Projectors Tests Reviews

Ultimea Apollo P60 : test / review

Published on: 06-03-2025 / Modified: 06-03-2025

When I test products, I obviously like to test top-of-the-range products with all the latest technology. It's a bit like car journalists who probably prefer to test a Porsche rather than a Dacia. The problem is that not everyone can afford a Porsche, and in the end, the Dacia will also get you from A to B at a much lower price. Ultimea is no different. The Ultimea Apollo P60 is an entry-level projector available for under €200 from Banggood. It doesn't have all the latest innovations, so you won't be picking your jaw off the floor with image quality, but when it comes to generating a great image for cheap, it'll deliver!

My test protocol is "overkill" for this kind of projector, so I'm going to have to take some shortcuts, but this test should give you an objective view of what you can expect from a projector like this.

Coupon codes

To benefit from a price reduction at Banggood, I obtained a promo code for this projector as well as promos on the entire Ultimea range

Price of Ultimea Apollo P60 with promo code: 205€

Promo code: BGFRC006

Ultimea Apollo P60 / Banggood

Price of Ultimea Poseidon E40 with promo code: 344€

Promo code: BG8fcada

Ultimea Apollo P60 / Banggood

Price of Ultimea Nova C40 with promo code: 225€

Promo code: BGda6b10

Ultimea Apollo P60 / Banggood

Price of Ultimea Apollo P40 with promo code: 150€

Promo code: BG2f9bf8

Ultimea Apollo P60 / Banggood

Price of Ultimea Apollo P50 with promo code: 180€

Promo code: BG825e5a

Ultimea Apollo P60 / Banggood

Manufacturer web site:
https://www.ultimea.com/
Site where I have bought or received the Ultimea Apollo P60: https://www.banggood...

Price Ultimea Apollo P60

Not yet available / tested

Timeline

March 3, 2025: I receive the projector, but I need to finish testing other products. This test will be complete on March 12, 2025.

Why this projector?

I tested the Ultimea Nova C40 a few months ago, and it was the first projector from this brand that I'd had the opportunity to test. This projector didn't surprise me for its technical features, but its tilted format and overall level of finish give it the air of a mid-range projector. The Ultimea Apollo P60 has a more traditional format and a lower price point. It's an entry-level projector that should give you the ability to watch movies and series on a large surface for less than the price of a TV. You won't get the same picture quality as a projector costing over €1,000, but the immersion should be there.

Unpacking

The Ultimea Apollo P60 projector box gives a good impression of the product. It's a far cry from the recycled cardboard boxes of some low-cost brands

The box contains the projector, a power cable, an HDMI cable, a manual, video cables, a lens cleaning cloth and a remote control (without batteries)

Operating system

The Ultimea Apollo P60 is a projector without an operating system, so it can't launch applications and offers a basic interface for managing settings and connectivity with other devices. To use it, you'll need another source for content, such as a phone that can stream a movie to the projector. You can also link it to an HDMI dongle, such as a Google Chromecast TV, to get an Android-style operating system with all the apps from the Play Store.

I actually used this second possibility for the test, as it was more practical for me to use all the apps I usually use to test a projector.

The interface is made up of several possibilities: a guide, source change, screen mirroring, file manager, Bluetooth speaker, ambient projection and settings.

Finish

The Ultimea Apollo P60 is a fairly massive projector with a fairly large optical compartment too. This format is very common in this price range and indicates that this is an LCD projector. This technology is simple and allows us to produce low-cost projectors. The principle is simple: a powerful source of light is passed through an LCD screen, which then passes through the optical compartment. Choosing this technology has a number of consequences. Firstly, there's the size of the projector, as the optical compartment and internal mirror system have to fit snugly. You also need room to ventilate the machine properly, as the type of light used generates a lot of heat

The image is projected from the middle of the optical compartment, so you can't move the projector up or down unless you tilt it. The optics are not adjustable, focusing is done from the remote control, which is also automated, with the possibility of fine-tuning if necessary

There's an HDR10 indication on the optics. This is rather curious because the projector is not designed to decode a video stream, and with an LCD panel of this type, the color space is not sufficient to reach the level required to produce an HDR image

There's a depth sensor here for focusing, so don't block it. This is what will enable the projector to calculate the correct focus, and it works quite well

This projector has a very decent level of finish. The projector is mainly made of plastic, but it's good quality plastic. There's also a desire to make something pretty, which is rarely the case in this price range

On the side there are ventilation grilles, a very typical feature of this kind of projector as they need to evacuate the heat produced by the lamp

Connectivity is pretty comprehensive for a projector of this type. There are 2 HDMI ports, one of which is eARC, two USB type A ports, two cinch connectors (cables supplied in the box).

Here, too, we find a ventilation grille. The curiosity is the presence of a loudspeaker at the rear of the projector. This indicates that the intention is to use it in front of you, but it's a curious choice because this type of format is better suited for use behind the viewer. If you choose to place it behind you, the sound is likely to be a little muffled.

On the underside are several screw holes for attaching the projector to a ceiling bracket. The position of these screw threads is unusual, so I guess you'll have to find a specific bracket for this kind of projector

Projection room

My projection room is rectangular, 4.6m by 2.9m (height 2.2m). I have two projection walls, one white wall 2.9m wide with just white paint with a possible 4m setback. I then have a 133 inch ALR screen on another wall with a possible setback of 2.8m. I mainly use the ALR screen except when the layout or type of projector is not suitable for this situation.

Battery autonomy

Not yet available / tested

Power consumption

This projector has two brightness modes, normal and eco. In normal mode, the projector consumes just under 100 watts. In eco mode, consumption falls below 80 watts. This means the projector is not very energy-hungry.

