaming services, YouTube, Spotify and many more. Of course, a number of other apps can be downloaded via the Play Store.

It is immediately noticeable how smoothly and quickly the projector gets to work. The Cosmos 4K SE owes this to the built-in quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 CPU with 2 GB RAM and ARM Mali-G52 MC1 GPU. Operation is very smooth and works quickly and reliably. I did not notice any hangs or problems during the test.

Picture quality of the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE

• 4K HDR including Dolby Vision support
• 1,800 ANSI lumen brightness
• Laser + LED as light sources

What also blew me away in the first few minutes of using the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE was the image quality achieved by the combination of laser and LED in the projector. The NebulaMaster engine in particular, which the Cosmos 4K did not have at the time, ensures an extremely natural and accurate color reproduction with a color accuracy of DeltaE <1.

The result is an image that comes incredibly close to reality without the colors lacking vibrancy. Unfortunately, the test images only show this to a limited extent.

The maximum brightness of 1,800 ANSI lumens ensures a clear and colorful image even in averagely darkened environments. Although the Cosmos 4K was noticeably brighter again at 2,200 ANSI lumens.

In return, the new 4K SE model also offers support for Dolby Vision and a significantly wider projection size of 20 inches up to a whopping 200 inches, allowing for an even larger image than with the JMGO N1 Ultra. Unfortunately, the Nebula device also lacks a zoom function.

In addition to NebulaMaster, there are various picture modes to choose from, including a movie or game mode. You can also adjust the contrast, brightness, saturation and other parameters yourself. Another practical feature is wall color detection, which automatically adjusts the image to the respective surroundings.

All in all, the picture quality of the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE really impressed me. The only thing I would still like to see is a cover for the lens. Unfortunately, this is not included in the scope of delivery, which makes the lens quite susceptible to dust particles.

I have never been able to use the Cosmos 4K myself. On the Internet, however, you often read about artifact formation in fast images. I can give the all-clear here, because the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE has completely eradicated this problem. Even fast action scenes and games were mastered by the projector in my test without unsightly artifacts or image problems.

Nebula Cosmos 4K SE Review: Conclusion

The Nebula Cosmos 4K SE packs an amazing amount of projector into an extremely handy package at an absolutely fair price. The device is so light that it can be flexibly moved from room to room (and even used outdoors).

The projector also scores points with its simple and quick set-up and outstanding picture quality. Up to 200 inches are possible, which may not be a record, but is easily enough for the next public viewing or a home cinema evening. Thanks to HDMI 2.1 and Dolby Vision, the Cosmos 4K SE is also equipped with the latest technology.

The two built-in 15-watt speakers also deliver an impressive maximum volume and good sound. If that’s not enough, you can connect additional sources via Bluetooth or AUX.

At around 45 dB(A), the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE is a little louder than some of its competitors during operation, but it’s not really annoying. However, I would still have liked a lens cover. However, for the price of around 1,300 euros, the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE offers an absolutely convincing overall package that leaves almost nothing to be desired.