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Old 09-11-2008, 14:02
xxtimbo
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I saw a mini video projector £99

display your dvds, satellite, computor or any other video source

project the picture on your wall

no bulbs its all done with LED s

it said get a screen size of up to 21 inches
which I was a bit disappointed in

But I thought, could this be the future ?
the tv arial going straight into a projector

no need for bulky TV sets just project the TV, Sat , DVD etc straight onto the wall ! plug in a couple of speakers and Bingo !

Instead of a poxy computor monitor, surf with the (hot ) pics projected onto your wall 6ft x 5ft ( well eventually )

Anyone had a go at this technology ?

(it mentioned satellite, but not the terrestrial tv signal .. wonder why not ? )
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Old 09-11-2008, 17:32
Deacon1972
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Sounds like a gimmick/novelty to me, I doubt the picture quality would be up to much, not for serious viewing anyway.

Projectors like this though on a bigger scale are and have been capable of displaying images from TV, DVD, Sat, VCR, PC etc for ages, yes you need the source connected to the PJ to get the images but they can project the image on a wall from anywhere from 20" -> 200"/300".

The downside to projectors is the limited lifespan of the bulbs, 2000/3000hrs before they need replacing, some are rather expensive to replace - £200/£300. They also need to run in complete darkness to get the best out of them.

PJ's are great for special screenings but not really ideal for everyday viewing.

They are becoming very popular these days but they are still a niche market.

The one I own is very compact, it fits on the palm of my hand and only ways a few pound.

I wouldn't have called today's flat panel LCD/Plasma bulky.
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Old 09-11-2008, 17:45
xxtimbo
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but this one in the advert is led not bulbs
and the blurb stated that it has to be
1 metre away from the screen
with max screen size of 21 inches
so at £100 it is really I suppose a bit of a novelty
and only works on a small scale.

But the idea is great and its possible that the technology
will improve
this one claims to give 10.000 hours of use
(which is a long time in any language)
and it is low on power consumption
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Old 09-11-2008, 17:47
dwhite
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(it mentioned satellite, but not the terrestrial tv signal .. wonder why not ? )
Becaue it won't have an inbuilt tuner (very few projectors do). It could display terrestrial tv by connecting a external tuner to it (e.g. vcr, Freeview box etc.)
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Old 09-11-2008, 18:02
Deacon1972
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but this one in the advert is led not bulbs
and the blurb stated that it has to be
1 metre away from the screen
with max screen size of 21 inches
so at £100 it is really I suppose a bit of a novelty
and only works on a small scale.

But the idea is great and its possible that the technology
will improve
this one claims to give 10.000 hours of use
(which is a long time in any language)
and it is low on power consumption
Is this the micro PJ you have seen?

http://solutions.3m.co.uk/wps/portal...Pro/?WT.srch=1


LED projectors have been available for a time but not for the commercial market - looks like they are just about to appear. Full HD too.



http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/ne...rojector.phtml
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Old 09-11-2008, 18:31
xxtimbo
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it just says mini video projector
screen size up to 21 inches from dist of 1 metre
I suppose it will work further back and give a bigger pic
though I dare say the quality will go down the bigger the
pic
it looks more like the pic in the 2nd link
but the lens is off on the right hand side

at 99 squid a lot will buy it and give it a go
but Im wondering why it said
sat .. dvd ... satellite or any video source
but no mention of TV or free view which is what most
people will want to plug in
( I saw it in the Maplin catalogue )
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Old 09-11-2008, 18:47
dwhite
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at 99 squid a lot will buy it and give it a go
but Im wondering why it said
sat .. dvd ... satellite or any video source
but no mention of TV or free view which is what most
people will want to plug in
( I saw it in the Maplin catalogue )
As I have said because it won't have an inbuilt tuner, if it said freeview it may confuse people leading them to think you could just plug the aerial in (which wouldn't work).

