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TMY Mini Review

A barebones mini projector, sacrificing quality and features for affordability and portability
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TMY Mini Review
Credit: TMY
Price:  $100 List
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Manufacturer:   TMY
By Sentry Kelly and Adam Stout  ⋅  Mar 22, 2024
39
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#10 of 11
  • Entertainment - 30% 2.8
  • Business - 30% 5.9
  • Contrast Ratio - 15% 2.0
  • Brightness - 15% 2.0
  • Set up/Use - 5% 4.4
  • Input Lag - 5% 9.3

Our Verdict

The TMY Mini offers a super cheap and portable option compared to more expensive projectors. However, despite the much lower price point, its subpar picture quality and dim brightness won't be enough to redeem it for buyers looking for a serious projector. See how this super cheap projector compares to the rest in our review of the best projectors.
REASONS TO BUY
Cheap
Portable
Good response time
REASONS TO AVOID
Terrible edge-to-edge quality
Dim
Subpar image

Compare to Similar Products

 
tmy mini
This Product
TMY Mini
Awards  Best Buy Award
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 Best Buy Award
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Price $100 List
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$80 List
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Overall Score Sort Icon
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39
Star Rating
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Bottom Line A no-frills mini projector for the leanest budget and lowest expectationsA very bright projector that excels in an office environment and offers a decent movie experienceThis basic projector offers straightforward functionality well suited for office useIf your expectations are low and you're deadset on an ultra-low-budget projector, this is the one to getA projector to avoid unless you prioritize price and portability above all
Rating Categories TMY Mini ViewSonic PA503W Epson EpiqVision Fl... Happrun H1 AuKing Mini 1080p
Entertainment (30%)
2.8
6.8
5.9
3.7
2.3
Business (30%)
5.9
7.8
6.5
6.2
6.1
Contrast Ratio (15%)
2.0
9.0
8.7
3.2
2.3
Brightness (15%)
2.0
9.5
7.7
2.4
2.1
Set up/Use (5%)
4.4
4.9
4.9
5.0
4.4
Input Lag (5%)
9.3
9.1
8.2
9.3
9.5
Specs TMY Mini ViewSonic PA503W Epson EpiqVision Fl... Happrun H1 AuKing Mini 1080p
Measured ANSI Lumens 119 Lumens 2664 Lumens 2061 Lumens 249 Lumens 136 Lumens
Measured Fan Noise 30 dBA 41 dBA 38 dBA 45 dBA 43 dBA
Measured ANSI Contrast Ratio 41:10 775:26 638:23 43:5 51:10
Measured Input Lag 46 ms 48 ms 54 ms 46 ms 45 ms
Measured Dimensions (L x D x H) 7" x 5.31" x 2.76" 11.6" x 8.6" x 4.3" 11.6" x 8.3" x 3.4" 9.3" x 8.1" x 3.5" ‎7.95" x 6.3" x 2.91"
Measured Weight 2 lbs 4.9 lbs 5.3 lbs 3.5 lbs 3 lbs
Projection Technology 3LCD DLP 3LCD LCD LED
Light Source Lamp Lamp Lamp Lamp Lamp
Claimed Brightness 7500 Lumens 3600 Lumens 3000 Lumens 9500 Lumens 9500 Lumens
Carrying Case Included No No No No No
Native Resolution 1280 x 720 1280 x 800 1280 x 800 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080 Support
Smart Streaming Capability? No No No No No
Contrast Ratio 5,000:1 22,000:1 Not Specified 10,000:1 2,000:1
Aspect Ratio Native 16:9 Native 16:10 Native 16:10 Not Specified Not Specified
Zoom Ratio Not Specified 1.0 - 1.1 1.0 - 1.35 Not Specified Not Specified
Throw Ratio (Wide to Zoom) Not Specified 1.55 - 1.70 1.27 - 1.71 Not Specified Not Specified
Backlit Remote No No No No No
Vertical Keystoning Correction Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Horizontal Keystoning Correction No No No No
Lens Shift No No No No No
Lens Cover No No No Yes Yes
3D Capable No Yes No No

Our Analysis and Test Results

To perform well in a home entertainment setting, a projector needs to offer great contrast, brightness, and sharp focus. Smart features, like native streaming apps, are a bonus commonly found on more advanced projectors, and we awarded extra points to projectors that have them. Unfortunately, the TMY mini falls far below our standards in all of these areas.

