I recently had the pleasure of spending two days in Bavaria as a guest of BenQ to celebrate the launch of their new GS1 outdoor projector at the Knaus Tabbert campervan convention.
BenQ are a brand that I am already familiar with as I purchased one of their indoor projectors several years ago and I love it! Its great for having mock cinema showings or just to watch Game Of Thrones on the big screen..it creates atmosphere and more of a sense of occasion plus Jon Snow ( Game of Thrones ) on a larger screen is never a bad thing. When BenQ invited me it was a no brainer, I loved the sound of the product and I’d never been to Bavaria or anywhere else in Germany before so I was in.
It’s a funny thing travelling somewhere when you haven’t been responsible for booking the hotel or the transfers or even the flights. It was nice just for once to leave things in somebody else’s hands and I was a little spoilt. I escaped torrential rain in Bristol on a relatively smooth journey to Munich before spending a long but scenic journey to Bad Griesbach and the Hotel Maximilian, it would have been more scenic but I fell asleep a little on route!
The hotel was impressive with a beautiful spa area and they made some killer cocktails too!
The relaxation room was lovely, as was the thermal steam room.
I loved this tunnel which lead to the outdoor pool although it was pretty cold.
Sorry for the poor quality images – just shot on my phone.
There were a mixed group of press including bloggers Karen from Mini Travellers, Briony from Anyway To Stay At Home, magazine journalists and editors including Mikkel from Connery.dk /Nordic Lad and Candy from The Camping & Caravanning Mag. The BenQ team made us feel incredibly welcome and it was a friendly fun group.
The enthusiasm that the BenQ team have for the brand and product is contagious and although I expected to like it from the get go I was more impressed than I thought I would be. Ideally suited for people who are campervanner’s (is that a word?), as it means they can watch TV on a larger screen – most camper van screens are about 24 inches, whilst the GSI can project 60 inches from a distance of just 1 metre. So you pop it on your dining table, fire it up in 3 seconds and relax on the bed or chairs watching a film or you could project it straight onto the back of your van. It’s also great for camping, project onto the side of your tent or use the pop up screen that you can purchase alongside it.
Here are some of the best points about the family friendly outdoor projector:
DROP PROOF
If children are running around playing games or an adult trips, even if it’s accidentally knocked onto the floor, the GS1with its case is Drop proof, which means it will even survive a fall of 60cm.
IPX1 SPLASH PROOF
Perhaps you’ve put the GS1 on the camping table ready for the movie to begin. What if a drink gets spilt? There’s no need to worry because GS1’s rubberised case is also IPX1 Splash Proof.
LOW HEAT
Unlike other projectors, the GS1 emits low heat making it safe enough for inquisitive children to touch without hurting their hands.
The family friendly GS1 is the only outdoor camping gear you need for entertaining. These design features give parents additional peace of mind so you can relax and enjoy time together.
What I thought:
Its tiny. Like actually tiny. Just about the size of my palm and yet it does everything the normal projectors do and more besides. Space in the car is always limited on a camping trip. I was also amazed at the quality of the image when used in ambient light – there are various settings for different scenarios. So far it appears to be as high quality as my current full size projector. It will be on sale for 599 euros from July 20th.
I won’t got into anymore detail as I will be reviewing the GSI fully over the coming months and I am sure I will have lots to tell you about it then but from what I have seen so far I think I am going to love it.
The GS1 was demonstrated at Knaus Dealer Convention in Bad Greisbach, Germany between 15-20th June 2016. Knaus Dealer Convention is one of the largest mobile camping conventions in Europe. The GS1 outdoor leisure projector is priced at 599 Euros including 20% VAT (MSRP). It will be on display at the show but will officially launch 20th July 2016.
Thanks to all at BenQ and Adrenalin Marketing for the invitation and hospitality.
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- I was invited to Bavaria as a guest of BenQ.