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Displays Toys

Mitsubishi LED Projector: Small, Cheap, Durable 313

Posted by timothy from the what-tim's-been-waiting-for dept.
mcaycedo writes "This new projector is my top number 1 "must have" gadget. The reasons: price (US$699), size (fit in your hand), convenience (uses AC, batteries, card adaptor) and duration (lamp life:20000 hours). The cons: only SVGA (800x600), lumens (N/A)" There are tons of applications for a LED projector of this size, too: in cars, integrated into portable video players, information displays of all kinds ... and as resolution and brightness improve, even more will emerge.
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Mitsubishi LED Projector: Small, Cheap, Durable More

Mitsubishi LED Projector: Small, Cheap, Durable

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  • Only, you say... (Score:5, Funny)

    by inertia187 ( 156602 ) * on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:31PM (#11624110) Homepage Journal
    "only SVGA (800x600)"

    My 80486DX4 is only VGA (640x480), you insensitive clod!
    • My 80486DX4 is only VGA (640x480), you insensitive clod!

      My TI-83 [ticalc.org] is only 96x64, you insensitive clod!

      I do like the fit-in-your-hand capability of both the '83 and the projector, though. If they could do 1920x1080 (and at least 60Hz progressive--my Dell e770s can do so without blowing up) I'd be really happy.

  • The article: (Score:5, Informative)

    by killa62 ( 828317 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:34PM (#11624150)
    Mitsubishi Launches Mini DLP PocketProjector
    by David Chait [Theater, Mobile] Tuesday, February 08th, 2005

    If you've always wanted a front projector that you could take with you anywhere, the upcoming PocketProjector from Mitsubishi might just be what you've dreamed of.
    Mitsubishi PocketProjector in hand

    Certainly rating as one of the smallest projection units out there, the new Mitsubishi PocketProjector is a tiny 14oz powerhouse of a projector. A unit small enough to fit in your hand, run off batteries or car adapter, yet create a 20 screen with only one foot of throw.
    Mitsubishi PocketProjector A/V Jacks

    The PocketProjector can drive 800x600 SVGA resolution through its Lumileds tri-LED DLP system, rated at over 20,000 hours of lamp life. And it sports composite, s-video, and VGA connectors, great for visualizing anything from a laptop presentation to a portable DVD player. Heck, with a digital camera that has AV output, you can set up a virtual slide show no matter where you are - well, so long as you have a clean, flat, white surface to project onto. ; )
    Mitsubishi PocketProjector Next to Cell Phone

    The PocketProjector will be available in July at an SRP of $699 US - not cheap certainly, but a fair price for an SVGA projector with multiple inputs, multiple portable power solutions, and that is pocketable. They'll also be selling battery packs for the unit, plus 'solutions' of cables/etc. for different users/industries. Hopefully as soon as they're ready, we'll get one in for testing. I know a LOT of people who'd jump at a mini projector like this...

  • Mirror (Score:4, Informative)

    by TorrentNinja ( 846388 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:34PM (#11624152) Homepage
    Here is a mirror http://mirrordot.org/stories/94956edfe592d87195c41 25ea9151084/index.html [mirrordot.org]

  • Any bets on how long... (Score:4, Funny)

    by ChipMonk ( 711367 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:36PM (#11624167) Journal
    until someone ports NetBSD to it?

  • Price Drop (Score:3, Interesting)

    by blogeasy ( 674237 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:37PM (#11624182) Homepage Journal
    It's nice to see projectors finally coming down in price. The lowest price used to be the 2200MP Multimedia Projector [dell.com] for $899. Hopefully we will see more in the lower price range and maybe even under $500. The smaller size is definately a plus.

  • Who cares about size (Score:2, Insightful)

    by lakeland ( 218447 )
    Yeah yeah, when they first came out they were mainly used by rich people with laptops doing cheesy sales pitches. But nowadays I expect everywhere I present to have a projecter already set up, so I don't care about size, weight or running of batteries. Why is it that I'm forced to pay for features I don't want?

    I suppose there are a few people who do sales pitches to people who don't have a projector to use, or who carry one around just so it is one less thing to rely on, but what about the majority of us
    • The Turtle Beach Audiotron plays MP3 (and WAV/WMA files also) has a LCD that can be read from a decent distance in clock mode (characters are about 1" tall) and has an alarm clock function. You can get them on eBay for about $250.

    • Re:Who cares about size (Score:5, Informative)

      by syukton ( 256348 ) * on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:55PM (#11624374)
      A related complaint, I wanted an alarm clock radio that could play MP3s. Sounds easy? It isn't. I found a total of one product under $500 that can play MP3s and has an alarm. Why? Because they only make tiny little MP3 players that run off batteries, not ones the size of an alarm clock with a display I can read across the room.