It does say any video source. A freeview box or a vcr is a video source.
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Old 09-11-2008, 19:07
Chris Frost
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Also if it had a TV tuner (analogue or digital) then it attracts a higher import tariff.

Proper projectors aren't that much more money new. As a rough guide have a look at Ivojo and search the £0-£499 category. There's stuff for less than £250 that would make a reasonable job of showing video/dvd/consoles on a 5 or 6ft screen. Certainly more than good enough for most people only interested in a big screen "wow" rather that absolute fidelity.

These LED projectors are interesting because they have the potential for long life and low heat output which would do away with the need for noisy fans. The technology has been used successfully in the business market to make tiny pocket sized projectors for business travellers. The Achilles Heel is light output. LEDs don't generate anything like the intensity of light of a UHP lamp, so that's why a £99 LED projector maxes out at 21", and even then I would guess it'll need a darkened room before it starts to give a watchable image.

It's a novelty and if some has £99 to waste then why not.
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Old 09-11-2008, 19:08
Deacon1972
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This one?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...25585&T=Module

It does mention TV.

Are you limited to space in your bedroom or cannot hang a flat screen TV on your wall. The answer therefore is this compact video projector. Great for watching regular TV, DVDs even for playing games and all from a unit that''s low in power, small in size and has no lamps or bulbs that can blow.
As with most PJ's you have to connect the source directly to them.

Nice idea but 21" screen.
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Old 09-11-2008, 19:16
xxtimbo
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yep thats the one
interesting it says 50,000 hours of life
there on line
but in the maplin catalogue it says
10,000 hours !

quite a big difference !
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Old 09-11-2008, 19:18
Chris Frost
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This from the download section for that product...

Technical Specifications
Light Source: LED
Luminous Flux: 13 Lumens (equivalent to general 400 Lumens)
Resolution: 557H x 234V or 480H x 240V
...
Speaker: 2 x 2W
Video Connection: 3.5mm Jack Socket (Adapted to 1 x Composite Video RCA and 2 x Audio RCA with Lead Included)
It's no wonder that 21" is the max screen size. As you would expect for £99, the projector's resolution is way short fo what is really needed for PAL (720H x 576V).
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Old 09-11-2008, 19:20
r_mitchell85
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yeah I have to agree. Its a nice idea but a 21" screen is nothing these days. Also someone said about it being full HD. but the blurb only mentiones a RCA composite input.
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Old 09-11-2008, 19:31
xxtimbo
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YES you want the projector to be behind
you as you watch so we are talking
of at least 6 feet between projector and screen
The optimum for this mini projector is
1 metre ! so whats the point ?

But as technology advances and prices fall
these projectors could become very popularand give a really "night at the movies" feel to watching TV
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Old 09-11-2008, 19:40
Chris Frost
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Also someone said about it being full HD. but the blurb only mentiones a RCA composite input.
Nah, you've got your lines crossed.

There is a prototype full 1080p HD projector from Delta in one of Deacon's links. It's more of a statement of intent rather than something likely to be launched soon though. There's also no mention of price - another indication of it being vapour-ware rather than a realistic commercial proposition for the near future.
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Old 09-11-2008, 19:43
Deacon1972
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yeah I have to agree. Its a nice idea but a 21" screen is nothing these days. Also someone said about it being full HD. but the blurb only mentiones a RCA composite input.
The Full HD applies to the LED projector from Delta that I linked to.
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Old 09-11-2008, 19:44
LCDMAN
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Loads of full 1080p projectors exist already - if you have the budget for something "professional" then look at this;

http://www.digitalprojection.com/Bro...1/Default.aspx

Puts that "toy" that the OP is looking at into perspective huh?
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Old 09-11-2008, 19:51
Deacon1972
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YES you want the projector to be behind
you as you watch so we are talking
of at least 6 feet between projector and screen
The optimum for this mini projector is
1 metre ! so whats the point ?
There's no point IMO - it's a toy.
But as technology advances and prices fall
these projectors could become very popularand give a really "night at the movies" feel to watching TV
Agree, they have to start somewhere.

