Lisowod L61 Pro (AI Movin 2.0) Review: a compact smart projector that actually feels like a TV replacement

I’ve been using the Lisowod L61 Pro for a couple of weeks as a living-room and backyard projector, and I’ll be honest: I went in thinking it would be another overhyped cheap projector. The listing throws around a lot of big words (AI, Dolby, 1500 ANSI, HDR10+), which usually means disappointment in real life. But I wanted something that could replace a Fire Stick + basic projector combo and be easy enough for the rest of the family to use without calling me every time.

In practice, this thing behaves much more like a small smart TV that happens to project on a wall. The built-in apps, the fast auto-focus, and the fact that you can just plop it down, point it at a wall, and have a usable picture in a few seconds – that’s what stands out day to day. It’s not perfect, and some of the marketing numbers feel optimistic, but it’s solid for the price bracket.

I mostly used it for streaming (Prime Video, YouTube, some Plex via casting) and a bit of casual console gaming. The room was usually dim, sometimes with a light on, and I tried a couple of backyard movie nights on a basic 100" screen. I didn’t hook up a fancy sound system at first on purpose, just to see what the built-in speakers could handle before overcomplicating it.

If you’re wondering whether this is just another noisy, washed‑out budget projector, the short answer is: no, it’s better than that. It’s not at the level of a serious home theater projector from Epson or BenQ, but for the price and size, it gets a lot right. The auto setup, the brightness in the evening, and the integrated apps are the main reasons it stayed plugged in instead of going back in the box.

Price-wise, this sits in that sub‑$200 to low‑$200 bracket, sometimes quite a bit less when on sale. For that money, you’re getting native 1080p, decent brightness, very usable auto-focus/keystone, built‑in apps, and solid speakers. If you compare it to a basic bulb projector from a big brand, you often pay more and still need an external streaming stick and speakers. On the flip side, those big brands usually win in pure image accuracy and long‑term support.

Compared to the super‑cheap $80–$120 projectors all over Amazon, this is simply in another league. Those usually lie about resolution or brightness, have weak speakers, and awful interfaces. With the L61 Pro, you can actually treat it like a TV replacement at night without constantly thinking about all the compromises. That alone makes it feel like good value for money if your expectations are realistic and you don’t need pro‑level picture quality.

Where it doesn’t compete is against high‑end home theater projectors in the $600–$1500 range. If you’re used to a calibrated Epson or BenQ with deep blacks and perfect motion handling, this will feel like a step down, especially in darker scenes and in terms of uniformity. But that’s not really a fair comparison given the price. This is more for people who want a simple, all‑in‑one projector for movies, TV, and casual gaming, not someone building a dedicated cinema room.

So overall, I’d say the value is strong if you catch it near or under the $200 mark. At full price with no discount, it’s still reasonable, but you might start looking at entry‑level models from bigger brands if you care more about color accuracy and long‑term support than smart features. For most casual users who just want a bright enough, easy‑to‑use projector with apps built in, this one makes sense and doesn’t feel like a waste of money.

Design-wise, the L61 Pro is pretty straightforward: small white box with a handle, lens on the front, vents on the sides, and ports on the back. Nothing fancy, but it’s clean and doesn’t scream “cheap gadget” when you leave it out in the living room. It’s small enough to fit on a bookshelf or a side table without dominating the space. I moved it between the living room, bedroom, and backyard several times, and it never felt like a chore.

The integrated handle looks a bit gimmicky at first, but I ended up using it more than I thought. For quick backyard movie nights, it’s nice to just grab the projector in one hand and a rolled-up screen in the other. The weight is low enough that even kids can carry it around. If you’ve used older, bulky projectors, this feels much more casual and less “set up a whole rig” every time.

The remote is simple and responsive. Buttons are clearly labeled, and there’s not a ton of clutter. It feels cheapish plastic, but it works, and I didn’t have to mash buttons or aim perfectly at the projector. Menus respond quickly, which makes a bigger difference than you’d think when you’re trying to log into apps or tweak settings. No backlight on the remote, which is slightly annoying in a dark room, but not a dealbreaker.

