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Pocket projectors hit the streets just a few months ago, and have already created a buzz in the tech world. From the the incredible creative potential of the DLP pico projector kit we discussed a couple weeks ago or the LCoS version we tweeted a few days ago – a large quantity of digital bits have been dedicated to the products on tech blogs.
But what has yet been left out of the conversation is the answer to the question “How do the LED pocket projectors compare to slightly larger – but similarly priced – LCD and DLP variety of portable projector?”
So, today we are whipping out our demo pocket projectors from 3M and Optoma and throwing in a sub-$600 portable projector for some comparing.
The 3M MPro 110 projector is one of the few new pico products manufactured by a brand you’ve heard of. There are a few phone makers that have integrated the pico technology into their cell phones, but for those dedicated to projection alone, Optoma and 3M look to be two of the major players. Although I did just stumble across a lesser known brand that has on board content like MP3 files, etc. which is a nice idea. I have not heard of the company however, and without the telephone function, who knows if it will catch on.
Ok, back to the 3M MPro 110. What’s cool about this unit, other than it’s tiny size and nice looking LCoS iamge, is the VGA connection. The VGA functionality makes it more friendly for use with a laptop, and with the additional input for composite video, it also means connectivity flexibility with some other portable video sources.
The 3M also has a slight offset, which means the image will project below the direct line of the projector lens. So, if you shoot your projector at a screen, your image will show up slightly below the line of the lens, rather than straight ahead as you might expect. This might be useful in some situations, and inconvenient in others. It probably won’t make a difference to most users.
3M MPro 110 pocket projector in action with a small rear projection screen. Video found on YouTube.
We have already shown some video and posted news about the Optoma PK-101 projector, and by my non-scientific tally, this unit has received the most press from the category. There is some good reason for that. It’s initial target users was the iPhone/iPod user, and was first released in Japanese Apple stores. While the PK-101 lacks a VGA connection like the 3M model, it does have a small (1 watt) speaker on the unit. We have our on-the-fly video of the PK101 in action on a plane. (see video)
Okay, now that we have discussed our two pocket projector players, let’s get on to our video comparison between the small wonders and their big daddies.
Note : I should mention that our demonstration is a challenge for a video camera, even a good one like the Panasonic DVX100B profesional camera we used. So, in person, the pocket projectors actually looked a little brighter, particularly after your eyes adjusted to the room. However, the dramatic difference in brightness is captured well in the video.
If you watched the video, what you saw was not entirely fair. It’s a little like a big brother stuffing his little sister in the dryer and turning it on for a couple minutes – at least that’s the memory it returned for me. However, some day soon, little sis is going to grow up and get her revenge. While the pocket projectors may not be the brightest now, the next generation of pocket projectors will no doubt be bigger, stronger, prettier, and better.
So, if you like being the guy or gal with the coolest tech gadgets, the one that had the first home theater on the block, or the home automation system, you might consider getting your hands on one of these projectors ASAP. They are in limited supply, and have a pack a nice WoW factor.
If you’d rather wait for the pocket projectors to become the standard for portable projection, and even home theater, you might not have to wait long. With energy efficency, lamp life over 20,000 hours, battery opperation, and their size, they have too much going for them not to continue to advance the technology. Here is a quick take on some advantages of LED based pocket projectors like the Optoma PK-101 and the 3M MPro110:
Advantages of Pocket Projectors :We have also been asked if the proper name for these tiny beamers is “pocket” or “pico.” It seems the industry is yet to standardize on one term, but this blogger believes “pocket” will eventually take the prize.
Why? Because pico projector is an industry term that has been used to describe projectors under four or five pounds, AND, pocket gives the end user an immediate sense of exactly how small these projectors are. There are some ‘pico’ projectors that would make for a very bulgy pocket. So if you’re shopping for a pocket projector, don’t be confused by the pico’s already on the market. No disrespect to some very good, very small pico projectors (like the Mitsubishi PK20), but the pocket projectors are indeed small enough to slip into your pocket. Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe they will ultimately be called ‘micro’ projectors, or ‘bitty beamers’, or ‘video pointers’, or ‘petit projectors’…
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Let’s say you had the technology to create a tiny projector. It’s cool. People are talking about it. But beyond an on the fly presentation of travel photos from your cell phone or a portable DVD player accessory, what else can be done with this micro display? How can this display change the world as we know it?
