Test: BlitzWolf BW-VP9
For a long time, well-known manufacturers had the home cinema segment fully under control. Strictly speaking, this is still the case, but in recent years many small manufacturers, especially from the Far East, have tried to prove themselves in this market.
Cheap projectors literally flood the market and promise a lot, but real home cinema has very little to do with it. You want to address mainly price-conscious buyers who want to conjure up a good quality picture on the wall in just a few steps.
Note: The following test of the BlitzWolf BW-VP9 has a different structure than the previously published projector test reports. The test is adapted to the target group, which is why measured values for brightness and color accuracy play less of a role.
Design, workmanship and delivery
With housing dimensions of 300 x 225 x 130 mm, the BlitzWolf BW-VP9 is not a mini-projector, but it is still one of the more compact models that can be used very well on the go.
The design is largely unspectacular. The front of the rectangular plastic housing is adorned with the lens with manual focus wheel, the BlitzWolf logo and a color-contrasting design element that hides a front-facing IR receiver. BlitzWolf placed the two 5 watt speakers on the sides of the projector.
All connection options are on the back. There we would have two HDMI sockets with an unspecified HDMI standard, two USB sockets that are used to supply power to peripherals or for data transfer, an AV socket, a 3.5 mm jack socket and an RJ45 socket. Power is supplied via a conventional IEC cable with a C13 plug. Next to it is a power button with another IR receiver and a power LED.
There is an easily accessible control panel on the top in the rear part of the housing. To compensate for unevenness, the underside is provided with four height-adjustable feet. If you unscrew the feet, an adapter plate can optionally be fitted over the thread. In the front part there is a quick-release adjustment foot in the middle, which can be used to change the projection angle or the image height.
As far as ventilation is concerned, air is drawn in through the rear of the case. A filter prevents dirt and dust from getting into the projector. The air outlet is on the side next to one of the speakers.
The processing quality is nothing to complain about. The focus wheel rotates reliably and without play, the quick-release adjustment foot can be locked precisely and the rest of the price of 200 € is fair.
In addition to the projector, the scope of delivery also includes a remote control (IR and Bluetooth), a protective lens cap, an AV cable, an HDMI cable and an IEC cable. A quick start guide and a multilingual operating manual are also included.
Technical data for projection
The BlitzWolf BW-VP9 is an LCD projector with an LED light source. The native resolution of the projector reaches a high resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The aspect ratio can be changed between 16: 9 and 4: 3.
BlitzWolf specifies the luminous flux as 6500 lumens. This value alone does not say how much light the projector actually throws onto the projection surface or how bright the projected image will be. It only indicates the luminous flux that the light source emits.
The specification in ANSI lumens, which follows a measurement procedure and specifies what is important on the projection surface, is somewhat more specific. However, this value should also be used with caution, as it is usually determined under ideal conditions that are hardly achievable. BlitzWolf does not give a value in ANSI lumens in the case of the BW-VP9. The service life of the LED is approx. 40.000 hours.
The projection ratio of the BlitzWolf BW-VP9 is 1.53: 1. Which distance to the projection surface is required for which image width results from "image width * projection ratio". In order to generate an approx. 2 m wide (90 inch) image, the projector would have to be set up at a distance of 3 m.
The focus is set manually using the focus wheel. An autofocus is also not to be expected in this price range. The same applies to the keystone correction and the zoom, both of which are purely digital.
Features and user interface
As soon as we turn on the BlitzWolf BW-VP9, we are greeted by an Android 9 user interface that is very similar to Android TV. Nevertheless, it is not a full-fledged Android TV. Features like Google Cast (Chromecast) or the Google Assistant voice assistant do not work.
The hardware on which the Android OS runs is comparable to that of a TV box / streaming stick. The system is an Amlogic S905X2 SoC with a quad-core Cortex-A55 CPU and a Mali G31 GPU. This is supported by 2GB DDR3 RAM and 16GB eMMC data storage. Wireless data transmission is made possible by WiFi (2.4 / 5 GHz) and Bluetooth 4.0.
