A small price to pay for solid performance

Growing up, movie nights in my house were a regular affair. A new release at Blockbuster (especially anything even mildly scary) meant mattresses dragged onto the floor and six kids’ worth of snacks within reach. The setup wasn’t fancy, but the ritual made it feel like an event every time. That sense of occasion is where many projectors shine, and it’s the context the Aurzen EAZZE D1R fits best.

The strangely named Aurzen EAZZE D1R is a budget-friendly Roku TV projector designed for casual, large-scale screenings, without committing to a dedicated cinema room or investing in pricey equipment. I’ve been testing it for a few weeks, and I think it’s a great option if you want an affordable but reliable projector for the home.

At a ~$200 list price with frequent sales, the EAZZE D1R sits at the lower end of the projector market in terms of price, and that’s reflected in fairly modest specs. It uses a 1080p Full HD DLP projection system, which is the baseline at this point, even among budget models, and Aurzen rates brightness at around 280 ANSI lumens. That limits it to darker viewing environments, but within those bounds, it can still scale up to roughly a 200-inch image.

As for image quality, the EAZZE D1R looks surprisingly good for a budget-tier device. Sure, compared to higher-end lifestyle and home theater projectors I’ve been testing, blacks lack some depth, and darker scenes lose a bit of detail. However, in a controlled lighting environment, the image is clean and very watchable.

Streaming movies, TV shows, and sports works great for the price point, and I didn’t run into distracting artifacts or uneven focus. I probably didn’t need to watch hospital scenes from The Pitt at 80 plus inches, but I’m now ready for season 2. This isn’t a projector meant to compete in bright conditions, and Aurzen doesn’t pretend otherwise. It’s a capable pick for its price and a setup my childhood would have loved to have on hand.

The projector isn’t just approachable in terms of pricing, it’s also streamlined for ease of use. Autofocus works well, and while auto keystone wasn’t perfect, making manual adjustments was simple and only took a few moments. Manual image controls are limited compared to more expensive models, and there isn’t a deep calibration menu to dig into, but the limitation feels intentional. The D1R prioritizes speed and convenience over granular tuning, and that ultimately makes it easier to use for spontaneous movie nights.

The device’s budget positioning shows up most clearly in the hardware design. The D1R sticks to a very simple, no-frills chassis, and the lack of a tilting or rotating stand means you’ll need to get creative with placement if you want to project higher than where the unit is sitting. In the image above, you can see where I used a block of scrap wood to jerry-rig my setup. Aurzen sells a few compatible stand options if you want a more permanent solution.

Roku TV is built in for streaming (which I’ll get into more below), and the device comes with a standard Roku remote. Additional connectivity is straightforward, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI, and USB on board, plus support for Apple AirPlay.

The built-in Dolby Audio speakers are also capable for a projector at this price. Dialogue comes through clearly for casual viewing, though the bass is limited and the sound doesn’t carry much scale. In smaller spaces, the speakers are perfectly usable, even if the cooling fan is fairly loud and noticeable during quieter scenes.

For anything larger, and especially for outdoor setups, I’d recommend pairing external speakers over Bluetooth. HDMI input also makes it easy to connect external devices like laptops or consoles, though input lag is noticeable enough that I wouldn’t use the D1R for fast-paced gaming.

Having tested several projectors recently, software remains one of the biggest differentiators in this category, and in some cases, one of the weakest points. The EAZZE D1R benefits significantly from Roku TV, and the device is actually among the first projectors to integrate Roku TV natively into the hardware instead of leaning on an external add-on.

As a result, the time between powering on and accessing content is gleefully short. App support is broad and navigation is instantly familiar if you’ve used a Roku TV before. I didn’t need to connect a streaming dongle, manage extra cables, or learn a new interface.

That familiarity matters. Many projectors in this price range rely on lightly skinned Android builds or limited proprietary systems that feel unfinished. Roku’s platform is stable and predictable, which ultimately makes the D1R easier to live with. While Google TV offers deeper personalization on higher-end projectors, Roku’s simpler approach feels better suited to a budget, plug-and-play device like the D1R.

The Aurzen EAZZE D1R makes sense for anyone who wants occasional big-screen viewing without committing to a permanent or expensive setup. It’s a good fit for renters, families, or first-time projector buyers who want to see how a projector fits into their routine before spending more. As a low-commitment way to bring movie nights into the mix, it delivers good value for the price.

It isn’t a projector designed to chase cinematic performance, and brightness, contrast, and audio all trail behind more expensive options. The trade-off is a predictable, frustration-free experience, something that isn’t always guaranteed in the budget space. By prioritizing ease of use and familiar streaming over spec-sheet ambition, the D1R lands as a good balance of price and performance.