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Poll: Is Star Trek better at an IMAX or a DLP theater?
With all the buzz about the new Star Trek movie -- IMDB of 8.2 and at #82 of all time already -- we might actually head to the theater to check it out instead of just waiting and enjoying it on our HDTV at home. So we're wondering: Which is the better movie going experience, IMAX or DLP, for an HD Snob? Now there is little doubt that DLP is the way to go when a movie is created with a digital camera like the RED, but Star Trek was filmed the old fashioned way with Kodak 35mm film (Kodak Vision2 100T 5212, Vision2 500T 5218 to be exact). At the same time IMAX is a no brainer when there are IMAX filmed sequences in the movie like in the case of The Dark Knight. So considering that to present Star Trek on either IMAX and DLP requires some sort of conversion, we wonder which is the best way to go? %Poll-29919%
Prototype Sanyo projector throws up 1080p at near point-blank range
Sanyo's had a knack for pumping out short-throw projectors, but its latest prototype unquestionably takes the cake. Debuting without so much as a model name, this here DLP beamer -- which, at 93- x 20- x 25-inches, easily doubles as a bench -- throws up a 100-inch 1080p image with just 24-inches of space between it and the wall. Better still, that can scale up to 150-inches by adding just another foot of breathing room -- and just to remind you, we're talking full 1,920 x 1,080 resolution here. Sanyo also tossed in 7,000 lumens of brightness, though mum's the word when it comes to price or nearness to production.[Via AkihabaraNews]
Next-gen DLP Cinema platform makes room for live 3D broadcasting
Surely you knew that you'd eventually hear "DLP" and "3D" in the same sentence, right? Over at ShoWest this week, Texas Instruments is announcing plans for its next-generation DLP Cinema electronics platform. Generally speaking, this wouldn't be all that exciting, but this one's different. Aside from letting us know that DLP Cinema projectors will be deployed by Christie, Barco and NEC at commercial theaters around the world starting in 2010, we're also told that it will feature "increased bandwidth to integrate alternative content to incorporate live 3D broadcasting." Yep, that NAB demonstration and this year's NBA All-Star weekend were just the beginning.
BenQ GP1 (P1) LED pocket projector eyes-on
Remember that GP1 pico projector that was quietly announced alongside a slew of others at CES this year? Apparently it's sporting the P1 moniker in Europe, which is infinitely confusing given that BenQ used to have a PJ that looked mighty similar to this one, and yeah, it too was called the P1. At any rate, the GP1 you see here is BenQ's first ever LED beamer, and with it will come an 858 x 600 native resolution, 100 ANSI lumens, 2,000:1 contrast ratio, an integrated USB reader, TI's DLP technology and a lamp life of 20,000 hours. It should be out in Germany by April, but we're still expecting it here in the US next month for a lofty $599.%Gallery-46757%
Acer K10 pocket projector finally lands in the UK
Acer announced its K10 pocket projector way back in December, but it looks like it's just now finally landed in the UK, and unfortunately received a bit of a price hike in the process. Now retailing for just over £400 (or $560, roughly a $100 increase), the SVGA projector otherwise seems to have remained unchanged since its debut, with it still promising an impressive 20,000 hour lamp life, and offering up 100 ANSI lumens of brightness, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, and a projected image size up to 60 inches. As you can see, it's also not quite able to join the ranks of pico projectors, though its specs certainly beat out most of its smaller cousins.
Toshiba forced to pay up in class action DLP lawsuit
Just what Toshiba needed, right? As if the economy wasn't hammering the company's bottom line badly enough, United States Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold of the Eastern District of New York has just entered a decision that'll force it to pay up over $1 million in order to settle a class action lawsuit it just lost. Originally filed in 2007, the suit alleged "that the lamps of certain Toshiba DLP televisions were susceptible to premature failure causing purchasers to repeatedly expend hundreds of dollars for replacement bulbs, which allegedly suffered from the same defect." After a thorough investigation, it was found that Tosh would be responsible for reimbursing those who purchased a bulb replacement that failed prematurely, and the warranty on replacement bulbs has been pushed from six months to a full year. Naturally, the law firm representing the 265,000 or so affected individuals was quite stoked with the outcome, as should you be if you're in that mix.
