Dangbei DBOX02 review: A movie night masterpiece

Projectors are not what they used to be. When I used to think of a projector, I thought of needing a smooth, completely uninterrupted white sheet and the cover of night to make using one worthwhile. They seemed highly niche at best, an impractical wasted investment at worst.

That era of projectors seems to be over. Dangbei gave us a couple of solid projectors in the past, but the DBOX02 (formerly known as the Mars 2) is a new territory. It promises crisp 4K video, advanced features to improve projection quality, and all the smart TV functions you’d expect from a Google TV.

Price, availability, and specs

Dangbei’s flagship 4K projector has an MSRP of $1,899. It’s currently discounted to $1,499 on Dangbei’s US store, but it remains full-price on Amazon. Dangbei included a stand for the DBOX02, but this stand doesn’t come with the projector purchase and isn’t currently listed on Dangbei’s site or on Amazon.

What’s good about the Dangbei DBOX02?

As long as I kept the fundamental differences between a television and a projector in mind, Dangbei’s 4K projector repeatedly impressed me. The advanced features, like AI-powered brightness adjustment, auto-focusing, and obstacle avoidance, set it apart from other projectors I’ve used.

The obstacle avoidance is particularly useful; if you’re projecting onto a space that’s interrupted by, say, a framed picture or a breaker box, the projector will do its best to adjust its picture size and location to avoid the obstruction. And since the display gets plenty bright (2450 lumens) the projector is usable during the daytime. It’s still not the greatest solution for a very bright, sunny room with all the blinds open, but you can still enjoy an afternoon movie before the sun goes down in most scenarios.

It projects up to 200 inches, but I was worried that the picture would get fuzzy and soft at this scale, compared to keeping the display at a more reasonable 75-150 inches. I was wrong, though, and found the 4K display at this size to be just as vibrant and sharp.

The DBOX02’s 4K picture is worth every ounce of hype. Live action showed up great, but the projector displayed animated media particularly well. Every movie, show, and game I watched looked phenomenal, but I had a few favorites. Avatar (movie, not animated show) looked gorgeous with colorful and bold details. The Dangbei wasn’t immune to my five-year-old’s fascination with the Disney movie Onward, and that animation displayed beautifully.

With the USB and HDMI ports on the back, you can hook up just about any console and switch the projector into a gaming mode, which supposedly encourages low latency and makes display adjustments. I connected a Switch and a Steam Deck to the DBOX02 and had many game sessions in 200 glorious inches of 4K without issue. You can also connect to a laptop for work presentations or a streaming device if you prefer that over Google TV.

When it comes to volume, the projector gets plenty loud. It was enough for me and my partner to watch movies and games without any additional speakers, but you may want to hook a soundbar or satellite speakers up (via the 3.5mm port, USB port, through Google Home, or Bluetooth) if you’re outside, in a very large room, have more than just two or three people watching, or want some surround sound action.

The DBOX02 meets expectations as a smart TV. One of its most unique offerings is an officially licensed Netflix integration, something that many similar projectors, like the Xgimi Horizon Pro, don’t offer. Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, and YouTube also come preloaded on the projector.

Its interface functions much like that of any other Google TV: you get these baked-in apps with the ability to add more as you please, plus a personalized content roundup on the home screen that includes a continue-watching section.

What’s bad about the Dangbei DBOX02?

There’s very little to complain about. I understand that the expense alone is enough to make some people recoil, but the DBOX02 easily meets the expectations set by its price tag. If you’re looking for a more afforable projector that still offers the rare Netflix licensing, check ut the Formovie Xming Page One Projector, a $500 option that makes some sacrifices but still does a decent job.

One thing to note is the exhaust, which isn’t necessarily a design flaw but more a necessary hazard. While this projector seems to handle its internal cooling quite well, its fans blow out hot air — very hot air, and a lot of it. If you’re seated on the couch with the projector on an end table next to you as I was, get used to a constant desert wind gusting over you. At least this means the DBOX02 doubles as a space heater when I’m watching movies in my sunroom on a chilly night.

One function I wish the DBOX02 was capable of is acting as a smart speaker without the projector screen turned on. You can connect the projector to your phone as a Bluetooth speaker, but the screen stays on. With such nice onboard Dolby speakers, it would be nice to use the Dangbei projector for ambient music while I’m just reading or cleaning without 200 inches of in-your-face blasted on the wall.

The DBOX02’s glass and aluminum frame is also notably dust- and fingerprint-prone, so keep the included cloth handy at all times!

Should you buy it?

I started the Dangbei DBOX02 review with a lot of skepticism. I couldn’t fathom a nearly $2,000 projector being worth the cash, much less being worth the investment over a 4K TV. As much as I enjoyed the projector, I still can’t say for sure that I would’ve ever been convinced to pull the trigger on a buy like this because I’d have been doubtful that it would’ve gotten enough use to justify the price.

Take it from me, though — modern projectors are much more practical and capable than you think. Your room doesn’t have to be pitch-black to use one; the picture is remarkable with the right expectations, and what starts as just a little black box can easily be scaled into a full-fledged home theater or gaming room.

So, if the price can be overcome, the Dangbei DBOX02 is absolutely a worthwhile investment. It may not be an ideal solution for replacing your main living room television, but Dangbei’s flagship projector offers a bright, big, and boldly colorful picture for your basement, garage, bedroom, or yard.