Nebula Capsule II Review: Great for Streaming, Android TV fans

Nebula Capsule II – more than just a projector: A durable, ever-improving gadget for movie enthusiasts and beyond. See how it’s evolved since 2019.

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The Anker Nebula Capsule II rolls some of the biggest names in streaming into a pint-sized projector.

It’s powered with Android TV software and Google Assistant, making it the most forward looking portable projector on the market. Being able to watch a baseball game in your backyard is one of the great pleasures of summer.

But what makes the Capsule II so impressive is its 720p picture resolution, a remarkably handy remote control and more than 3,600 apps from the Google Play store.

You’ll recognize this mini projector’s menu if you own a Smart TV or NVIDIA Shield with Android TV software.

With built-in apps for Hulu, Pluto TV, YouTube, and Sling TV, the Capsule II is an easy pick for an outdoor movie night or watching live sports. Add a HDHomeRun or Tablo tuner to the mix and you can watch over-the-air channels using a TV antenna.

For gaming, I paired an affordable Android-compatible gamepad with the Capsule II to play “Badland,” “Beach Buggy Racing,” and “Riptide GP: Renegade.”

Last summer, I spent about a month testing out the Nebula Mars II. I still think it’s among the best portable projectors on the market. The one limitation was its third-party software. I plugged in a Roku Streaming Stick to broaden the app selection.

Adding anything else to the Capsule II is unnecessary. The first Nebula Capsule debuted in November 2017. A major selling point for its follow up is its Android TV software. It marks a huge leap forward for portable projectors, and makes the Capsule II unique in the pico projector market.

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5 Facts about Nebula Capsule II

  1. Android TV software with Google Assistant
  2. Netflix works (sideloaded)
  3. Doubles as 8W Bluetooth speaker
  4. 720p resolution / 200 lumens
  5. Numerous Live TV/Streaming options

If you’re interested in a particular element of the Capsule II, you can jump down to sections on Streaming Netflix, Best Apps for Live TV and Movies, Running without WiFi, Gaming on Android TV, Key Features, Setting Up the Capsule II, and what to consider before you buy it.

How I tested the Nebula Capsule II

I spent three weeks testing the Nebula Capsule 2 indoors and outdoors. Most of my testing happened while being connected to my home Wi-Fi network. I did some offline experimenting with the Capsule II as well to see how it could be used if you took it to a campground or a place without any Internet connection.

An OWLENZ 120-inch projection screen that I bought on Amazon was used for watching movies and live TV outdoors. Anker sent me the Capsule II to test out for this review.

The Capsule II comes with a USB Type-C cord and adapter for charging, and a remote control equipped with Google Assistant for voice commands.

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Outside at night, the Capsule II live streams a Red Sox game on YouTube TV. (Photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)

Best apps for Live TV and Streaming Movies

There are literally thousands of apps on Android TV, but during my testing, I was drawn to many of the same choices that I have for my TV. Having Android TV on board means the average cord cutter can easily tap into subscription services and free live TV (with the right accessories).

Amazon Prime Video is one of the better apps available on the Capsule II, given its massive library of movies, original shows and live sports. 

Plex users can use the projector to watch their home media, including movies, home videos and photos. 

Pluto TV was a big one. The free streaming service has a robust lineup of free movies, and more than 100 live channels. It’s an easy way to quickly find a movie, or find some live music.

YouTube TV was impressive, especially when I watched a Red Sox game outside on the OWLENZ screen. As you can see from the photo below, the picture remained bright and crisp. I connected the 2.4GHz bandwidth on my router while live streaming on YouTube TV and Philo.

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Another shot from watching the Red Sox game outside. (Photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)

Philo adds another 72 live TV channels such as A&E, History and Paramount. And Hulu is another great staple for movies and TV shows.

And since I use a TV antenna quite a bit, I tried out a HDHomeRun and Tablo OTA DVR. I watched some of the Stanley Cup Finals on NBC — and even with my Wi-Fi router one floor above me — I didn’t run into any lag or hang-ups. Watching Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals at night is pretty dazzling when you can project a 100 inch screen or onto a wall.

There are a number of popular streaming apps, including Max (formerly HBO Max), tubi and Crackle.

Streaming Netflix

The Nebula Capsule II is essentially a portable TV and streaming device rolled into one.