      Google is our friend.

      http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=IRIF P7 90T#description has "alarm functionality" (doesn't sound so impressive) but runs for quite a while on an AA battery (45 hours) ($134.00)

      http://www.normthompson.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PR OD UCT&iProductID=4940 is an actual clock radio. this bad boy takes CDs and has an mp3 decoder. I like this more; only $99, too.

      Search terms included: mp3-player plays-mp3s with-alarm alarm-clock

      (why the hyphens in the search terms you ask? alarm-clock will match alarm clock, alarm-clock, and alarmclock; whereas "alarm clock" will only match "alarm clock". In other words, using the hyphen to conjoin two words instead of the quotes expands the possible pool of search results by including minute variations on a theme. hard-drive is another good example, catching: hard drive, hard-drive, and harddrive.)

    • Re:Who cares about size (Score:4, Funny)

      by dsginter ( 104154 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @08:00PM (#11624414)
      Who cares about size?

      Apparently, you've never heard of the Law of Geek Chic:

      The goal of all electronic devices is to eventually become a choking hazard.

      How else are you going to watch TV on your cell phone [myrtlebeachonline.com]?
    • What makes you think you're paying extra because it's small? A big chunk of the size of regular projectors is the light bulb and the fans required to cool it. Since this uses LEDs, the light source will fit in a much smaller area, and there aren't any fans required. I'll bet they weren't even trying to make it small; they just decided to use LEDs and it went from there.

      Besides, the battery pack is an accessory.
    • Well, let me give you the perspective from the other side -- the business side.

      The fact is nobody in his right mind focuses new product development on that segment of the market for whom price is the most important thing. Because no matter what we do, you won't be satisfied until you get it for free, or for less than what you would perceive to be a fair price.

      We might target cheapskates with older technology after the early adopters have moved on and our costs have been recouped. Or we might consider
    • IMO, they don't want to cannibalize their TV sales.
      The prices of TV's using DLP technology are a lot higher than this product.

    • Re:Who cares about size (Score:5, Informative)

      by radish ( 98371 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @09:12PM (#11625101) Homepage
      Squeezebox? Looks like an alarm clock (I have one on my bedside table), sounds great, nice big bright green display, alarm function, plays mp3, wma, etc etc, and streaming radio. Nice little unit ($200 for cat5, $280 for wifi).

      Here [slimdevices.com]

    • Re:Who cares about size (Score:5, Funny)

      by generic-man ( 33649 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @11:34PM (#11626128) Homepage Journal
      I've got an alarm clock radio that could play MP3s, and it has a 19-inch monitor.
      at 7:00 AM
      mpg123 "Guns N Roses - Sweet Child O Mine.mp3"
      ^D
      It even plays Oggs too:
      at 11:30 AM
      ogg123 "Richard Stallman - Free Software Song (Whiny Emo Remix).ogg"
      ^D

  • Imagine a Beowulf cluster of them... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by AC-x ( 735297 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:40PM (#11624219)
    You could build a full-resolution cinema-sized display, then all you'd need is a couple of matrox multi-head cards to drive them :)

  • This would be cool for the bedroom ceiling home (Score:4, Interesting)

    by multiplexo ( 27356 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:41PM (#11624231) Journal
    entertainment center I want to build. Just have it sitting behind your bed projecting up on the ceiling and you can lie in bed and watch TV. Or have it project from behind the bed across the room. I want one.

  • Another article... (Score:4, Informative)

    by reynhout ( 89071 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:42PM (#11624236)
    The Mitsubishi site doesn't appear to have any real content on it about this product, but here's another review:

    http://www.techworthy.com/Blog/Mitsubishi-PocketPr ojector-8482.htm [techworthy.com]

  • Obligatory joke (Score:5, Funny)

    by mattiwatti ( 844167 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:42PM (#11624241)
    Hmm. I have $699 to burn...
    Do I buy a LED projector, or a SCO license?

  • This isn't an article, it's an advertisement (Score:5, Insightful)

    by winkydink ( 650484 ) * <sv.dude@gmail.com> on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:43PM (#11624246) Homepage Journal
    I keep looking, but I cannot see how this is anything more than a product pitch. No comparisons, just 'this thing is really cool and think of all the cool things you can do with it'. TFA is nothing more than a rewarmed press release of the projector.

  • In Cars?? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by big daddy kane ( 731748 )
    uhm, i dunno maybe i'm missing something, but how exactly is that useful in a car?

    • Re:In Cars?? (Score:4, Funny)

      by lucabrasi999 ( 585141 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:59PM (#11624408) Journal
      but how exactly is that useful in a car?

      I think it would be really useful. While you drive, you can now:

      Watch the projector,

      Comb your hair,

      Change the Radio Station,

      Talk on the mobile phone, AND

      Flip off the moron that just cut you off.