NTT docomo and Sharp show projector phone at MWC
We had a brief peek at yest another pico projecting set at MWC, this time an NTT docomo Samsung affair without a name, price, or even a release date. Specs are as sketchy as these are usable in a brightly lit room, but the hopes are this device will be used for services like mobile TV, home theater (yeah, right), document editing, presentations, and video calling. We were enthused to see the mock ups (pictured above) of where the design of this device could go -- and we're hoping that by next year the bricks we've seen lately will be gone and sleek design will become the norm. We filmed a bit of it in action and honestly, we've seen TI's pico projector before and it doesn't seem to have changed significantly. Follow the link to see the media. %Gallery-45199%
Samsung Show hands-on and video at MWC
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/Samsung_Show_Projector_Phone_hands_on_and_video'; The Engadget Spanish team just got their hands on the Samsung Show (the European, i7410 model) projector phone that we first caught a sneak peek of a CES. The Show's projector is powered by Texas Instruments' DLP pico technology, and though the fact that it packs a projector does increase the bulkiness of the phone as far as looks are concerned, the phone is still rather small and light. The Show can project an image of anywhere from five to fifty inches, with a 480 x 320 resolution. It's got a 3.2-inch WQVGA touchscreen, the TouchWiz UI and also boasts a 5 megapixel camera. There are plans for this bad dude to hit Asia and Europe (but no word on if it'll ever make its way to North America), but we still haven't heard when, nor how much it'll cost when it arrives. Check the video after the break. [Via Engadget Spanish]%Gallery-45193%
Texas Instruments out-picos itself with newer, tinier projector chip
We love pico projectors, we love phones -- so the combo pack known as the Samsung Show stopped us in our tracks when we first spied it at CES. Well, Texas Instruments, makers of the DLP projector chip that runs the Show, if you will, have just announced the second generation DLP chip which is -- you guessed it -- smaller! The second-gen chip is about 20 percent smaller and thinner in fact, and it boasts the ability to display WVGA resolution (the previous model has HVGA resolution), all while delivering a brighter display! TI's press specifically mentions mobile phones, so don't be surprised if the Show doesn't have a host of comptitors to deal with any day now. Texas Instruments is on hand at MWC, and their press conference is tonight, so we'll be watching, magnifying glass in hand, to see what else they have in store for us.
Samsung Show projector phone landing this month in Korea, soon in Europe
We knew that Samsung's Show (or "the projector phone") would be headed to South Korea first, but now we've got official confirmation on exactly when from both Sammy and partner Texas Instruments. The W7900 is expected to go on sale later this month in South Korea, while Europeans will get the I7410 in the very near future. There's no mention of any other corners of the globe getting a taste after that, but maybe Samsung's just testing the waters before it really cranks up that supply chain. As for a price? Take a wild guess -- you might be close.
Panasonic's DLP PT-D6000 projector line can stay lit for days
Panasonic's latest crew of beamers may not boast the highest resolutions, but they've got longevity that's second to none. Announced at ISE 2009 in Amsterdam, the four member PT-D6000 series is designed to be installed where around the clock operation is either needed or preferred. The durable, long-lasting DLP projectors sport a dual-lamp design and an Auto Cleaning Filter while offering resolutions from XGA (PT-D6000S) to WUXGA (PT-DZ6710) and brightness levels between 6,000 and 6,500 lumens. There's no mention of price tags just yet, but you can sift through the few remaining details in the read link below.
Video: Samsung Show W7900 projector phone gets specced, demoed
Samsung's Show (formally known as the W7900) made a brief but resonating appearance at CES this year, and now, the lucky kids over at PopSci have managed to acquire a few more juicy specifications as well as a few moments of coveted hands-on time. The forthcoming projector phone, which is apt to land in South Korea first, includes a 3.2-inch OLED display (400 x 240 resolution), quad-band GSM connectivity, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, a five megapixel camera, support for video calling and the obligatory ten lumen projector that shoots 480 x 320 images out at up to 50 inches. The entire device measures in at 4.4- x 2.2- x 0.7-inches, and it actually doesn't emit a half bad image when the lights are all down. Have a look for yourself just after the break.
Researchers develop higher-efficiency LEDs
Terrific-looking LED-backlit HD displays were all over CES this year, and it sounds like they're only going to get better -- scientists from Renessalaer Polytechnic Insitute and Samsung have developed a new polarization-matched LED that cranks out 18 percent more light while being 22 percent more efficient than traditional LEDs. The improved performance is due to a reduction in "efficiency droop," which causes regular LEDs to turn less power into light when fed higher currents -- the team replaced the traditional active layer of the LEDs with a new specially matched layer. No word on when any of this is coming to market, but we're holding out hope for CES 2010.
