A good entry-level projector, with a decent projection quality and built-in speakers. It's not ideal for gaming, you won't enjoy 4K movies, but for almost everything else the Vankyo V630 is a good value choice.

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Vankyo Performance V630 Full HD Projector

Building a home theater and want to switch from a TV to projection? Redesigning your living space and eschewing traditional TV sets in favor of something more inconspicuous? Or just want a big screen for movies, TV, and gaming without the outlay on a 60-inch plasma?

The solution is a projector capable of full HD presentations, movies, and other entertainment. From Vankyo comes the Performance V630 Full HD Projector, a table-top projector capable of displaying a screen size of 46 to 300 inches.

With dozens of alternatives available, why should you choose the V630? It's an affordable projector---but what more does it have to offer?

Why Use an HD Projector?

Having a high definition projector is a massive advantage over a TV. Standard 40-inch LCDs or plasma TVs are large and often difficult to hide, so they end up standing out and dominating a small room.

Vankyo V630 projector lens

While this can be mitigated with strong interior design, an alternative is to simply forget about TVs altogether.

But other factors might impact your use of a projector. Perhaps your home theater space demands it, or you demand better immersion from games without switching to VR. Maybe an affordable HD projector is a smart alternative to a new TV… Or maybe you just really want an HD projector.

What's in the Box?

In the box you will find the Vankyo Performance V630 bundled alongside a useful carry case and remote control.

All the necessary cables are also included: a mains power lead, HDMI cable, and a small RCA adaptor.

You'll also find the maintenance kit. This consists of a lens cloth and Q-tips for cleaning the projector and keeping it dust-free. Dust is the enemy of heat, so it is important to keep the projector dust-free to ensure prime performance.

Also bundled is a pack of four quarter-inch screws. These are for attaching the projector to a ceiling mount. Vankyo offers its own ceiling mount and tripod for use with this projector, available separately.

Vankyo Performance V630 Specifications

The Vankyo Performance V630 is not a top-of-the-range projector. Despite this, the specification and feature list are impressive.

Sure, it might be limited to 1080p Full HD---but given that is the quality of the majority of TVs and displays in use in homes around the world, it's hardly a deal-breaker. Unless you're looking specifically for a 4K projector---and have already budgeted accordingly---this won't be a problem.

Unlike many other budget projectors, the projection on the V630 is a native 1080p, and not just "HD-ready". This deceptive term means they will accept an HD input but actually project closer to DVD resolution.

Adjust the lens on the Vankyo V630 digital projector

The Performance V630 features a 50,000 hour lamp life (though obviously we can't verify that in a short time of testing), and a 5000:1 contrast ratio. This indicates the luminance ratio of the brightest color to the darkest color that a system can produce. To compare, movie theaters are usually around 500:1.

While there is no physical screen included, the V630 is capable of projecting an image of up to 300 inches (25 feet). This can be as small as 46 inches, and projection distance can be set between 5.15 feet and 30.18 feet. So, it's suitable for projecting in a room, lecture theater, home cinema, or even on your home's exterior wall. A small retractable foot gives additional elevation if needed.

With electronic keystone technology, distortion of up to 45 degrees can be adjusted. This means the projector can be directed at angles to the surface and automatically corrected.

The projector also features an innovative cooling system for heat dispersion. Meanwhile, noise reduction technology cuts 80 percent of fan noise. There's a removable dust filter on the side which you should clean from time to time to maintain good airflow.

Vankyo states a brightness of 6800 lux, but this isn't a standardized measure so it shouldn't be used for comparison. The industry-standard ANSI lumens brightness rating is not specified, which makes it difficult to compare the actual image brightness to other models.

Vankyo V630 features a removable filter

With two HDMI ports, AV and VGA connectors, plus audio out, the Performance V630 projector offers wide device compatibility. It also features USB and an SD card reader. In short, you should be able to hook it up to almost any device, from Blu-ray player to PC. Or plug in media directly to enjoy it.

Buying the Vankyo Performance V630 projector also gives you three months of free return for a full refund. Three-year repair cover is provided, as well as customer service and tech support for the product's lifespan.

Setting Up the Vankyo Performance V630

Before buying the Vankyo Performance V630 it's a smart idea to ensure you either have a suitable wall or screen.

While projection can be up to 300 inches in size, if the surface isn't suitable, the picture will suffer. Matt-white untextured walls should be fine.

