Presenting on the go? We look at 11 ultra-light projectors that take the drag out of presentations.
We all know how much of a drag it can be lugging around a notebook, briefcase and data projector on your way to a presentation.
The data projector market has come along way in the last year or so. Projectors are now much sharper, more affordable but also much lighter and smaller -- some don't even require you to carry around a notebook because they allow you to do your presentations from a flash memory card.
For this feature we looked at portable LCD and DLP projectors. We classified portable as those units weighing in at less than 3kg. Most of the vendors were able to submit a projector that met our spec however there were two projectors that were a few grams over 3kg. None of the projectors we received were fitted with a motorised mechanism to adjust the focus or zoom; instead they were fitted focus and zoom rings. This is one way manufacturers are able to keep these projectors under 3kg and make them more affordable.
It's been a year since we last looked at projectors. The main push back then was for brighter and lighter products. Last year we saw a handful of projectors with lumens rating of 650-700 and most seemed to weigh just over 2kgs. This time round all the projectors are rated well above 1000 lumens and one even weighed an incredible 1.1kg.
In this review, we have provided you with information that will help you make a decision as to which data projector suits you best. Each of the leading manufacturers has provided a model for review with not many left out.
All the portable projectors shipped with some sort of carry bag or case, which is a must especially as these projectors will be used on the run almost all the time. All the projectors come with a two-year limited warranty. Lamps usually have a 90-day warranty.
PROJECTOR TECHNOLOGY
The portable projectors we tested use two competing technologies: LCD (liquid crystal display)
and the newer DLP (digital light processing), but which one is better? Basically DLP projectors use a rotating colour wheel to create an image while LCD projectors form an image from separate red, green, and blue panels. Neither is perfect and both have their advantages and disadvantages. For business presentations, either technology should be fine, but there are some subtle differences between the two: LCDs tend to be slightly better at displaying spreadsheets for example while DLP projectors tend to be better at projecting video.
LAMP TECHNOLOGY
There are quite a few different types of lamps. The most common lamp used today are UHP (Ultra-High Performance) lamps. There are also metal halide (UHM), ultra-high energy (UHE), ultra-
high brightness (UHB), video projection (VIP), and mercury arc (NSH). UHP lamps were introduced by Philips and tend to retain their quality until the end of their useful life. UHP lamps also last longer, they require less power for the equivalent amount of brightness. On the other hand, UHM lamps tend to diminish in quality over time. UHMs offer the poorest performance and brightness out of the group we looked at.
SCREENS
A good screen will also make your projector's image look far brighter and crisper than a wall.
The way in which a surface refracts light is what differentiates one screen fabric from another. Most fabrics have ratings next to them, which should help you choose the appropriate screen. When looking to buy a screen you should also choose a screen that's going to be appropriate in size taking into account the throw distance of the projector.
And if you're unlucky enough to have to cart around a screen you do have some options. There are portable screens that fold into compact cases and are ready to use in seconds. They are also smaller than most other screens, and very light-weight. There are also tripod screens, which are slightly larger but can also be folded, stored, and moved between rooms quite easily.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
There are several things to look out for when buying a projector. Every LCD projector is categorised by the pixels per inch of the display. The most common classifications are VGA (640 x 480), SVGA (800 x 600), and XGA (1024 x 768). VGA is considered low these days and we would only
recommend an SVGA or higher projector.
Another image quality indicator is the contrast ratio. The greater the contrast ratio, the more colour detail you should be able to see. DLP projectors usually have higher contrast ratios than LCD projectors. At 400:1 blacks tend to appear grey but at 1000:1 and higher blacks usually appear as solid blacks.
Brightness on the other hand is measured in lumens. The projectors in this review ranged from 1100 to 2000 lumens. There is also a relationship between the brightness of the projectors to lighting requirements.
You should take into consideration how dark the room has to be in order to properly view what's on the screen. You should also consider whether you would need some additional light for your audience to take notes if they want to.
You should also look to see how many computer, video, and audio ports the projector has. And also ask yourself whether there will be several presenters using the same projector from different computers during the same presentation. If this is the case you have to make sure you have the extra computer connectors. Also the new DVI (digital video interface) standard is making its way into projectors.
Some projectors offer a digital zoom lens, picture in picture capabilities, and pointing devices (laser pointers), which can be handy but also add to the cost of the projector. There are also projectors available that are able to read flash memory cards such as PC Card, CompactFlash, or Memory Stick, which can store presentations (this means you can leave your notebook behind). If your presentation has sound effects, look for a projector with decent built-in speakers. Most have single 1-Watt speakers but some have two. Another important factor is the weight of the projector. After packing cables, remotes, and other accessories these projectors can get quite heavy.
Last but not least, you should look to see how expensive replacement lamps are and look to see how long they last. List prices for the reviewed projector's lamps ranged from AU$704 to AU$923.
Most lamps have a lifespan of 2000 hours, but a few are rated to last only 1500 hours, even though they cost about the same.
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