Portable projectors offer flexibility and the freedom to watch Netflix anywhere and from any angle—including looking straight up at the ceiling from your bed. When I tried this setup using the small, battery-powered BenQ GV50—which the brand markets as a ceiling projector—it worked well. I can’t say the picture quality or even the sound were spectacular, but the projector is indeed capable of project-it-anywhere portability.

Though the GV50 is a ceiling projector, it also works fine against a wall or using a projector screen. It’s versatile and uses the built-in Google TV operating system, so you can use just about any streaming app. And though it’s cheaper than portable-projector competitors, like the Soundcore Nebula P1 (6/10, WIRED Recommends), you’ll make some compromises in picture quality, sound, and speed. In the age of 4K and eventually 8K video, this projector is stuck in the distant past of 1080p video and doesn’t even support HDMI eARC for pass-through audio or Dolby Atmos. Instead, you are stuck with lower-quality ARC 5.1 surround sound that only supports Dolby Audio.

Still, I ended up liking the GV50 for its portability, and I tried it out in various spots in my house. At its current $599 price, it’s a good buy, as long as you’re aware of and OK with its trade-offs.

Portability as a Priority

The GV50 looks like a large gray and white seashell, and it tilts vertically and horizontally. The build quality is not outstanding, made from a cheap-feeling plastic. Alas, aesthetics are not what BenQ is after here; first and foremost, the GV50 aims to be a functional and highly portable low- to midrange projector. And it’s successful in that pursuit: At 4.6 pounds and 8 inches tall, it’s easy to move. It has a small strap on the top for portability ease, though the strap would be easier to grasp if it were a little bigger. When you’re not using it, you might store the projector in BenQ’s protective carrying case ($59) that has a place for the remote and the base.