Texas Instruments, creators of the DLP Pico projector technology, has so much confidence in human ingenuity, they are going to give industrious inventors a chance to figure that out for themselves. A new Pico Projector Kit will include all the components needed to integrate a projector into just about anything computerized.
A bunch of stuff MacGuyver would love. The company reselling the kit for $349 retail is Digi-Key. Based in Thief River Falls, MN, they are one of the larger distributors of electronics components. From the press release here’s what’s in the box:
The kit will contain an HVGA resolution DLP projection device, a three color LED, a power supply, and a video cable connected to a BeagleBoard which boasts an OMAP35x processor, supported by Linux. (source : Market Watch)
From the sound of things, there are a number of specific markets that might be served. From general consumer interest products to industrial markets, and even medical applications, or perhaps even some more unusual uses. From the press release :
“We are very excited about offering TI’s DLP Pico technology to our customers. The Pico Projector Development Kit will enable the development of a wide array of embedded systems in the high-growth medical, industrial and consumer segments, creating flexibility and options on how information and content is shared. With regard to the pairing of the pico projector and the BeagleBoard, it will be fun to see what engineers come up with using these two gadgets,” said Mark Larson, Digi-Key president and COO.
Potential applications for this kit include simple 3D measurement applications, virtual cosmetics, augmented reality, battery or USB powered display applications, projection of video and images, and miniature applications that do not have space for a large display.
Unfortunately we don’t carry the kit at ProjectorPeople.com. However it is available online from Digi-Key’s website (part number 296-23836-ND).
Needless to say we are excited about the potential applications for this micro projection technology. As Sinatra might say “The best is yet to come, my friends.” We are keeping our eye on it, but not looking directly into the light because that might damage our retinas.
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The Consumer Electronics Show (aka CES) has finished up for the year, introducing some exciting – some less exciting – products designed to titillate you – the consumer who loves electronics. Since we are the Projector People, our interest lies primarily in the AV/Home Theater products. CES isn’t the largest show for AV, but there are usually home theater projectors released and other items of interest to our customers. And just for fun, we are going to cover a few products we thought were cool even if they have absolutely nothing to do with what we do. So read on for our roundup.
The biggest buzz at the convention, arguably, has been the new tiny, tiny, baby smallish, pocket video projectors. The Samsung Show phone with projector (read from Gizmodo see video here.), the Optoma PK-101 (we covered a couple months ago), 3M MPro110, Samsung MBP200 (marketed as a phone accessory), the Logic Wireless Bolt (from Wired blog) among others.
The questions we keep hearing are, “Are these tiny baby projectors any good? I mean could I do an actual presentation with one?” and “Do they work with an iPod/iPhone?” We would have to test them all on our own to say for sure, and up till now we have only seen the Optoma PK-101 in person. So here’s a quick review of the Optoma PK-101 from my brief experience with it.
Editor’s Optoma PK-101 Quickie ReviewI took home an Optoma PK-101 a few weeks ago and found it to be much brighter than I thought it would be. Or course my expectations were pretty low. But depending on the size of the audience, the amount of light in the room, and the surface you are projecting on, I would say that you could do a (3-4 person) presentation in a dark room with little problem. We also tested it with both an iPod and iPhone and it was able to display video from both after some settings were altered and connections changed.
The biggest limitation for presentations looks to be the lack of a VGA or USB input, however the composite output and iPod output adaptor did the job for our tests. My biggest complaint was the inability to output sound through an external speaker (or headphones) when the connection was in use during projection. Other than that, carrying around the little projector made me feel all fancy inside. It was lightweight. I could slip it into my pocket, and everyone wanted to see what I was holding.
