Convenient Smart Home

Formovie Xming Episode One review: Beaming, blazing just like that

Wonderful, powerful, yet portable projector

Published

November 29, 2024

Vincenz

It’s been almost two years since the 50-inch TV I bought from *redacted* with my hard-earned money got unresponsive — and died eventually. To make it worse, it was already way past its warranty period.

Instead of buying a new unit, I thought I can survive without one. After all, I have several devices I can choose to use — a smartphone slab, hybrid foldable, gargantuan tablet, and even the all-rounder MacBook Pro with its brilliant 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display™️. 🤧

Yet I was wrong. I still keep searching for big screens when it comes to consuming content.

But maybe the heaven is on my side. Formovie personally reached out and decided to offer the Xming Episode One for an in-depth review. Of course, I didn’t hesitate and grabbed the opportunity right away.

It’s also a fresh take for me as I have never ever used a projector in the entirety of my life.

For whom?

ICYMI, Formovie is an innovative brand from China with smart projectors and laser TVs as their specialty.

To make it even more interesting, the brand was co-founded by Xiaomi and Appotronics — making them a part of the vast Mi ecosystem alongside other brands.

And if that isn’t enough, they have bagged awards from prominent design competitions such as Red Dot Design, iF Design, CES Innovation, Good Design, among others.

Sleek and on fleek

With design awards in mind, Formovie’s Xming Episode One has a quirky design with a straightforward purpose of being a projector on the go.

It might not be the most premium projector ever made, especially with its choice of materials, but its roundedness makes it overall appealing. This goes most especially for first-time projector users like me.

Seeing it for the first time never felt intimidating. And to make it even a lot more inviting, it weighs at just 1.2 kilograms (2.8 pounds).

I also love those intricate details in orange — body edges, logo placeholder, decals, speaker grilles.

Portable whenever, wherever

With the projector’s actual heft already stated, now is the best time to brag about its utmost portability.

Like this projector review, my recent trip to South Korea was also a first. I then thought, why not bring the Xming Episode One with me? After all, Formovie has assured me that the projector is travel-friendly.

✅ Check-in Luggage

*For demonstration purposes only. The projector was packed in a separate storage bag for utmost safety.

Since the projector isn’t equipped with any type of battery, it’s very safe to store it in your check-in luggage wherever you go, whenever you want to.

✅ Backpack

I recently bought Nike’s 37L Utility Elite 2.0 Backpack. For enthusiasts, you might be aware that it has a dedicated shoe compartment.

*For demonstration purposes only. The projector was packed in a separate storage bag for utmost safety.

While the bag has a lot of space for my storage woes, that particular compartment is where the Xming Episode One comfortably sits and fits.

✅ Crossbody Bag

This adidas Y-3 bag has been my go-to for smartphones and other handy essentials I bring out and about.

To my surprise, the product fit like a glove. There’s even an extra space for my smartphone — or pretty much any other item I want to store inside.

✅ Shoulder Bag

Last but definitely not the least, here’s a HK$ 59 (US$ 7) shoulder bag I purchased from GU in my last Hong Kong trip.

Even with its thin strap, the Episode One’s lightweight body simply made it like I’m bringing nothing.

And as the bag has an extra zipped compartment, I was even able to store the power adapter and remote control inside.

Tiny yet mighty

The Xming Episode One may be light in weight, but it’s heavy in terms of the hardware packed inside.

First, its 150 ISO Lumens delivers bright visuals. And with a combination of 1500:1 Contrast Ratio, any type of content will look enticing — more on that later.

As for audio, it features two 3W speakers that are also Dolby Audio certified. And if that would not suffice, there’s also a 3.5mm audio port for you to connect your dedicated surround sound speaker setup.

But, if the very messy wired connection is one of your pet peeves, you can instead pair your wireless speakers thanks to its seamless Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.

There’s even an HDMI 2.1 port if you wanted to project content straight out of your laptop, PC, or even the gaming console that’s very close to your heart.

Right after I powered on the device, it barely made any sound. The aircon’s hum was even louder.