We don't recommend this projector if you're even slightly concerned with getting good picture quality and color accuracy for your games and movies. The picture on this one was dim and dull, with poor clarity and focus and no onboard streaming apps or smart features to redeem it.

tmy mini - when it comes to color accuracy and clarity, the tmy mini does not...
When it comes to color accuracy and clarity, the TMY Mini does not show well.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Business


To be fit for the conference room, a projector needs to offer high brightness and cut through the fluorescent lights. It also helps to be portable and have onboard controls and a good selection of ports to accommodate a wide range of laptops and mobile devices, and it needs good edge-to-edge clarity for spreadsheets.

The TMY Mini has excellent portability, and it has onboard controls and a manual zoom/focus ring as well as a remote control, but its selection of ports is relatively poor, with only one HDMI, one Computer, and one audio in/out. To make matters much worse, it has extremely poor edge-to-edge clarity on spreadsheets and is so dim that most text is very hard to read in a well-lit room, no matter how close you are to the screen. Therefore, we do not recommend this projector for business use or in any bright environment, for that matter.

tmy mini - the tmy mini struggles with edge-edge-clarity and text legibility...
The TMY mini struggles with edge-edge-clarity and text legibility even in dark rooms.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Contrast Ratio


With a low contrast ratio of 41:10, the TMY Mini Mini fails to adequately render light and dark areas on the screen, resulting in a dull and lackluster picture. It ranks among the worst projectors we tested, trailing way behind average and premium-priced units in our ANSI contrast test.

tmy mini - we use a light meter to perform ansi contrast tests for every...
We use a light meter to perform ANSI contrast tests for every projector. The TMY Mini was a low scorer.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Brightness


The TMY Mini projects a very dim image. In fact, it was the dimmest projector we tested, registering only 119 lumens when strategically measured with an ANSI luminance test and our light meter. As established earlier in this review, it can be tough to see images from this projector in bright rooms.

The TMY Mini is one of the dimmest projectors we tested.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Setup & Use


For this metric, we consider the setup and useful features of the projector. While pricier models boast advanced features like auto keystoning and adjustable front and rear legs, the TMY Mini is much more basic. It has manual vertical and horizontal keystone adjustment and a single leg on the front for leveling. In terms of usability, it falls short of average, offering only a basic remote control free of any advanced features found in higher priced products, although we do appreciate its manual focus control and that the TMY Mini can easily be screwed into a tripod or ceiling mount.

tmy mini - this projector has a minimal selection of ports.
This projector has a minimal selection of ports.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Input Lag


Low input lag is crucial for gamers using projectors, and the ultra-budget-friendly TMY Mini does well here, demonstrating some of the lowest input lag among all tested projectors. This might be due to its more basic operating system that doesn't use any resources on image processing.

Testing with a specialized video signal input lag tester across top, middle, and bottom areas of the screen yielded an impressive average of 45 milliseconds; up there with the lowest input lag we've seen on a projector.

tmy mini - it'll do in a pinch, but you can do far better than the tmy mini for...
It'll do in a pinch, but you can do far better than the TMY Mini for business and entertainment.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Should You Buy the TMY Mini?


If you've got super low expectations and you're looking for one of the cheapest projectors you can get, the TMY Mini might work out for you in a dark room. However, anyone looking for a decent viewing experience for entertainment or business would be better served with one of the more traditional models.

tmy mini - the tmy mini: portable, affordable, horrible.
The TMY Mini: portable, affordable, horrible.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

What Other Projector Should You Consider?


If affordability is your primary consideration for a new projector, consider the Happrun H1. While it may not compete with pricier models, it's our top recommendation among the super-budget units we tested. Read up on our Best Buy Award-winning Viewsonic PA503W for a more solid, feature-rich projector that still doesn't break the bank compared to premium offerings.

Sentry Kelly and Adam Stout