Dell M109S Pocket Projector

Palm projectors have been seen on the net for a while now, but Dell is the first to offer a pocket projector to the mass market. The Dell M109S projector is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand (3.64” x 4.12” x 1.46”). The specs are nothing spectacular with a brightness of 55 lumens, resolution of 858x600 and a throw distance of 8 feet, but who cares when the projector is smaller than my hand. The main selling point on M109S is that it is tiny and has a weight of only .8 pounds and lets not forget the price either. With a pricetag of only $500 this is one gadget that will be on many tech enthusiasts holiday shopping list.

What is a long throw Lens?

A long throw lens is a special type of lens that allows a projector to be placed farther back without stretching out the screen as far as a normal lens would. Long throw lenses are usually external lenses that are mounted on in front of the normal lens, like a pair of glasses. Some projectors will come stock with a long throw lens, but this is very rare and are often from name brands you cannot trust. Typically you can find a long throw lens from any where from $1000 for a very cheap one to all the way up to $5000 for a high quality lens for very long distances.

A long throw lens is typically used in a larger facility like a church. A church for example would not want a bulky projector in the middle of the church, but would rather have it placed in the back of the church where it is far out of site. Also University lecture halls, reception halls, and convention centers are often a common place for long throw lens due to the buildings large size. Another common place you might see a long throw lens is a school auditorium. If you have ever looked at the very back top corner of a school auditorium there is usually a sound and video box where a projector is placed. Now think of how big that projectors screen would be if it did not use a long throw lens, so in most cases like this a long throw lens a must have.

One last reminder when planning your budget and seeing how much money you want to spend. Consider whether or not you want a long throw lens.

What to Look for in a Projector Screen

As projectors grow in popularity for home theater use, many people are deciding to get their money's worth and are completing the home theater package by buying projector screens. But just like projectors, projector screens vary from model to model and some of these differences shouldn't be ignored.

Like most products for sale, there are cheap, inexpensive options as well as higher priced, more expensive projector screens. The most glaring differences between the two being the quality of the material used in manufacturing and the quality of construction by the manufacturer. For fixed frame screens spending the extra cash usually translates to a more durable and taut screen. For screens built with extra sturdiness this means the screen will retain its shape longer, and will not warp from being held taught. Screens that are built with less sturdy material will often begin to lose shape over time and the screen material will become loose as it stretches which will result in a distorted image.

Velvet borders are also common in projector screens as they prevent light leaks off the side of the screen and provide the screen with a more finished look. As price goes up with a screen usually the quality and durability of the fabric used increases with it. Another fact to note is that many of the cheaper projector screen options are often manufactured outside of the United States. Draper and Da-Lite are two popular screen makers who offer tremendous products.

For those of you wondering just how much many projector screens are expected to cost, here is a general price breakdown for a few of the most popular screen options.

* Gallon of Matte White Paint: $20
* Screen Material (DIY screens): $12 per square foot ($300 for a 92-inch screen)
* Low cost Fixed or Pull Down Screen: $149 - $799
* Fixed Screen with Border: $549 - $2,199 (Draper Onyx)
* Electric Screen: $799 and up.

Source: Projector People

Epson EH-DM2 Reviewed

Epson has just announced a new projector called the Epson EH-DM2. The Epson EH-DM2 adds a twist in today’s world of projectors by now trying to market a projector as an all in one media player. Inside the new Epson EH-DM2 you will find a DVD player, 8w speakers, 1 USB port for photos, and a projector. This new concept sounds like a cheap bundle package you would find in the bargain section at Wal-Mart, but projector specs are not that bad either. The projector comes with 1,200 lumens of brightness, an HD compatible resolution, and it boasts 3LCD technology. 3LCD technology is pretty much a fancy new LCD projector that supposedly removes rainbow affects and offers more colors than known to mankind. The part that I like the most is the price of this new projector, with a cost of only $900 it sounds like almost to good of a deal.

How Many Lumens Do I Need?

A question that is asked over and over when it comes to projectors is how many lumens do I need? Well to answer this question we might want to start out by talking about what are lumens. Lumens is quite simply the measure of light output of projectors. Today’s projectors usually range in the number of lumens from around 1,000 to up to 10,000 Lumens. Another key item to remember when looking at the number of lumens is make sure measurement is in ANSI lumens. ANSI Lumens is a standard use of Lumen Measurement that was established by the American Nation Standards Institute. Some projector companies will try to make their numbers seem higher than they actually are using different methods to measure their lumens.

