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Compact Projector Shoot-out: How to buy a compact projector?

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PCQ Bureau
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The sense in buying a mini projector could lie in the ability to deliver a good presentation or may be even watch movies with one's family! Price is important because not everyone can pay for a large projector. Plus, there are a host of other attributes to look at. Let's discuss.

The more portable, the better

The world salutes mobile. Things are getting compact and smarter, so are the modern day projectors. The lighter and smaller a projector is the more comfortable you shall be carrying it along. One can use them in any scenario and with them in your bag or even your pocket (some Pico projectors will easily fit into your pocket), you don't even have to worry about carrying too many documents. Compact projectors are easy to use and to set up.

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Quality of projection

Just like a major projector, a mini projector too should have at least decent picture quality. While being easy to carry is important, but so is this feature. Brightness measured in lumens, higher contrast ratio, large image size, and higher resolution helps in good quality projections. Of course the size of the room, light and distance between screen and the projector is important and should be taken care of. However, you cannot turn off the lights for better projection, since it would be difficult if the participants to take notes. Projectors with higher contrast ratio improve the darkness and light levels on the projected display, without which the video playback can never be impressive.

Connectivity options

Mini projectors may have less of mass but that doesn't mean it should have only a few, necessary ports. Fortunately, most mini projectors have wisely used the available space and have smartly included ports that make them all the more useful and mobile. For instance, adding a USB port allows one to make presentations or play videos without relying on a PC. The same can be done for image slideshows through SD card slots. A few even include HDMI ports. All this makes one embrace a mini projector in a work room or a drawing room easily.

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The add-ons

What's more? This is an unavoidable question but a necessary one while choosing a product. This includes features that may not be the product's USP but enhance the overall value of the product. We have taken the same into consideration and included them as what's more in our shoot-out. Some of these include built-in speakers, batteries, internal memory, remote, digital zoom, etc. Some projectors have the higher zoom feature so that one can present an image to match the screen size. Built-in speakers, if good enough, relieve you from the burden of carrying additional speakers. Internal memory in projectors allows you to save files on them, and run them whenever required.

Ergonomics

Handling and ease of use is crucial as every valuable minute saved is a minute added during presentations. Advanced features, quality and ports cannot be overlooked but they are of no use if the handling is complicated and time-taking. Remote support proves very useful and this aspect has been considered in many mini projectors as well. Nobody wants an embarrassing boardroom situation, where a meeting is held-up due to projector failure and the time taken in running it again.

Warranty and support

Also check whether your projector is backed by warranty or not? If so, then what's the warranty on the lamp and on the unit as a whole? They are often not the same, as the lamp is more prone to damage than any other component in the projector.

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Dell M110

The new mini projector from Dell is a sure-shot attention grabber for its pocket size build and its many connectivity ports. The small size with 4x10x11cm dimensions and 400gm makes it pocket friendly. The controls are located at the top, while the connectivity ports are placed at the rear-side of the device. The remaining sides of the projector have cooling vents. Dell M110 interface is very comprehensive and includes HDMI, VGA, USB and SD interface. Mobile users can connect storage devices and it can also be connected to the computer HD playback devices. With a variety of connectivity options available, multimedia presentations or audio video applications can be run from digital cameras, DVD players, gaming console, etc. All that needs to be done is to connect the projector via cables. Or if you want to connect smartphone or laptop wirelessly that can be done by using the optional wireless dongle.



The native WXGA resolution offered by the projector is 1280x800p. As for brightness, it has 300 ANSI Lumens at a contrast ratio 10,000:1. The projector reproduces excellent images with colour accuracy and is LED based. It also works well in brightly lighted rooms also with clear text quality. The 1-watt speaker is poor and is barely audible in a big room. It can project a decent image up to the size of 80inches. Its power consumption in normal mode is 44W.

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Bottomline: A pocket sized projector from Dell with LED technology, which explains the price of 33k.

Acer C110

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The talk of mini projectors is incomplete without Acer C110, a compact DLP projector offering decent performance at a very attractive price of just 15k. Weighing 175gm, it measures 110x85x25mm and easily fits on your palm. It has glossy finish, plastic body and looks elegant with no physical buttons. On the right side of the device is a focus control ring; at the bottom are a tripod socket and a pull out stand. The charm of the projector lies in the fact that it does not require a separate power adapter while projecting and draws power from the PC itself. The projector also has a tripod mount at the bottom.



It comes with a Y-shaped DC power cable that connects the projector with a computer using one or two USB ports. It is very easy to setup, you just need to connect it via USB and the built-in software runs automatically. Once the USB cable is connected the software asks if it is connected using one or two ports to power the projector which determines the brightness of the projector. The projector offers a native resolution of 854x480 at a contrast ratio 1000:1. But the projector is good only for simple PPT presentations. The projection quality of both images and videos is not sharp and appears a little dull, and if you increase the distance the visibility also diminishes. A notable shortcoming in the projector is the absence of drivers for OS other than Windows.



Bottomline: At 15k, it is the cheapest mini projector and that is the USP of this otherwise ordinary projector. If budget is a constraint and your requirement is limited to office presentations in small rooms, it is a hotcake.

