Is it worth it?
If you’ve ever hauled a separate DVD player, tangled HDMI leads, and a Bluetooth speaker into the garden just to host a movie night, this all‑in‑one projector feels like a breath of fresh air. Aimed at families, students, and anyone who still owns a treasured DVD collection, it simplifies set‑up to minutes and throws up to a 100-inch image with the included screen. The real win is convenience: pop in a disc, or plug in a streaming stick, and you’re watching. There’s a catch or two (resolution and brightness expectations should be realistic), but there’s also a pleasant surprise in how usable it is when the lights go down.
After a week of testing across a small London flat and a back‑garden wall, my verdict is that this projector is a cracking pick for casual film nights, retro gaming, and classrooms that still rely on DVDs—so long as you use it in a dim or dark room. If you want razor‑sharp 1080p detail and daylight visibility, you’ll want to look elsewhere; if you want near‑zero faff, a built‑in DVD player, Bluetooth audio, dual HDMI, and a fold‑up 100-inch screen in the box, this is delightfully simple and good value. The reverse‑psychology twist? The spec sheet won’t wow videophiles, yet it’s exactly that restraint which makes it approachable, affordable, and genuinely fun to live with.
Specifications
| Brand | RCA |
| Model | CURRPJ241BK |
| Native resolution | 800 x 480 |
| Supported input | Up to 1080p via HDMI |
| Speakers | Stereo 8 W total |
| Projection size | 30–150 inches |
| Inputs | HDMI x2, USB, AV, VGA, microSD |
| Wireless | Bluetooth 4.0. |
| User Score | 4.1 ⭐ (51 reviews) |
| Price | approx. 100£ Check 🛒 |
Key Features
Built‑in DVD player
A slot‑loading DVD drive means no extra boxes or cables—just insert a disc and press play. It supports DVD, DVD+RW, VCD, CD, CD‑R/RW, and MP3, so your existing library works without conversion. This matters because many portable projectors assume you’ll stream everything; if your Wi‑Fi is flaky or you’re hosting a party outdoors, physical media is still the most reliable route. In practice, I watched a stack of family DVDs in the garden with zero buffering or app updates getting in the way—blissfully simple.
Dual HDMI and media slots
Two HDMI inputs let you keep, for example, a streaming stick and a console permanently connected, switching via the remote. There’s also USB, VGA, AV, and a microSD slot for direct playback of common video files. Why it matters: fewer device swaps means less wear on ports and less faffing during movie night. For classrooms or pop‑up events, it’s one less point of failure. My set‑up kept a Fire TV Stick in HDMI 1 and a Nintendo Switch in HDMI 2; the microSD slot handled MP4 clips I needed for a quick presentation.
Bluetooth audio out
Bluetooth 4.0 lets you route audio to a nearby speaker or headphones when you want bigger sound than the built‑ins provide. While Bluetooth on budget kit can introduce minor delay, for films it’s generally acceptable, and wired 3.5 mm is there if you want guaranteed lip‑sync. This is important because small projectors physically can’t house large drivers; wireless audio gives you flexibility without cables across the lounge. I paired a compact soundbar and set it behind the screen—dialogue clarity jumped, and the fan became a non‑issue.
Portable design with 100" screen included
At roughly 2 kg, it’s light enough to carry from living room to garden, and the fold‑up 100‑inch screen means you don’t need a perfect wall. Set‑up is fast: hang the screen, place the projector 2–3 metres back, and you’re ready. That portability matters if you’re in a flat, student digs, or hosting at a friend’s house—no permanent installation required. I kept the screen in the boot and popped it up for a community film night in a village hall; being self‑contained made me look far more organised than I was.
480p native with 1080p input support
The projector accepts up to 1080p via HDMI, then scales it to its native 800×480 panel. For DVDs and SD content, that’s a natural match; for HD streams, you trade sharpness for size and price. Why it works: scaling preserves compatibility with modern sources while keeping cost and heat down—key for a compact unit with a quiet fan. In real use, animated films, retro games, and sports held up well at 80–100 inches; intricate text and UI elements looked softer, so I wouldn’t use it as a PC monitor.
Firsthand Experience
Unboxing set the tone: projector, remote, fold‑up 100-inch screen, and power lead—no hunting for extra cables just to get started. I placed it on a coffee table about 2.8 metres from a white wall, which produced a picture near the included screen’s size. The on‑screen menu is straightforward, and the built‑in DVD player means you can be watching within two minutes of breaking the seal on a disc. The fan has a soft whoosh, but with the volume at around 50% it blends into the background during dialogue-heavy scenes.
With streaming, a Fire TV Stick in HDMI 1 worked immediately; I also tried a Nintendo Switch and an old PS2. Retro consoles looked surprisingly charming thanks to the native 480p panel—there’s no false promise here; it accepts 1080p signals but displays them at 480p, which is perfect for DVDs and older content. Modern Netflix and Prime look decent when you sit back a few metres, but you won’t mistake it for a true 1080p home cinema machine.
