What is a $110 Mini Projector Good For?

The TX-127 in a nutshell

With the TX-127, German manufacturer Technaxx places a strong emphasis on saving money. As a result, the picture quality lags behind most mini projectors in the market. However, with an asking price of approximately $110, you will be able to bring home the TX-127.

The picture quality is fine, but the sound quality of the integrated 3W speaker is unacceptable even at this price point. Anyone looking for an occasional projector or a projector for the children’s room should take a look at this mini projector.

Design & build quality

With its compact housing measuring (L) 21 x (W) 14.5 x (H) 7.5 cm, the Technaxx TX-127 falls into the mini projector category. In other words, it fits comfortably in backpacks or even in a drawer when not in use. However, the light weight of 1.25 kg already indicates this: The projector is largely made from plastic. In everyday use, however, another disadvantage is far more noticeable.

Pros:

• Simple design.
• Lightweight form factor.
• Two infrared sensors for the remote control.

Cons:

• The chassis is far too malleable when pressure is applied.
• Design of its predecessor is a little more modern.

While other mini projectors resemble a Coke can or a handcart wheel, the Technaxx TX-127 comes in a familiar design where projectors are concerned. It stands securely on surfaces and is not in danger of tipping over, despite it being a little larger than other models. However, with dimensions measuring (L) 21 x (W) 14.5 x (H) 7.5 cm while tipping the scales at 1.25 kg, it is very portable and hardly noticeable when carried in a backpack.

The chassis of the TX-127 is made of plastic, which appears to be rather hollow when pressure is applied from any direction. In fact, the chassis does seem to give way quite noticeably. The use of rather soft plastic makes the TX-127 look (and feel) a little cheap. Considering the relatively low cost, however, this is not a negative factor. There is also a lens cap for transportation purposes, which can be attached over the focus wheel after the lens has been retracted.

The first negative thing I noticed was that unlike the previous TX-113 model, there is no height-adjustable front foot on the underside of the TX-127. However, when I fully unpacked the projector, one fell out of the box. This can be screwed into the tripod thread on the underside. While it is a suitable solution, you should just be careful not to lose the tripod screw!

The TX-127 is operated using the included remote control or directly on the projector itself. While the buttons on the projector have fairly firm pressure points, the infrared remote control is much more convenient. It also works when you are behind the projector, which is really practical when using it on a table.

Each purchase also includes a power cable and an HDMI cable. One negative thing that we also noticed about the TX-127 and its box: after opening it, a really pungent plastic smell wafts around the room. If you want to use the projector in the bedroom, you may want to let air it for a day (or more!).

Picture quality and locking

The Technaxx TX-127 projector features HD resolution and, according to the manufacturer’s specifications, achieves 2,000 lumens brightness with a contrast ratio of 1,000:1. Thanks to a focus distance of 0.8 – 3.8 m, you can set up the projector flexibly and project an image of up to 150 inches onto screens or walls. Optical correction of the beamed image is only possible in the vertical plane and ranges from an angle of -15° to +15°.

Pros:

• Beautifully bright and high-contrast projector image.
• Wide range of connectivity options.
• Long service life of up to 40,000 hours thanks to LED technology.

Cons:

• Very strong edge blurring.
• No horizontal keystone correction.

The projector in the TX-127 can display content in a maximum of 720p resolution, i.e., at 1,280 × 720 px. However, the projector also accepts content in Full HD via HDMI, which is then downscale.

However, using an LCD TFT projection system with a higher resolution would probably not even be noticeable in the TX-127, as the lens used cannot reproduce content very sharply. As you can see from the sample images in the review, there is a sharp drop in sharpness from the center of the image.

This decreases slightly if you position the projector in an optimal position. In other words, you don’t have to use the correction via the second wheel on the projector. If you adjust the picture angle when the projector is too high or too low, the sharpness will decrease a little more. In addition to the blurred image, there are slight color changes in the blurred areas. Overall, the quality of the lens used is less impressive than expected.

This is a shame, as the TX-127 with an output power of 2,000 lumens and a contrast ratio of 1,000:1 actually produces a very nice picture. Content appears vivid, it displays natural colors, and can even be adjusted if necessary. The brightness level is also sufficient to show presentations or films in daylight in slightly darker rooms.

Compared to its predecessor, the TX-113, the TX-127 has also become a good deal quieter. The manufacturer specified a volume of 51 dB, which is roughly equivalent to the sound of twittering birds. This means that the TX-127 is not a quiet projector, but you will get used to the noise level over time — especially if you connect external speakers.

When we evaluate the picture quality of the Technaxx TX-127, we should take another look at the price of the mini projector. You currently pay around $130 for the projector on Amazon. The Xgimi Halo+, which recently impressed us in terms of picture quality, costs eight times as much. In my opinion, the two projectors therefore serve different target groups.

