HP CC200 projector review: Compact, embedded speakers, and simple to set up and use | ZDNet

The HP CC200 projector is a nice compact short-throw projector with built-in speakers and easy-to-use controls.

The Citizen Cinema projector CC200 from HP has clean lines. It is 5.04 x 5.35 x 8 inches and it weighs about 1.38kg (3 pounds). The projector itself looks minimalist with little paraphernalia cluttering its design.

It has a power button on the top of the unit – and that’s it in terms of controls. You control this projector with the supplied remote control.

On the back of the unit, there are two USB ports, a power port, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There is no port for a TF card, but you could use a USB card reader to play media from your TF card. The CC200 looks like a speaker, covered with fabric acoustic covering.

Inside the box, there is the speaker, power adapter, and power cord. There is also a remote control and batteries. There is also a quick start guide for the projector.

HSN is currently running a promotion on the projector

which includes the CC200 Projector, an 84″ portable Global Aiptek fabric screen, and a Roku Express Media Player.

I received the projector and the fabric screen so I can not comment on the promotion from HSN. I do not know how long the HDMI cable is in the bundle, nor the performance of the Roku Express media player.

Read the user guide first so you know how to focus the projector and access the rest of the settings in the UI. There is no autofocus feature, no focus knob, or automatic keystone facility with this projector. The only way to get the image in focus is by the remote control.

Unlike the XGIMI Aura projector, the CC200 is not an ultra-short throw projector. It has a 1.2:1 throw-ratio lens which will project a screen of 80 inches from 7 feet away from the screen.

There are no adjustment feet on the bottom of the projector so you need to make sure that the projector is at a suitable height to project the image.

I found this a pain – but with no keystone adjustment facility, tilting the projector away from the horizontal would deliver a distorted image that can not be adjusted by keystone changes.

The projector uses LED technology for its display. The light source is expected to last over 20,000 hours before it needs to be changed.

The brightness is 200 lumens according to the spec sheet – and 100 ANSI (American National Standards Institute) lumens according to the quick start guide.

ANSI lumens are always a more reliable indicator of brightness than lumens which can be manipulated by over-enthusiastic marketers.

The projector has an FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080, and a display ratio of 16:9 – which matches the ratio of the fabric screen.

The CC200 has two 3W speakers and you can adjust the sound based on a range of options: sport, user-defined, standard, music, or movie.

Tweak the user-defined sessions to get the high tone levels and bass levels you prefer. I messed around with them for ages and got distortion if I turned the bass up to max. The carefully thought-out settings work best for each mode of viewing.

The projected light from the CC200 is not as harsh as some projectors I have reviewed. HP uses something it calls ‘diffuse reflection technology’.

This means that light from the projected display is indirect and free of blue light so you can binge-watch without getting eye strain.

I like the simple controls in the UI on the CC200. No Android TV here, just simple configuration controls accessible via the remote control. This is a projector for someone who does not want to faff around tweaking settings all the time, but who wants a good-sized display quickly.

All in all, the
HP CC200 projector is a nice affordable portable projector

that will suit the small office or home theatre fan. Set it and forget it, and get reliable images and sound for your music, presentation, or movie.

Get the bundle from HSN and enjoy the additional screen, HDMI cable, and fabric screen package. You won’t regret it.