Dangbei has been on a roll for the past few years, offering some of the best projectors in the business at prices that make most of the competing industry heavyweights look outdated and pricey at the same time. Its DBOX02, which until recently was known as the Mars Pro 2, is a testament to how far it has gotten, delivering a capable and refined laser projector that continues to push boundaries in terms of value and performance simultaneously.

The Dangbei DBOX02 offers a 4K resolution and screen sizes of up to 200 inches, dwarfing most modern TVs. Its impressive 2450 Lumen brightness makes it an excellent contender for daytime viewing, normally a sore point for most of its competition. Dangbei recently provided the Game ZXC team with a review unit of the DBOX02 along with an optional stand that is expected to go on sale soon.

The Almost-Perfect Laser Projector

Dangbei DBOX02 (Mars Pro 2) Laser Projector

A Well-Designed Value-Centric Player

$1500 $2000 Save $500

The Dangbei DBOX02, also known as the Mars 2 Pro Projector offers multiple upgrades under the hood as it replaces Dangbei's previous flagship projector offering, the Mars Pro.

The DBOX02 offers a bright, sharp image that can offer up to 200 inches of screen real estate, upgraded speakers, and built-in Google TV support.

An energy-efficient lamp backs all of this with a 30,000-hour lifespan that offers 2450 ISO Lumens for easy daytime viewing, making for an excellent all-purpose projector focused on performance.

Pros

• Very easy to set up and install
• Bright and color-accurate image, even in well-lit backgrounds
• Plenty of connectivity and I/O
• Much better audio than most of its competition
• Excellent 'correction' features to allow for seamless adjustments to go with different screen sizes
• Supports 3D content including Blu-Rays (with an OTA update)

Cons

• Can get loud and run hot when in its high-performance mode
• Dust and fingerprint-prone design

$1500 at Amazon$1500 at Dangbei

Packaging

The Dangbei DBOX02 comes in a sleek package that includes the projector, the optional (but excellent) stand, a power cable, a 180W adapter, and a Bluetooth remote. Dangbei also includes a wiping cloth that's quite handy, given the projector's penchant for being a very indiscriminate fingerprint magnet during testing.

A complete list of the items one should expect inside the box are:

• 1 x Dangbei DBOX02 Laser Projector
• 1 x Bluetooth Remote Control (AAA batteries)
• 1 x Wiping/Cleaning Cloth
• 1 x User manual/guide
• 1 x AC cord
• 1 x AC Power Adapter (180W)
• 1 x Gimbal Stand (Optional, additional purchase required)

Installation and First Impressions

The first thing that one notices when it comes to setting up the Dangbei DBOX02 is that it has a simple, no-nonsense design philosophy. This makes it feel considerably more premium in an increasingly competitive market with a less-is-more approach to its design. It works particularly well for the company here thanks to lessons learned in earlier iterations of its projectors.

The included Google TV OS integration makes for a breezy setup that doesn't get too complicated for entry-level users, choosing not to overwhelm them with too many options. The first thing one notices when you set up the projector is how bright it is compared to other daily drivers one sees in the office and in other home theaters, which makes it an easy recommendation for users in well-lit surroundings where one would earlier be loath to make a projector recommendation.

The Dangbei DBOX02's Gimbal Stand, although optional, is an excellent, well-built add-on that should be considered by all prospective buyers because of the ease of use and functionality it offers for its asking price.

While most users leveraging the Dangbei's DBOX02 in a home theater setup will probably end up using dedicated audio, its dual 12W speaker configuration is no slouch either, offering a decent experience and one that is considerably better than the competition. Users wanting to use a dedicated soundbar or speakers can connect them via a dedicated HDMI eARC port, a headphone jack, or Bluetooth.

Performance Highlights: Gaming And Movies

The Dangbei DBOX02 is a considerably bright projector compared to other options in the same price range. Dangbei states that it offers 2450 ISO Lumens, which translates to approximately just under 2000 ANSI Lumens. This is a high number for a projector that justifiably states that it handles brighter rooms and surroundings well.

The projector offers an HDMI 2.1 port but is capped at 60 FPS at 4K even as it can handle up to 240Hz at a lower FHD resolution. It also offers a dedicated eARC port in addition to dual USB ports, an ethernet jack, and an optical connection. This means that most, if not all, users will be more than happy with its extensive support for a variety of audio solutions and media.

Thanks to its built-in Google TV OS, the Dangbei DBOX02 can also act as a full-fledged Chromecast with support for multiple third-party applications. Users can seamlessly project an image from one's cellphone or PC.

