Optoma HD20 Projector

Everybody loves their giant flat screen tv's with their beautiful 1080p resolution and high pixel count and whatever else goes along with it. But such tv's can be pricey, especially if you want really good quality. But thanks to increased projector technology you can enjoy 1080p quality from from a projector that looks as good if not better than most tv's and that also won't break the bank.

Optoma Technology has just introduced the company's first 1080p DLP projector to cost less than $1,000. The Optoma HD20 comes in with a suggested store price of $999 which, technically, is less but come on, a whole dollar? But putting that aside, the Optoma HD20 is a really good little projector.

In fact, the specs on this projector could rival a few popular flat screen tv's. The Optoma HD comes with 1,700 ANSI lumens of brightness as well as a 4,000:1 contrast ratio. Video inputs come in the form of 2 HDMI, one VGA, one component and one composite video input. The HD20 runs a native 1080p resolution (1920 x 1808) and can scale most objects, other video and computer formats like UXGA, WXGA, SXGA, SXGA+, XGA, SVGA resized, VESA, PC and Macintosh.

The lamp light is very impressive. The light lasts for 4,000 hours in standard mode and it lasts up to 3. To save energy, the HD20 incorporates a rapid shutdown feature. A one year parts and labor warranty comes in the box however the warranty only lasts for 90 days on the lamp.

The projector itself weighs around 6.4.pounds and also comes with its own remote and batteries. The remote has a backlit illumination and a composite video cable as well as other accessories. Many different retail stores and websites have already signed on to the HD20 like Amazon.com, Adorama, Beach Camera, Best Buy, B&H Photo Video, CDW, Fry's Electronics, J&R Micro Center, Nebraska Furniture Mart, PC Richard, ProjectorPeople.com, Staples.com and Visual Apex.

John Grodem, Product Marketing Director for Optoma, said in a statement, "We're very excited to be at the forefront of such a 'significant breakthrough' in HD projectors. This new, low price opens up a whole new audience to the high-definition, large-screen, home theater projection experience." Many users will absolutely love how the HD20 displays an image more than 9 times larger than a 40-inch flat screen. The HD20 projects a picture that is greater than 120 push ups.

Overall it seems that Optoma has taken a lead from Vivitek's H1080FD which is also a 1080p DLP projector as well for the same price. While $999 isn't the smallest number in the world and not one that makes us jump to our wallets and get ready to buy a flat screen tv or projector. What it does do is open up the projectors appeal to younger audiences that much stronger. If you want an all around good projector then look no further than the Optoma HD20 1080 DLP Projector. Plus, Optoma is probably a better known name than Vivitek.

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A Projector in Your Cell Phone?

3M has announced the creation of a "Mobile Interactive Solutions Division." Its focus will be to make little projectors that fit into mobile devices. Even though the company already makes tiny projectors that are about the size of a cell phone, they could possibly be making projectors that will come built into your cell phone in the near future.

"More and more people depend on mobile devices for constant information and communication in today’s technology-dependent world, and 3M can play a big role in improving their experiences," said Mark Collin, the Vice President and General Manager of the new Mobile Interactive Solutions Division.

According to a press release by 3M, they were the first company to hit the market with a mobile projector. "The second generation of the product, the MPro model 120 introduced in October, is one of the brightest and most energy efficient battery-powered projectors on the market," the press release stated.

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Mitsubishi HC3800 Home Theater Projector

New from Mitsubishi is the HC3800, a DLP 1080p which falls somewhere between really good projectors that do not have the best leading edge image quality for around $1,000 and fully featured 1080p projectors for around $2,000 and up. The HC3800 has a bright picture with good contrast to allow for use on a large screen in a darkened theater atmosphere but it is also good enough to be used in your personal living room.

