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Get the Nebula Mars II portable projector for an all-time low price of $360

Cheapskate exclusive! Turn any wall into a big-screen theater with this amazing lunchbox-style DLP projector. Plus: An unbelievably good comics bundle and a dashcam for just $20!

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
4 min read
nebula-mars-ii
Anker

While you're scoping out TV deals for the playoffs, the big game and other big-screen-worthy viewing (free movies, anyone?), don't forget what is arguably the cheapest path to the biggest "screen" of all: a projector.

If you're looking for a permanent, real-deal projector to mount in your living room, that's a great option, no question -- check out our list of best projectors, which include models in the $500 to $800 range. And if you're looking to the future, like me, you should keep your eye out for deals on ultra-short-throw models, which I think will be the next big thing in this space.

But if you prefer something portable, something that can easily go from room to room while offering a totally self-contained viewing experience, there are options there as well. And I've got a deal on one of the best.

For a limited time, Cheapskate readers can get the Anker-made Nebula Mars II portable projector for $359.99 with promo code MARSCNET. That's $110 off the current Amazon price (and $200 off the current Walmart price!).

If you're thinking that still seems rich for a portable projector, it's all relative. Most of the mini-projectors I see nowadays (those in the $100 range) offer much lower resolution, weak speakers, limited battery life (or no battery at all) and other shortcomings.

The Mars II (sequel to the popular, but slightly flawed, Mars Portable Cinema) offers full 720p resolution, 10-watt speakers, a 4-hour battery, auto-focus and Android 7.1. It also offers automatic and manual keystone adjustment and a practical image size of up to 150 inches.

Don't expect a super-sharp image at that size, though, not with a 720p projector. But you can easily go to, say, 100 inches and still enjoy a pretty crisp picture.

The built-in Android OS allows you to run just about any streaming app (Amazon Video and Netflix come preloaded), and the companion Nebula app turns your phone or tablet into a much-needed remote for those apps. You can plug any source into the projector's HDMI port, but obviously that source's power requirements may limit overall portability.

In my brief and informal product tests, I was impressed by image brightness and quality and the loudness of the speakers. Auto-focus could be a little slow when moving the projector around. But once it's parked, it's all good.

Much as OS navigation has improved over the original Mars, this thing would be downright incredible with a Fire TV or Roku UI. For now, it's very good -- vastly superior to any cheapie projector out there and an affordable alternative to a big-screen TV.

I'm not sure I'd choose it for the Super Bowl (you kinda want 1080p there), but for bingeing the likes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Good Place, Travelers and the like? Absolutely.

Your thoughts?

humble-dynamite-comics-bundle

For as little as $1, you get 13 DRM-free digital comics. Pay $18 and you get 50.

Humble

Bonus deal: If you like comics , even a little bit, Humble's new Dynamite bundle is exactly that.

For just $18 (the highest tier), you get nearly 50 digital comics, all of them DRM-free. Some of the titles lean toward the adult side, with sexy-time stuff like Barbarella, Sheena: Queen of the Jungle and Vampirella. But there's also plenty of mainstream material, including Battlestar Galactica (yay!), Bob's Burgers (double yay!), Green Hornet, Game of Thrones and John Wick.

They had me at Bob's Burgers, so I've grabbed the bundle already. There's no quick or automated way to view the comics on a mobile device, but I was able to get them onto my iPad fairly easily using the Comic Flow app mentioned on Humble's how-to page.

As always, a portion of the proceeds goes to charity, making this an even bigger win.

eivotor-dashcam

Twenty bucks!

Eivotor

Bonus deal No. 2: Can a $20 dashcam possibly be any good? I don't know, but it might be worth $20 to find out.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, Kcovss (via Amazon) has the Eivotor 1080p dashcam is $19.99 when you apply promo code U9UQHVTZ. Intrigued? Take note that the vendor reports having only about 200 units available; if you see a different seller listed, it means Kcovss is sold out and the code won't work.

For whatever reason, this product has no user reviews, even though Amazon reports it having been available since March of last year. On paper, at least, it looks solid: 1080p resolution, a 3-inch LCD, motion detection, loop recording, night vision and so on.

You'll have to BYO microSD card (up to 32GB) for storage, same as with most dashcams. I'm no expert when it comes to these products, so if you see something that raises a red flag (other than the lack of user reviews), by all means shout it out in the comments.


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