projectors

Up until now tiny pico projectors have been mostly disappointing. But picos like the Velocity Micro Shine are growing up a bit in an effort to offer better picture quality.

According to the company, the Shine's claim to fame is that it's the smallest HD-capable projector with a native resolution of 1,280x768 pixels (WXGA). While that's far from full 1080p resolution, the company says it can accept a 1080p (1,920x1,080) signal. It uses DLP technology with LED illumination and weighs 9 ounces and measure 4 inches on its longest side. … Read more

Early in 2011, when the Optoma Neo-i iPhone/iPod projector made its debut, the price tag was a stiff $450.

Today only, and while supplies last, Woot has the Optoma Neo-i projector for $219.99, plus $5 for shipping. Unlike much of what Woot peddles, this Neo is new, not refurbished.

The Neo-i combines an iPhone/iPod speaker dock with a 50-ANSI-lumens pico projector. To put that another way, when you plunk your iThing onto the connector and load up your library of, say, "Arrested Development" episodes, the projector beams them onto any available stretch of lightly colored … Read more

When you think of the companies at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, you tend to think of giants like Sharp, Samsung, Nokia, Fuji, and so forth.

That's especially true when it comes to digital imaging, a field dominated by the likes of Sony, Panasonic, and Toshiba.

But this year, CES is rolling out the red carpet to a wide range of startup companies, which will be showcasing their wares under the banner of "Eureka Park." All told, more than 80 young companies will be on hand, representing fields such as robotics, energy, digital health, gaming, and so … Read more

Despite reviewing TVs for a living, I don't actually own a TV. The last TV I bought was a 27-inch CRT, in the summer of 2000.

Instead, I do all my TV and movie watching on a 102-inch screen. It's epic. And a projector doesn't have to cost a lot of money, nor is it difficult to set up.

The pros and cons of projection (and why you really, really want it), after the jump.… Read more

I had an incident recently where oatmeal bubbled over the top of the bowl and coated my microwave with a gloppy mess. If only I had a microwave with a built-in projector, I would have seen it coming much more clearly.

Designers Hwang Jungjoon and Lee Jaeryong are already on top of this issue with a concept that melds a microwave and a projector. It's called the "Proinjector," which sounds more like a fancy turkey prep accessory than a kitchen appliance.

The idea is that the projector captures what's happening inside and projects it against the kitchen wall. You don't have to squint through the thick front window of your microwave to see if the chicken cacciatore is about to explode.… Read more

One of my favorite products of the year is Epson's MegaPlex MG-850HD projector. Plunk your iPhone, iPod, or iPad into its pop-out iDevice dock and presto: you've got a complete home theater anywhere there's a chunk of wall space.

The unit has a list price of $799, but P.C. Richard & Son sells the Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD projector for $644.97 shipped.

Still pricey, yes, but I've been reviewing one for the past couple weeks and think it's a great buy.

On its own, the MG-850HD is a 720p projector that pumps out an … Read more

Pico projectors and even smartphones with integrated projectors already exist, but researchers at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany are looking to take the technology one step further with a phone that allows you to interact with callers in a whole new way.

Designers at the university's Mobile Human Computer Action group have come up with a concept that marries a pico projector with a smartphone to beam a user's home screen, as well as that of their caller, onto a wall or desk for easy collaboration.

The idea is that once a call has been initiated and the other party accepts your share request, you can then work on projects together or exchange content using an interactive side-by-side display of both smartphone screens. For example, you can swap photos with one another simply by dragging files from one screen to the next. To help keep tabs on who owns what, each person's content is highlighted in a different color. … Read more

Though it's not the only portable projector on the market, Brookstone's Pocket Projector for iPhone 4 seems to be one of the more elegant options for portable large-format viewing.

The slide-on docking case includes the projector unit, which makes setting up a presentation or video-viewing session quite easy when you're on the go. The 15-lumen LED lamp will give you a crisp 640x360-pixel native resolution that will stay clean up to 50 inches.

Of course, your surroundings play a major role in how crisp the picture quality is with any projector, but especially with the less powerful, … Read more

Today's deal is a little weird. Awesome, but weird.

Fry's has the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 1080p projector for $699, plus $10.44 for shipping. It's new, not refurbished, making this the best deal I can recall seeing for a 1080p projector.

What's the weird part? The Fry's site says it's "available for preorder," so there's no way to know when you'll actually get it. Hmmm.

Update: It now shows in stock!

Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained cheaply, right? Having just reviewed a similar projector priced at $1,500, … Read more