The HC3800 has a high lumen output which makes it good for dark and bright rooms. Many projectors come with image modes but this device does not. It does, however, come with many different color and gamma temperature settings which allow for completely customizable settings. The brightest picture was created by using the "sports" gamma and the "high brightness" color temperature presets. The picture measured 1346 lumens. While in this mode, the contrast is slightly lessened as well as color balance. However, put this thing in a room with ambient light and it will produce a dynamic picture.

"Cinema" mode puts out a bright 621 lumens picture which is very comparable with other projectors and you can also use a screen up to 150" diagonally in a dark room with decent light control. However, 621 lumens is pretty bright for many situations. But by turning on low light mode you can reduce the lumen output by 15%. Low lamp mode has a few benefits to it other than a lower brightness. On one hand it greatly reduces fan noise and it also increases lamp life potentially from 2,000 to 5,000 hours. You can also reduce lumen output by another 22% by turning off BrilliantColor which is enabled by default.

The HC3800 has a contrast ratio of 4000:1. With such a contrast ratio, many people may think that the picture will be bland or dull. However, the HC3800's ANSI contrast exceeds 600:1. This ratio matches and even exceeds some projectors that carry extreme on/off contrast ratings. The HC3800's black levels can not compare with more expensive projectors but the HC3800 does look just as good as any other device.

Fine detail is cleanly displayed, even when it is in motion. The HC3800 had no problems passing the HQV Film Resolution Loss Test. In addition the HC3800 has very little digital noise in comparison to other models. Solid color areas like backgrounds and wallpapers are very clean and have nearly no noise about them.

The lens on the HC3800 has a manual 1:5:1 zoom lens which is very good for a DLP projector like this. Only 18% of maximum light output is lost between the telephoto and wide ends of the zoom lens. This allows the HC3800 to have a better throw range flexibility than some other DLP projectors available for $999 which offer 1.2x zoom.

Considering that the HC3800 is an inexpensive DLP projector, it is not surprising that it does not contain a lens shift. The image offset is 29% of the picture height which means, for example, that on a 100" diagonal screen, the bottom of the screen will appear 14" above the lens' centerline. An aggressive offset like this is useful mounting the projector on your ceiling or placing it on a small, low table. However, because of this you rule out rear shelf usage.

Overall the HC3800 seems to be a solid projector and it seems to be a good competitor in the low priced 1080p home theater projectors market. It comes with a bright video optimized picture that contains excellent contrast coupled with a 1:5:1 zoom lens. The HC3800 is economical with it's 5,000 hour lamp which will greatly reduce maintenance costs down the line. The HC3800 does require some calibration but that has proven to benefit most projectors. In conclusion Mitsubishi's HC3800 is an excellent projector and well worth your cash. You can pick one of these up for $1,499.

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Sony Unveils New Home Theater Line

Have you been thinking about converting a room into a home theater or gaming room? Or maybe you just want widescreen, high definitions movies in your living room or bedroom? Either way, Sony Australia has announced a line-up of new home theater projectors that promise to be great for any room in your house. The range has three new models: the VPLBW7, the Bravia VPLHW15, and the Bravia VPLVW85. The projectors will be available through Sony authorized AV dealers and IT distributors by the end of November 2009.

The VPLBW7 is the entry level model but according to Sony, lower price doesn't mean compromising quality. Its compact size makes it a great projector for any room in the house. It's also great for any lighting conditions. Vincent Bautista, a product manager for Sony, calls it "heaven sent for apartment dwellers who may not have the long throw distances required for a traditional projector. It's low price ($1,795) also makes it attractive to average gaming and entertainment enthusiasts.

The Bravia VPLHW15 is the middle projector in the range and is designed specifically for movie buffs and home entertainers. The projector has SXRD technology which minimizes the the space between pixels and dot-less picture, regardless of the surface your image is being projected onto. It also responds to the light in the room and selects the optimum contrast levels automatically. Priced at $4,299, the VPLHW15 is a great piece of equipment for anyone who is looking for a "fully immersive home theater that doesn't break the bank," says Bautista.

