Introduction
The RCA RPJ136 Home Theater is an affordable projector meant for use at home for entertainment. It has 2000 Lumens brightness, 1080P resolution, and built-in speakers. This review analyzes the RCA RPJ136 from the standpoint of user experience, performance, functionalities, and design and aesthetics.
User Experience
Setting up and using the projector is easy with the RCA RPJ136. The remote control is fairly intuitive and easy to navigate. It also includes a built-in speaker, which offers just about average audio quality. Nonetheless, I recommend having a fine set of external speakers just to be safe.
An issue I had with the RCA RPJ136 is its lack of keystone correction: it must be set up well in front of the projection screen, otherwise, the image comes out distorted and non-rectangular. This inconvenience may bother some of the users who want to be able to quickly set up the projector without worrying about its position.
Performance and Functionality
Going on the actual performance and functionality in general, we can say the RCA RPJ136 performs adequately at its price. A brightness rating of 2000 Lumens makes it useful in dark rooms, but in a well-lit room, the image tends to look washed out. Full HD 1080P resolution gives crisp and clear images, but the pixelation might be visible on larger screens.
The limited connectivity options render another weakness of the RCA RPJ136. Having a single HDMI port forces users to switch cables should they want to hook up more than one device. It also misses out on features found in projectors costing more, such as lens shift and 3-D support.
Still, compared to similar machines in the same price bracket, the RCA Team RPJ136 provides fairly good performance and features. However, any customer requiring quality images and advanced features may have issues with it.
Shape and Beauty
The RCA RPJ136 embraces simplicity in design and is by no means a vision of beauty. It is so bulky that portability becomes an issue. Someone hoping to move the projector from one venue to another all day would have some serious issues with it. The branding is nothing special either; the RCA logo is boldly splashed all over the body of the projector and packaging as well.
Conclusion
In sum, the RCA RPJ136 is a budgeted projector fine for all basic home entertainment use. The user-friendly design and features make the unit fairly easy to set up and very easy to use, but some users may look down upon the limited connectivity options and the absence of keystone correction.
Adequate performance and features are offered by the RCA RPJ136 when compared to competing devices in this price range; however, it is not for the buyer who may demand high-quality projection or advanced features. I will definitely recommend this product to those looking for a cheap projector for all basic home entertainment purposes.
RCA RPJ136 Home Theater Projector – 1080p Compatible, High Res, Bright, White: Buy it now