A state-of-the-art video projector, as comfortable in the living room as in a bedroom, which is 4K, with good brightness and powerful sound, which also has Netflix natively? Not possible? Now yes! With its Cosmos 4K SE, Nebula seems to tick all the boxes and offers a more than desirable family project that 20 Minutes a pu tester.
Better than an extra project
Nebula? This name probably means nothing to you. This is a brand from the Anker group (known for its extra batteries and accessories for smartphones) dedicated to video projection. Emerging in France, Nebula is much better established in the United States where the firm is making life difficult for Xgimi, another projector manufacturer which is also on the rise.
With its Cosmos 4K SE, Nebula is aimed at those who, looking for a big image at home, do not or no longer want to be satisfied with a small extra projector. To those who, perhaps after having already been equipped with an inexpensive projector, are now asking for a more efficient device.
A brightness that bursts the screen
The technical sheet for such equipment cannot avoid certain specificities. What Nebula's Cosmos 4K SE understands. As its name suggests, this projector is native 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision compatible. It also displays a remarkable brightness of 1,800 ANSI lumens. On paper, this assumes that it can be used in a daylight room.
Running under Google TV, the device includes all the applications of streaming video, including Netflix. It thus marks its difference with projectors running Android TV which do not have Netflix pre-installed and require some technical acrobatics to equip it. And the Cosmos 4K SE broadcasts powerful sound: 30 watts, ten times more than the first classic video projector!
If all this sounds like a dream on paper, what did we observe during our various tests?
Weighing 4.5 kg, but equipped with a carrying handle, the Cosmos 4K SE is not the most discreet (26.3 x 16.5 x 26.5 cm) on a table or piece of furniture, placed facing a white wall. But not unsightly either. Simple to configure, the device requires installation via the Google Home application before being operational. Just a few minutes of patience…
Supplied with a remote control (with dedicated backlit Netflix, YouTube and prime video keys), the projector can also be controlled using the Nebula Connect application, less practical, but very responsive for navigating the Google TV menus.
Excellent results
First observation: the projo fan is extremely discreet. We measured its sound level at almost 37 dB (A) at a distance of one meter, which is nothing, this level being largely covered by the sound of the first program launched.
Autofocus and keystone correction (in order to obtain an image with perfectly right angles if the projector is not placed perpendicular to its screen) are two specific features here that are immediately appreciated.
What is flattering next is obviously the image quality. We took turns testing the Cosmos 4K SE with the film Kaizen from Inoxtag on YouTube, with episodes from the new season of the detective series The Lincoln Defense on Netflix (in 4K, Dolby Vision) and… with some images of the Star Academy on TF1+. Having taken care, depending on the case, to select the most appropriate mode among those offered (Standard, Bright Colors, Sport, Film, Game, Conference), to refine the black levels, contrast, saturation, hue and sharpness, the results obtained are excellent.
Not quite in full light
When in 4K, the images are perfectly sharp (with very precise contours), the colors are dense and the contrasts are pleasing. Despite its 1,800 lumens, the Cosmos 4K SE, however, gives its best as soon as you draw the curtains or close the shutters. Even if it can be used in a brightly lit room, its images broadcast using a hybrid system of laser and LED lamps only fully delight the retina in these conditions.
Nebula recommends a maximum image diagonal of 120 inches (or 3 meters) in a bright room. And evokes up to 200 inches in a room where darkness has been created. That's up to 5 meters diagonally!
Our tests show that we can be equally comfortable in broad daylight, and even more so in the dark, with an image of approximately 85 inches diagonal (i.e. 2.20 meters), and a projection distance of one little more than two meters. Which can match most living rooms. And the equivalent of a very large television.
A sound that knows how to be heard
And as expected, the two 2 x 15 watt speakers can be more than enough here for most uses. Set at 35%, the volume is already quite sufficient for good immersion, with clear dialogues and muscular soundtracks. Obviously, the “cinema” experience will be even better by adding a soundbar to the projector. The Cosmos 4K SE is Bluetooth, but also equipped with an AUX output, two HDMIs (including one HDMI eArc) and a USB slot.
It is also possible to cast the content of your smartphone using a screenshot. The experience is less enjoyable. To do this, you must download the NebulaCast application on the projector, open it, then start broadcasting the desired content on your mobile terminal. Good for having a photo evening. Less for viewing personal videos, these are displayed with a lot of jerks which spoil the session a little.
On arrival, the experience is overall very satisfactory. And complete: Google TV allows you to access almost everything here. There still remains an entry ticket of 1,299 euros. Dear ? Yes, but this corresponds to the budget required for a family projector which lacks nothing. Or almost. Nebula gargles the possibility of using it outdoors. But the Cosmos 4K SE does not have a battery and is especially not protected against dust or humidity. At your own risk.