The top model in the line is the Bravia VPLVW85 and it is made specifically for those looking for the ultimate home theater technology. The premium projector has already won the European Imaging and Sound Association Award for Best Product 2009-2001 in the video projector category. "The VPLVW85 gives consumers looking for the very best in home theatre exactly what they’ve been after. This projector delivers on the promise of a true cinematic experience for AV enthusiasts who are looking to give their home and family the best home theatre experience possible," Bautista said of the $8,999 projector.

All three projectors are designed to be flexible and easy for users to setup in their homes.

Blow Up Your iPhone Movies with the New Sparkz Projector

If you're an iPhone user, at some point, you've probably watched a movie or some other type of content on your phone and decided that it's just not the same on that 3.5 inch screen. Well now, there's a solution. Sparkz has released a new projector that allows you to dock your iPhone (or iPod) and allows you to blow up and project any movies stored on your phone. It also works for other devices such as video cameras, gaming systems, DVD players, media players and laptops.

The handheld pico projector is only 4.5 x 3 x 2.5 inches and allows you to watch any media directly from your gadgets. That includes podcasts, camera roll videos, photo slideshows, Youtube, iTunes, etc. It will also charge your iPhone or iPod while you're watching. It has a built-in external stereo speakers with audio out and a high capacity battery that allows for 2.5 hour run time with each charge.

It has a brightness of 15 lumens and the lens is 3M LcoS. LED Life is 50,000 hours, Battery is Lithium-polymer 3500mAh and resolution is 640 x 480 VGA or 1024 x 768 XGA. The projector sells for about $500 and that includes the tripod and all cables needed to hook the projector to various devices.

NECs New Entry-Level Projector: The NP610

Japanese company NEC has released a number impressive projectors to dates, and the new NP610 is the latest. The entry-level projector is designed for people who want quality images and advanced capability without going broke or compromising features. NEC is expected to heavily market the projector to college and university students and staff, but it is also expected to make a splash in the corporate world, as it is the perfect projector for training and conference rooms and lecture halls.

Rich McPherson, the NEC Product Manager for projectors says the NP610 offers a number of desirable features, "The NP610 is an ideal entry-level installation projector that offers all the features our customers need to succeed in connecting with their audience. From increased brightness and color-enhancing technologies to environmentally-favorable specifications, this projector meets the standard criteria required for integration projectors.”

So what exactly are those features? The projector, which has a brightness of 3500 lumens and a native resolution of 1024 x 768, offers a contrast ratio of 500:1, up to 5000 hours of lamp life, and lower power consumption, making it environment-friendly. It features a comprehensive input panel with DVI-I with HDCP, 15-pin, RCA and S-Video, along with a built-in closed captioning, variable audio-out, and AutoSense, which syncs the projector with computer signals. Automatic keystone correction technology makes it so that the NP610 projects a square image, even when it's propped at an angle and a built-in wall color correction preset provides adaptive color tone correction to images displayed on non-white surfaces.

The NEC NP610 is expected to retails for $1,499 and each purchase will come with a two-year parts and labor warranty. The project is expected to ship sometime in November.

A Buyer's Guide to Finding The Perfect Home Theater Projector

So if you were to decide that you wanted to purchase a home theater projector, would you really know what it is that you should be looking for? Well when I was totally honest with myself, I admitted that before I did some serious research I didn’t have a clue! Home theater projectors are becoming increasingly popular, and I feel that it is important to know the facts before you start your shopping.

The first and most important thing to consider about your home theater projector is image quality. Now when considering image you need to account for native resolution, your source material, and the uniformity of brightness.

As of now, the most common home theater resolutions found in projectors are WVGA (854 x 480), ¾ HD (960 x 540), and WXGA-H (1280 x 720). A projector with WXGA-H has two times the number of pixels of a WVGA projector. The more pixels a projector has the sharper the image quality and the better compatibility it has with HD sources.

