Mar Iris HY300 Ultra

What arrives in the carton is a complete small cinema:

• Built-in apps, so a film starts without a TV stick hanging off the side.
• Wi-Fi 6 plus Bluetooth 5.4, the same radios as the newest HY300s.
• HDMI, USB and a 3.5 mm jack for a laptop, a film on a stick and wired headphones.
• Auto keystone with digital correction that squares the frame when the body tilts.
• A 180° swivel that turns the lens from the wall to the ceiling.

The panel is native 1280 × 720 and accepts signals up to 1920 × 1080. Mar Iris rates the LED light at 200 ANSI lumens with a 2000:1 contrast ratio and a 30,000-hour life, so there is no lamp to replace across years of film nights.

At 10.56 oz it is among the lighter HY300s, easy to carry from the bedroom to the garden with one hand. It draws 38 W from its adapter, a modest load for a nightstand socket.

The body measures 5.71 × 4.88 × 5.71 inches, squatter and wider than the slim 3.7-inch cylinder of a Magcubic Pro. That shape matters later: measure it against any case or bracket sold for the slimmer models before ordering one.

Brightness spreads thinner as the picture grows. Two hundred ANSI lumens on a 40-inch patch looks lively; the same light across 130 inches looks soft unless the room is blacked out.

• Pick matte white. A plain white wall or a pull-down screen keeps colours true; a painted feature wall tints every face.
• Mind the height. Sit the projector level with the lower edge of the picture so the keystone has less to correct.
• Mark the spot. Once a size looks right, marking the spot on the shelf with tape saves refocusing next time.

For a ceiling picture, the throw is simply how far the lens sits below the plaster. Under a standard 8-foot ceiling, a projector on a nightstand sits well inside the 9.82-foot limit, so the size comes out comfortably below the maximum.

The HY300 screen size chart lists distances inch by inch, and the brightness settings guide squeezes more from 200 lumens.

1. Join Wi-Fi 6 on the 5 GHz band, then check for a system update before signing in to apps.
2. Turn the focus wheel until text in the corners is sharp, not just the centre.
3. Let auto keystone square the picture; nudge the body sideways if the frame leans.
4. Plug a TV stick into HDMI if an app you use is missing from the built-in set.
5. Pair a Bluetooth 5.4 speaker for the garden, or run a cable from the 3.5 mm jack indoors.

Mar Iris does not state an Android version or a chip for this Ultra, so plan on a stick for any service that must run for years. A stick also carries its own remote and updates, which sidesteps app trouble on the projector itself.

The built-in speaker handles a bedroom film at moderate volume. For a party or a windy garden, a Bluetooth speaker placed beside the screen makes voices seem to come from the picture rather than from behind your head.

Mar Iris packs an adapter, a remote and a user manual, and the plain-English HY300 manual fills the gaps in menus and buttons. If the picture goes soft or Wi-Fi drops, the HY300 fixes cover the usual culprits.

The Mar Iris suits a buyer who focuses once and leaves the projector on one shelf. Nightly swivels from wall to ceiling favour a motorized lens, and the Magcubic adds 60 ANSI lumens on top.

There is a practical upside to the manual lens. A focus wheel has no motor to fail and no menu to hunt through, and once set for a fixed shelf it keeps that setting until the projector moves.

Weigh these against your own evenings:

• Focus routine. Moving the projector often means refocusing often; a remote-driven lens saves the reach.
• System details. Other Ultras name Android 14; the Mar Iris leaves the version open.
• Size range. The 25-inch minimum is useful on desks and in kids' rooms.
• Weight. At 10.56 oz it travels easily in a case or on a tripod.

The full breakdown of what the Ultra name buys sits in HY300 Ultra vs HY300 Pro.