Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, please see here!:https://youtu.be/PiwxbsrrNas

Through years of R&D, our patent granted Splay material science technology is the only display (projection or otherwise) that can fully fold without permanent wrinkles.  We have also received patents for the only one-step (and extremely durable) expand and collapse display.  You can check out some of our granted U.S. patents here: https://patents.justia.com/assignee/arovia-incful and informative answer to the frequently asked question here.

We developed (and patented!) the first type of projection screen that significantly mitigates wrinkles when collapsed. Combined with the tension applied by the arms, this ensures a flat screen surface that does not interfere with the image!

You can easily connect your phone, tablet, laptop, gaming console, etc. to Splay via HDMI or wireless adapters like Chromecast.  If your device does not output HDMI, adapters are readily available, like the Apple Lightning to HDMI adapter for iPhone.  You can buy a USB-C to HDMI adapter as an add-on for Android Phones and the latest MacBooks and iPad Pro.

We only recommend using Splay outside in shaded areas and/or close to dusk/dawn and at night.  Splay works great in most indoor environments!  Like all projectors, you just want to avoid direct light, like direct sunlight and very direct bright lights, like studio lights (for example, if you were filming a video of Splay, you wouldn't want to point your studio lighting directly at Splay…).

There’s a kickstand at the back of Splay that you can use to adjust the angle.

Yes, you can use a powerbank.  Just make sure it supports 15 V PD like this one.

Yes, Splay can be used in portrait mode.  Windows and Mac have ways to adjust orientation to portrait.  With iOS and Android you need to use 3rd party dongles.

You can easily (less than 1 minute) remove our patented display technology and, with the press of a button, flip the image and project on a wall.  With the short focal length optics, you can project a 60-inch diagonal FHD image from less than 2 feet.  Projector mode also features vertical auto-keystone correction, so if the projector is tilted, it will automatically flatten the image on the wall.  When you need to use Splay in display mode, it is just as easy to put the display back.  Obviously, if you are projecting a very large image in projector mode, you’ll want to be in a dimly lit room.  

In projector mode, we recommend using a tripod to help with positioning Splay’s image.  You can also use an item, like your smartphone, to prop up your Splay.  Since Splay’s fan is at the bottom of the chassis, we highly recommend using a tripod or propping up the front of the chassis some other way.   

Splay’s display is 3 times bigger than most laptop, USB monitor, and tablet displays.  Comparing Splay’s display size to a laptop, USB monitor, and tablet is like comparing the experience on an iPad to an iPhone.  You can see a reference comparison here: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AntZbYhY4Bggg8cdSdmLnO4nUnYrxA and a tabular comparison of 16:9 aspect ratio screens here: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AntZbYhY4Bggg8ceQZs_lMmlJ4REJg

Unfortunately, display sizes are conventionally listed in diagonal, which is like comparing home size as the distance between 2 walls instead of square feet or meters.  Splay’s screen area is 256.49 square inches (inches^2) as opposed to 72.21 square inches for a 13-inch diagonal screen; e.g. Splay is 355% (3.5x) larger than a 13-inch diagonal, 16:9 aspect ratio, screen.  

Splay is a MASSIVE upgrade: higher resolution (HD to FHD), significantly increased brightness (2-times brighter), lighter-weight (0.5 pound lighter), re-imagined industrial design, a new mode, so you can use as a projector, and 30% less expanded and folded size.  We built Splay from the ground up with the lessons we learned from making SPUD, to make the ultimate portable display.  We also made Splay much easier to manufacture than SPUD, so we can deliver your Splay in less than a year.  Splay is also significantly more progressed in the manufacturing process than when we launched SPUD. 

Here’s Splay compared to Alex’s 15-inch laptop: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AntZbYhY4Bggg78ZHPGOJd8vkO4C6w

Since Splay has the shortest focal length (e.g. throw ratio) of any portable projector, it easily fits on most desks.  The distance from the front of the projector to the screen is 7.5 inches.  The length of Splay’s chassis is 6.3 inches (e.g. total 13.8-inches, but the chassis takes up less space than the shroud).  For reference, a 17-inch laptop usually has a depth around 10-inches, 15-inch around 9.5-inches, and 13-inch around 8.5-inches. 

Splay’s highest brightness in display mode is 800 nits.  For reference, most monitors are around 300 nits.  In projector mode, Splay is 260 lumens.  

Note: almost all (all that we are aware of) projector brands significantly overstate lumens.  For example, we measured one of the biggest brands (that stretches the truth less than average) at 300 lumens for a projector marketed at 800 lumens

How long does the bulb last?

No, but you can use a dongle like this.

We are using Texas Instrument’s (TI) DLP230NP DLP® 0.23 1080p DMD.  https://www.ti.com/product/DLP230NP  We chose this Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) because it is the smallest/most portable on the market that displays a 1920x1080 image. This DMD actuates a 960x540 chipset much faster than the eye can see to create a 1920x1080 image.  TI calls this technology XPR.  You can see an image comparison with and without XPR here: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AntZbYhY4Bggg8cfwcJL8SpFf7Y4Hw 

If you want to delve into the technical details, this white paper (https://1drv.ms/b/s!AntZbYhY4Bggg8cg6Wp9-7Fym7uq3w?e=5vGwDZ) shows how XPR (super-resolution) competes very favorably against competing solutions.

“Super-resolution projection lowers the cost of high-resolution projection by reducing the required resolution of the DMD, minimizing optics volume, and lowering required optics resolving power. This leverages the fast switching speed of the DMD to create high quality images.”

Obviously, XPR drastically improves resolution!

You can see some unprocessed side by side comparisons with the M1 MacBook Air here: https://youtu.be/kxEbOwvZ1p0

Since Splay is projector-based, obviously, the contrast is not as good as a traditional display (everyone has seen a projected image and an LCD image…).  However, Splay is natively brighter 900 nits vs. ~300 nits since, in display mode, we are using a projector designed for 50-inch+ diagonal and compressing to 24-inch diagonal (e.g. 4x smaller area).  To optimize contrast, we have the shroud on the back of Splay to block light, and we made our patented projector display material dark gray, so the contrast is better than projecting on a traditional white wall.  It’s pretty simple, the less direct light hitting Splay, the better it will look.  Splay is much closer to LCD than our first product, SPUD, due to the increases in resolution and brightness from advances in our display material and projector technology!  If you want a large and portable diSplay andan ultra-short-throw portable projector, Splay is for you! 

Splay is covered by a one (1) year manufacturer’s warranty, which means that we will repair or replace a defective product within one (1) year of the date of shipment if the defect was caused solely by our own manufacturing, workmanship, or assembly process. Damage caused by the user is not covered under this Warranty Policy.  We will do our best to support beyond 1 year, but we are currently a small startup and our assembly manufacturer only gives us a 1-year warranty.

Yes, we will ship with a plug type specific to your shipping address

No, we are already offering the lowest prices we can.  However, we will make every effort to help you minimize VAT and Custom Duty if your country assesses.  Splay is in a duty-free category in the U.S.

Our refund policy lasts thirty (30) days from date of shipment of merchandise. If thirty (30) days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund. You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. There is no restocking fee for returns of unopened items. To be eligible for an unopened return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging. There is a 40% restocking fee for returns of opened items. Item must be in good working condition. All returns will be inspected before a refund is issued.

Include a helpful and informative answer to the frequently asked question here.

Please email us at support@arovia.com