So today I was doing a search in Google for pico projectors and was kind of surprised at how many store options there are now. Just a few short months ago when we started this blog there weren’t really any. Pico projectors were still just in the development stages. Now they are out there in the wild, available in online stores.
What I wanted to do today is take a few of the reviews from Google Products and post them here for our users. We’ll post them for each model number available in future blog posts.
Optoma Pico PK 102 480 x 320 DLP projector
First, it is not Mac compatible even though the web site says that it is. The projector can project from the Mac (by mirroring the computer display), but data cannot be transferred to the projector so the on-board memory is completely worthless. The company says that data needs to be converted to Xvid format via their proprietary software that is only for use with PC. Videos already encoded as Xvid will not play.
Second, the battery life is very poor. I was not able to watch a single (approx 8o minute) movie on it freshly charged.
Third, it is very cumbersome only being able to use the projector connected to both the computer (would not work through the included USB and VGA cables, need to buy an additional DVI adapter to get it to work at all) and plugged in. Even with the tripod, it was very unsteady and difficult to get it a straight projection.
Fourth, the projection quality was very poor. Even though the room was dark, the darker shots in the movie were impossible to see. I was not able to enlarge the picture to my desired size- about 42″. The largest size I was able to project to with a clear picture was about 25″. Even at this small size, the picture was not as clear as I would have expected. I was not able to get it to focus clearly on text at any size.
Lastly, the “owners manual” is virtually non existent. None of the literature that comes with the product is very useful in operating the product.
connect your computer or your video source(camera, DVD, etc)
One usb cable (included) give you the option to send videos and photos to a 4GB inside storage!!!
you need to convert the videos before, but the software came into the package and works very well.
The audio is loud and clear instead of the size.
You can make a presentation of videos and photos without anything else!!!!
Its is quiet, very handy hand easy to use, perfect for fun at night
Perfectly portable even with all the accessories.
I’m very happy with this projector, but you must know that it have some limitations:
Works very well in dark places and shows vibrant colors, but not as well on normal light conditions
Using it as PC projector is good for videos or photos (not very sharp) but not as secondary screen or presentations, the letters doesn’t look well and it is not comfortable to watch or read.
My computer send a resolution of 800 x 600 maybe the equipment works better at 640×480
but for computer presentations I don’t recommend it.
I watched a movie and it get hot but works without problem, of course for a movie you must plug it.
Very soon this product will become common in many device specially mobile phones
The option of share videos and photos to any surface from a device that fit in your pocket
is extraordinary, everyone who use it, like it!
b) Instruction manual is extremely poor and difficult for me to understand.
c) Cables are too short and therefore difficult to place projector adequately to focus picture on surface.
This is the 1st piece of electronic equipment I have ever had so much difficulty setting up.
I would not recommend purchasing this item if you are expecting ease of use. Apart from portability I can see no advantage to owning it. Unless I solve my issues in the next 16 hours I am returning it.
I did purchase a cheap tripod (~12 bucks) with it and I am glad I did – this thing is so small it would be hard to get it pointed exactly right without.
Let’s face it – this isn’t great for someone working on a projector all day every day – you need better resolution and more lumens. But for the average geek at home this thing is perfect. For occasional use with laptop, or videos, or just still photo slide shows.
The unit was even smaller than I expected when I got my hands on it. To say it’s the size of a cell phone is no exaggeration.
For a $250 this is one gadget you might consider in your arsenal!
Other Thoughts: I love this projector. True, the light is low. You need to have a completely dark room to see the image. (It does better up close.) And the resolution is nowhere near as crisp as a “big” projector. But if you want something that you can turn on and off quickly to do a slideshow or to watch a movie, nothing beats it. I carry this everywhere I go. The kids lie down on the couch and aim it to the ceiling to watch movies. I bought the iPod kit which comes with cable and an extra battery, and it works great. The projector comes with 4GB of internal memory too. There’s a software package for converting video to the projector’s format. It is a Windows only program. I’ve found that the 4GB are enough to store two DVD movies, plus some photos. It comes with a VGA adapter. I was able to plug-in my Macbook Pro to it without problems and watch movies. There’s a speaker on the projector but it’s not loud enough. It works best if you can route the audio to external speakers.
That should give you some food for thought in regard to buying the Optoma PK102. If you want to pick this baby up, you can get it here.
Optoma PK102 – Pico Pocket Projector
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