The only workarounds you need to know about is with Netflix. Anker says that due to Netflix’s policies, the company only certifies devices with at least 1 million units in production.

Anker addresses the lack of Netflix on the main menu by side loading the app through its mobile app. Just follow the instructions on the app to add Netflix to the projector. When you’re done, you’ll have an N icon at the top of the app.

Once you have Netflix on the screen, you can go back to using the regular remote control or the mobile app to navigate around. Aside from needing the mobile Nebula app to boot up Netflix, the app worked well, and the picture looks as good as any that loads natively.

Running without Wi-Fi

At the back of the projector, the Nebula Capsule II has a single HDMI port and USB port. Having these ports means you don’t have to rely on an Internet connection to watch a movie or look at some family photos saved to a hard drive.

ES File Explorer was already loaded on the projector. So I plugged in an external hard drive to the USB port, and my movies played seamlessly. The saved files on a hard drive can be viewed under the “local” folder. (I also had these same movies available to me through my Plex account while connected to Wi-Fi.)

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Along the bottom: there are ports for HDMI, USB, audio output and USB Type-C for power. (Photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)

Even without any Wi-Fi, the Nebula Capsule II can play games from the Google Play Store that have already been downloaded to internal memory. Anker says the HDMI port can be used to connect DVD players, game consoles and streaming devices.

All of this makes the Capsule II pretty handy for the family camp or on the road with an RV.

Gaming on Android TV

I only downloaded a few basic games to the projector. Badland, Beach Buggy Racing and Riptide GP Renegade. The projector has 4.4GB of internal storage, 8GB ROM and a Quad Core A53. So it’s good enough for casual gaming.

Casual gaming options — like Riptide GP Renegade —  works well offline.

Playing on a huge 100” screen took me back to when I used to play simple, fun games in an arcade. I didn’t connect my gaming consoles to the Capsule II (yet), but Anker says game consoles are compatible.

One thing to note if you already own games on a NVIDIA Shield: The Shield runs on a different version of Android TV than the Capsule II. So if you already own games on a Shield, they won’t transfer over to the Shield. I did see an exception or two (e.g. Star Wars: Knights of the Republic).

Key Features

The Capsule II has a DLP-based lighting system with 200 ANSI lumens, which makes it watchable in dim light or a dark room. 

Having such a low brightness can be a drawback because you can’t use the projector in a room during the daytime. But this projector is really made for nighttime or viewing at dusk. 

The two 8W speakers added some nice dimension to the audio for their size. There is an audio output, but I was very happy with the sound quality coming from the two 8W internal speakers. The fans inside the projector are barely audible.

And the auto-focus/keystone correction works well. There were a couple of instances where I had to engage the autofocus manually. The keystone correction is quick and responsive. I watched mostly everything at 100-inches, which Nebula says is the maximum screen size. But I found (depending on the angle/setup) that I was able to go over 100” while maintaining very good picture resolution.

Google Assistant is no small thing. When I first read that Assistant was a feature on the Nebula Capsule II, I was skeptical. What am I going to use this for? You can do some of the things you expect from Google Assistant such as asking for a weather forecast, or when the next Red Sox game is on.

If you have the projector set up in your garage and ask Google Assistant, “How do I repair a flat tire?” getting a number of instructional YouTube videos is pretty nice.

On the entertainment front, I was most impressed with its movie search. When I asked to see thriller movies, I was given choices from Google Play and VUDU as you’d expect. But I was pleasantly surprised to see the software also pulled in the movies saved to my Plex account.

Chromecast is pretty useful for sharing photos and videos from your PC or smartphone. But honestly, the Android TV software had more than enough options for movies and TV shows. I’m glad to have Chromecast on the projector, but only as a backup option.

Setup and power

There are a couple of ways you can position the Capsule II. When I was watching the Red Sox game on my back deck, the projector was only about 10 feet from the screen that I hung in front of my sliding doors. The screen was slightly above eye level so I put the projector on a small drink table. To get it at the right elevation, I put a few books under the projector.

When I watched movies indoors, I was projecting at an angle so I could use a big space of open wall just below the ceiling. A tripod was a much better way for that kind of setup. I have a tripod for a camera that works great for precise angles. Anker makes a tripod for its projectors. But these projectors have a universal fitting so just about any camera tripod will work.