It is recommended that if you will be using the projector for HDTV purposes, you should look into a product featuring WXGA-H (1280 x 720) resolution or high resolution XGA (1024 x 768). If you will mostly be utilizing your home theater projector with your DVD player (with a resolution of 480p), then it is much more cost effective to look into a WVGA projector.

The uniformity of the brightness of the projector is a big factor to consider too. The uniformity is defined as the percentage of brightness of the image that is carried from corner to corner and edge to edge. The higher the uniformity of your projector means the more consistency that can be found throughout your image. For a consistent image, you should look at projectors that have a consistency rating of 85% or more.

The next thing that you should consider after examining the uniformity of your perspective projector would be the actual brightness of it. The brightness of projectors is measured in ANSI lumens. Typically, the brightness of home theater projectors ranges from 700-2000 lumens or possibly more. The amount of lumens that you will need in your projector will depend on where exactly you’ll be placing your projector within your home. If you have an actual home theater room where there is controlled lighting and the room can be made completely dark, then you will be able to purchase a projector with lower lumens, but if the room features ambient lighting from windows a projector with a higher amount of lumens will be required.

For dedicated home theater rooms, it is recommended to look into projectors with 1000 lumens or more. When using your projector in a room with some ambient light, you should consider projectors with at least 1200 lumens. Any room with a high amount of light should have a projector with about 2000 lumens.

Once you have considered all of these factors, next you should consider what connections will give you the clearest image quality with your home theater projector. You should make sure that the projector you are interested in has at least one component video input and an HDMI or DVI connection. Component video is currently the most common high quality signal available, and the HDMI or the DVI connections will provide you with the best HD connectivity.

After all this you should probably learn about the lamp life of projectors. Most LCD and DLP projectors feature a lamp life ranging from 2000-4000 hours. This estimation actually refers to the “half-life” of the projector which is the point where the lamp is half as bright as it was when you purchased the projector. The longer the lamp life of the projector, the less money that you’ll have to put out to maintain the quality of your home theater. A replacement lamp costs between $200-$400. You should factor this into your decision, depending on if you will be using the projector as a television replacement or just as a movie and special events provider.

There are a few other things to consider when purchasing your home theater projector, but they mainly consist of what you prefer within your home. I hope that now when you go out to shop for your new projector, you have an idea of what you should be looking for. From the resolution to the connections that you need, you now possess the knowledge to make the best possible choice for you and your family’s entertainment needs.

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Looking for an Affordable LCD Projector Rental then call 800-736-8772 today. Ask about the newest type of projector that's "all in the mirrors" and see if a DLP Projector Rental is right for you.

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LG Introduces the HS201G LED Projector

LG has announced the launch of a new projector, the HS201G. The stylish and lightweight projector is perfect for presentations, promising the best picture quality, Digital Light Processing technology and the brightness of 200 ANSI lumens.

Simon King, the CEO and President of LG Home Entertainment Company said in a statement that LG's goal is to provide ideal multimedia viewing to people, "Nowadays, projectors are used in business presentations, in-store advertisements, or for personal use, such as projecting video games or images from mobile devices on the wall. LG’s HS201G provides the very best in viewing experience at all times and solidifies our continued commitment to the projector market."

The HS201G projector has a high contrast ratio of 2,000 : 1. Its Digital Light Processing chip provides viewers with exceptional quality and vivid colors, and it's Twin XD Engine provides superb color correction. It also features Advanced Color Engine for warmer, more natural colors and the Edge Enhancer for sharper edges and more accurate and independent color control. Its HDMI 1.3 up-scaling eliminates on-screen color banding and provides smooth, subtle transitions.