If I had to nitpick, the projector does blow warm air out the side, so be mindful where you place it. On a low table near your legs, you’ll feel it after an hour or two. But the noise level is reasonable; you hear the fan when nothing is playing, but once you have a movie or game sound going, it fades into the background. Overall, the design is practical and compact, more focused on portability and simplicity than looking premium, and that’s fine for this price.

From a “living with it” point of view, the L61 Pro is easy to live with. The biggest comfort factor is that you don’t have to fiddle with focus and keystone every single time. I often just put it on a coffee table, point it at a blank wall, and within a few seconds it’s watchable. For family members who don’t care about tech, this matters more than any spec line. They can turn it on, pick an app, and it just works most of the time.

The fan noise is there but not crazy. When you first turn it on in a quiet room, you’ll notice the fan. Once you start a movie or music, it fades into the background unless you’re sitting extremely close to it. I’d put it in the “normal for this class” category – definitely quieter than some older projectors I’ve had, but not whisper‑silent. After a couple of hours of use, the case gets warm but not scary‑hot, and the automatic temperature management seems to keep it under control.

Another comfort factor is the baked-in smart apps. Not having to plug in an extra streaming stick is nice. You turn it on, and the home screen shows you YouTube, Prime Video, Live TV, and others. No juggling HDMI inputs or hunting for a second remote. That said, if you’re deep into certain ecosystems (like wanting full Netflix, Disney+, etc.), you may still end up using an external streamer, depending on what’s actually available and how the regional apps behave. But for basic streaming, it’s enough.

From a “can I actually use this instead of a TV” angle: for evening movies, TV shows, and casual gaming, yes. For daytime news in a bright room, not really. Also, there’s no built-in battery, so you still need power wherever you go. For backyard use, I had to run an extension cord, which is normal but worth noting. Overall, comfort of use is high for this price: quick setup, minimal fuss, and the OS doesn’t feel like it’s holding you back.

In terms of build, the L61 Pro feels like mid-range plastic: not premium, but not toy‑like either. The casing has a bit of flex if you squeeze it, but nothing alarming. The lens assembly looks properly aligned, and after moving it around a bunch of times (shelf, coffee table, outdoor stand), I didn’t notice any loosening or weird rattles. The handle also feels sturdy enough for regular use – I wasn’t worried it would snap with normal carrying.

The projector does run warm after a couple of hours, but the internal cooling system seems to handle it. The fan ramps up slightly when it gets hotter, but not to a crazy level. They advertise some “intelligent temperature detection” stuff; you can’t really see it working, but you do notice that the fan speed isn’t constant – it adjusts over time. I didn’t have any shutdowns or thermal warnings, even during a long movie plus some YouTube after.

Long‑term durability is always a question mark with these newer brands. It hasn’t been on the market for many years, so we don’t have 3–5 year stories yet. That said, with a 4.7/5 rating and hundreds of reviews, at least early buyers don’t seem to be reporting massive failure rates. The LED light source on these is usually rated for tens of thousands of hours, but that’s marketing; realistically, if the electronics and fans hold up, you’ll get many years of normal use out of it.

My only concern is that if something does break (fan, power board, OS glitch), you’re relying on Lisowod’s support rather than a big established brand like Epson or BenQ. They claim 24/7 support and seem responsive according to some buyers, but I can’t personally vouch for the warranty process. So I’d say: build feels decent for the price, thermals are under control, but long‑term reliability is still a bit of an unknown just because it’s a relatively new model.

The main thing: picture quality is genuinely good for the price. Native 1080p is sharp enough that menus, subtitles, and small UI elements look clean, not mushy. On a 100–120" image, you can still read text comfortably, which isn’t always the case with cheap projectors. Colors are punchy out of the box, maybe a bit on the saturated side, but you can tweak them. The six color temperature modes are not just marketing – they do change the feel of the image quite a bit.

About the brightness: 1500 ANSI on the box sounds huge, but like always, take it with a pinch of salt. In a dark or dim room, it’s very comfortable. With a lamp on in the back of the room, still fine. In a fully lit room or with daylight coming through thin curtains, it starts to wash out. For outdoor use, you basically need it to be dusk or night; trying to use it in full daylight is pointless, which is normal at this price level. Compared to ultra‑cheap “300 ANSI” projectors, this is noticeably brighter and more usable, especially for slightly lit rooms.

