3M Mobile Projector – bring the drive-in theater home!

I never would have imagined that something so small could be so grand. Sometimes watching a movie on a television set (even a huge flat screen tv) just isn’t the same as being in a theater. I am truly amazed with a product that I have been enjoying for several days now. The 3M Mobile Projector is a tiny device (2.6″ x 5.9″) that allows you to watch movies and other media right from your Apple device – on your own walls (or ceilings, or wherever!).

We are an Apple family – we have iPads, iPhones and iPods. I was excited to try the 3M Mobile Projector, to see if it really would allow us to play movies “bigger” than we can on our television. Isn’t this a fantastic idea?

When I pulled the mobile projector out of the box, I was delighted to see that it looked really simple to use. There weren’t a bunch of parts, pieces and connections to confuse me.

Along with the projector, there were simple instructions and a cord for charging, and a cord to plug into an Apple device from one end, and the projector on the other end. As recommended, I charged the projector for 3 hours before starting our movie. It would be bad to have the batteries run out halfway through an edge-of-your-seat thriller 🙂 The 3M Mobile Projector carries up to 2 hours of battery life from a full charge, but can also be run continuously on AC power.

The 3M Mobile Projector has built-in speakers/audio output so that it can be added to external speakers or headphones. There are no lamps to replace! It uses long-lasting LED technology, which will provide up to 20,000 hours. Sweet!

My husband and I had a blast playing with this, and we watched Strictly Ballroom from my iPad. I first tried to connect the 3M Mobile Projector to my iPhone, but unfortunately I couldn’t get it to show anything past the 3M logo. In the troubleshooting section of the instructions, they suggest that if this happens, to check the settings on your phone. I did, but unfortunately had no luck (most likely it was me, not the projector). It worked flawlessly from my iPad, however.

We first watched the movie on the wall above our 50″ big screen tv – but we watched it even bigger than our tv! About half way through the movie, we started watching it on our ceiling, with our chairs reclined all the way back. Now THAT was fun! When we wanted to watch the movie even bigger, we simply pulled the mobile projector back a bit. We then adjusted the focus with the handy little focus wheel.

The 3M Mobile Projector could not have been any easier to use! It cuts straight to the chase, just the way I like things. If it were complicated and had too many settings, I honestly probably wouldn’t use it much. I could see using this all the time, and in so many different ways. The projector is as simple as pulling it out of the box and plugging in your device. That’s it! Below is a video I made to show you how it looks.  It is really hard to capture exactly how it looks on the wall, but this should give you an idea:

My husband, daughter and I were discussing the ways we could use the 3M Mobile Projector, and we came up with a few really fun ideas. One idea was to play it on the wall above our pool table in our vacation home. You see, we have a small indoor pool/hot tub, and while sitting in there, we would be able to see the movie perfectly while relaxing in the pool! My daughter also mentioned how fun it would be to have a group of friends over in the evening and watch a movie outdoors – with the movie playing on the back of our house (we have a huge blank area that would be perfect!). She also said that she would like to have a sleepover sometime, and she and her friends could watch a movie on the ceiling, while in their sleeping bags.

Guess what?!?  You can also play your video games with the 3M Mobile Projector! Imagine how the family can get involved in online games (and point out what you’re doing wrong)!  Can you just imagine playing Angry Birds this way?  I want to try that next!

The possibilities really are endless – all you need is a wall or large flat surface and you can watch movies anywhere!

The 3M Mobile Projector is available for $229 at retailers such as Target, and other retailers online and off.

Make sure you connect with @3MMobilProjectr on Twitter, and also like them on Facebook!

*I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of 3M and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.