Smart at heart

Overall aesthetics, utmost portability, and hardware are just parts of the overall story. What truly makes (or breaks) a product is how it can deliver features based on what it has promised to consumers.

Other projectors may already have this feature but I love how the Episode One has a focus sensor. This helped me a lot during my first set-up in a crammed hotel room.

I don’t have a proper location to place it other than the room’s teeny-tiny table. But, after stacking some travel magazines and brochures I’ve collected in the airport, it performed its auto keystone correction as well as auto-focusing function after placing the projector in its awkward, tilted position.

There’s even a handy-dandy smart obstacle avoidance — which avoided that clothes rack beside the bed as well as that small LCD TV mounted at the right side of the room.

But what ultimately enticed me with the Xming Episode One was that, it runs Google TV and Netflix straight out of the box.

This just means I don’t need an additional Chromecast, Android TV box, or any other unnecessary feature like wireless casting just to enjoy the full benefits of Android and its vast app ecosystem.

Other projector brands have serious compatibility issues mainly because they equip their projector units with their proprietary (and bug-infested) OS.

This remote control was very reminiscent of that bundled with my old Android TV. 👀

Setting it up was easy-peasy. It only took me under ten minutes to make everything work. Just make sure you have a fast Wi-Fi connection to make everything buttery smooth.

That aforementioned smart Android TV got updated to Google TV — making the overall look and feel familiar for me

Having Google TV as the primary OS also meant I have all the other necessary apps for entertainment.

Whether that’s YouTube, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, or Apple TV, they all ran well without hiccups.

Spotify and TikTok weren’t installed right away but are both supported — in case you wanted to use those platforms on a bigger screen.

Wonderful and powerful

Now with everything in place, overall usability and performance come last.

#NewJeansNeverDie!!!

I may not be able to measure the exact size of the screen the Episode One has projected onto the wall but I can assure you it looked crisp and clear.

That’s probably with its 1080p Full HD resolution. Other brands only offer 960p or 540p for the same value.

Gawon’s visuals look more admirable even in such a large, projected screen

And for comparison’s sake, I can tell is how it’s larger than the 50-inch TV I’ve mentioned in the very beginning.

So is Ella Gross’ with her cat-like fierceness…

And with that in the topic, the Xming Episode One can display between as small as 40-inch and up to a max of 120 inches. It will just depend on how near or far you place the product away from the wall.

Finally, I tried the actual audio output with YouTube Music.

As expected, it’s not the best among the rest. But, for such a small form factor, its surprisingly loud with an acceptable level of highs, mids, and lows.

I even minimized it below 20 percent when I played songs before midnight kicked in. Although I still think some type of hum or buzz was heard from the room next to me.

What’s in it for you

Here’s everything you’ll get if you wanted to own the Formovie Xming Episode One.

@gadgetmatch Wonderful, powerful, yet portable projector. Meet the Formovie Xming Episode One! 📽️ #Formovie #Projector #Fyp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch

Is the Formovie Xming Episode One your GadgetMatch?

The Formovie Xming Episode One retails for US$ 299.99 / EUR 299. Although as of this writing, it has a slashed price tag of just US$ 199.99 / EUR 199.

It’s currently being sold in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, as well as other major European regions.

As a refresher, we are bringing back GadgetMatch’s dating app-like matching feature where we choose to recommend or refuse a product by swiping.

Swipe Left if you want a more budget-friendly projector without minding the compromises.

Swipe Right if you’ve been wanting a power-packed yet portable projector without spending a premium.

From where I stand, I’m Super Swiping the Formovie Xming Episode One as it was able to exceed my expectations in a projector this portable.

✨ It’s like GOLD 🎶

Obviously not in a literal sense. Figuratively, Formovie’s Xming Episode One is like gold as it’s hard to find one in such a niche market.

Projectors are not as widely available as TVs. There aren’t much choices either no matter which consumer bracket you belong to.

As frustrating as it seems, you either have to pay a lot for a projector that’s rock solid in terms of look and performance or sacrifice overall build and quality for the less-expensive option. There’s barely any in between.

I sound like a broken record for always saying that this was my first ever projector review. But, that doesn’t mean I haven’t seen other projectors prior this.