Ok now that we know a little bit more about lumens lets talk about how many lumens you will actually need for your projector. For starters to save money on your projector make sure you have controlled lighting. This is essential when setting up a projector because without controlled lighting you will need a lot of lumens to make your projectors image appear. Now if you do have controlled lighting here is a quick way to find the suggested lumens. The number of lumens tend to go with the size of your screen. For a 60-80 inch screen I would suggest 1000-2000 lumens, for a 80-120 inch screen your going to need around 2500-3500 lumens, and for anything bigger than 120 inches you are going to need 3500+ lumens.

Still unsure about how many lumens you need or have another question about projectors well feel free to call Rentourprojectors.com What better person to call about projectors than someone who deals with projectors everyday and has over 20 years of experience.

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Projector Tips for PC Gaming

People have been playing video games on computers since before consoles where even invented. Today PC's are the top choice for gaming enthusiasts and casual players alike. However, those who are looking for the best possible gaming experience are turning to projectors for high definition, high resolution, immersive displays for their personal computers. For those of you wanting to purchase a projector and get the most out of your gaming experience, here are a few things to consider when looking at all the different projectors.

The first and foremost thing to consider when looking at projectors is the inherent video delay that will come with every projector. The transmission of the video signal is not instantaneous and there can be a brief and sometimes noticeable delay between the time a video signal reaches the projector and the time it is displayed on the screen. This is primarily caused by the projector having to scale a non-native resolution.

Many times users will not even notice any type of video delay when not playing games highly dependent on exact timing, such as World of Warcraft, Age of Empires or other non-fps type games. Even then, many popular first-person shooter games are not negatively impacted by video delays due to the actual delay being under 100 milliseconds. However if you are considering playing mutliplayer over the internet, video delay is something you should highly consider.

In online games there is a side effect of network play known as lag, which is caused by the delay of computers communicating with one another. One thing to note is that network lag will be far more noticeable than video lag, but if you purchase a projector that doesn't fare well in response times your multiplayer experience may not be the most enjoyable due to combined video and network lag.

If the video delay is starting to turn you off from projectors, don't sweat it. There is an easy way to completely eliminate or greatly reduce the inherent video delay. This is accomplished by simply sending the projector a signal that does not need to be re-scaled. In other words, if you have a 1280x800 resolution projector, perfect in-game video resolutions would be 1280x800, 1280x768, 720p resolutions, and XGA resolutions - all without needing to perform any re-scaling and keeping video delay to a minimum.

Apart from the usual concerns about contrast ratio, color, and lumen output, video delay should be the number one priority when looking at projectors for gaming as video delay could make or break the projector. When looking at projectors for gaming the most important aspects to look at will be native resolution, as you will be wanting to send a native signal whenever possible and the native resolution will dictate which in-game settings to use, and regular projector refresh rates.

Source: Pojector Central

NEC announces 2 new mobile projectors

NEC announced this has introduced two new projector models. Weighing at a remarkable 3.5 pounds the new NP41 and NP61 are better known as mobile projectors. With the dimensions of 9.7x7.1x2.9 in the two new mobile projectors are considerably smaller and lighter than most new projectors of today.

The two new mobile projectors are aimed at people wanting to take the mobile projector with their laptop on the road. These mobile projectors though are on the same level of quality as home theater projectors with a brightness of 2,300 and 3,000 Lumens and a contrast ratio of 1,600:1 with a 1024x768 maximum resolution.

The only difference that we could find between the 2 projectors seems to be the brightness with the NP41 having 2,300 lumens and a price of $999 compared to the NP61 having 3,000 lumens and a price of $1,399. Expect to see these two mobile projectors out early this fall.

Mitsubishi HC1600 Projector

Mitsubishi has once again built an amazing new projector for a very cheap price. The HC1600 Projector is a high quality 720p DLP HD home theater projector with an amazing price of under $1000. You will be able to see true HD images with 1700 Lumens, 2500:1 contrast ration, native 720p format display, and all in a quiet projector that you can barely even hear running.