[ Very crude video I took while on a plane with the PK-101. There is a focus on the pocket projector that should have been adjusted. The source was an iPod video. ]
We are also hearing questions about actually buying one of these Pico projectors. In most cases these are very limited release (often limited to a country like Korea – as is the Samsung Show phone currently). With the CES buzz, however, you can expect multiple manufacturers to start aggressively developing new Pico projectors for mass distribution in the U.S. market. You can probably also expect prices to stay around $300 – $600, with costs being slightly higher for phone/projector combos. We do have a limited quantity of Optoma PK-101 projectors on the way to ProjectorPeople. If you are interested, order fast!
The Pocket Projector manufacturers aren’t the only ones utilizing new LED technology in projection. In fact, with a 20,000 hour lamp life and good color space, the Home Theater market looks to be a great fit for LED projection technology. Vivitek announced the very first 1080p (true HD) resolution LED projector, the HC7500A, which is scheduled to hit the streets in June. Lumen (brightness) ratings are much higher on this unit, with a 700 lumen – compared to around just 7 to 11 lumens in the pocket projectors – output and reported 35,000:1 contrast ratio. Street price is a little shocking at $13,999 – but might still be a big seller with the long lamp life and great color going for it. (more via Projector Central)
Low priced screens are Elite’s bread and butter, and now they have added a Whiteboard screen to their product lineup. The screen is designed to bring out brightness in projected images so that they look more like a flat panel or LCD display. (more here) and it features a dry-erase surface.
Elite’s new acoustically transparent projection screen material
Also from Elite, a new acoustically transparent projection screen material has been released. Acoustically transparent essentially means that sound can get through clearly from behind the screen. It’s a nice feature for people who want to ‘hide’ their center channel speaker behind the screen. The new Elite material has .25mm perforations in it that allow the sound go come through without letting loads of light leak through. The smaller perforations help to reduce the moiré effect which sometimes occurs with other acoustically transparent screens. Sizes range from 72 to 180 inches.
It’s hard to stay ahead of all the advances in wireless HD technology. Every year it looks like wireless HD will be a reality, but no product has really taken hold in the market even with some promising candidates like WirelessHD. Consumers may be waiting for a lower price point, or just unsure of the technology. We have been asked millions of times when there will be a wireless HD video solution for projectors, but as of yet, nothing has emerged as a great option. We will keep our eyes open for the right product to do the job. Engadget has a nice HD roundup here.
Just stick the Plant Sense EasyBloom USB soil analyzer into your soil for 24 hours and then connect it to your computer and you will learn which of mother nature’s plant creatures will best survive in said soil. It won’t water the plants for you, but it might make your thumb appear a little greener. The EasyBloom can also diagnose a sick plant and provide treatment suggestions. (more here)
EcoButton. Socially Responsible.For computer users who want to reduce their carbon footprint but don’t know exactly how to do it, EcoButton is here to save the day. Essentially it’s a ‘one-click’ solution to dropping your computer into an energy saving mode. I don’t know how different this button is from the Apple sleep mode, but the button will certainly be a reminder, and the one button smack is very easy to use. There are solutions for home and work environments. (more here)
Palm Pre. Rebirth.Among most of the gadget gurus, the Palm Pre was the big talk of the party. It’s iPhone-ish, has a touchscreen and lots of web aps, but has a keyboard with real buttons. It also has a calendar Synergy™ feature to bring your Outlook, Google, and Facebook calendars into one view. That would be a great feature for this blogger, but I am committed to AT&T for another year and a half. AND I had Sprint once before. (see video here)
Anybots QA. Futuristic.Buy a friend for just $30,000. He can’t hug you because he has no arms, but there is still something engaging about the Anybot QA. (more here)
If you want to do some more CES surfing, here are a few other blogs with posts about the show. Enjoy!
That’s all for now! Watch for follow up posts on new Home and Business projectors right here.
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Posted by Jennifer on Thursday, March 5th, 2009 | 