Vankyo V630 projector menu display

You should also ensure you have suitable elevation for the projector, an accessible power outlet, and optionally some better audio equipment. Our test unit was projected onto a screen at a distance of 7.5 feet, with a standard soundbar connected to the audio jack.

After connecting the HDMI cable from the source device (initially a Windows laptop), the V630 was powered up. The initial results are good and improved considerably as the room was darkened.

Controls on the unit are duplicated on the remote, which takes a pair of AAA batteries. Switching between video sources, adjusting volume, and navigating the settings menus is straightforward, with no fuss. As long as you're using the remote and have the projector permanently mounted, there's little need to touch it beyond keeping it clean and dust-free.

What Can You Connect?

The beauty of modern media devices is that you can connect almost any suitable hardware.

While there is no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth option with this budget projector, plenty of wired alternatives are supported.

Connect AV cables, USB, HDMI, and SD cards

With dual HDMI ports, you might connect a games console and TV box, or perhaps a media device like the Amazon Fire TV Stick. A 5V USB port is included to ensure power to your media box. There's also a VGA option for older TV decoders, PCs, and game consoles. An AV input for RCA connections (perhaps video camera) is also provided.

Two more options for playing media are included. A single USB 2.0 data port for hard disk drives and USB sticks, and an SD card reader. Finally, there is a single audio out port, so you don't have to rely on the internal speakers.

Play Movies, Games, and Watch TV

In practice, displaying media is a little trickier than you might like. While HDMI devices connect with little difficulty, static media is a different story.

A drive connected to the USB port can be accessed using the channel select button. This initiates a rather clunky file browser that wouldn't look out of place on a 1990s karaoke machine. It's functional, but unattractive.

Two HDMI ports on the Vankyo V630

Media files can be browsed and opened, with the projector capable of displaying images, music, video, and text documents.

Meanwhile, the SD card reader is an enigma. Foremost, the card must be inserted upside down. More importantly, however, it seems limited to smaller SD cards. While not a massive problem, this naturally restricts how much you can store on the card for playback through the projector.

We tested movies, video clips, Britbox streaming, YouTube, and video games through the Vankyo V630. Admittedly there was a small latency issue with the FPS game we tried, but overall the results were satisfactory.

Picture Quality Good, But Not Perfect

It's always difficult judging the image quality of a projector. There is so much to consider, from finding the optimum viewing angle to ensuring the display surface is conducive to projection.

We tried the Vankyo V630 with a budget display that can be quickly and easily mounted and removed as needed. This, in turn, was mounted on a white PVC wall (with reflective flecks). This resulted in a small amount of image separation when viewed at an angle, but overall the result was satisfactory. It certainly didn't detract from a family viewing of The Rise of Skywalker on Disney+.

Positioning was tricky due to the size of the test area and suitable wall space. However, the Vankyo V630 has a surprisingly good selection of keystone correction tools. It does, however, underline the importance of finding a permanent home for the projector, either mounted on a ceiling or placed on a movable stand.

You Will Need External Audio

As satisfying as the picture quality is from the Vankyo V630, you will prefer an external sound system to the built-in audio.

While acceptable, the limited tones and range of the speakers are suitable only for a few purposes. Kids TV, perhaps, or watching some sporting events; playing media in presentations. For most standard viewing activities, whether watching a popular drama boxset, the latest Marvel movie, or gaming, a soundbar or surround system will be preferable.

Vankyo V630 projector controls

In terms of comparison, the projector's audio is probably on par with the output from a TV. Avoid turning it up too loud, as on some surfaces this can cause some visible vibration in the projection.

Don't worry too much about overcoming the audio from the projector's fan. It features enhanced cooling technology and noise reduction, so you'll barely notice it through the audio of whatever game or movie you're enjoying.

Affordable HD Digital Projector to Consider

The choice for digital projectors is massive. From high-end 4K Ultra High Definition projectors edging towards $2000 to pocket-sized devices you can connect to a phone, there is a product for every budget.

So, is the Vankyo V630 suitable for your budget?  Undoubtedly. It's priced so low that anyone in the market for an entry-level projector would be foolish to overlook it. The picture quality is good enough, it's lightweight, not too noisy, and features two HDMI ports---more than most TVs in the same price range.

Spare $300 to spend on an LCD projector? Put the Vankyo V630 at the top of your list.

For those purchasing from the UK, we have an exclusive coupon for you: enter the code NXZC6KYL at checkout for a further £10. Combined with the £40 coupon on the Amazon page itself, that brings the grand total to £149.99. Bargain!