two minute review
The JM1 is a small, stealthy ultra-short throw projector. It's as small as it gets, while delivering as big an image as some of the best projectors. Its price is perhaps more impressive: at $1599 (AU$2299, about $1225), the JM1 is about half the price of most other UST projectors on the market.
However, with the JM1's lower price, there are significant trade-offs compared to its competitors. It only offers a 1080p image, and while its LED light source may be efficient and long-lasting, it's not as bright and struggles to be as colorful as other laser models.
The JM1 is a small and efficient home cinema set in the right conditions. Doesn't take up a lot of space or setup to get a 100-inch large picture on the wall. And it's bright enough in a dark room without needing to be completely dark, though that would help. However, daytime viewing is a poor experience. The projector is paired with a decent set of 10W speakers that may not have much stereo separation, but can fill a small to medium sized room well.
Although the JM1 has a smart TV platform installed, it's not terribly useful or reliable, and neither is the otherwise nifty remote. Setting up the JM1 with an external streaming dongle is a good idea, and will only leave an extra HDMI port available for a game console or other input.
Despite the JM1's affordability as an ultra-projector, it's not terribly cheap in the grand scheme of things, and it's not a great performer for the price. The Xgimi Aura is more expensive, but it's a brighter UST laser projector with a 4K image and a really useful smart OS. Then the JM1 is simply crushed by longer range spotlights. For about the same price as the JM1, the Xgimi Horizon Pro 4K is brighter at 2200 lumens and offers a 4K image. The €38 Optoma UHD1399 and €4 Anker Nebula Cosmos Max 1599K offer a brilliant 4K picture, and Anker's recently launched Nebula Cosmos Laser projector comes in a €1080 1599p version with a substantial increase in brightness.
If you just want the cheapest UST projector, the JM1 might work, but the entry-level JMGO O1 is only €900 for a brightness reduction. That said, for anyone who can afford to spend more or deal with the minor annoyances of a standard projector setup, there are much better options available.
Design and features
- Projector, speakers and smart operating system in one package
- USB-C rechargeable remote control
- Gesture-controlled front camera
- Exceptionally compact design
The JO1 is different from contemporary ultra short throw projectors from its first appearance. This thing is small. While most UST projectors only take up a few square feet of space in an entertainment center, the JO1 is less than half the size of most competitors and looks like a small silver blimp.
Within this small frame, the JO1 contains your LED-powered projection system, a 10-watt speaker array, a smart TV deck, and the sensor you need for autofocus, keystone, brightness, and color adjustments, plus of a front-facing camera that can be used for gesture controls (or easily recorded for anyone who doesn't dig a camera staring at them all the time in their living room).
This proprietary Luna OS smart TV platform leaves a lot to be desired. While it does offer the means to tweak settings and switch HDMI inputs, even offering a PiP of the HDMI input before you have to commit to it, it's best left at that. Often the buttons on the remote don't do anything in an app, and the App Store is a bit fishy. After installing Netflix and launching the application, we arrive at a welcome screen that does not allow any type of interaction. And while Xgimi hasn't been able to get Netflix support on any of the Android TV projectors, we have even more doubts about JGMO's ability to get proper support for the app.
JGMO has created an exciting projector remote with a sleek metal design and USB-C charging, but it turns out to be a bit of a pain. It doesn't like quick inputs, like one can change the volume, and it hardly ever works from more than 10 feet away, where a user would apparently sit while using a projector with a 110-inch image.
The projector is definitely better to use an external source. Though that does make the inclusion of just two HDMI ports a bit of a hassle. If they're loaded down with a couple of streaming devices, the two rear USB ports will help power them. The USB ports can also be used to play local content. The ports are complemented by a 3,5mm audio and optical output. These HDMI ports are CEC compliant, which can be useful, but we often unintentionally cause our PS5 to boot up. Disabling CEC didn't seem to create any issues, but a day later there was no sound from any HDMI sources no matter how many settings we changed until we reset the device to the plant.
The projector's speakers somewhat make up for its shortcomings, being quite loud for a 10- to 200-square-foot room without distorting too much as the volume increases. Bass isn't a standout aspect of the speakers, so the shock factor could benefit from an external audio device.
Image quality
- Large image with little noise
- Automatic parameter setting
- Lack of shine for daytime use.
The promise of a UST projector is an easy-to-obtain overview: there's no problem with where in the room you need to place the projector to get the image on the wall at the right size. It's easy to line up and a few inches back or forth can easily stretch the image to fit.
The JM1 certainly fits that bill. It's very easy to get an 80-inch image or a 110-inch image, whatever you want. The projector may automatically distort the image if it is not completely square. It will also focus automatically and the image can be digitally reduced if you want a smaller image and can't just hold the projector up to the wall.
For its sticker price, you'd expect exceptional imaging, but sadly the JM1 doesn't consistently deliver that. The projector boasts a maximum brightness of 1500 ANSI lumens (or 1250; the company is inconsistent with its marketing). It may look bright, but it can hardly hold up during the day. In our living room, it takes all the curtains drawn, all the lights off, and cloudy weather to get a tolerable daytime picture. It's good enough for cartoons and bright content in these conditions, but anything that gets dark is almost impossible to see.
As easy as it is to get a great image with the JM1, it's much more difficult to get a good image. Settings are everywhere. To get a usable picture, we need to change the brightness to "High Bright" in the projection settings, then go to the video settings and set the picture mode to "Vivid Color", and from there disabling HDR gives a brighter picture. but it sucks at all color life, whereas HDR provides more convincing images but costs a bit of brightness and plunges shadows into murky depths, it's hard to get anything done.
It's easy to accidentally end up with a horrible image. A few bad changes and it's a soft image that leaves half of everything washed out and the rest too dark, not to mention the motion smoothing is awful if left in place. So at worst it's bad and at best it's fine. Mind you, it costs €1599 for a 1080p/60 image.
To really enjoy the picture, you'll need fine control of the settings, ideally a room that can be completely blacked out. That's a lot to ask for a projector designed around simplicity. Meanwhile, half a dozen other projectors that cost less get brighter, just as big, and double the image quality with upgrades like 4K resolution or a higher refresh rate. Very few will be ultra short range, but they are probably worth it on their own for those who can work at longer range.
Should you buy the JMGO O1 Pro?
Buy it if...
You want the smallest UST projector
UST projectors are a pretty compact home theater setup, but the JM1 is downright small compared to its competitors. This will take up a little more space than the box a pair of boots would fit in.
You want a big picture in a small room
All you need is a few inches of space between your wall and the JM1 to get a huge image. It's easy to get a big, square picture for a cozy little home theater.
You forget to turn off your electronic devices
The JM1's LED light source is energy efficient and durable, with a lifespan of 45 hours. So if you accidentally leave it on from time to time, it won't drastically shorten the life of your projector.
Don't buy if...
You want the best picture for your money
At €1,599, the JM1 is not a budget home theater device. It's unique, but its 1080p picture isn't bright or colorful enough to compete with some of the other options below its price point.
You don't need a UST projector
UST projectors are convenient because it's easy to get a big picture, but if you have the space to set up a long-throw projector from a distance, you can get a sharper, brighter, more colorful image and many other benefits without having to. Pay more.
You don't have a room that can get very dark on demand
The JM1 is decent in a dark room but barely passable with the ambient light on. Unless you have significant control over the ambient light in the room, you'll often find situations where the projector is just plain hard to see.