Anker Nebula Mars II Pro Review: Smart Projection That Goes Anywhere

Anker’s unit hits a sweet spot between bright, 720p HD image quality and portability — and it's on sale for only $400 during Amazon Prime Day.

By Paul Schrodt

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July 13, 2022 1:58pm

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Anker Nebula Mars II Pro Projector

Courtesy of Anker

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When you buy a projector to supplement or even totally replace your home TV setup — which we recommend given the current improved projection options, which are slimmer in both size and price — you face a crucial choice: Are you seeking a solitary home theater projector or a portable unit?

The decision between a home-only or moveable projector isn’t as simple as it sounds. This is about lifestyle: Do you want to maximize the sharpness and brightness of your viewing experience in your living room or separate screening room? Or would you rather at least occasionally provide entertainment and play somewhere else, whether in the backyard, the park or even the rooftop?

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Read More: The Best Portable Projectors for Every Budget and Viewing Experience

One of the reasons people opt for a projector over a television is to save space, yes, but another is to take the image with them. Anker’s Nebula Mars II Pro hits the sweet spot of being a portable projector, with 720p resolution that looks good enough to satisfy in-home viewings along with camping-trip excursions.

We tested Anker’s Nebula Mars II Pro after receiving a complimentary review unit from the brand. Keep reading for an honest review of the Anker’s Nebula Mars II Pro projector.

Anker Nebula Mars Pro II Projector: Overall Opinion

This is a great, easy-to-use portable projector for most consumers who want to at least occasionally take their movie theater out with them. Anker finds the mid-tier sweet spot with its Nebula Mars II Pro that’s suitable for both your home entertainment setup and backyard (or rooftop!) excursions.

Pros:

Cons:

Anker Nebula Mars II Pro Projector

Anker Nebula Mars Pro II Projector (reg. $550) on Amazon.com

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Anker Nebula Mars II Pro Review: Overall Design

My favorite part of this puppy is actually the packaging: Anker has smartly designed the Mars II Pro in a vertically oriented shell you can easily drop into a backpack or tote. And there’s even a firm leather handle to help with carrying. The lens cap is a welcome addition, blocking dirt and other elements when you’re headed outdoors. You could also haul this up to the rooftop of your apartment building and project on the side of a neighboring building — it would make for a fabulous summer movie-and-popcorn get-together. This projector makes the most of its versatility.

Anker Nebula Mars II Pro Review: Setup

The Nebula Mars II Pro is a simple plug-in-and-play unit. Or don’t plug it in: Once charged, the built-in battery will last for up to three hours, enough to finish watching most feature films even in your local park.

This is also a “smart” projector, meaning in this case that it runs on the Android 7.1 OS, so it operates much like a smartphone. The simple, pared-down layout and included apps via Nebula Connect make this more user-friendly than many competitors. You can also install apps via the Nebula Manager store. (Though warning: Even with a software update, the apps can be a bit clunky, so you’ll probably want to keep your Apple TV, Roku or another backup streaming device handy. I found myself quickly switching over to my Apple TV for nimbler movie- and TV-surfing.)

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Paul Schrodt

Anker Nebula Mars II Pro Review: Image

The resolution-obsessed technohiles out there might be unimpressed with the Nebula Mars II Pro’s standard HD (720p) image these days, in which case they may be inclined to go for this model’s cousin, the 1080p Nebula Solar Portable.

But this projector still emanates a fabulous image for the average person’s desires: unlike the Nebula Solar, the Nebula Mars II Pro model doesn’t sacrifice brightness for the extra pixels. The image from this mid-sized portable device is appropriately radiant, with 500 lumens, and will suit most consumers well.

I got lost in the beautiful, Oscar-winning costumes of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread all over again watching it on the Nebula Mars II Pro. The intricate detail of the clothing came through as the image shined across 60 inches of my apartment wall. And while it didn’t live up to my theatrical viewing of the movie, it wasn’t seriously degraded compared to watching on my 43-inch Vizio V-series 4K UHD smart TV. But the experience did feel more cinematic. And the image was just well … bigger. The movie felt alive in a way it hadn’t on my Vizio TV.

Is the Anker Nebula Mars II Pro Projector Worth Buying?

Yes. This will absolutely transform your movie or TV viewing experiences for the better: suddenly blown up to 100 surprisingly bright inches at the maximum end on your wall, or easily carried out the front door.

In the mid-tier zone capturing premium HD quality as well as functional portability, you can’t do better than Anker’s Nebula Mars II Pro for the price (about the same as a mid-tier, nice but not amazing TV). Supplement your smaller-sized TV image with this projector, and carry it along to a backyard s’mores-and-cinema adventure.

Anker Nebula Mars II Pro Projector Specifications:

What’s Included with the Anker Nebula Mars II Pro Projector:

Anker Nebula Mars Pro II Projector on Amazon.com

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