Some great things about the HD1600 is with 1700 lumens you will not have to worry about this projector not having enough lumens. Also the HC1600 has very good color balance and grayscale tracking for the price. The price is the best thing about the projector. Seeing an HD 720p Projector in today’s market for under $1000 makes this a great buy especially when you compare it to the cost of a giant plasma screen or to the 1080p projectors.

On the downside this projector is quite known to produce slight rainbow effects on dark scenes. The rainbow effects make it not a good projector for gaming and watching sports games. Another problem which is around for most projectors though is the price for a replacement bulb which will set you back almost $400.

All in all the Mitsubishi HC1600 is a great entry level projector for anyone who wants a great projector, but does not want to put a huge hole in their budget.

Need a projector rental for a conference or a tradeshow? Visit our projector rentals page for a fast easy quote.

Holographic Handheld Projectors by 2010

An Indian Tech Giant called Infosys has patented a system that will enable a mobile handset to send and receive 3D holographic images, and could be on the market by 2010. This patented technology will capture and send 3D images from your surrounding world instantly to other handsets.

The holographic technology would see beneficial applications for professionals and individuals alike by sending realistic depictions of car damages, injuries, visual aids for educators, medical scans and many other uses. These mobile devices will also be capable of projecting 3D films, games, and virtual media quick and easily.

This technology works by taking a series of 2d shots taken from a digital camera, or other image capturing device, and turn these into 3D holograms using advanced technologies and calculations to build the 3rd dimension to produce a hologram. Devices running this technology will be able to both send and receive these holographic images and will display them using a laser projector and optimized holographic lenses.

"Holographic handsets have the capability of enriching the user experience with an actual 3D experience and higher-quality images," an Infosys representative said. "This gives users a more realistic experience in areas like gaming, medicine, movies etc."

R2-D2 Projector

Check out this amazingly real looking RT-DT projector. At a cost of $2,995 this projector comes with a remote controlled RT-DT, a sweet looking Millennium Falcon remote, and of course a projector. Sounds cool though, but who would of thought it would look as good as it does in this video. This is definitely not just another toy you buy for your kids.

LED Projectors Coming Soon

DLP technology from Texas Instruments has made a full size lamp-less projector that utilizes LED’s. Led projectors have been out for a while now, but only for cellphones and Pocket Projectors.

These lamp-free projectors utilize a BrilliantColor chipset and a Phlatlight LED light source. So what are the benefits of having an LED projector over a lamp projector? First and foremost is the fact that no more replacing an expensive projector bulb every time you turn around. You will also benefit by seeing increased picture quality, mantaining 1080p resolution, reliability and value. Also worth noting is there will be no need for a fan so the projector will be silent and less energy consumption Texas Instruments also stated that “The reflective nature of the mirrors on the DLP chip allow more light to reach the screen resulting in a 50% increase in color gamut range producing more than 200 trillion colors and a contrast ratio in excess of 500,000:1.” Now that is impressive, expect to see the new Home Theater LED projectors coming out later in 2008.

Projectors Tips for Classrooms

These days as technology continues to expand and projectors become cheaper, many classrooms and auditoriums are starting to buy projectors for educational purposes. Projectors are ideal to have in the classroom as they are the most versatile when compared to chalk boards and white boards. Because most schools constantly find themselves on a tight budget or short on funds, we'd like to give you a few tips to give you're projector the best bang for your dollar.

First off, for use in a classroom you are going to need a bright, high-contrast projector that everybody in the room is going to see. The typical ANSI lumens recommended for a K-12 classroom is 800-1500, for universities and auditoriums you would want something around 2000-2500 lumens. When looking for the ideal contrast ratio needed for your classroom, it all depends on what you will be using your projector for. A contrast ratio of 500:1 is plenty if you are simply displaying text documents, power point presentations, or other static image data. However if you are going to be displaying video content, you are going to want something with a much higher contrast ratio.

The next thing you are going to want to consider for your projector is the resolution. Obviously it would be a waste of money to buy a full 1080p projector for use in a classroom, but just what is a good resolution? The typical SVGA (800x600) resolution is perfect for nearly all K-12 classrooms and will save you money when compared to buying higher resolution XGA or SXGA projectors. Also buying higher resolution projectors will less light output for the same price.