The projector is just as nice on the outside as it is on the on the inside. It's sleek and stylish with a glossy white facade. At only 800 grams, it's ultra mobile. It has a user-friendly interface with brighter, softer color, and fancy, unique icons and a detailed menu that can be accessed by selecting "icon" from the main menu. It has a Real Quick On/Off feature that turns the projector on and off in five seconds which means no warm-up time, and it can play DivX files, display JPEG images, USB memory sticks or cards, and MP3 music files. through an external hard drive. Best of all, it has a long 30,000 hour life!

3 New DLP High Def Home Projectors from BenQ

In late October, BenQ's three new home projectors will finally be available for purchase. The W6000, W1000, and W600 all feature the ultra bright BenQ projector lamp technology and are aimed at the home theater enthusiast. All three front projection single chip models deliver high definition cinema through BrilliantColor processing which makes BenQ's lamps some of the brightest, with highest contrast ratios on the market. Regardless of your home theater needs, one of these three projectors will most likely fit your budget and be just what you're looking for.

W6000
You can't get much better home theater than the ultra-bright, ultra-contrast luxury W6000. It has full 1080p HD video at 24 frames per second (FYI: that's what professional movie filming and editing, as well as Blu-ray players use). The projector features Texas Instruments' Dynamic Black and Philip's VIDI lamp technology, which allows for an unbelievable 50,000 : 1 contrast ratio. True 10-bit processing, BrilliantColor, customer color preference via Independent Color Control and a native Rec 709 color gamut also add to picture quality. Installation is easy with horizontal+vertical lens shift, 1.5:1 zoom ratio, dual HDMI 1.3 inputs, and Imaging Science Foundation Certified Calibration Configuration.

W1000
The W1000 also offers a solid performance as a 1080p HD home projector. It's similar to the W6000 in that it also uses BrilliantColor processing. It also uses exclusive 3D Color Management and UNISHAPE technology which allows for 100% color customization and increased image brightness by up to 40%. The contrast ratio of th3 W1000 is 3,000:1 and it includes a top access lamp door and dual HDMI inputs for easy installation.

W600
For a quality, sensible solution, the W600 is an excellent choice for gaming, videos, pictures, TV and is easily connected via dula HDCP-compliant HDMI ports, along with RGB, Composite Video, S-Video, and Component Video interfaces. It features 720p high-definition, 6-segment color wheel, Brilliant Color, UNISHAPE, and 3D Color Management and a 3,000 : 1 contrast ratio.

MicroVision's SHOWWX Laser Pico Projector

MicroVision's new SHOWWX projector is a full-color laser based pico projector with wide image format, wide color range, and wide always in-focus operation. It is easy to plug and play with no set-up required, it's sleek and small (about the size of a personal media player), and projects image of any size starting from six inches and going beyond 100 inches or more! Wide projection angle allows the image to be closer to the user and it has a high 16:9 format resolution. The laser light source produces lifelike vivid colors with exceptional contrast and features a movie-capable battery that lasts about one and a half hours. It also includes a wall charger for longer viewing.

The projectors, which can project photos, movies, TV shows, music videos, YouTube, podcasts, and presentations, will most likely be selling for between $400-500. It connects to any host device with a TV-Out or VGA connection, including many mobile media players, laptops, cell phones and video/digital cameras and also has a stereo jack for ear buds or external speakers.

The projector's output is measured at 10 lumens. While ultimately, a projector's lighting depends heavily upon ambient lighting and distance to projection surface, the SHOWWX projector is perfect for controlled lighting environments such as homes, offices, cafes and the back seat of airplanes.

Here are few more detailed specs:
- Resolution: WVGA (848 x 480)
- Brightness: 10 Lumens
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Widescreen
- Refresh Rate: 60 Hz (nominal)
- Color Gamut: > 200% NTSC
- Contrast Ratio: > 5,000:1
- Throw Ratio: 1:1(projection distance/image diagonal)
- Image size: 150 mm to 2500 mm (6 in to 100 in)
- Projection Distance: 150 mm to2500 mm (6 in to 100 in)
- Focus: No user focus adjustment needed. Image is always in focus, even on curved surfaces
- Regulatory: Class 2 laser product.1 UL listing planned

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Looking for an Affordable LCD Projector Rental then call 800-736-8772 today. Ask about the newest type of projector that's "all in the mirrors" and see if a DLP Projector Rental is right for you.

