Chicdaze HY300 Pro

Here is what the Chicdaze Pro brings to movie night:

• Android TV 11 with Prime Video and YouTube built in, running on a Mali-G31 graphics core.
• Dual-band Wi-Fi 6. The 5 GHz band keeps a stream from stuttering when the building's 2.4 GHz channel is crowded.
• A 360-degree speaker inside the body, so sound spreads around the projector rather than firing one way.
• A quiet fan, rated below 25 dB, low enough to disappear under film dialogue.
• HDMI, USB and an audio output for a stick, a laptop, a flash drive or a wired speaker.

The panel is native 1280 × 720 and takes signals up to 4K, scaling them down. Chicdaze quotes 160 ANSI lumens with a 1500:1 contrast ratio in its feature notes, while its technical sheet says 200. The honest planning figure is the lower one: a picture that shines in a dark bedroom and fades once the lamps are on.

The body measures 5.1 × 5.7 × 6.7 in, small enough for a bedside table next to a lamp and a glass of water. Keep a hand's width of clearance at the vents and the fan can stay at its quiet setting.

H.265 support matters more than it sounds. Phones and many downloads now save video in that format because it halves file sizes, and a projector that cannot decode it stutters or refuses to play.

Where the Chicdaze Pro fits best:

• A child's bedtime. Swivel the lens to the ceiling and let a cartoon play while the lights are off.
• Online lessons or video calls at a desk, the uses Chicdaze itself lists alongside home cinema.
• A sleepover with a 60- to 80-inch picture on a bedroom wall.

For the biggest pictures of 100 inches and up, wait until the room is fully dark; 160 lumens spreads thin across a large wall. A matte white wall or a simple pull-down screen does more for the image than any menu setting. The brightness settings guide covers the picture modes that help.

1. Set the projector on a table level with the middle of the wall and swivel the lens forward.
2. Power on, choose a language and join the 5 GHz band of your Wi-Fi.
3. Install the system update before opening any apps.
4. Turn the focus wheel until the small text in the corners is as sharp as the centre.
5. Let the auto keystone square the picture, then fine-tune by hand if the projector sits to one side.

The speaker suits a bedroom at normal volume. For a larger room, the audio output feeds a wired speaker with no delay, which keeps lips and voices in step. Bluetooth headphones work too, though the feature notes list Bluetooth 5.0 and some headphones lag a fraction behind the picture.

Common first-night snags and their fixes:

• Blurry edges only. The projector is tilted; level it before reaching for the keystone.
• An app refuses to play. Update the system first, then try a streaming stick in the HDMI port.
• The remote does nothing. It is infrared, so point it at the projector body.

For a ceiling picture, the height of the room sets the size. On a nightstand under a standard 2.4 m ceiling the lens sits about 1.8 m from the plaster, enough for a picture in the 80-inch range. Lower ceilings give a smaller, brighter image, which suits 160 lumens well.

The HY300 manual in plain English explains every button and menu.

Between the Chicdaze Pro and the standard Chicdaze Pro+, the gap is thin. Both quote 160 ANSI lumens, Android TV 11, a Mali-G31 core and the same 5.1 × 5.7 × 6.7 in body, and both name Bluetooth 5.4 in their headlines with 5.0 in the notes. Pay for the Pro+ name only if you take its Plus build.

Choose the Chicdaze Pro when the budget is tight and the room is dark. Pay a bit extra for the Chicdaze Pro+ Plus build if the projector has to be its own speaker. For a Pro that weighs less in a travel bag, Magcubic's classic model is the lighter pick.

Three checks before ordering:

• Curtains. 160 lumens needs a room you can darken.
• Cables. HDMI and audio cables are not part of the box contents.
• A stand. The HY300 stands and mounts raise the lens when a table is too low.