While home theater fans will be bothered by limitations such as the 720p resolution, the lack of autofocus and the limitations of the locking mechanism, beginners to the scene or children will hardly notice this. The Technaxx TX-127 is a bit like the iPhone SE (review) — an affordable alternative for all those who are not familiar with technology and who are more pleased that films are large and bright on the wall than that they are bothered by blurred edges.

Smart functions & performance

The TX-127 from Technaxx is not equipped with a smart operating system. However, you can connect external storage media such as micro SD cards and solid state drives to the projector. This allows you to play video content, music, and documents.

Pros:

• Content can be played from external storage media.
• USB-A port allows the operation of streaming sticks.

Cons:

• Supported file types are quite limited.
• External hard disks are limited to a maximum size of 500 GB.

The TX-127 also differs from other mini projectors when it comes to the operating system. In fact, there is no smart operating system that powers the projector. As a result, media does not find its way to the projector via Wi-Fi, although you can easily retrofit a streaming stick thanks to the USB-A port. For a Google TV or an Amazon Fire TV stick, you will need to budget an additional $30 or so.

Alternatively, Technaxx offers the option of connecting external storage media to the projector. The mini projector supports microSD cards and USB sticks with up to 128 GB of storage space. Alternatively, you can connect external hard drives with up to 500 GB of storage space. However, if you want to use this function, you must note the following limitations for the supported file types:

• Video: MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, RM, AVI, RMVB, MOV, MKV, DIVX, VOB, M-JPEG
• Music: WMA, MP3, M4A(AAC)
• Photo: JPEG, BMP, PNG

If content is not available in these formats, you must convert it beforehand or connect external playback devices via HDMI.

Loudspeaker

The Technaxx TX-127 has a single 3 W speaker. It makes perfect sense to output sound via an external device thanks to the included audio jack.

Pros:

Cons:

• Internal speakers are hardly usable.

In my opinion, the speakers in the Technaxx TX-127 can only be used as a makeshift solution at best. They are rather quiet and sounded extremely hollow in the review. Bass or even lower mids are simply imperceptible. This doesn’t change even when I adjust the integrated equalizer.

For this reason alone, it is very welcome that the Technaxx TX-127 offers a 3.5 mm audio jack. This can be used to connect Bluetooth speakers (check our buying guide) or your home theater system. There is also an audio input to play content via the internal speaker. However, I would advise against this.

Overall, the TX-127 is extremely unimpressive in the “speakers” category. Other mini projectors offer more here, even with significantly smaller chassis. Even many notebooks or even smartphones offer better sound quality. This must be one of the areas where Technaxx decided to cut costs for a more affordable price tag.

Power supply

The mini projector from Technaxx does not have an integrated rechargeable battery. Instead, there is an internal power supply unit, so you only need to connect it via a plug. Power consumption remains moderate at under 50 W during operation and is significantly lower than many televisions and more powerful models.

Pros:

• Low-power consumption of less than 50 W.
• Integrated power supply unit which therefore uses a universal plug.

Cons:

• Comes without an integrated battery without any optional battery pack.
• Runs on 240 V, so not it is not compatible with power banks.

The TX-127 is connected to a regular power socket for operation, making it very conventional. As mentioned, the fact that Technaxx does not use a DC plug on a proprietary power supply unit is a positive thing. If the supplied cable is too short or you lose it, you can easily buy a new one.

When in use, the power consumption of the TX-127 is less than 50 W. If we assume that a TV consumes 100 W of juice, you save about half the electricity costs per year. That’s fine, but you’ll have to do without an integrated battery or power bank operation. If you want to use the Technaxx TX-127 on the go, you will need to take a power station with you (read nextpit’s buying guide).

Final verdict

With the TX-127, the manufacturer Technaxx offers a usable LED projector with a long service life for approximately $110 on Amazon. That’s enough to make it a unique selling point if you’re looking for an occasional projector or a flexible display for the office. The mini projector is easy to store and convenient to take with you as it weighs just 1.27 kg.

However, the low price tag comes with some major downsides. The projector image is either sharp at the edges or in the center, so there is a lot of blurring at the edges. When setting it up, you can only use vertical keystone correction to straighten the image on the wall. It is in this department where other models such as the Samsung Freestyle (for review) offer significantly more flexibility and auto-locking functions.

Modern mini projectors can also display content without any external devices thanks to smart operating systems and Wi-Fi connectivity. Models such as the Xgimi Halo+ also have an internal battery, which makes movie watching an even more flexible affair. If you are looking for more powerful mini projectors, you will find an editorial selection in our “Best Of” list.

If you are looking for a compact projector for the children’s room or to watch the occasional movie, we can recommend the TX-127 despite some of its drawbacks. If you are not afraid to take a little risk, you can find used projectors with better picture quality at similar prices.