That said, I can attest that the Xming Episode One delivered a stand-out audiovisual quality even with its small size. Its output can even beat those cheap smart TVs ranging between 32 to 60 inches.

And the fact that you can scale it up twice by 120 inches and still bring it anywhere you want to are just two of the greatest feats this product has. That overall flexibility is something you cannot do in flat screen panels that are already fragile to begin with.

Lastly, the projector’s smart software and set of features make it a very convenient plug-and-play device. Its user-friendliness and overall experience fully complete this large puzzle.

The Formovie Xming Episode One rightfully deserves the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval for everything it offers in such form factor and value. It is a projector that’s wallet-friendly, user-friendly, and travel-friendly altogether ✈️

Computers

Samsung’s SECRET That Made OLED Even Better

Say hello to the new QD-OLED Penta Tandem display tech by the Korean giant

Published

May 23, 2026

GadgetMatch and Michael Josh Villanueva

Samsung Display just unveiled QD-OLED Penta Tandem technology. This is a next-generation display structure that stacks five emission layers to improve brightness, efficiency, and overall OLED performance.

In this video, we simplify what Penta Tandem actually is, how it works, and show you two monitors that already have the technology — specifically from MSI and Dell.

For more details, check out Samsung Display here.

Convenient Smart Home

Spotlight: The Tech Behind Every Screen You Use

It’s Not Who You Think!

Published

May 11, 2026

GadgetMatch and Michael Josh Villanueva

TCL CSOT is one of the world’s largest display panel manufacturers. However, most people have never even heard of them.

At SID Display Week 2026 in Los Angeles, they unveiled the APEX Pixel Technology across three categories:

Super Pixel for smartphones
Real Stripe RGB (IJP OLED) for monitors and automotive; and
RGBC for TVs

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Also, THE Michael Josh takes you inside their booth at the Los Angeles Convention Center to break down:

✅ The world-first Super Pixel mobile display (clarity, lowest power, 165Hz refresh rate)
✅ The World’s First Foldable & Portable IJP OLED Monitor Display (28″)
✅ Intelligent Cockpit Display Suite 3.0 — sliding + curved
✅ The World’s Highest Image Quality WHVA Ultra LCD TV Display (85″)

More so, what does it mean when your phone uses Real RGB instead of sub-pixel rendering? Why is inkjet-printed OLED the next big thing in display manufacturing? And what’s a fourth color sub-pixel?

Know all of these in our Spotlight on TCL CSOT’s Display Technologies.

Convenient Smart Home

Giving up counter space for reverse osmosis: Living with Waterdrop M6H in NYC

A 7-stage filtration system

Published

April 28, 2026

Chay Lazaro

Living in New York City means two things when it comes to the kitchen: constantly negotiating with counter space and having the best drinking water in the country.

That’s exactly where a countertop reverse osmosis system like the Waterdrop M6H finds its place. It fits into apartment life surprisingly well, though not without tradeoffs.

Peace of mind

New York City is known for having some of the best drinking water in the country, and for most people, straight-from-the-tap is perfectly safe and dare I say: tastes the best, too.

But using a reverse osmosis system isn’t necessarily about fixing bad water. It can also take already good water and filtering it down to a much finer level.

The Waterdrop M6H uses a 7-stage filtration system, which goes beyond basic filtration to remove things like heavy metals, chlorine, PFAS, and microplastics, which you might not think about daily but are still present in trace amounts. It also has UV sterilization, adding another layer of protection by targeting bacteria that may not be caught in filtration alone.

That extra layer of filtration becomes especially helpful when you have guests or family visiting. My parents, for example, have more sensitive stomachs, so even small differences in water quality can matter.

One tradeoff with reverse osmosis is that it also removes naturally occurring minerals like calcium and magnesium. In practice, it shouldn’t be a major concern for most people. Food, not water, should be the primary source of these nutrients.

Built for apartment living

One of the biggest advantages of the Waterdrop M6H is how easy it is to set up. There’s no installation, no need to touch your plumbing, and if you’re renting: no back-and-forth with a landlord.

