Review We’re all used to being able to take videos and movies with us when we go out, whether it’s on a phone or a portable media player. Some of these devices boast pretty decent widescreen displays too, but with the Joybee GP1 mini projector you can carry an 80in widescreen display around in your handbag.
This miniscule device easily hooks up to your laptop or games console, but it also has a built-in media player to play back video and photo slideshows directly from any handy USB storage device.
Billed as being small enough to fit into the palm of your hand, the GP1 is about the same size as a couple of rounds of sandwiches. At only 136mm x 54mm x 120mm and weighing only 0.64kg, this really is a truly portable projector – although it does require mains power to run.
Taking a look at the specs, it’s clear we’re not looking at a high-end projector here. We have a DLP system with a native 858 x 600 pixel resolution in a 4:3 aspect ratio and a brightness rating of just 100 ANSI lumens – that’s an order of magnitude less than what we’re used to from a full-sized model. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Smaller, lighter, cheaper, less power-hungry: that’s the road we want digital projector manufacturers to take. Indeed, LG does its best to satisfy our craving with a highly compact and thoroughly usable short-throw projector with minimal ongoing costs.
The HS102 falls into the ‘ultra portable’ sector of the projector market: the unit is just 155mm wide, 117mm deep and 50mm high, and it weighs about 750g. In fact, it is only marginally bigger than the power brick supplied with the mains cable that accompanies the product. You could stuff the projector and its cable into your shoulder bag along with a notebook and still have space to spare, well, not much.
Due to its size, the HS102 is not designed for big-screen projections and it would struggle even in a boardroom. With a suggested maximum throw distance of 2.2m, it is clearly a projector for use in the home, in a breakout meeting room or in the corner of a classrooom. At an optimum distance of 1.7m, the device projects an image of about 1.5m wide and 1.2m high. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Price competition at the entry level for digital projectors is certainly becoming intense. Inevitably, the cheapest models are just new boxes containing legacy hardware: you get what you pay for. With the CP-RX80, Hitachi pushes gently against the tide with an attractively priced projector that is actually rather good.
Hitachi’s CP-RX80 LCDprojector: all the better for the no-frills styling
Cased in cute white plastic, the CP-RX80 is blessedly plain in appearance, with none of the ugly fins and gills that projector designers love so much. It would be unfair to call this LCDprojector ‘large’ but it seems fairly substantial because the 317mm width is greater than the 288mm depth, although it is just 98mm high. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Some portable projectors are intended for home cinema enthusiasts. Others are targetted at business users, trainers and travelling presenters. With the LV-8300, Canon could well be having a creditable crack at satisfying the needs of both types of buyer.
Moving pictures: Canon’s LV-8300 comes complete with its own shoulder bag
Although the projector is bigger and more expensive than your average 720p/1080i device, it offers up-to-date native WXGA widescreen resolution, is uncommonly easy to use, and looks very much like a consumer durable sitting on your desk… or coffee table. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Will users get carried away by epson‘s EH-DM2 portable projector that features an integrated DVD player and audio output?
First impressions are not good: this is not a curvy, sexy colour supplement-friendly machine. Think Volvo, rather than Ferrari. Yet if you’re a movie buff who wants high-end performance, this is definitely not the machine for you. It does many things quite well, but it really suits folk who want to watch big-screen movies occasionally rather than the home theatre crowd.
The projector itself has a tough exterior, with its own integrated lens cover for keeping dust away from the lens when not in use. Quite a few machines could take a tip here – integrated lens covers are definitely the way to go. The unit also comes with its own built-in carry handle and a padded bag that makes the projector easy to move around. It grants some protection, though the bag is designed to protect the projector only from minor bumps and scratches. Read the rest of this entry »