The AI auto-focus and keystone are honestly one of the best parts. You plug it in, point it roughly at a wall or screen, and within about three seconds the image snaps into focus and straightens itself. I deliberately set it at weird angles and distances, and nine times out of ten it fixed itself without me touching a thing. It’s not pixel-perfect geometry like a high-end model, but for casual use, it’s more than good enough. The dynamic obstacle avoidance (dodging shelves or wall switches) is not magic, but it did adjust the projected area a couple of times when I moved it near a plant.

The Movin 2.0 OS also surprised me. Menus are snappy, apps open quickly, and switching between YouTube and Prime Video doesn’t feel sluggish. It feels closer to a mid-range smart TV interface than the usual clunky Android boxes you get with cheap projectors. I streamed a mix of 1080p and 4K content (downscaled) over Wi‑Fi 6, and buffering was minimal on a decent connection. No Ethernet is a downside for some people, but if your Wi‑Fi is solid, it’s fine. Overall, performance is pretty solid for movies and casual gaming; just don’t expect it to cut through bright sunlight.

On paper, the Lisowod L61 Pro is a native 1080p projector that “supports 4K input,” with a claimed 1500 ANSI lumensHDR10+, which mainly helps with contrast and colors on good content, and it runs Lisowod’s own Movin 2.0 OS with built-in apps like YouTube, Prime Video, and Live TV.

Connectivity is pretty standard: HDMI, USB, Wi‑Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and a 3.5mm jack. There’s no Ethernet port, so if your Wi‑Fi is weak where you plan to use it, keep that in mind. It weighs around 2.2–2.4 lb and is genuinely compact: roughly the footprint of a thick hardcover book. It also has dual 15W speakers with Dolby Audio and eARC support, so you can run higher‑quality audio out to something better if you want.

The big selling points are the AI auto-focus and auto-keystone, obstacle avoidance, and automatic screen alignment. In practice, that means you can move it around, tilt it, and it re-focuses and adjusts the image in a few seconds without you fiddling with manual keystone every time. It also supports built-in Chromecast-style casting from Android and iOS, which is handy when you just want to throw a YouTube video from your phone.

Overall, the spec sheet is pretty stacked for a sub‑$200 projector (especially if you catch it on sale like some reviewers did). The question is always how much of that actually shows up in real use. From my time with it, most of the features are real, not just menu decorations. Some are more useful than others, but it doesn’t feel like a toy.

The audio side is better than I expected from a small projector. The dual 15W speakers with Dolby Audio pump out enough volume for a medium‑sized living room without immediately needing a soundbar. Voices in movies and shows are clear, and for most casual use (cartoons, YouTube, TV series), I didn’t feel forced to plug in extra speakers. Bass is limited, obviously – it’s a small box – but it doesn’t sound tinny in the annoying way some mini projectors do.

For outdoor use, on a quiet night, the built‑in speakers are fine for a family movie night as long as you’re sitting relatively close. If you have a bigger yard or more background noise, I’d definitely pair it with a Bluetooth speaker or soundbar. The nice thing is the Bluetooth 5.2 connection is stable; I didn’t have major sync issues with a decent speaker. There can be a tiny bit of delay depending on your speaker, but for movies it was acceptable. For serious gaming, I’d stick to wired or the built‑in speakers to avoid any lag.

One detail I liked is the Bluetooth volume sync from the remote. Instead of juggling volume on both the projector and the speaker, you can mostly control things from the projector remote itself. It’s not perfect with every speaker, but when it works, it makes life simpler. Also, you can use the projector as a Bluetooth speaker for music – basically, stream audio from your phone and let the projector handle the sound. I tried it a couple of times; it’s okay for background music, but I wouldn’t buy it just for that.

Overall, I’d rate the sound as good enough out of the box, and quite decent once paired with external audio. If you’re picky about sound, plan to connect it to a soundbar or receiver via HDMI/eARC or Bluetooth. If you’re just watching Netflix in bed or cartoons with kids, the built‑in speakers do the job without feeling cheap.