Micro-Projectors May Bring YouTube On-The-Go

An anonymous reader writes "A tiny portable projector, about the size of a pack of cards, may soon replace a ring tone as the most annoying thing on the train or bus. These technical innovations can project an image up to 50 inches in size in dark lighting, making them ideal for on-the-road business presentations. They can also be hooked up to cell phones or media devices, though, possibly introducing a whole new level of social intrusion into US culture. 'Digital projectors were once bulky. These new models, though, are small enough to fit into the pocket of consumers who want a big-screen experience from a small-screen device. Some of the models are expected to be on the market by year-end, or sooner. Prices have yet to be announced. Matthew S. Brennesholtz, an analyst at Insight Media, a marketing research firm in Norwalk, Conn., says he thinks the projectors will initially cost about $350, then quickly drop to less than $300.'"

Cool. What about tv?

Can I connect this thing to my HD DVD player? At $300 it's cheaper than buying a real 40 inch screen.

Re:Cool. What about tv?

At $300, it's probably VGA or SVGA res, good enough for DVD, but blow it up too large and you'll be seeing the gaps between the pixels. HD projectors run over $1000. A good 1080p projector can be had for about $2000 now, and they're generally quite beautiful.

Re:

At $300, it's probably VGA or SVGA res For youtube its probably QVGA (320x240) same as VHS, and good enough for a mobile phone.

Re:Cool. What about tv?

I'm trying...

Re:Cool. What about tv?

Some research dug this up:

The projector outputs images at 848 by 480 pixels (WVGA)

http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/006250.html [pcworld.com]

Convenient!

If one is used in a movie theater, it's just the right size to crush under one's heel.

Assuming that it isn't a 4/1 joke...

I'd definitely get one of these to use at work. Sometimes I find myself in a meeting with a few people in a place with no projectors, so it'd be useful to be able to go over something that could be kept in my pocket, ready to sue at a moments notice. This is especially useful since my employer is stingy with the number of conference rooms with projectors.

Re:Assuming that it isn't a 4/1 joke...

ready to sue at a moments notice.

RIAA, is that you?

Re:

Not an April fool's joke.. I saw one of these being demonstrated with an iPod at MWC this year (actually, at a restaurant on a napkin).

Never gonna give up my monitor

The submitter could at least have linked to the YouTube Video [youtube.com] of the projector prototype.

Re:Never gonna give up my monitor

Idiot mods. Before you mod something up, at least check the link to make sure you're not being rickrolled.

Re:

Perhaps that did check the link, and thought the Informative would be funnier than the Funny.

Re:

LOL - nice troll.

Given that it's Rick Astley, and there's an option to 'watch this video in higher quality' on the page, I take it that the high quality version has no Stock, Aitken, Waterman content :o)

Exploding pockets 2.0

So, how hot will the bulbs in these pocket projectors get?
I smell a market for a project projector protector!

any surface?

Because nothing says professional like holding a sales meeting presentation on a manilla folder or a NAPKIN.

Re:

woah woah woah, you've got it all wrong. That's not how you make sales. You make sales by bringing the hot new intern and projecting the presentation on her front / backside (depending upon the clients preference, of course).

Re:any surface?

Ohhh! The Tummy Projector (TM) !!!

And with appropriate image processing/stretching, you could have a normal image appear when it is projected on a form with, er, uh, protuberances!

Just key in her measurements instead of trying to adjust keystone and everyone has a great time!

I'm thinking something like that would sell... ;-)

how much light?

Until now, projectors needed ungodly amounts of light to project an image bright enough to be usable in a non-darkened room. Either these miniprojectors use some kind of superefficient light source, or that 60" image can only be seen in total darkness.

Re:how much light?

Weeeeell, that is part of the second paragraph of TFA. It says that the 60" image can only be seen in dark rooms while a 7"-20" image can be seen with some ambient light.

Physics

You can't break the laws of physics. If you want a bright image you need to draw a lot of power. Even if you go with very efficient LEDs, the battery life on these things is going to be terrible.

Re:Physics

You can't break the laws of physics.

Damn it Scotty, I need 6000 lumens on the side of this mountain playing Moulin Rouge. I don't care how you do it but get me those lumens mister, that's an order. Kirk out.

Old news.

I will believe it when I see it at Best Buy.

This has been out there since 2007 http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/08/hands-on-with-microvisions-itty-bitty-projector/ [engadget.com]

And even in 2006. http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/06/70942 [wired.com]

Re:

"The Internet will still be there when you get home."

But ... what if it isn't ?

My world would fall apart if I missed the next Obama Girl video. I can't risk it. Sorry.

Re:

No, dude - it's going to be endless manga and anime. I pity the poor high school teachers who will have to put up with that between classes and worse - during.

Re:April fool's day?

"What happened to typical slashdot April Fool's Day?"

Why that *IS* the April Fools joke silly!

Everybody was waiting for their April Fools day jokes only to find no jokes. Hah, April Fools !