I would be interested in LED, no bulb, heat or fan noise to worry about, but as Chris has pointed out the brightness would at this moment in time.
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Old 09-11-2008, 19:58
Chris Frost
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YES you want the projector to be behind you as you watch so we are talking of at least 6 feet between projector and screen
The optimum for this mini projector is
1 metre ! so whats the point ?
It's designed to go on a coffee table when needed rather than for permanent installation.

Most proper projectors of this type have very short-throw lenses so they can produce a big picture at a short distance; a 6ft wide image or bigger at just 2m throw isn't uncommon.This Maplin jobbie has a very long-throw lens; something like 6:1! But because the light output and resolution are so low the projector can only produce a 21" diagonal image.

There's no zoom, so I'd guess the 21" image size recommendation is where the lens has best focus.
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Old 09-11-2008, 23:43
xxtimbo
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i suppose Im thinking of the old slide projectors, they were a pain because of all the setting up of screens
(and getting everything down from the attic )
But the images were so intense and it was a great way of looking at photos
the darkness seeming to focus the intensity of the images.
But those projectors had powerful lamps
maybe LEDs will never get to that intensity
but.. who knows ?
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Old 10-11-2008, 09:52
Chris Frost
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Slide projectors also had/have much greater resolution too; even the very budgety ones. Something sadly lacking from our £99 friend from Maplin

There's a market for most things provided it meets a need for someone out there. Who would have predicted the success of Nintendo Wii when the gaming market appeared to be dominated by the uber-resolution consoles.

Perhaps there's hundreds or even thousands of folk out there just dying to sit in a darkened room watching a 21" projected image of pretty crappy image resolution but happy as Larry because it only cost them £99
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Old 11-11-2008, 10:55
stirlingguy1
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Anybody know if you can get one of these with a bigger picture than the rather small 21inch? I want a projector but am put off by the cost of bulbs.
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Old 11-11-2008, 12:49
Deacon1972
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Anybody know if you can get one of these with a bigger picture than the rather small 21inch? I want a projector but am put off by the cost of bulbs.
Best buys at the moment are the Optoma HD65/700x, bulbs only cost £90 to replace.

You get around 3000hrs on low power, use the PJ for special screenings I doubt bulb life would come into the equation, you'd upgrade the unit before it wanted replacing.

The 700x is about £370, for a 720p HD projector that's a bargain.
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Old 14-11-2008, 08:51
stirlingguy1
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Back to the original topic, though 21 inches seems small for a projector, thats only at 1 metres. According to this site: http://nuigroup.com/forums/viewthread/3479/

It's
21-inch at 1m distance,
40-inch at 2m,
53-inch at 3m and up to 80 inches

Id consider that a bargain.
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Old 14-11-2008, 09:18
Deacon1972
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Back to the original topic, though 21 inches seems small for a projector, thats only at 1 metres. According to this site: http://nuigroup.com/forums/viewthread/3479/

It's
21-inch at 1m distance,
40-inch at 2m,
53-inch at 3m and up to 80 inches

Id consider that a bargain.
It only has very limited resolution, only 240H, limited brightness, 13 Lumens - I doubt you will be able to make out what the image is at 40".

It even looks to run on batteries, no mention of mains power - 9VDC 2A (18Watts)

It's a waste of money.
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Old 19-11-2008, 06:30
stirlingguy1
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It only has very limited resolution, only 240H, limited brightness, 13 Lumens - I doubt you will be able to make out what the image is at 40".

It even looks to run on batteries, no mention of mains power - 9VDC 2A (18Watts)

It's a waste of money.
Well, I bought it..and Im impressed for £100 (plus a free pack of screwdrivers that Maplins were handing out). Bear in mind, I am not a projector guru and really only wanted it to watch films or sports. The picture isnt fantastic but its good. I have the picture size at about 60 inches and its great! It is mains operable, and i wont have to worry about bulbs.
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