Ask Engadget: Best first-wave pico projector?

While many pico projectors are still in the oven, quite a few of the early ones have made their way out. We know, 720p versions just have to be around the bend, but since when did you start ditching the first-gen and just waiting around? Check Mark's question:

"What is the best currently available pico projector? I'm looking for one that supports the greatest number of image / video formats, has the best brightness and contrast ratios, reasonable on-board storage, is good for still and moving images, and has the longest rechargeable battery life. Are there any projectors on the horizon that promise to be sufficiently better than the currently-available models to warrant me waiting for the next wave?"

Go on, early adopters -- help this guy out. Do you dig your current pico PJ? Has it lived up to the hype? After sharing your input, feel free to toss us an inquiry of your own at ask at engadget dawt com.

[Jay @ Feb 26th 2009 11:56PM]

The first wave are mainly proof of concept. I've tried several and held on to:

Optoma Pico. Best looking, sleek, and comes with TWO batteries. I use this for spur of the moment stuff.

Dell m109s. Best of both worlds. Sure, it doesn't have a battery, but it has VGA and composite. Also has auto-vert keystone. Great for makeshift presentations or where I have more time to do setup for some quick video watching.

[Sridhar3 @ Feb 27th 2009 12:08AM]

I'm not sure that there is a "pico" projector with the assets that you're describing. I mean, if you have it hooked up to your computer or some other device, it can ostensibly play any video that said device supports. Onboard storage is also a hitch, and I'm not sure if there is something available that has its own built-in storage.

When I got into the market for a projector, I was basically looking for a pocket- or palm-sized projector that I could toss in my backpack and take anywhere (I travel a lot and study abroad). Basically, I use it for watching some TV shows or movies whenever I have some down-time.

When I was purchasing mine, my first choice was the LG HS102 (AKA LG HS102G). It beams at 160 lumens, has a built-in battery, can play DivX video directly through a USB port and has its 3.5mm jack. It can connect through VGA and component as well. Resolution goes up to 1280x1024. However, if you live in the US, getting a hold of one is damn near impossible. Looks like that one is just for Korea.

I ended up settling for the Dell M109S. It beams at 55 lumens (which is a lot less than 160, but I'll get to that in a second), and doesn't have a battery, USB port or the audio jack. I have it hooked up to my computer via VGA, but it can also connect through composite. It says that the thing has an oddball resolution of 858x600, but I have mine running at 1280x1024 without any problems. I'm fairly happy with it.

As far as the lumens go, both 55 and 160 are pretty low, so you're basically going to have to use it in pitch darkness, regardless.

I'm not sure if I answered your question, but I'm not sure what you plan to use the projector for, so it's a bit difficult for me to see your perspective on this, and what you're specifically in the market for.

If there is a projector that contains all the features the op is looking for, someone please feel free to correct me.

[GM Harley Lover @ Feb 27th 2009 1:04AM]

With pico projectors you have to manage your expectations. If you're expecting to walk into a conference and blast a 100" power-point presentation with a hand-held projector - forget about it. If you just want to have something that can do a 60" image at night in the dark there are a few options.

I just picked up the Aaxatech P1 projector. This thing doesn't look as cool as the Optoma unit, but it has better resolution, onboard media decoding, and frankly blew me away in a dark room as 60-70" videos were completely viewable. At $150 less than the Optoma and comparable units it was a no-brainer. I was however under-whelmed by the onboard speaker, but overall the unit is fantastic if you don't expect daylight performance.

[Pretol @ Feb 27th 2009 2:11AM]

This is like asking which candy is the best for your teeth. Or which building is it the most fun to fall off. Or, what's the easiest way to learn Russian. What's the easiest way of digging a hole in the ground with just a shovel.

Pico projectors are crap, there's no other way to put it. Picking the brightest one, and the one with most contrast is like finding the best tasting turd.

[MaxSMoke @ Feb 28th 2009 2:09AM]

Pico projectors are to regular projectors, what Netbooks are to desktop replacement laptops. If you're looking for pure quality, then you clearly don't need a Pico projector. But if you're looking for something you can use ANYWHERE, these Pico Projectors kick some serious Azz!

I love mine! Suk-It-H8er.

[NWIFSER @ Feb 27th 2009 3:30AM]

While I have to agree with Pretol on the state of pico projectors, maybe I DO want to know the easiest way to learn Russian.
So
Which pico IS the brightest? I don't give a damn about formats or any of that, if I can hook up composite lets hear it.

