Product Survey: Video Projectors : Optoma Pico PK101
7. Optoma Pico PK101
DLP chip and pico DLP chip
This is really a handheld or pocket device, as you can see in the picture. One can imagine that soon this sort of technology will be able to be integrated into other products such as laptops and GPS units. It has already been incorporated into a phone in China
Optoma’s Pico PK101 allows you to share videos from your mobile or multimedia player on a wide screen. Its tiny size (50 x 103 x 15 mm, weighing 115g) makes it feel slightly bigger than a phone.
Handling
The device comes with a tripod, a 2.5mm to composite adapter, a USB cable (to power the projector and charge the battery), and a USB to iPod cord. Normally a cable for the iPod is an optional buy, but here it was in the box. This model does not have a zoom. You can only modify the focus. In order to change the size of the picture you have to move the device closer to the wall, which makes for a smaller screen. Taking it further away will give a you bigger one. You won’t find a button dedicated to settings and in order to change anything, you need to go through the video source (such as the DVD player) you are using.
The Pico’s speaker should not be used at its loudest because the sound becomes unclear and hardly bearable.
You can see projected images in a mostly dark room. When you put on the light, however, you will be able to see the projected image only if you are very close to the wall. Practically no noise comes from the Pico. You would really have to put your ear on the device to hear a sort of whistling that disappears when you move away.
Projected image
The recommended projection distance is about a foot and a half. The projection is indeed possible from the maximal distance but only if the room is totally dark. Pictures are less distorted than those of the Aiptek and of the 3M. Image quality is excellent.
The dark colors are very deep and the image is as good as that of an entry-level Home Cinema projector from three or four years ago. Once we got over the wow factor, we did notice some blur, fuzziness, and stretched images (lengthwise).
DLP or LCoS
Comparing the PK101 with its direct competitor, the Pocket Cinema V10, the PK101 really has a lot going for it. It is more compact and offers less deformed corners. The colors are more vivid (sometimes even too flashy).
However it has no internal memory or slot for a memory card and therefore it depends completely on external sources.
Battery life with the light on maximum lasted for an our and five minutes (the Aiptek model goes five minutes longer than that). The MPro 110 has a very muted image in comparison but holds the advantage of offering VGA input (ideal for laptops), allowing it to conquer the business markets.
| Optoma Pico PK101 | |
|---|---|
| Pluses | Minuses |
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Stunning qulity for such a tiny device. The image is better than the one offered by it LcoS competitors, but not faultless either. Sadly without any internal memory and slot for a card, this is not a stand alone product.
- PK-101 DLP Projector...
"...For example, when these mirrors rapidly reflect red and yellow, you will see green..."
This mirrors reflect white light. The color wheel is the device which lets the right color component pass in synch with the DMD.
For example: the DMD is reflecting the blue channel of the image but this is white light coming from the lamp, so the color wheel is letting only the blue part of the spectrum. The same with red and blue.
There are also DLP projectors that use three dmd's with three colored light sources( red green and blue) so no need for a color wheel. A frame being displayed with all color information on the screen at once. This means you can obtain 3 times the frame rate at a broader color depth with no rainbow effect.
Besides being technically wrong as pointed out by bboysil, don't you mean red and green will create yellow? Red and yellow (which isn't a primary color of additive light) makes orange!
http:\\diyprojectorkits.com
I am a member there, and am going to build my own 1080P projector this summer. 40 *THOUSAND* hours of life per bulb. Commercial projectors are for amateurs...
COMPARISON CHARTS PLEASE
Either use standard Or metric but don't mix them both. Inches and ounces in one place, meters in another. Seeing how this is tomsguide/us I would assume standard US measurements, but at least be consistant. Even better, translate the articles or make a simple conversion program.
Wow, this article is a mess. Seems like it was written by half a dozen people and connected in random order. No format consistancy between products. Some mention power consumpsion, some price, some show screen shots, size, weight, etc.
COMPARISON CHARTS PLEASE
I'm guessing that's why no charts, no product has the same info.
OK, I swear this is my last comment:
I couldn't figure out why they were using a condom for size comparison. Turns out it is a Euro coin! How about using something recognizable by the majority it of people reading this article.
Why is this site generating such poor quality articles these days (look at the equally useless webcam article)? What is this Digital Versus? Some copy and paste bot?
I read the Panasonic review then gave up. Doesn't anyone bother proof-reading:
"The fans this shape can relax"
"I ended up forcing the it manually"
"The image below" - it's not below
"When uscaling"
And how useless is the zoom option to see the two(!) Star Ratings?
LOL!@! At first I thought that coin was a condom!!
A very wordy review. This needs metrics to compare each model if this is going to prove of any use.
Nic topic coverage. Bit weird as I have just persuaded the wife that our front room would make a great home entertainment room.
First purchase required.... Projector. Think I'll pop down to my local Sony shop and see for myself just what they are like. The reviews here have done nothing more than give me a starting point. Nothing that allows me to proactively compare the products.
I have the same prob, Firmware update doesn't help me use AC charger while projecting..HELP PLS!!
now my aiptek pocket cinema is dead.i've upgraded the firmware, now it won't turn on...pls help...