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BenQ Joybee GP2

The projector competition gets better and better with the new BenQ Joybee GP2, the proud holder of features usual in mid-segment projectors. Price is a little on the higher side with 39k, but once you hear more about it, you won't mind paying for it. The compact weighs around 0.6kg and has a touch based interface with LED lighting, which makes it very helpful and easy to operate. The device starts instantly but heats up within minutes of projection. The quality is impressive and can be used for watching HD movies as well. It starts instantly and projects a display of up to 44 inches with great clarity. It has focus wheel but unfortunately something similar for zoom has been neglected.



It has a dock for iPhone and iPod touch on the top, while the side panel has an HDMI port, two USB ports and an SD card slot. Having a USB drive or an SD card rids you from even carrying your PC for presentations. Just insert an SD card or a USB drive and place your projector on a flat surface. If you intend to watch movies, don't worry about carrying a speaker, since the in-built speakers are really good and loud. There is a screw based stand beneath it, in case you want to raise it. However, if connecting to PC is intermittent, you can use the octopus cable which connects to a computer via a VGA connector or to an audio/video source with 3 RCA plugs. Power consumption on normal mode is 45W.



Bottomline: A compact projector in the real sense as it frees you from all the hassles of needing a PC or power to run it. The price is a bit too much but for a mini projector, but the features are absolutely delightful and useful too.

Portronics POR 315

Portronics POR 315 looks like a Pico projector and is the smallest projector gracing our shootout. It measures just 126 x 73 x 35mm and easily fits into your pocket. At 220GM, it is lightweight and ultra-compact. Its control panel lies at the top and includes controls for setup; source selection which includes via USB, HDMI, VGA, SD card, 3.5mm jack and AV; a four key navigational pad; power button and the focus button.



The projector has a stand to allow you more options and works without power cable for up to 2hrs on a good charge, making it very useful for professionals on the move. It is based on LCOS technology which offers great brightness levels of up to 80 inches. The native resolution is 1024x600p and supports aspect ratios of 16:9 and 4:3. It comes with a remote control and with so many connectivity tools it can work without a PC. It supports various file formats along with 1080p HD videos. It is very easy to use though the sound quality is very weak; it is perfect for office presentations.



It is priced at 23k, which is makes it the second economical projector after the Acer C110. However, it's not great for video playback since the speaker is also weak and so is the quality. Therefore, it is more suitable for office presentations than home usage.



Bottomline: For decent office projections, it is a great device at a good price. It lies in the right segment and is based on the new LCOS technology with portability and connectivity as its chief attractions.



View Sonic PLED-W500

The View Sonic PLED-W500 is lavishly decked with features ranging from brightness of up to 500 lumens to a compact size. LED-W500, at 1.2kg, weighs more than the rest. The price may be because it is an LED projector and it offers a 500 lumen brightness rating with a WXGA resolution of 1,280x 800. PLED-W500 is integrated with the latest wireless technology that allows projection directly from their smartphones, tablets or laptops. With the optional WPD-100 WiFi adapter, a user can use the MobiShow App on their smart phones or tablets to send images wirelessly to the projector.

Its back panel includes a VGA port, an HDMI port, along with composite video and S-Video ports. It excuses you from carrying your PC by letting you run files directly from an SD Card, USB drive, or through its in-built 1 GB memory. This projector has an LED lamp, which doesn't require replacement as it has a longer life than DLP lamps and it claims an estimated life of 20,000 hours.

The PLED-W500 scores well on quality and brightness, and can project a high-quality image of up to 48 inches, beyond which it starts getting blurry. The video quality is good and for watching movies it has good and robust speaker. The high-point of the projector, and maybe the reason for its high price, is its 3D support, which works with DLP Link compatible 3D glasses. It consumes 120W of power while working.

Bottom-line: This projector breaks the notion that all mini projectors are economical. At 61k, it brings to users some unseen features like 3D and wireless support, justifying the price which seems over-blown. A must have, if you can afford it.

LG HW300G

LG HW300G is a multi-usage portable projector with a price of 60k, the reason for which is not clear. Unlike the View Sonic PLED, which has 3D and Wi-Fi support, it has neither. The brightness level is only 300 ANSI lumens and the contrast is also just 1000:1 and can project and image of up to 40 inches. It has manual button for adjusting focus, but unfortunately lacks a similar mechanism for zoom. It is powered by a 2 watt speaker for video playback.

There is a remote control available with the device. It has its own speakers and also includes cooling vents. It weighs merely 800g and comes with a carry pouch for easy carrying and has extra space for the cable and remote. The native resolution of the projector is 1280 x 800 while the maximum input resolution is 1680x1050p. The brightness is 300 ANSI lumens while the contrast ratio is rated as 1000:1. The aspect ratio starts from 4:3 and goes up to 16:9.

The front panel includes lamp, the side panels have vents which keep the projector cool. Most of the ports are placed at the back and include USB, HDMI, VGA, component, AV and headphone jack. Despite being a DLP projector it uses LED technology instead of cathode lamps which gives longer life of up to 30,000 hours compared to 20,000 hours in rest of the mini projectors. It consumes around 100w of power.

Bottomline: The LG mini projector has lesser features compared to the View Sonic but a longer lamp life. So why should you buy this when for the same amount you can get more.

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