[NWIFSER @ Feb 27th 2009 3:33AM]

I'm gonna have to say I kinda agree with Pretol as far as they do pretty much suck. I wonder whats the top of the bottom though, as they say?

[NWIFSER @ Feb 27th 2009 3:38AM]

Sorry about that second post.

[madfgurtbn @ Feb 27th 2009 7:11AM]

Wait for the Microvision pico:
http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2009/02/mir_show_-_the_microvision_mobile_projector_-_genius.html

[Rykin @ Feb 27th 2009 8:13AM]

I'm curious- Are there any cheap projectors that are good for gaming consoles and movies? I don't care if it's pico-sized or not, but the pico-sized projectors seem to be the only affordable ones. :/

[John Doe @ Feb 27th 2009 9:31AM]

I found a Toshiba projector which does not fit in the 'pico' section but looks decent. Here's the link to it:

http://explore.toshiba.com/projectors/mobile/TDP-ET10U

Its not as mobile or small but seems nice. Any suggestions on this one?

[John Doe @ Feb 27th 2009 9:40AM]

My primary use is for viewing movies/tv off my laptop. Mobility is not that big a deal, but it shouldn't be huge too.

[NWIFSER @ Feb 27th 2009 12:28PM]

If your going to use it for games and movies, or anything where you use it a lot, you'll be dropping some extra cha-ching on bulbs eventually, too. Usually nothing huge but depends on the projector. The pico projectors light source's should last much longer, but I do not know if it is possible to replace them.

That Toshiba looks decent for the price, though. You probably already noticed but although it can accept 720p input, it has a resolution of 854 x 480, so it has to be downscaled.

[Mark @ Feb 27th 2009 1:19PM]

I appreciate everyone's response to my question. My main goal is to be able to project "video" from as small a form factor as possible. By "video," I mean, movies, TV, (?)VGA, etc. --> anything a computer can produce (from DB15, USB, composite, etc.). Doing it in a darkened room is fine--the darker the better. I am under no illusion that a pocket-sized projector will generate anywhere near enough lumens (or resolution) to project the Super Bowl onto the side of my house in broad daylight! Still it'd be great if it could project a decent-sized (>60" or 80") AND CLEAR picture in a totally dark room. I'm aiming probably more for novelty or The Wow Factor than giving highly classified national security briefings to high-ranking officials. I've got a FitPC. A pico projector would be the perfect video display for it. For me, it'd be moi cool to be in a dimly-lit bar and be able to project photos, videos, etc. (or maybe even play Mindsweeper) up against a wall (or whomever might be with me at the time...)! I'm not going to be running AutoCad on the thing!

I already know the best building to fall off of (the shortest one possible), my dentist told me the best candy for my teeth (Orbit), and I also already learned Russian. Any constructive input would be great!

Spasiba

[MaxSMoke @ Feb 28th 2009 2:07AM]

I rather love my Aiptek Pocket Cinema. For starters, it can play back video straight off any SD card that's plugged into it. Not having to attach a video player to the device means I can use it without any setup or wires. Just press a button and it's done. The quality seems good, although I haven't seen any others to compare it to. The price is also good, at just $300. It doesn't do VGA input, but it does have a stereo-style video/audio input jack for composite video. Really, it's better to just use the projector's internal video player, as the picture is very clear and at native resolution.

The build quality is good. The covering for the SD Card slot is poor, but at least it has one. The Len itself has no covering, which hasn't been an issue for me, but you might want to use the included sleeve to protect it. The battery life is alright, although I've never tried to see if it can last the full hour the box promises. My guess is that it's good for 30 minutes under normal use. And the battery is easily replaceable, should you need more power.

One downside I don't like is that you have to convert all of your videos to ASF format, as it doesn't suppose Divx or Xvid. Also it can get hot if you cover the tiny holes on the front. Another downside is that it uses a mini-USB plug for recharging, but draws so much power, that you can't use most USB charges to power or charge it. You have to use the adapter it came with.

It's very durable and in general I'm very pleased with it. It's unfortunate that this off brand is rarely mentioned here. I think it's one of the best out right now, for just the internal video player and SD Card slot alone. Look ma, no wires!

[Juanito @ Mar 1st 2009 7:03PM]

I'll be in Tokyo this weekend and will stop by Akihabara. Can any folks in Japan give me tips on where to find pico projectors in Akihabara?

[chat @ Mar 6th 2009 6:08PM]

http://www.biranda.net