Operating noise

LCD projectors are generally very noisy, sometimes reaching decibel levels that disrupt quiet moments in a film. This projector is a little noisier than the more expensive projectors I'm used to testing, but for an LCD projector it's not very noisy. I measured 43 decibels on the projector and at 1 meter, I'm at around 35 decibels. The projector's noise is still audible, but I'm a long way from the 60 dB I've measured on other projectors of this type.

If you switch to "eco" mode, the noise will drop considerably, and here I measured less than 40 dB on the projector.

Image quality

Not yet available / tested

Colorimetry

More explanations on colorimetry

Measuring color fidelity (colorimetry) is not a subjective question, it is something completely measurable. This measurement is carried out with a device (colorimeter, spectrometer, ...) which measures the difference between the real color and the displayed color. This difference is expressed in delta E (abbreviation: dE). A dE greater than 3 indicates a deviation perceptible to the human eye.

The dE must therefore be as low as possible but projectors rarely have a dE lower than 3 out of the box. They are often between 5 and 10, only a calibration can correctly adjust the colors.

For a perfect calibration, you must call a professional. I give you my parameters which correspond to my situation. These settings might work for your situation but it is not a guarantee, so take them as an indication of the direction to follow.

A projector test usually takes time, mainly because I'm measuring color fidelity in all available configurations. For once, this test was very quick, as this projector has only one configuration:

I obtained a color delta E of 13.02, with some colors deviating more than others. I'm not too surprised by this result, given that this is an entry-level projector. Colors will therefore not be as accurate as on a high-end projector. The overall hue is rather cold (blue, I got a white above 12,000 Kelvin). I didn't see any possibility of changing the color temperature

The color space is lower than REC709, like all projectors of this type, so there's no surprise here either. This means that this projector will not be able to display HDR content correctly, contrary to what is indicated on the optical compartment.

Brightness

More explanations on brightness

The brightness for a projector is absolutely crucial. The brightness is measured in ANSI lumens and the values provided by the manufacturer are very often higher than reality.

I measure the brightness with a lux meter and I convert my measurements into ANSI lumens in relation to the projection surface. You thus obtain a real value.

A video projector, even if it is bright, cannot compete with a television. The contribution of light (natural or artificial) will have the effect of drastically reducing the contrast of your image. With a brightness lower than 1000 ANSI lumens, the projector must be used in total darkness.

I tested the brightness in the two available modes: normal mode and eco mode.
I obtained a brightness of 661 ANSI lumens with normal mode and 551 with eco mode. With this level of brightness, you're going to have to use the projector in total darkness and manage the distance from the image size correctly. I'll come back to image size later in this review.

Sharpness

Sharpness is quite good, and the distances between the lines in my test image are clearly visible. On the other hand, the irregularities caused by the optical block are quite noticeable. This is also a fairly common phenomenon with this type of projector: the brightness is not uniform across the entire image

Contrast

More explanations on contrast

Contrast (on/off) is used to measure the difference between white and black. This measurement gives an indication of the ability of a projector to produce a good rendering in dark scenes.

A contrast lower than 500:1 should be considered as a very low contrast and the consequence will be especially visible in dark scenes where you will lose details. This is less of a problem for sports, bright films or even cartoons.

A low contrast ratio does not mean that a projector is not usable, you just have to be aware that for films like Aliens, dark scenes will no longer allow you to distinguish details.

Not yet available / tested

Motion compensation

Image size and projection distance

More explanations on the projection distance

The projection distance determines the size of the image and the size of the image is determined by the projector's throw ratio. If a projector has a throw ratio of 1.2, it will have an image width of 83 cm with possibly a gray border.

The distance also plays a role in the brightness because the brightness decreases with the square of the distance. A projector placed at 4 meters will therefore lose 4 times more brightness than a projector placed at 2 meters.

Keystone image correction does not modify the projection cone, it resizes the image inside the projection cone. This means that in the event of a significant correction, you will see a large gray border appear around your image.

With a brightness of 661 lumens, you'll be able to aim for an image size of 95 inches if you use the projector in total darkness. Since you won't be able to use HDR, the brightness requirements aren't the same. This is clearly one of the strengths of projectors in this price range. You may not be able to watch a film in the same conditions as a top-of-the-range projector, but you'll far exceed the screen size of a TV for a much lower price.

Screen choice

If you want to use a screen in combination with this type of projector, you'll need to opt for a white screen, possibly with a gain greater than 1. This will enable you to obtain a more uniform image. Given the price positioning of this projector, a screen is not necessarily a priority, as it may cost more than the projector

Audio quality

More explanations on audio quality

I use several types of music tracks to illustrate the sound quality of the projector but the rendering will always be limited by the recording device. Since I always use the same device, you will be able to compare the difference on the same basis.

I regularly use well-known songs protected by copyright to illustrate the sound quality of a video projector. It therefore sometimes happens that YouTube decides to block my videos for these reasons. In this case, you can listen to the soundtracks directly on YouTube and hope that YouTube has not completely blocked my channel.

Not yet available / tested

Video games

Encoutered bugs

Not yet available / tested

ALR/CLR Projection screen

Are you looking for a good ALR/CLR screen for your projector? I may have what you need:
ALR/CLR NothingProjector Screen

Test / Review conclusion

Not yet available / tested

Strengths

Not yet available / tested

Weaknesses

Not yet available / tested

LAURENT WILLEN
Head of myself on this blog

I share my passions on my blog in my free time since 2006, I prefer that to watching nonsense on TV or on social networks. I work alone, I am undoubtedly one of the last survivors of the world of blogs and personal sites.

My speciality? Digital in all its forms. I have spent the last 25 years working for multinationals where I managed digital teams and generated revenues of over €500 million per year. I have expertise in telecoms, media, aviation, travel and tourism.