Samsung Show finally makes projector phones sexy
Is 2009 finally the year of the projector phone? Eh, not likely -- but there are finally a few models filtering into retail after years of talk, prototypes, and empty promises, including the Logic Bolt from independent manufacturer Logic Wireless and this puppy from Sammy. We're told that the aptly-named Show is inbound for release in South Korea before the end of the month, it runs Samsung's ubiquitous TouchWiz platform, and it packs DLP-based pico projector tech from TI, but that's about all we (and Samsung's US reps) seem to know about it. The projector can be used to view media stored in phone memory, pull up mobile TV via Korea's T-DMB airwaves, or simply project light, a function luddites may know better as a "flashlight." Most importantly, it actually isn't half-bad looking -- a symptom of a major manufacturer getting involved and throwing some won and industrial design staff at the thing, we bet.
Sanyo punches out PDG-DHT100JL 1080p DLP projector
Sanyo already delivered a sub-$2,000 1080p projector today, but the PDG-DHT100JL DLP beamer is definitely a notch above. The noticeably more brawny PJ, which is destined for a Japanese release in March, packs a 1,920 x 1,080 native resolution, 6,500 lumens, twin UHP lamp and a dual twin color wheel system. No word on a price just yet, but trust us, it'll be up there.
SIM2 aims high with $58,000 Grand Cinema HT5000E DLP projector
SIM2 never fails to stun, and it's proving yet again that it couldn't care less about the global economic situation (or that it just aims at a class of people that are simply unaffected) with the Grand Cinema HT5000E. Said device was actually outed yesterday courtesy of an HDGiants pair-up, but today we're being gifted with the official details. The three-chip DLP beamer includes a trio of 0.95-inch DarkChip4 DMDs, a 1,920 x 1,080 native resolution, six lens options, Ethernet jack for remote control and world-class color uniformity / edge-to-edge focus capabilities. Yeah, it'll cost you more than most vehicles and even some diminutive homes at $57,995, but at least the white glove delivery service is included. A true bargain, let us tell you. Full release is after the break.
NEC releases travel-savvy NP62 projector for road-warriors
Only a few months ago, NEC introduced the NP41, NP61 and NP64 models to its series of mobile projectors, and now it is filling one of the lineup gaps with the NP62. Powerpointing road warriors will be happy to know the unit weighs in at a mere 3.7-pounds, and even soft talkers should be able to speak above the 32dB noise put out by the projector in ECO mode. Grab that presentation, put it on a USB memory stick and you can cue it right up via the onboard USB port to the tune of 1024x768 pixels, 3000 lumens bright.
ViewSonic turns off spell check, launches Fuhzion line of 3D display devices
3D displays are hotter than Hansel right now, and ViewSonic is getting in to the new (old) tech of goggle-driven depth with a line of displays dubbed Fuhzion. First up is the 22-inch VX2265wm LCD, announced last year and sounding quite similar to the Samsung 2233RZ from yesterday. It's a 1680 x 1050, 120Hz panel with a 2ms response rate, enabling it to tackle the quick cycling that will be required to reproduce a 3D image. The other addition to the line is the PJD6220-3D DLP projector, an updated (or at least renamed) version of the company's existing PJD6220, illuminating 1024 x 768 pixels at 120Hz and a respectable contrast ratio of 2000:1. The projector is due next month for $1,499, while the VX2265wm drops in the next few weeks for a rather more reasonable $399 -- another stat that happens to match Samsung's offering.
Vivitek intros ultra-bright D5500 DLP projector
Quite honestly, the HC7500A turns us on a bit more than this D5500, but Vivitek is clearly aiming at two separate markets here. This one is hoping to wiggle into large concert halls, churches, etc. -- you know, places that can't always blot out the light to make the picture perfect. Boasting 5,500 ANSI lumens, a 2,500:1 contrast ratio, XGA native resolution and Texas Instruments' BrilliantColor technology, the single-chip DLP projector promises a decent image even in a partially lit room. You'll also find a six-segment color wheel, a dual-lamp design, RS-232 / USB ports, Ethernet socket for remote control and the usual complement of inputs (VGA, DVI, etc.). The heavy duty device can be snapped up as we speak for $5,999, and you can catch the release in full after the break.
Vivitek's HC7500A is world's first 1080p LED projector
Vivitek didn't really do an awesome job of making its very first projectors anything memorable (see, you didn't even know they were in the beamer biz, now did you?), but it's hoping to remedy that here at CES 2009 with the beastly HC7500A. Said device is the world's first 1080p LED projector, offering up a 35,000:1 contrast ratio, 1,920 x 1,080 native resolution, 700-lumen brightness rating and a lamp-free LED light source that can keep shining for around 20,000 hours. We know, you're impressed. But impressed enough to drop $13,999 for one in June? Full release is after the break.
