Philips NeoPix 750 review

The Philips NeoPix 750 is a $487/£399 all-in-one projector designed to deliver a cinematic experience on a budget. The maximum resolution is 1080p, which is to be expected. However, the much lower price does not justify the low quality of workmanship. Admittedly, projectors represent an area of ​​technology that I’m quite snobby about, but considering the sea of ​​laggy Android TVs with barely acceptable images, this is a reasonable stance in my opinion.

Right out of the box, I noticed that the NeoPix 750 was lightweight. It’s not slim or straightforward to pack. Others in this range, from competitors like XGIMI or Samsung, opt for much smaller sizes, and the bulky NeoPix is ​​downright arduous to set up unless I completely rearrange my room.

It has dimensions similar to a classic VHS player, but in both directions. When I saw the promotional photos, I imagined a much smaller device, but no, NeoPix proved itself quite well.

The feeling of cheapness permeates the projector’s focus ring. It’s fortunately stiff, so there’s no risk of it accidentally losing focus. However, it constantly seemed like it might break off if you took a wrong turn.

Thanks to the plastic remote control, I was able to go through the setup process. It uses Android but is hidden under Philips’ custom “LumenOS” system, and even that feels mediocre. Seeing an almost available version of the antique Android on-screen keyboard in the settings menu really set the mood for the sale.

Setup wasn’t painless either. Pairing things like Wi-Fi and the remote was uncomplicated enough, but the limitations of the projector itself came to airy. The more exorbitant projectors I have used in the past and currently own project a much larger area that you can work with and project the image the way you want.

The NeoPix 750 from Philips does not emit the greatest space. It’s actually quite elegant – not his fault, it’s an inexpensive device – but it’s sure to cause problems if you don’t plan ahead.

Includes automatic and manual keystone options so you can manipulate the image to fit what you’re projecting onto. I couldn’t get the automatic option to stop the down tilt, and the manual option only got me so far.

Even when I used the included digital zoom, reducing or enlarging the image made it impossible to fit it, and I finally gave up, sending the image to an adjacent wall. Adjusting the image to fit fresh locations is always a battle, but stretching the projected image around different axes always ends up like this – even with more exorbitant projectors.

Ultimately, I decided to just physically move it as far as possible to get the size and image I wanted. I just wish it had allowed me to push the limits a little more, but of course NeoPix probably lacked the runway to do so – both physically and due to software limitations.

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Placing this on a coffee table and against a bare wall will work great (as advertised by Philips itself), but any room that doesn’t live up to its marketing ideals or with a centerpiece around which to build a “cinematic” experience will unfortunately be troubled significantly over time. longer than expected.

Part of the problem is that the power cable doesn’t simply slide into the back. Instead, it should sit flush underneath, keeping the area tidy. However, the cable groove ends before the edge of the projector, which means it constantly looks like it’s about to fall out of place.

Apart from the physical aspect, LumenOS is harmless despite its antique UI aesthetic. Downloading apps, navigating menus and watching videos is quite silky. Once again, it’s just Android with an extra layer, so if you’ve ever encountered a state-of-the-art astute TV, you’ll immediately understand what it’s all about.

So what about this “cinematic experience”? Well, for $500/£400 you actually get a pretty decent picture, especially when winter comes and it gets dim earlier in the day. The NeoPix 750 really benefits from a dim room, as with any projector, but using it during the day doesn’t immediately cause any obvious viewing issues.

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Sure, exploring the dreary buildings of the original Silent Hill 2 at 2 p.m. didn’t make for the best picture, but it wouldn’t be the case on a state-of-the-art TV either. However, when it gets dim, the image is really solid.

Unlike other budget projectors like some of the XGIMI options, Netflix and other apps were thankfully supported natively. Thanks to this, tests aimed at detecting abnormalities were much less likely to cause headaches.

The colors are expressive and delight with their intensity. Most importantly, they also seem quite true. Watching movies does not cause major color aberrations, and the 1080p image is clear. Even when streaming lower quality video from YouTube or my Plex server, NeoPix does not disappoint.

Games are something you will also want to plan for. While I don’t think the average gamer will notice input lag in their game, I’ve definitely noticed it in games that have a lot of jitter. A noticeable few milliseconds pass between the input and the action on screen, masked by slower titles.

Esports and precision titles like Street Fighter will likely be out of sync. Even in a few levels of Warhammer 40K: Boltgun on Steam, with a wired controller, there were more than a few deaths due to input lag. Unfortunately, there is no specific game mode here.

That said, titles like the recent RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio and the indie Balatro are perfect fits for NeoPix. Balatro became a multiplayer game as my partner and I started playing at higher stakes, and Metaphor really allowed the speakers to shine.

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The thunderous choir soundtrack truly comes to life when blasted from a good set of speakers. Philips could have saved on build quality, but the actual experience of watching or playing on it is quite adequate.

Fortunately, the built-in speakers are quite clamorous, as are the fans. Projectors have a tendency to hum, it’s the nature of the beast, but the NeoPix 750 is clamorous – and sizzling. My partner mentioned more than once that it was much warmer with the projector on than without it, something we have rarely experienced with other projectors that have come and gone.

The Philips NeoPix 750 isn’t the best budget projector on the market right now. Despite some strange Android issues (some apps are still unsupported on pre-2024 models), XGIMI still leads the way in terms of form factor and quality. However, if you want anything below that £500 figure, you could absolutely do a lot worse. Projectors will never be the first choice for gaming and Neopix is ​​no exception. If you keep these expectations in check, you’ll have fun at a good price.