      All at the same time.

  • SVGA (Score:3, Insightful)

    by fm6 ( 162816 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:49PM (#11624303) Homepage Journal
    The cons: only SVGA (800x600), lumens (N/A).
    Which is plenty of pixels for a PowerPoint presentation. Of course, what you want is to play Doom on a really big monitor. Not the target market, alas.

    • Re:SVGA (Score:3, Insightful)

      by ArmorFiend ( 151674 )
      what's wrong with 800x600 for FPSers? The most popular FPSer currently is Halo 2, which runs on craptastic TVs, which are, what, 320x200 ?
      • That's 640x400 (or 640x512 if your TV is PAL flavour) you insensitive clod, and thats not even counting overscan!

        Of course technically TV's can do any horisontal resolution, you used to be able to display 1280x512 on a normal TV with an AGA Amiga, not that you could actually see anything on a TV at that resolution :)

        • Re:SVGA (Score:3, Informative)

          by Jeremy Erwin ( 2054 )
          NTSC specifies 525 lines, 480 of which are visible. But that's 20th century tech. The best modern television sets support 1080x1920.

    • Re:SVGA (Score:3, Interesting)

      by LurkerXXX ( 667952 )
      Heck, with my video card I can only play Doom3 at 800x600 anyhow. Otherwise it's a slide show. I might as well use this projector as my 17" LCD monitor ;)

      • Re:SVGA (Score:2)

        by fm6 ( 162816 )
        You must have a really ancient video card. Even my sister's old eMachine (1996!) can do better than that.

        Nowadays, 800x600 is the base resolution you get if you don't bother to configure your system. (XP won't do 640x480 without hacking the registry.) Are you sure you haven't just forgetten to specify the right driver?

  • hmm, it's illegal to watch tv while driving (Score:5, Funny)

    by way2trivial ( 601132 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:50PM (#11624321) Homepage Journal
    but what if you mounted one on your dashboard, and followed a semi with a nice white door..

    with a little fm transmitter, you could even share the monotony breaker with neighboring cars..

    watch a DVD on a cross country trip?

    whoa fred- screens getting big! better brake!

  • coral, anyone? (Score:2, Funny)

    by Zyrill ( 700263 )
    please guys - since almost everybody here is tech-savvy anyway: why don't you just fucking coralize links so everybody can read em and the servers aren't down after half a minute?

  • number 1? (Score:5, Funny)

    by bahamat ( 187909 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @07:51PM (#11624334) Homepage
    This new projector is my top number 1 "must have" gadget.


    I'm curious what other number 1 "must have" gadgets are on your list.

  • Too bad about the resolution (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    otherwise it would be a perfect fit for the Mac Mini.

  • Pixels/inch (Score:2, Informative)

    by yotto ( 590067 )
    800x600 has a 1000 pixel diagonal (8x6x10 right triangle. High school math came in handy for once), so a 40 inch projection will have 25 pixels per inch. Each pixel will be 1/25th of an inch, or (about) 3 of them will fit in an 8th of an inch.

    Not bad for most uses of a wall projector.
    • No offense intended, but the high school math could use some work.

      25 pixels per (square) inch implies that there will be 1 pixel per 1/5th of a square inch. (Square root of 1/25). That's like a splitting a square inch up into a Cartesian plane 5 units long and 5 units high, with each unit containing a point of light.

      Each 1/8th of a square inch will contain ~ 0.39 pixel. Put more usefully, as I stated before, each 1/5th of a square inch will contain 1 pixel.
      • Yeah nevermind; I could use some work on elementary school level reading. You had already converted to a linear scale when doing your calculations.

        Each 1/8 inch square will contain 9 pixels.

        Each 1/8 of a square inch (note that these are not the same) will contain 78 pixels.

    • Re:Pixels/inch (Score:3, Insightful)

      by hhawk ( 26580 )
      Any idea about how Fast the refresh is? I know older LCD monitors didnt' display moving images well. Is this one say good for power point but say not good for Doom or TV or a DVD?
  • http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000667030930/ Might as well slashdot them all!!

  • Profit Projections (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Doc Ruby ( 173196 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @08:09PM (#11624525) Homepage Journal
    Video projectors haven't been following Moore's Law lately. A 2000 lumens 1024x768 for under $1000 has been years in coming, since that profile dropped below $3000 a few years ago. It appears that it's because the projector vendors target salespeople, and are feeding them with ever more portable projectors, more costly to produce than big, stationary ones. Maybe the higher turnover of travelling salespeople means they sell more units in that sector, always needing the "brand new" one, at the highest price, than across the board. I'd have thought the mass-marketing of home theater would have offered larger profits on more sales, without competing on miniaturization R&D.

