Projector

Epson today announced an ultra-bright, ultra-portable projector for under $1,000 - the PowerLite 1716.

Weighing in at under four pounds, the new PowerLite 1716 is a multimedia projector designed for on-the-go professionals. Easy to set up and operate, it features XGA resolution and 2,700 lumens light output, USB Plug 'n Play, and also offers optional wireless add-ons.Read more

At CEDIA last week, Samsung announced the new P410M, an LED-based DLP Pocket Projector. The compact (5.8" W x 2.5" H x 5.7" D) P410M weighs less than two pounds and has a USB port so that media files can be played from any USB device without connecting the P410M to a computer. The projector also includes a built-in multimedia player, standard audio, video and PC inputs, and two stereo speakers. The LED can last up to 30,000 hours, consumes 30% less energy than traditional lamps and is mercury-free, making it easier to recycle.

Features include:

• Ultra portable weighing under 2 lbs
• Compact & Stylish Design at 5.8" W x 2.5" H x 5.7" D
• DLP optical engine with LED light source rated at 30,000 Hours life
• Up to 140% of NTSC color gamut
• Standard VGA-in (15-pin D-sub), RCA Composite Video in connectors
• Built-in 1W x 2 stereo speakers

The Samsung P410M Pocket Projector is now available for $599.

At CEDIA this week, Runco unveiled the first-ever LED home theater projectors - the QuantumColor Q-750i and Q-750d. The QuantumColor projectors use Runco's new InfiniLight lampless LED illumination technology to create energy-efficient systems with beautiful projection performance.

Both projectors also feature Runco's new Personal Color Equalizer, a six-axis (R, G, B, C, Y, M) color adjustment that works like an audio equalizer and allows colors to be individually dialed up and down for every video source.

"Runco has been innovating and changing projection technology for years," says Joel Silver, founder and president of the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF™). "An LED lampless light source is clearly the next step in front projection, and Runco's investment in color gamut and customization puts its QuantomColor projectors well ahead of the pack. The innovation offered by Runco's Personal Color Equalizer easily enables accurate color gamut for all current sources."Read more

JVC unveiled six new D-ILA home theater projectors at CEDIA today – the top model featuring a native contrast ratio of 70,000:1 – the highest of all currently available home theater projectors. The new projectors are the DLA-RS35, DLA-RS25, DLA-RS15, DLA-HD990, DLA-HD950 and DLA-HD550. All six projectors feature the same D-ILA technology and features found in previous models, but add improvements such as ISF certification, high speed frame rate and more.

JVC begins delivering their D-ILA projectors to dealers in this month (September 2009) at the following prices:

• DLA-RS35/DLA-HD990: $10,000.00
• DLA-RS25/DLA-HD950: $8,000.00
• DLA-RS15: $5,500.00
• DLA-HD550: $5,000.00

Epson just announced four new 3LCD 1080p high-definition home theater projectors at CEDIA – the PowerLite Home Cinema 8100 and 8500 UB, and Pro Cinema 9100 and 9500 UB.

The Home Cinema 8100 is designed for home entertainment and AV enthusiasts with a budget in mind. Priced at just $1599, this projector has a contrast ratio of up to 36,000:1 (double that of previous models) and brightness of 1,800 lumens for beautiful image quality in either a dark or lighted room. The Epson Home Cinema 8100 will be available in late-October.Read more

Think you can't get an HD DLP home theater projector for under $1,000? Think again. Optoma recently announced their new HD20 1080p DLP home theater projector, priced at just $999.

The HD20 has many features found on more expensive home theater projectors. It delivers 1700 ANSI lumens and a 4000:1 contrast ratio, and features two HDMI inputs as well as VGA, component and composite video inputs. The projector operates at a native 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels), and is also compatible with UXGA, WXGA, SXGA+, SXGA, XGA, SVGA, VGA resized, VESA, PC and Macintosh computer formats. The HD20 also accepts common global video inputs and video formats up to 1080p (HDTV, EDTV, SDTV, NTSC, PAL, SECAM).

The HD20 projector weighs just 6.4 pounds and comes with a backlit remote control (batteries included) and a composite video cable. The projection lamp is rated to last up to 4000 hours in standard mode or 3000 hours in bright mode, and the DLP engine operates without filters, keeping maintenance costs low. The HD20 has a one-year parts and labor warranty, with the lamp being covered for 90 days.

Bottom line: the Optoma HD20 is ideal for those seeking Hi-Def home theater performance at a more affordable price.

ViewSonic just announced the availability of its smallest DLP projector to date, the 2.2 pound PJD2121. ViewSonic designed this tiny projector specifically for small meeting rooms. It has a short 1:1 throw ratio, making it possible to display images 60" or greater from only four feet away.

This ultra-portable DLP projector supports both 720p and 1080i HD formats, delivers 400 lumens and an 800x600 SVGA native resolution, and has a contrast ratio of 1,800:1. The PJD2121's 'Off to Go' function lets you power down instantly without damaging the lamp. It also has a bottom load lamp and filter-less design for easy maintenance. A Kensington security lock port is also included.

The PJD2121 pico projector has a three-year limited parts and labor warranty, plus one-year on the lamp, and the first year of Express Exchange service, as well as 24/7 customer support. The ViewSonic PJD2121 pico projector is available now for $449.