It sits on my counter like any other appliance. It’s roughly the size of my super automatic coffee machine, which makes it feel familiar and non-invasive. And just like my coffee machine, I get access to great drinking water with just a few presses.

For apartment dwellers like me, that plug-and-play design is a huge win. I could be living in my current home for years, but will likely still need to move out at some point. That means I can take the M6H with me no matter where life takes me.

Compact is both good and bad

That small footprint is what makes it viable in a city kitchen, but it also introduces the biggest inconvenience.

Because the unit is compact, the water tank isn’t huge, and neither is the wastewater capacity. The built-in 135oz water tank capacity is large enough to get you through a good portion of the day.

In practice, that means you’ll be refilling clean water and emptying the waste tank regularly, sometimes more than two times a day depending on usage.

It’s not difficult, but it’s definitely more hands-on than a built-in system that runs continuously in the background.

Eats up precious counter space

Beyond just physically occupying counter space, the machine changed how I use my kitchen.

The spot it takes is often the same area I would use for prepping food, whether that’s chopping vegetables, rolling or kneading dough, and plating meals. It’s also the same spot I use for putting dirty dishes before they get washed.

So while it technically fits, it reduced my working surface in a noticeable way. In a New York kitchen, losing even a small section of prep space can have a huge impact on one’s daily routine.

Bottle compatibility can be hit or miss

Another noticeable drawback of its compact size is the height clearance under the spout. If you tend to use taller insulated bottles, especially the narrow ones, they won’t always fit comfortably underneath.

I have a combination of tall and short ones, and so that means having to tilt the taller ones or filling them in stages, which interrupts an otherwise convenient experience.

Well thought-out experience

Where the Waterdrop M6H really stands out is in how easy it is to use. The touchscreen is intuitive without feeling overdesigned, and the preset buttons for coffee and tea temperatures are more than welcome. Thanks to its instant heating, I’m never waiting around for hot water when I want a comforting cup of tea after a chilly day out.

One of my favorite features is the ability to customize how many ounces of water you want dispensed. You can set it, place your glass or bottle underneath — as long as it fits — and walk away while it fills because it stops on its own. It’s a small detail that makes drinking clean water convenient.

It’s just a bonus that I’m more conscious of the amount of water I’m drinking on a daily basis.

The detachable glass pitcher is another thoughtful touch. You can take it off and pour directly to your vessel of choice, store it in the fridge for cold water, or use it directly for cooking.

Better than a filter pitcher

If you’ve used a standard filter pitcher before, the difference is immediate.

With something like a Brita, you’re constantly refilling and waiting for water to slowly drip through the filter before you can use it. The Waterdrop M6H produces purified water much faster and on demand.

Even though I have to refill the tank daily, it’s still far less frequent, and far less tedious, than topping off a pitcher multiple times a day.

Cost-wise, it also evens out over time. Instead of repeatedly buying smaller filters, you’re replacing one larger filter less often, with a more advanced level of filtration to show for it.

Is the Waterdrop M6H your GadgetMatch?

Even in a city with excellent tap water, a reverse osmosis system like the Waterdrop M6H can be helpful. It makes the most sense if you’re renting but still want better-than-tap filtration without dealing with permanent changes.

While not as inconvenient as a Brita pitcher, it still requires daily maintenance. It is not the best fit if you’re already tight on counter space, cook frequently and rely heavily on your prep area.

A permanently installed reverse osmosis system will always win when it comes to pure convenience, and Waterdrop has great options for that. It runs continuously, requires less day-to-day interaction that you just forget about it, and it doesn’t take up precious counter space.

For my current setup, the Waterdrop M6H is a practical middle ground. It delivers many of the same benefits in a flexible, renter-friendly form.

The Waterdrop M6H retails for US$429 before tax. Maintenance is straightforward: the replacement filter costs $79.99 and lasts about 12 months or roughly 1,100 gallons of water.

It isn’t cheap, but you can think of it as a long-term investment in your health. Its benefits aren’t immediate or obvious day-to-day, but something you’ll likely appreciate over time and thank yourself for later.

Buy the WaterdropM6H on waterdropfilter.com