InFocus IN3100 / IN1100 series projectors nab DisplayLink

DisplayLink monitors are fine and dandy, but what if you're looking to get that PowerPoint presentation even bigger? Enter InFocus' IN3100 / IN1100 series of multimedia projectors, both of which claim to be the first of their kind with DisplayLink embedded. With a simple USB-to-PC connection, the beamers blast whatever totally boring and equally insignificant chart you're being forced to speak on upside the wall. As for specs, we're left in the dark with regard to resolution (hint: don't set your expectations too high), but the IN3100 series boasts 3,000 to 3,500 lumens and a 2,000:1 contrast ratio while the IN1100 series offers up 2,000 lumens and an 1,800:1 contrast ratio. You can slap the former (starting at $1,499) on your corporate card later this month, but you'll be waiting until early August before nabbing the $1,099 and up IN1100.

[Some Kid @ Jun 11th 2008 9:55AM]

why are all of these projectors sooooooo expensive
if they werent this expensive, i would hope my school could get some of these to replace the NEC ones for out SmartBoards
it sucks having a fine piece of technology like a smartboard and not be able to use it because the projector to let you know where everything is on the smartboard is a piece of crap

[L.Rawlins @ Jun 11th 2008 10:14AM]

I'd expect the more expensive one to be digial DisplayLink and the cheaper one to be analog. Digital DisplayLink maxes out at about 1680x1050 (WSXGA+) if I recall correctly.

[Joe H @ Jun 11th 2008 2:38PM]

"DisplayLink monitors are fine and dandy..."

No! No they're not fine and dandy, its an unnecessary standard when the consumer electronics industry has already implemented HDMI as a standard. We don't need to go back to two separate standards for computers and electronics, so the companies should just suck it up and pay the fees for HDMI.

[warpzero @ Jun 12th 2008 4:11AM]

I think you're thinking of DisplayPort not DisplayLink.

DisplayPort is a connector that is very similar is many respects to HDMI and is being driven primarily by Dell:

http://displayport.org/

DisplayLink is a company that lets you connect monitors/projectors to a PC through your existing USB 2.0 port:

http://www.displaylink.com/

[Joe H @ Jun 12th 2008 4:19AM]

Aaaah thanks for that, you're entirely right. I take that back completely. You'd think they'd name these things a little less similarly.