Milpitas, Calif. — Optoma said it will ship in December one of the industry’s first Pico-class miniature DLP projectors.
The Optoma PK-101 will see expected street retails of $399 and will be directed at iPod, smartphone and
digital camera users, in addition to certain professionals who need a very compact projector to take on the road, said Jon Grodem, Optoma product and marketing director.
The projector uses an RGB LED light engine to output 11 ANSI lumens of brightness and a 20,000-hour life expectancy. It does not require a fan or any moving parts.
The unit is powered by a lithium-ion rechargeable battery with approximately two hours of playback time per charge. Optoma will ship a second backup battery with the projector.
The PK-101 offers two brightness modes to help conserve battery life.
The projector uses a DLP display engine and will produce a contrast ratio of between 1,500 to 2,000:1.
The unit offers standard-definition video resolution and includes a special cable to enable a composite A/V connection to source devices.
In addition, Optoma plans to offer a bundle of the projector with a special adapter for certain iPod devices for $30 extra.
“We think we are going to be the first company to actually ship a Pico projector to end users,” Grodem said. “Depending on the ambient light, you could project a screen size of up to 40 or 50 inches.”