Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home

"I'm a fan of the 3M series of pico projectors, it's no secret. Their best asset is ease of use and a very short-throw image. And I've liked their bodies better than the competition from Microvision and Optoma for the most part. The new series sacrifices the compact size of the original series to accommodate a bigger bulb and battery. Is it worth it?"

Pico projectors seem to be the new thing to have, though I haven't seen a need for one. This one from 3M is much bigger than other pico projectors, but still well within the 'throw it in your bag' range. Crunchgear have a fairly indepth review of this unit and it seems to fare well. At $350 it's an expensive bit of kit, but if you're after one, then this one should be on your list to consider.

"Nikon's new projector-equipped camera has broken cover today and we've naturally had a little play around with it. Regrettably, the Japanese DSLR dominator had pretty early firmware on board and refused to let us take any sample pictures or video, but we were able to compile a few impressions anyhow. Firstly, as to the S1100pj's body, it's your typical compact affair -- feeling sturdy and light, it's basically fit for its intended purpose, but no more or less than that. We found accessing the compartment for the battery and memory card a pain, as it doesn't auto-lock when you close it, requiring an unnecessary bit of finger adroitness, and removing and replacing batteries can also be a fiddly affair. There's not much good to say about the built-in "tilt stand" at the bottom, either -- it only alters the angle of projection slightly and feels too plasticky -- but at least it gives you an extra option."

Technology moves so fast these days! I am constantly amazed how devices continue to shrink in size, yet grow in features and power. Engadget have given us a brief review of two new camera's from Nikon, one even contains a mini projector. I was just getting used to seeing the pico projectors as separate devices and now they can fit them inside a compact camera. Engadget also have a video on their site showing how you can get a decent 40" projected image if you have the right lighting conditions. Go check it out!

"The projector itself has two weaknesses: Most significantly, its native resolution is 1280x720, versus 1920x1080. That matters most when you’re watching Blu-ray movies, because they look so much better splashed across a wall-size screen at 1080p. On the other hand, the limited resolution becomes something of a perverse benefit when it comes to gaming, for reasons we’ll explain in a moment."

3D is hot. If one was to believe all the claims that manufacturers made, life is boring without 3D. It really makes me wonder how I was able to live life before 3D. Like HD, I believe that 3D does have a time and place, but it will not provide a benefit to all situations. On top of that, the cost of going 3D adds a noticable dent to your wallet. For those that are into the cutting edge and want a jump on 3D technology, it is good to see manufacturers like Acer making more projectors capable of giving you the experience as while you could develop your own hack with two projectors, it takes a lot more effort and time with probably no real savings in money to go your own route. Any 3D fanatics out there? Is the extra investment really worth it?

"Watch out, Flip, because here's one tough guy that you don't wanna mess with. Joining Aiptek's family of pocket camcorders is the PocketCinema Z20 -- a fine mix of 720p camera (courtesy of a 5 megapixel sensor) and pico projector of an unknown resolution, powered by a two-hour battery (which we'll believe when we see it)."

I like the idea, but I see most of the features provided by the PocketCinema X20 eventually being integrated into phones. Even putting that aside, while I love LED projectors, their lumen output still is really low, and I have doubts about just how bright this little wonder is. Full integrated devices do have to start somewhere, and I imagine Flip and other companies will start offering similar features with better features when the second generation stuff is developed.

"Introduced here in Atlanta, the ultra high-definition projector spots a native resolution of 4,096 x 2,400, enabling it to display up to four screens of Full HD content (you listening, college football / NFL fans?) at once. Naturally, it's fully ISF and THX certified, and it packs 3,500 ANSI lumens, a Xenon lamp, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, RSVP4 video processing unit, Ethernet port and an RS-232c control port."

While sweet, is there really any content available to take advantage of this? If you really wanted to show 4 screens of HD content at once, I think four projectors would be a much more versatile solution. Plus the cost savings would pay for a really nice home theater, or even a house, to put it in.