Dangbei DBOX02 Laser Projector

$1500 $2000 Save $500

Brand

Dangbei

ANSI Lumens

1960

Projection Technology

ALPD Laser

Connectivity

Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6, BT 5.2, Ethernet

Throw Ratio

1.27:1

HDR

Yes, HDR10+, HDR 10, HLG Supported

Audio

2 x 12W Speakers, DTS:X, Dolby Digital Plus Supported

OS

Google TV

Lamp Life

30,000 Hours

Wattage

~150W Power Consumption

Image Size

60"~200" (Recommended 80”~120”)

Display Chip

0.47" UHD DMD

Maximum Supported Resolution

4K UHD (3840×2160)

Ports

USB2.0 x 2 HDMI 2.1 x 1, HDMI eARC x 1 DC-IN x 1 LAN x 1

Size

9.29 × 7.93 × 6.43 inches

Weight

8.8 lbs

RAM

2GB DDR3

Storage

32GB eMMC5.1

Color Depth

10-bit color depth

Power source

AC Adapter (180W)

Projection Method

Front, Rear, Front Ceiling, Rear Ceiling

Battery life

N/A

Expand

$1500 at Amazon$1500 at Dangbei

A more in-depth look at the Dangbei DBOX02's underlying tech showcases impressive specs under the hood. It excels as a primary display for gaming due to a low-latency game mode, even as it dominates the competition within its price range when it comes to its positioning as a centerpiece of a home theater.

It offers better power efficiency than LED projectors, a durable lamp with a 30,000-hour lifespan, and support for HDR 10 content. It also features support for 10-bit color depth out of the box, allowing it to display over a billion different colors effectively.

One possibly understated feature of the Dangbei DBOX02 is the fact that it works well with a variety of surfaces. Its obstacle detection, in particular, works considerably better than what I originally anticipated, making for a relatively more seamless setup than expected.

The Dangbei DBOX02 offers plenty of I/O options for both casual and power users to take advantage of an already capable 4K resolution projector.

One of the best parts of the Dangbei DBOX02 is the fact that it caters to a variety of use cases and input methods. Not only does it have a dedicated eARC port in addition to an HDMI 2.1 offering, but it also offers dual USB ports to plug in external storage for playback. In addition to this, for audio, not only does it offer a headphone jack but also an optical SPDIF port along with support for Bluetooth-based audio, making it a truly versatile option when being used as part of a home theater.

The DBOX02's speakers can also be used via Bluetooth with a small caveat: the projector must have its lamp turned on while it is in use, making for a quirk that a future software update might fix down the line. The DBOX02 offers plenty of I/O options and wide compatibility that make it an easy-to-use and configure option backed by Google TV, even as it functions as a supercharged Chromecast in its own right, making for an interesting but powerful display option in a variety of settings.

Conclusion: A Premium Laser Projector For Less

The Dangbei DBOX02 is a fully-fledged laser projector that offers plenty of things to like. It is easy to set up for starters, with users able to complete the setup within a few taps on their phone. While it isn't the brightest option in its price range, it is adequately so for most well-lit situations, offering plenty of flexibility for the occasional gamer or regular home entertainment consumer.

The Dangbei DBOX02 can work well as a standalone media device thanks to its excellent Google TV integration.

It offers an interesting tradeoff that gamers will find intriguing but useful in certain situations. The DBOX02 can do a blistering 240Hz refresh rate at an FHD resolution even as it is limited to 60Hz on 4K. This is not a port-specific limitation for the latter resolution, as the projector comes with an HDMI 2.1 port that offers the bandwidth available to do 120Hz or even 144Hz with relative ease.

For sports fans and competitive gamers, the 240Hz refresh rate seems to be a godsend, allowing for a more fluid stream even as the projector incorporates support for MEMC for the former and a game mode for the latter. The gimbal stand charts well into must-have territory simply due to it being a well-made product that complements the DBOX02, particularly while making for a much easier setup.

The DBOX02 comes with a Bluetooth remote that has dedicated buttons for YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video.

For users intending to watch movies, Netflix shows or VOD in general, the DBOX02 hits the ground running. It offers excellent adjustment options, including keystone correction, making for a smooth operation from the get-go. The DBOX02 supports all of the usual HDR suspects including HDR10+ HDR10 and HLG but skimps on offering Dolby Vision, which supports up to 12-bit color.

The Dangbei DBOX02 can currently be had for as little as $1500 on Amazon with a complimentary floor stand at the time of writing. This makes it a relatively better bargain than most of its peers that easily push past $2000. Dangbei calls the DBOX02 the "World’s First Google TV 4K Laser Projector with Licensed Netflix."

It is a lot more than that, however. It is one of the few products that heralds a change in an industry that has long needed a shakeup to match ongoing innovations in the TV industry by offering a powerful and capable option that is refined enough to challenge most of its considerably more entrenched competitors.

Related Products

The Dangbei DBOX02 arrives at a time when there is an increasing amount of competition in the display space, ranging from QLED and OLED TVs as well as other projectors, making for a plethora of choices that often confuse consumers. The DBOX02 doesn't claim to be the best laser projector, but it does easily offer some of the best value when considering a 4K laser projector. Some other options worth checking out for users looking at the DBOX02 as a primary display are listed below:

FAQ

Q: Are laser projectors durable?

Laser projectors tend to outlast their lamp-based competition considerably, offering anywhere between 20,000 to 50,000 hours of use on average before requiring replacement.