KODAK Luma 350 Ultra HD Smart Projector

GENERAL REVIEW STUFF:
I have been using this now for a few weeks as a student teacher and at my apartment for entertainment. It works well in the classroom and at home. It is portable which I needed. I love that it mounts to my tripod so I can place it anywhere in the room with ease. The screen clarity is amazing and the size it projects is impressive. The sound is surprisingly great for the compact size, however, I was not successful in pairing it with my JBL Charge 4 speaker. It populated in the Bluetooth devices but said it was unable to pair. I might try some other Bluetooth speakers but I will likely buy an aux cord to hardwire my JBL Charge for better sound. The fully charged battery will play about 2 hours of screen time for me, and plugged in I have used it for hours on end with no problems.

CLASSROOM USE:
The battery is a lifesaver because the power went out at school and I was the only teacher with a laptop and portable projector still carrying on with lessons. I like to project slides with my practice sets on the whiteboard to use dry erase pens for the lessons. I bought an INSWAN INS-3 Detachable 3-in-1 5MP USB Document Camera/Webcam (here on Amazon) and with the portability of the projector and my laptop, I can use my document camera to show the students anything in the room by projecting onto a nearby wall or easel. I’ve had other teachers say “THAT is a projector?!?” and then ask me all about it.

PERSONAL USE:
I had the hardest time figuring out how to use a bunch of the apps. The remote it comes with is minimully useful- even in mouse mode. Download the iOS (iPad or iPhone) for the digital remote that you can use TWO fingers to scroll in the apps (I repeat TWO FINGERS to scroll!) I was using the app remote for a long time before i figured this out… I thought my projector must not work or the reviews complaining about the apps must be like me and we got broken machines. The copyright agreements for screen mirroring still do not allow casting content that is copyrighted, however, the Luma 350 does come with pre-loaded apps (Netflix, hulu, Amazon Prime, etc,) that you can log into- so no need to cast through mirror. And the format is Portrait in mirror cast anyhow so it is not a desireable viewing experience like a wideframe screen- the app is much better to use. Another thing I have noticed. If you want to go off grid and use your phone as you hotspot wifi access point, you can, and because the apps are pre-loaded on the Kodak Luma 350, you can use your phone as a wifi hotspot and watch streaming apps through the projector apps.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:
I am in love. This is my new favorite toy! I can project downward to trace artwork (like the cookie decoration people use it,) I can project on walls to write on posters or white boards, use for classroom slides, accedd the webbrowser for internet based videos like GoNoodle (teachers out there know that GoNoodle saves the day for indoor-recess!) it is so portable I can teach anywhere (as a substitute and student teacher we are using other teacher’s environments and cannot alway depend on their equipment) or watch movies anywhere, and I love the apps come downloaded.

CONS or DISLIKES:
NOWHERE does Kodak disseminate the information (that I could find!) that you NEED the iOS app remote to use the TWO FINGER function to scroll, and that this makes the entertainment apps (like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc.) able to function!

That’s my third purchase to the same product . I have tested and tried it in many situations and I donate it to house group churches to use it . Wonderful one.

Works pretty well for outdoor projection on a 23′ diagonal screen when dark enough. Not exactly the same brightness as a laser projector, but it’s certainly cheaper than an Epson LS12000, and more versatile, too. The battery lasts a lot longer than I thought it would. With a full charge, you could probably watch at least a feature-length film. The contrast isn’t exactly impressive, but it does the trick in most cases.