darkchip
Latest
Acer rights its wrongs with K11 pico projector
Why hello there, Acer. Not only does this K11 DLP pico projector look sexier than its predecessor, but it's also been given some nice internal enhancements. Starting with display performance: the K11's resolution remains about the same at 858 x 600, but it's twice as bright at 200 lumens (while maintaining the same 20,000-hour lamp life) and has twice as much contrast ratio at 2,000:1. As for connectivity this machine now packs an HDMI socket (along with the usual VGA and composite AV ports) as well as an SDHC card reader and a USB port for opening music, video and picture files. Even with all these extra goodies, the K11's only managed to gain 0.13 pounds (reaching 1.34 pounds) while sporting a smaller body. All we need now is a price, launch date, a few friends and a destination for our road trip. Oh, and some content. Update: apparently an Acer representative hinted that the K11 will be available for about €500 ($685; translated page shows "$" instead of "€"). Yikes. Anyway, vielen Dank, Felix Fdot!
InFocus' SP8602 projector puts the ScreenPlay line back on the map
It's been a long time since InFocus has brought out a beamer under the ScreenPlay name, but the SP8602 is coming out guns blazing at CEDIA. The 1080p DarkChip DLP boasts a 30,000:1 contrast, but can also crank out 1,300 lumens for when viewing must compete with that big ball of fire in the sky. The SP8602 is packed with good tech, including a six-segment color wheel, TI's BrilliantColor, 10-bit video processing from PixelWorks and 120-Hz support to make sure the images thrown up on the big screen are eye-poppingly good. Heck, it's even ready if said screen is less than perfect -- vertical and horizontal lens shifts, automatic image flipping (ceiling mount is where it's at) and warping functions (don't use them unless you have to) should pretty much be able to deliver square images to all but the most compromised situations. Available in late October, but you'll have to hit up your dealer for pricing.
Optoma's TX1080 projector keeps Jack from becoming a dull boy
Optoma is pitching its TX1080 DLP projector as a "crossover" model that's happy in living rooms as well as boardrooms, and with a 1080p DarkChip DLP with BrilliantColor and a 3700 lumen lamp, it sounds like it should fit the picture quality bill pretty nicely (the 2200:1 contrast figure seems a bit low, but it's not worth debating CR numbers). Add in the $3500 price point and it's not beyond the budget of home buyers looking into front projection, and the network management features sound like a great item if your IT department needs to approve the purchase. So yeah, if you're in the market for a HD DLP beamer around $3000 this holiday, add another one to your candidate list.
InFocus Play Big IN80 projector gets reviewed; it's a keeper
The crew at Trusted Reviews didn't waste any time getting their hands on the just-announced InFocus Play Big IN80 projector. Better still, they liked what they saw. Despite initial trepidations about how the IN80 would fare compared to the £400 cheaper X10, they found performance significantly better in the bigger brother. Better contrast (with an emphasis on deeper black levels) and higher brightness earned points, and overall the review pegged the IN80 as the "knee" in the price-to-performance curve. The only niggles that turned up were fan noise and DLP rainbow effects, perhaps more noticeable due to the IN80's brighter lamp. Sounds like a worthy competitor to the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080, but take our advice -- don't go looking for those rainbows; see them once and you're ruined! [Via AboutProjectors]
InFocus minds the budget with its Play Big IN80 projector
While we won't complain about the performance or styling of InFocus' Play Big IN83 projector, the $6,000 price tag is a little steep. Sure, it's got that 1080p DarkChip4 DLP and styling that doesn't look like you "borrowed" it from the boardroom, but that $6,000 price tag gives us pause. InFocus is adding the Play Big IN80 model to the lineup to fill the gap, though. The specs put the IN80 above the company's X10 model -- it packs a 1080p DarkChip with BrilliantColor, can pump out 1300 lumens in the snow scenes and shares the design with its IN83 big brother, so you won't be tempted to try out your PowerPoints at home. Best of all, though is the MSRP £1,299 ($2500) when it ships in September.[Via AboutProjectors]
DPI reveals iVision 30-WUXGA HD projector
DPI, or Digital Projection International for the anti-acronym crowd, isn't much on pumping out low-end consumer projectors. It would rather focus on crafting beasts such as the one you see above: the iVision 30-WUXGA. As the title so eloquently explains, this beamer packs a spectacular 1,920 x 1,200 native resolution and the latest DarkChip DMD technology from Texas Instruments. Amazingly, the whole thing only weighs 6.5-pounds, and other specs include a 4,000:1 contrast ratio, 3,100 ANSI lumens and HDCP-compliant HDMI / DVI inputs (among other analog jacks). 'Tis a shame there's no price mentioned, but it's safe to assume bargain hunters won't find much to love here.[Via AboutProjectors]
