Review: LUMOS AURO V2 1080P home projector

Review unit provided by LUMOS Projector

I've been using a projector since 2018 and I prefer projector over a TV because the movie viewing experience is just much better on a huge screen.

The LUMOS Auro V2 is a 1080P home projector released in 2024 by Singapore company LUMOS Projectors. The company sells many projectors and this belongs to the mid to higher end range on their website. You can check out their Shopee SG company page for more reviews.

Price of this projector is SGD 498, and it can be purchased with an optional SGD 55 RIZE PRO Stand with height adjustment.

Bottom line

The LUMOS Auro V2 is a decent projector that's bright and visual quality looks good to me. The three main video streaming apps pre-installed are NetFlix, Amazon Prime and Youtube. You'll get good visuals as long as your room is dark enough, and this applies to all projectors anyway.

Navigation with the OS is smooth and quite responsive.

Main downside would be the lack of Google Play Store so you can't install other video streaming apps. It's not a big deal though since you can still stream from your phone, tablet or computer. Another downside is I wish the speakers could have more clarity and definition.

This projector is half the price of the LUMOS Atom projector I reviewed in 2022 and I still have that with me. The AURO V2 does provide more value simply because of its lower price point.

Last thing I have to say is, if you've never used a projector before, this will be a huge upgrade to your movie viewing experience. You'll feel like you're at the cinema everyday.

Specifications

• Size and Weight: 22 x 20 x 13 cm, 2 kg
• Brightness: 6000 Lumens
• Native Resolution: 1080p
• Speakers: 4Ω 5W Dual speaker system, Dolby Audio
• Memory & Storage: 1GB RAM, 8GB ROM
• Operating System: Linux-based Smart TV-like OS, comes with official Netflix and YouTube certification with apps pre-installed
• Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI x1, USB-A x2, 3.5mm audio out
• Power Consumption: 145W
• Projection Distances: 1.5m – 9.2m
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9/4:3
• LED Lamp Life: >50,000 Hours
• Contrast Ratio: 4000:1
• Projected Screen Size: 50-300 inches
• Auto Focus: Yes
• Auto Keystone Correction: Yes
• Short Throw Distance: 1.5m
• Pre-installed Apps: Netflix, YouTube
• Screen casting: iPhone, Android

Things included

• Projector
• User manual
• Power cable
• HDMI to HDMI cable
• Remote control

Design

Design of the projector looks good. Build quality seems solid enough. Size is 22 x 20 x 13 cm and weight is 2kg. The lens comes with a removable cover so don't lose that.

Power button is located on top.

The bottom has five feet and one is height-adjustable, but has limited adjustment. Bass woofer is located at the bottom.

There's a tripod mount below, or you can just put it on the RIZE PRO stand which is sold separately. Or you can just get any other tripod.

There are grilles on the left and right sides. Speaker is only on the left side. Audio is loud enough but it lacks the clarity and definition that I want. To get better audio experience, it's best to pair the projector with better speakers.

Fan noise is loud, but that's normal. When your have audio playing, fan noise will just blend with the audio and won't be distracting.

The ports behind are

• 3.5mm audio jack
• 2x USB-A
• Full-size HDMI
• Power

The remote uses two AAA batteries which are not included.

When you power on the projector for the first time, you'll go through a series of steps for setup. There's automatic adjustment for keystone and focus.

One key feature I like is the automatic focus adjustment. If you move the projector and set it down, it will check and adjust the focus automatically. If auto-focus does not work, just point the projector somewhere so that the focus is totally off, then point it back to the projection screen/wall.

Maximum brightness of the projector is 6,000 lumens and the resolution is 1080P.

Visuals look quite sharp to me and pixelation is not really noticeable from maybe 3-4 metres away. Anyway, when you're watching a movie, your eyes won't be drawn to the pixels even if they are there. Edges are slightly soft but not really an issue for me.

Colours and contrast look good to me. By the way, I'm using the portable projection screen sold on LUMOS' website.

The website has this projector listed as a short-throw projector but it's not exactly one. The minimal focus distance is 1.5m and you'll definitely need to put this on a table (not coffee table), so that you can get the projection higher. If you point the projector up from a low coffee table, the keystone correction may not be enough to give you a perfect un-skewed rectangular frame.

From what I can see, you should be able to screen up to 150-inch without visuals degrading. I personally screen at around 90 to 100 inches.

Contrast is going to be affected noticeably if you use the projector in a room with uncontrolled lighting. It's best to use curtains if you can, and contrast will still look good even with slight sunlight streaming behind the curtains.

Do you need a projector screen?
If your wall is white enough, and smooth enough, a projection screen is not necessary. However, a portable projection screen is useful if you don't have a wall to project on, or your room's background is too busy, or the colour of your wall is not white, or you want to use the projector and screen at other places.

Navigation through the OS and menu is easy and fast. Netflix, Amazon Prime and Youtube are pre-installed, and officially supported so you can stream at 1080P.

Unfortunately there is no Google Play Store. If you have to use other video streaming platforms, e.g. Disney, Hulu, HBO, Apple TV+, etc, you can try streaming from your phone, tablet or computer using HDMI connection.

For me, my projector is connected to my computer via HDMI for streaming 99.9% of the time.

Oh, there's support for phone and tablet screencasting for Android and Apple devices.

Conclusion

The LUMOS AURO V2 projector works as advertised and it works well. There aren't any deal breakers and I don't really have many negative things to say about it. I wish the speakers could be better but that's about it.

As mentioned further up, having a projector will elevate your movie watching experience. I personally will never go back to using a TV for movies anymore. While you may be able to get better visual quality with TV and you can watch a TV anytime, have a projector that can screen 100-inches or larger to me is a more satisfying experience.

Before you buy the projector, make sure you have space for it, e.g. 1.5m from the screen, and you may need a tripod or stand.

Pros and cons at a glance
+ Simple design
+ Solid build quality
+ OS and system is fast and responsive
+ Remote is easy to use
+ Auto-focus adjustment is very convenient
+ Good brightness
+ Has built-in speakers
+ Screencasting with Android and iPhone works fine
- Speaker is loud but lack clarity or definition
- Audio only comes out from one side
- Adjustable feet has limited height adjustment
- No Google Play Store
- You'll probably need a stand
- Auto-keystone correction can struggle, especially with projector at extreme angles

Availability

The LUMOS AURO V2 is available from LUMOS online store, Shopee SG (lowest price seen is SGD 437) and Lazada SG