The user interface is pleasantly fluid to use. Additional apps and games can be downloaded from the Google Play Store that is already installed. The free and cross-platform media player software "Kodi" is also pre-installed on the device and benefits from the performance of the S905X2. The BlitzWolf BW-VP9 can handle different video formats and media containers. Even high-resolution 4K titles run smoothly on it.
When it comes to streaming, there are a few things to consider. The BlitzWolf BW-VP9 is not a certified Android TV device and only supports Widevine L3. To be able to stream Netflix, Prime Video or Disney + in high resolution, however, Widevine L1 is required. As a result, playback is limited to SD quality (480p) by many streaming providers or does not work at all.
Of course, this only applies to the integrated Android. If you connect a certified playback device (e.g. Chomecast, NVIDIA Shield TV or Fire TV Stick) via HDMI, there are no restrictions.
Data transfers via WLAN are fast, provided the projector is not too far away from the transmitter. However, if things get stuck, the LAN connection is a good alternative. It is also possible to play content from a hard drive or a USB stick.
On the other hand, it looks a bit poor in the image settings. The OSD is integrated directly into the Android user interface. Settings for zoom, keystone correction and projection mode are available. Settings for picture and sound quality are only available in HDMI mode. The following image quality settings are possible.
- Picture mode: Standard, Vivid, Soft, Sport, Movie, Monitor, Game and User
- Color temperature: standard, warm and cold
- Advanced settings: brightness, contrast, saturation and sharpness
- DNR: Off, Low, Medium, High and Auto
- Aspect ratio: auto, 4: 3, panorama and fullscreen
- HDMI Color Range: Auto, Full and Limit
Also with regard to the audio output via the two 5 watt speakers, there are more setting options in HDMI mode. The following can be set:
- Sound mode: Standard, Music, News, Movie, Game and User
- Treblebass: Treble and bass
- AGC: Max Level (dB), Attrack Time (ms), Release Time (ms)
- Virtual Sound: On / Off
- Sound output device: Speaker
Unfortunately, there is no RGB controller or advanced color settings. Likewise, playback of 3D and HDR content is not supported.
picture quality
To test the image quality, we projected a 75-inch image onto the smooth wall. The picture can still be recognized to some extent in bright ambient light. But there is no joy in doing so, which is why the BlitzWolf BW-VP9 is not recommended for daylight projections.
In contrast, the display is acceptable in a slightly darkened room and even quite good in a dark room. Measured against the price of the projector, the light source actually achieves a decent brightness, which is suitable for 100 - 120 inch projections. In a completely darkened room, of course!
The BW-VP9 displays colors particularly vividly with a hint of oversaturation. In HDMI mode, however, the color profiles and the advanced settings allow a certain amount of leeway for adjustment. The projector copes well with high-contrast scenes.
The pixel grid is pleasantly small due to the native 1080p resolution. The image sharpness is crisp and doesn't seem to drop off too much towards the edges. Small text up to 16 pt. Is projected legibly. The brightness is evenly distributed over the image surface.
sound Quality
A clear advantage of the BlitzWolf BW-VP9 even compared to much more expensive projectors is the built-in speaker system. Full bass and delicate highs are not to be expected, but the sound and volume are comparable to a good Bluetooth speaker.
The high volume is also required because the projector's fans turn disproportionately loud at approx. 48 dB, which extremely disturbs the enjoyment of the film. BlitzWolf should have installed quieter fans here. It is possible to replace the fans at a later date. Conventional PC fans are installed.
Gaming suitability
Let us briefly come to the gaming suitability of the BlitzWolf BW-VP6. The projector is quite suitable for gaming on the big screen with the Playstation, Xbox or Nintendo console.
The maximum refresh rate is 60 Hz. There is a slight input lag (input delay), but it does not spoil the fun of the game.