Brightness is where expectations matter. In a dim room with curtains drawn, colours pop well enough for animated films and sport. With lights on, or at midday with direct sun, the picture washes out, which is typical of budget LED mini projectors. For best results, start movie night after sunset. The included fabric screen helps—hung with some picture hooks and tape, it gave a cleaner, more uniform surface than my slightly textured wall.
Audio is better than expected at this price. The two speakers can fill a small to medium room, though bass is limited. For a bigger soundstage, I paired a compact Bluetooth soundbar; the connection was stable in my tests, and lip‑sync was acceptable for film watching. If you’re picky about audio sync, the 3.5 mm headphone out to a wired speaker is the safer choice. One user review noted occasional Bluetooth interference at higher volumes; I didn’t hit that, but it’s consistent with budget Bluetooth stacks—keep the speaker within a few metres and avoid crowded 2.4 GHz environments.
Disc support is broad: DVD, VCD, CD, and MP3 playback all worked, and the microSD/USB media player handled MP4 and AVI files I threw at it. Some oddball encodes won’t play—again echoed by user reports—so if a file doesn’t show, convert it to a common H.264 MP4. The dual HDMI ports are handy; I kept a streaming stick in one and a console in the other, swapping sources from the remote.
After several evenings, the pattern was clear: settle in after dark, aim for 80–100 inches, sit back 3 metres or more, and you’ll have an easy, crowd‑pleasing picture for films, football, or Mario Kart. It’s not a pixel‑peeper’s toy, but as a turn‑key projector you can carry between rooms or take to a hall or campsite with mains power, it nails the brief. Maintenance is minimal—keep the lens dust‑free and give it ventilation; the quiet fan helps, but it still needs space to breathe.
Pros and Cons
Customer Reviews
User sentiment skews positive for what it is: an affordable, all‑in‑one projector that’s easy to set up and great in the dark, with praise for the built‑in DVD and bundled screen. The main complaints cluster around brightness in lit rooms and average analogue outputs, while Bluetooth can be finicky in some setups. With a solid early rating, it feels like an honest budget buy rather than a spec‑sheet warrior.
Arrived in perfect condition and worked with a Fire TV Stick
Set it up the day it arrived and everything worked as expected—finally a DVD projector that just plays discs
Reads lots of formats and the 100" screen is handy, but Bluetooth and 3.5 mm audio can introduce noise so I stick to moderate volume
Way too dim for my space—everything looked dark in the background, so it didn’t meet my needs
Working great so far and does exactly what I wanted for quick film nights at home.
Comparison
Against similarly priced mini projectors around the £80–£130 mark, the inclusion of a DVD drive and a 100‑inch screen is a genuine differentiator. Many budget models assume streaming‑only usage, which adds cost and complexity. If DVDs are part of your life—classrooms, care homes, caravans—this RCA option wins on simplicity, with dual HDMI and microSD as a bonus.
Step up to budget 720p native projectors (often £120–£180) and you’ll see a clearer image for HD streams, but you usually lose the built‑in disc drive and the in‑box screen. If your priority is Netflix sharpness rather than disc playback, a 720p model may be the better fit, but you’ll need to add a streamer and possibly a screen.
True 1080p home‑cinema projectors from brands like BenQ or Epson typically start north of £400 and are in a different league for brightness, colour accuracy, and lens quality. They’re brilliant for dedicated cinemas or bright lounges, yet they also demand more money, space, and sometimes ceiling mounts. The RCA is the opposite ethos: keep it casual, portable, and affordable.
Smart all‑in‑one projectors with built‑in apps (think compact “Android TV” models in the £200–£400 range) offer better app integration and often higher native resolution, but not the physical DVD compatibility. If you’re digitised and stream‑only, go smart. If you want one box that plays discs out of the box and won’t break the bank, this RCA is hard to beat for the price.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I watch Netflix or Prime Video on it without a computer?
- Yes—plug a streaming stick (e.g., Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast) into one of the HDMI ports and use that for apps.
- Does it play Blu‑ray discs?
- The built‑in drive plays DVDs and CDs, not Blu‑ray
- How bright is it for daytime use?
- Like most budget LED minis, it’s designed for dim or dark rooms
- Can I use external speakers?
- Yes—pair via Bluetooth 4.0 or use the 3.5 mm headphone jack
Conclusion
This projector’s strength is crystal clear: it removes friction. Pop in a DVD, or switch to a streaming stick, and you’re projecting on a 100‑inch screen within minutes, with a fan that stays politely in the background. In the dark, films, football, and retro games look engaging and fun; the built‑in speakers are fine for a flat, and Bluetooth makes it easy to level up sound. The trade‑offs are honest and expected at this price: native 480p softness, limited brightness in daylight, and analogue audio that can hiss if you push it.
Who should buy it? Families who want easy Friday‑night films, teachers or carers with DVD libraries, students after a portable projector for movie nights, and anyone who values a bundled screen and dual HDMI convenience. Who should not? Cinephiles chasing crisp 1080p detail, users who need clear viewing with lights on, and those wanting a PC‑monitor replacement. Sitting just over the £100 mark, it offers good quality for the cost: not a home‑cinema cornerstone, but a crowd‑pleasing, portable screen machine. Check the current links—prices on this kind of kit fluctuate, and a decent deal can make it an outright steal for casual viewing.
