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Castrade's Game Box lets your game consoles talk VGA, sweet nothings to your computer monitor
If you have HDMI out on your game consoles and HDMI in on your computer monitor you can pretty much stop reading. If, however, you're still stuck in the analog realm, check out Castrade's upcoming CG-USC01HD-PLUS Game Box. It sports composite, S-video, and component inputs, porting everything over to VGA at resolutions ranging from 800 × 600 at 75Hz all the way up to 1920 x 1200 at 60Hz. But, with maximum input resolutions of 1080i or 720p, true 1080p to your display is right out. DVI output would also have been nice, but there are adapters for that, and since the box sports a VGA pass-through you can use that same monitor for PC gaming, too -- you know, in case you start to miss patches and pesky DRM and such. The Box ships in Japan on May 27 for ¥10,000, which equates to about $100 here. Just like that white PS3 in the background, though, there's no word of an official US release.[Via AV Watch]
Castrade intros CV-MP02 pocket projector
Castrade, previously known for the CV-MP01 pico (you remember: the one that famously fits inside a wine glass) has just announced the CV-MP02, a larger but still decently small pocket projector. This little guy looks a lot like 3M's MPro 110, but the VGA (640 x 480) projector boasts 10 ANSI lumens, uses an LCoS display, and the use of LCD lamps should reduce heat and sound coming off the projector. It's got two ports (composite and VGA), and uses a lithium-ion battery for about an hour of running time before needing a charge. It's a Japan only release, and will cost ¥35,000 (around $400).
Castrade's CV-MP01 LCoS VGA projector fits in a wine glass
See there? It really fits in a wine glass, which means this diminutive PJ is well suited for any random underground movie marathons you've got rolling around in the back of your mind. The LCoS-driven beamer can only output in VGA (640 x 480) and packs just ten lumens of brightness, but with a shell this small, we're willing to forgive most of the obvious drawbacks. You'll find an obligatory AV input as well as built-in speakers, but there's no mention of a price just yet. In fact, call us when you've managed to get 1080p out of something this size -- then you'll have our full, undivided attention.[Via FarEastGizmos]