You should also consider the weight of the projector you are looking to buy. Some projectors weigh as little as 5 pounds, and while extremely convenient these come at an additional price. For classroom use, unless you plan to constantly move your projector, a heavier and bulkier projector will work just as well and can be less expensive. Selecting a projector that weighs about 20 lbs will give you reasonable portability and will save you money compared to the much lighter designs.

You should also pay attention to the bulb life of the projector you are looking at buying. Projector bulbs can cost upwards of $200 to replace and most projectors have a bulb life of about 3,000 hours. It may also be beneficial to run your projector in economy mode to preserve bulb life.

Short term Projector Rentals are also great for classroom-like settings where you are traveling to give a presentation in a conference room or auditorium.

Extend Bulb Life

Today’s projectors burn out after about 2000 hours of use and with an average bulb price being $350 don’t you think that you should try and get all 2000 hours out of your bulb. Well here is some easy tips to remember when using your projector to extend your project bulb life.

• Operate your projector in a clean dust-free environment.

• Keep your projectors air filter clean. Make sure to clean your projectors air intake filter ever three to six months. This varies on the amount of dust in your room.

• Keep the exhaust vent at least 2 feet away from any object. If your exhaust intake does not have adequate clearance, you risk the chance of your projector overheating.

• When replacing the bulb or handling the bulb do not use your naked hands/fingers, use gloves. Even the slightest bit of oil on the bulb can cause it to blow due to a hotspot forming on the bulb.

• Use “Lamp Economy Mode” whenever possible. If you use this feature you can see as high as a 50% increase in lamp life with only a 20% reduction in brightness.

• Do not unplug your projector until your projector has cooled off for 5 minutes. Hot Bulbs are very fragile and the vibration caused by movement can break the lamps filament.

• Once your projector goes off, do not turn it back on for at least an hour. A bulb must be stone cold when you start it, or the projector will send to much voltage early in the heat-up cycle, and you will drastically shorten the bulb life.

• Do not shake or jostle your projector. Projectors are sensitive to these types of movements, especially when the projector is on.

• Do not turn a projector on in cold weather. If it is 40 degrees or below, your projector lamp will have a tendency to explode if you turn it on immediately. Same goes for hot temperatures. Never leave your projector in a car on a hot or cold day!

Sports Bar and Restaurant Projector Tips

Sports bars and restaurants have always been a place where people go to relax and enjoy a sports game live on a big screen. Big screen bring excitement to local bars and apart from other establishments who have several small screens where many people have to strain their eyes just to see.

One of the best options to bring the big screen to a sports bar today is a projector. Projectors are sleek, lightweight, easy to install, and project stunning native 1080p high definition video. Here are some easy and quick tips to help install a new projector in your bar or restaurant.


Projector Resolution

There is not a whole lot of options as far as aspect ratio's. You can choose between the cost effective 4:3 resolution projector or the high quality 1080p widescreen 16:9 HD projector. When you are choosing for projects like this we recommend never going any lower than an XGA 1024x768 standard 4:3 resolution. At this level you are looking at a decent picture at an extreme low cost. If you go any smaller resolution will start to produce a grainy image.

For people looking for top quality, you will want a HD 1920x1080p resolution projector. These kinds of projectors create truly a stunning image. Prices are also going down on HD projectors due to the market becoming very competitive.

Projector Brightness

One of the most important things to consider in your primary viewing areas is the amount of lighting that is in that area. A good thing to look at when looking for a place to put your projector is a place that had controlled lighting. Controlled lighting will save you money and space. If you are capable of dimming your viewing area when you want to project an image, you won't have to purchase a super bright projector which will cost more and be larger in size.

When thinking of screen size make sure to properly light it with the correct amount of lumens. For screens smaller than 80 inches diagonal, 1000-2000 lumens is recommended. For screens that are 80-120 inches diagonal, 2000-35000 would be adequate, and 120 inches + would need a projector that has 3500 or more lumens. Of course you would need to take in consideration the ambient light of the room, which is why a controllable light source makes things so much easier.

Smoking Rooms

If your business if going to allow smoking indoors make sure to pay special attention to what type of projector you are buying because some manufacturers may not honor the warranty in a smoky environment as sometimes smoke may cause damage to the system. Your best choice is to buy a DLP projector as they are more resistant to smoke damage.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a white projector screen can sometimes become stained from constant smoke exposure which can then distort the color of your projected image. Your best bet is to either project on a grey screen or on a wall if possible.