    Where is the 20lb ceiling-mount livingroom projector for $1000, that does 1024x768 @2000lm? Maybe this Mitsubishi projector will help compete them into existence.
    • I'd have thought the mass-marketing of home theater would have offered larger profits on more sales, without competing on miniaturization R&D.

      I would definitely not recommend any of these for a home theatre or television replacement. You can a much better quality picture for about the same price in a television over a projector.

      The image quality is horrible compared to other possibilities.
    • Time to take moore's law into you're own hands dude! Just rip apart an old LCD monitor and lay it on a used overhead projector... I bet you could get 1280 x 1024 for less than $200, especially if you don't care about it weighing 20lbs...
    • Where is the 20lb ceiling-mount livingroom projector for $1000, that does 1024x768 @2000lm? Maybe this Mitsubishi projector will help compete them into existence.

      Not quite $1K, but it does exceed your lumens requirement:

      Optoma 749 [tigerdirect.com] 2300 lumens, 1024x768 @ $1300.

      Note: I do not in any way endorse tigerdirect - their customer is service is atrocious and they appear to have been astroturfing bizrate for quite some time. BUT, if they can manage to ship you a new and undamaged unit, you'll never have to dea

  • OBHACK (Score:2, Interesting)

    by webhat ( 558203 )
    US$699, why?

    I build a projector by taking a slide projector and one of those miniture lcd screens.

    I broke the screen open, removed the backlight and mounted in the projector. Hey presto a new projector. Everything ran on 12v, so I could in principle attach it to batteries or car adapter.

    Total cost
    4x3 cm LCD screen $60
    Second hand projector $10
    Total $70

    Ok, so the image isn't the best quality and I had to get an extra cooling fan for the screen, which cost me about $10. My next proje
  • Ok, but 6-10 foot would be a much more interesting number. I certainly hope it can be focused down to a reasonable size with reasonable brightness at that range. I don't want Frank's 200" TV at 10 feet.
  • Shadow puppets! Don't forget shadow puppets!

  • For $699, you get a LED (dim) LCD (crappy image) projector.

    For $765, you can buy an InFocus X1a which has a much brighter lamp and will be nicer for movies and presentations. Plus, IMHO LCD projectors really suck because of the "screen door" effect. The X1a is a DLP projector which produces a more clear image.
  • I wonder if they illuminate 3 LED elements per diode (RGB) to produce white, or if they illuminate each colour in turn, thus eliminating the need for a colour filter wheel?

    That moving part is a considerable source of noise (and heat) in most DLP projectors.

  • Great for traveling presentations (Score:3, Insightful)

    by ducomputergeek ( 595742 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @09:29PM (#11625236)
    If you were on the road deliviering powerpoint presentations, this thing would be a god send. Currently if we send someone to meet with a client they have to lug both their laptop.

    While 800x600 might seem all that great to most of the geek crowd, its more than enough to show a powerpoint presentation in a confrence room or hotel meeting room wall.

    The trade off of size versus performance here would be a no brainer if you travel.

  • This is very cool -- LEDs mean less heat, size and battery power means you can embed the unit in custom displays or think up novel uses for them.

    • Portable drive-in movie! Sit the projector on your dashboard and aim it at your garage door. Park next to a vending machine for the concession stand.
    • When traveling, no more sitting at the desk in your hotel room watching movies on your laptop screen. Pack this and relax on the bed, or have several friends in the room.
  • In 2001, a friend of a friend had a projecter that was about a 5" sphere with a triangular base. He said it cost less than a hundred dollars in Japan, and would project about a 30" image which while dim was certainly viewable.

    I don't know why they're not available here yet, but I've never seen one.
  • can be viewed here [mitsubishielectric.com], since the site linked to by the article appears to be /.'ed.

    LumiLeds [lumileds.com] makes the LEDs: red, green, and blue. The bulb life of 20,000 hours is fantastic, but I agree that chances are poor this will throw a bright enough image to be useful in daylight or bright room situations. The Lumileds site suggests that the maximum brightness for a Lumileds Luxeon LED is 120 lumens [lumileds.com].

    -Joe G.

  • I must get one (Score:3, Funny)

    by Epsillon ( 608775 ) on Wednesday February 09, 2005 @10:53PM (#11625808) Journal
    At which point I will install it into my car with a tracking pan/tilt mechanism so I can project the words "dumbarse" and "half-wit", amongst others, onto the tyre (tire) covers of passing 4X4s (SUVs). This is what I've waited for for so long. Keep your flying cars, give me REVENGE ;-)

  • Some info on Brightness (Score:3, Interesting)

    by ekarjala ( 446184 ) on Thursday February 10, 2005 @08:03AM (#11628349)
    This Insight Media review [insightmedia.info] from CES indicates only 10 lumens for this device - good for a 10-15" effective display. Hopefully this technology will improve further.

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