There is a particular kind of chaos that takes over households in the two weeks before the AFL and NRL grand finals. Group chats fill up with “who’s hosting” debates, someone volunteers a slab of beer they will inevitably forget to bring, and everyone quietly starts wondering whether their TV is actually big enough for the occasion. Spring in Australia has a way of doing that to us. The weather warms up, the finals roll around, and suddenly everyone wants an excuse to get family and friends into one backyard.
The good news is that hosting does not need a home theatre budget. LASER, the Australian electronics brand that has quietly been doing affordable tech for 40 years, has a lineup of Android powered projectors starting from just $99, which is roughly what most people spend on snacks and drinks for one finals weekend anyway. Here is what is in the range, what it is actually like to use, and the full spec sheet for anyone who wants the nerdy details before they buy.
The $99 projector that turns a wall into a stadium
The LASER Smart Gaming Projector is the standout of the range purely because of its price. Normally $299, it has been discounted by 67 per cent to $99, which is a genuinely strange amount of technology for that money. It runs Android 13 AOSP, meaning you can download 9Now or 7Play directly onto the projector itself and stream the AFL and NRL grand finals without plugging in a laptop, a streaming stick, or borrowing your mate’s Chromecast.
What sold me on it beyond the footy angle is what happens after the siren goes. It comes preloaded with more than 80 retro arcade titles, including officially licensed games like Street Racer and Glover, plus built in emulator support for NES, SNES, Mega Drive, SEGA Genesis, N64, Game Boy and Atari, so you can load your own ROMs too. Two wireless controllers are included, which means the post match entertainment sorts itself out for kids, cousins and anyone who peaked at Mario Kart in 1996.
Technical facts
- Display: 720p, 300 ANSI lumens, up to 120 inches (screen included)
- Runs Android 13 AOSP with Google Play access
- Connectivity: Wi Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI 2.0, USB A 2.0
- Weight: 1.38kg, includes two wireless controllers and remote
The bundle built for the backyard
If your finals plans involve more than a lounge room, the LASER Full HD Outdoor Cinema Bundle is the one to look at. It is on sale at Harvey Norman for $295, down from $399, a 26 per cent saving, and it is genuinely a complete kit rather than just a projector in a box. You get a 144 inch inflatable screen with its own built in pump, a Full HD 1080p projector, a wireless Bluetooth speaker, and a portable stand, so the entire outdoor cinema goes up and comes down in the time it takes to argue about who is manning the barbecue.
This is the setup for the household that wants the full spectacle, kids sprawled on picnic blankets, neighbours wandering over once they clock the size of the screen, and a viewing experience that makes the living room TV look small by comparison for the rest of the year.
Technical facts
- Full HD 1080p projector with 144 inch inflatable screen and built in pump
- Includes wireless Bluetooth speaker and portable stand
- Compatible with laptops, consoles and USB drives
Weight: 10.2kg, 12 month warranty
The ice bucket that doubles as the party speaker
No hosting setup is complete without something to keep the drinks cold and the playlist going, and this is where the LASER Ice Bucket Speaker earns its keep. It has dropped from $45 to $28 at Harvey Norman, a 37 per cent saving, and LASER says it has sold out ahead of summer for four years running, which tells you everything about how popular this one gets once the weather turns.
It is a four litre cooler with a wireless Bluetooth speaker built into the base, and ten LED lighting modes across seven colours that sync to whatever is playing, so it doubles as ambient party lighting once the sun goes down. The speaker and bucket detach from each other for easy cleaning, which matters more than you would think after a few rounds of esky duty.
Technical facts
- Four litre cooler with built in Bluetooth 5.4 speaker
- Ten LED modes across seven colours, music synced
- USB rechargeable, up to two hours playback, weighs 806g
One more worth knowing about
Beyond the finals lineup, LASER also makes a model worth a mention for anyone whose entertaining happens mostly indoors. The LASER 1080p Smart Android Cube Projector is a compact, swivel design unit that also runs Android built in streaming, comes with a 120 inch foldable screen, and is aimed at smaller apartments and rental homes where an outdoor setup is not an option. For anyone hosting from a compact space, it is a solid alternative if the entertaining happens in the lounge room rather than the backyard.
- LASER Smart Gaming Projector: $99 (was $299, 67 per cent off), available through LASER’s own store and Amazon
- LASER Full HD Outdoor Cinema Bundle: $295 (was $399, 26 per cent off), available through LASER’s own store, Harvey Norman and Amazon
- LASER Ice Bucket Speaker: $28 (was $45, 37 per cent off), available through LASER’s own store and Harvey Norman
- LASER’s full product range, including the discounted finals lineup, can be browsed on Amazon and at Harvey Norman
Between a projector, a screen, a speaker and an ice bucket that lights up on beat, the whole setup lands well under $500 all in, which is not a bad trade for turning your backyard into the unofficial home of finals season.