Epson Adds To its Home Theater Line of Projectors

Epson has announced a new addition to its 3LCD line of home theater projector: the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 705HD. With the 705HD, the company promises high-quality movies and gaming, and big screen HD performance for an affordable $750.

The projector has a 720p high-definition solution that works for a range of big screen activities including movies, gaming, TV shows, sports, videos, and can even play music from an iPod. The 750HD is meant to be consumer-friendly with features and performance that make home entertainment a pleasurable experience. It has a brightness 2,500 lumens of color and white light output and features four pre-set color modes. It features HDMI connectivity and USB 2.0 Type A digital connection for slideshows, along with other connection options including Component Video and S-Video.

The 750HD features Epson's trademark three-chip 3LCD technology and exclusive energy efficient E-TORL lamp which puts out optimum light uniformity and helps deliver quality move theater-like images and removes the potential for "rainbow effect." The 200 watt high efficiency design uses less energy for up to 5,000 hours of life. The projector is sleek and compact and easy to step-up and install with the Epson Universal Mount and 1.2x optical zoom and Instant On, Instant Off technology with allows for zero waiting time when you start or shut-down your projector.

The projector will be available in October through online audio/visual specialty retailers, select retailers nationwide, and the Epson online store and will include a two-year limited warranty with toll-free access to Epson's PrivateLine technical support.

Epson will also soon be selling the MovieMate 60, a 16:9 native resolution projector with a built-in dvd player and two 10 watt speakers. The MoviteMate 60 has a brightness of 2,000 lumens and will sell for about $650.

Optoma's PK102 Pico Projector

Last week, Optoma finally released its PK102 pico projector in the United States and it's selling for about $265 - just $35 more than the PK101.

As a matter of fact, the PK102 and the PK101 have a lot in common. They have the same native resolution (480 x 320), the same traditional DLP engine, and a slightly higher contrast ratio - 2,000 : 1 (up from the PK101's 1,000 : 1).

But there are some improvements from Optoma's original pico projector, which was, according to Engadget, considered the "industry's poster child." The PK102 is slightly smaller and features 4GB of internal memory. It also has new connectivity options including composite video input and a universal port which is capable of receiving VGA and component video signals. It also has a built-in speaker and can play MP3 files.

NEC's New NP4100W Large-Venue Projector

This week, NEC announced its new NP4100W wide-aspect professional installation projector. The projector is designed for large, wide-format screens in rooms with minimal lighting such as auditoriums, training and network centers. It is powered by a DLP engine and rated 5,500 ANSI lumens with a 1,280 x 800 resolution, a 16:10 aspect ratio and a 2,100:1 contrast ratio.

The projector uses optional bayonet-style lenses that support screen sizes of 40-500 inches at distances of between 2.8-304 feet and is capable of dual or single lamp operation. Settings extend lamp life by allow for multiple light outputs, and the lens shift features allows vertical and horizontal flexibility that makes projector placement in any room a simple task.

It features BrilliantColor, AutoSense, and DynamicBlack. Its input panel has DVI-D with HDCP, RCA, s-video, component, 15-pin and BNC, and an RJ45 connection makes for easy hookup to LAN. The projector also features remote diagnostics that allow the operator to make adjustments from a remote location.

The projector features an ECO mode which increases lamp life up to 50% with decreased fan noise. In ECO mode, power consumption is 315W when running the single lamp and 580W when running the double lamp. It has security features such as password protection and the ability to deactivate buttons on the cabinet.

NEC will begin shipping the NP4100W in September. The estimated price is $5,500. The projector will come with a three-year parts and labor warranty including a year with InstaCare.