A universal tripod fitting is on the bottom. (Photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)

Anker says the battery life is between 2.5 to 3 hours, and that was on point with my experience. I watched “Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story” on Netflix, which clocks in at 142 minutes. After the last credits rolled, I still had a little bit of battery power left to cruise around the menu.

After another movie, I ran the battery down to nothing just to see what would happen. When the projector’s battery dwindles to 20 percent, a warning pops up on the screen. That last 20 percent lasted longer than I expected. And there’s one more warning that comes on the screen a couple of minutes before it goes full dark.

Before using the Nebula Capsule II

The Nebula Capsule II does not come fully charged. So you should plug it in as soon as you get it out of the box. Once the power light in the back of the projector turns full green, you’re ready to turn it on.

Press the power button for a few seconds to power on the projector.

The first three things you should do after charging up the projector go in this order: connect it to your WiFi network, update the Android TV software and then load up on apps.

There are controls at the top of the projector, but using the remote control makes using the Capsule II a lot faster. When you get in the habit of using voice commands through Google Assistant, you’ll really be able to track things down easily.

If you’ve never used Android TV software before, it’s actually very easy to add apps and customize the menu. Move over to the top left icon under apps to access the Google Play Store. Once you have the apps you want, Android TV lets you rearrange feeds from the apps that you chose.

Update November 2023: When I first reviewed the Nebula Capsule II back in 2019, I was impressed by its compact design and performance. Fast forward to today, and I’m pleased to report that the Capsule II has not only stood the test of time but has also improved with regular software updates. As someone who has continued to use this mini projector regularly, I can confidently say it remains a top choice for anyone seeking a reliable and portable projector.

One of the most commendable aspects of the Capsule II is its consistent software updates. These updates have kept the device running smoothly and even enhanced its features, ensuring it stays up-to-date with the latest streaming needs and quality improvements. It’s not just a gadget that’s been left to age; it’s a product that has grown and adapted over time, which is a rarity in the fast-paced world of tech.

Moreover, the durability and longevity of the Capsule II are worth noting. After years of use, it still delivers excellent picture quality and robust sound, making it a worthy investment for movie enthusiasts and casual viewers alike. Whether it’s for backyard movie nights or impromptu presentations, the Nebula Capsule II continues to be a versatile and valuable tool in my tech arsenal. If you’re considering a mini projector that promises longevity and evolving functionality, the Capsule II is definitely worth your consideration.

Jim Kimble is a seasoned industry expert with over two decades of journalism experience. He has been at the forefront of the cord-cutting movement since 2016, testing and writing about TV-related products and services. He founded The Cord Cutting Report in 2016, and serves as the editor.

Major publications, including MarketWatch, Forbes, and South Florida Sun Sentinel, have interviewed Kimble for his years of expertise. He gives advice on the complexities consumers are navigating with streaming options, and over-the-air TV. Kimble has been a staff writer or correspondent for several award-winning, daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe.

Why you can trust The Cord Cutting Report: I do hands-on testing with TV-related hardware and services throughout the year. Find out more about the review policy.

7 thoughts on “Nebula Capsule II Review: Great for Streaming, Android TV fans”

  1. Which do you prefer? Capsule 2 or Mars 2? (Am asking as I ordered Mars 2 Yesterday and 30 min later I discovered that Capsule 2 exists…) I have an iPhone, and I would like to stream Netlfix, Youtube, HBO and the Norwegian channel NRK. I guess phone mirroring is the best option for the latter.

    Reply
    • The Capsule II does have a built-in Chromecast. But the Mars II is a great projector and based on what you’re telling me, I think you’ll enjoy it. The Mars II has apps for Netflix and YouTube. There may be more apps that have been added since I reviewed it. The Mars II has a slightly brighter bulb than the Capsule II (300 lumens vs 200 lumens).

      I have become partial to the Capsule II because of its Android TV software, Google Assistant and built-in Chromecast.

      Reply
  2. Thanks for the detailed look into the Capsule II. The performance looks like a good step up from Capsule I, which was already great.

    Reply
    • Thanks. This was a fun piece of hardware to review. Definitely a huge step up with Android TV software. I’ll be interested to see if other manufacturers will follow in Anker’s footsteps with Android TV.

      Reply

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