Projectors

LBO reveals miniature projection systems at CES

By Kyle Sherer

16:11 January 10, 2008 PST

January 11, 2008 Light Blue Optics unveiled a line of miniature projection systems at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week featuring an ultra-wide throw angle which enables large image projection at a close proximity to the aperture. Read More

Microvision showcase Pico Projector for mobile devices

By Noel McKeegan

18:04 January 2, 2008 PST

January 3, 2007 There is an inherent contradiction in the quest for smaller mobile devices - as the units themselves shrink in size, so too does the available screen area, making viewing a challenge for even the most eagle-eyed consumers and turning the "convenience" of portability on its head. Microvision will display a stand-alone prototype device at the upcoming CES in Las Vegas that embraces the clearest solution - image projection - by providing home theater-sized viewing from mobile phones, PDAs, PMPs, digital cameras and laptops. Read More

Play Big IN1 portable gaming projector

By Darren Quick

14:25 November 11, 2007 PST

November 12, 2007 InFocus Corporation has released the Play Big IN1 Gaming projector, designed specifically for gaming consoles. The IN1 is designed as an all-in-one solution combining high-end audio, multiple inputs for connectivity to DVD players, cable and satellite boxes, a projected image of up to eight feet in size, plus a mirror that flips the image on the ceiling for a truly laid back gaming experience - all in a compact unit weighing less than 10 pounds. Read More

Project-a-Phone image capture and display system for handheld devices

By Kyle Sherer

17:06 October 10, 2007 PDT

October 11, 2007 Project-a-Phone has launched the ICD-1300, an image capture and display system which allows users to screen a live display of their mobile device onto a computer via a USB cable, where content can then be recorded, projected on a screen, or uploaded to the Internet. Read More

Low-profile Weibel projector lift

By Kyle Sherer

20:23 September 7, 2007 PDT

September 8, 2007 Rising projector sales on the back of lower prices and constantly improving technology has seen increasing numbers of consumers bringing the big screen feel into their homes. But when it’s not offering a visual feast, a projector can be a bit of an eyesore. The Weibel Precision Projector Lift is designed to address one of the issues that arises when trying to solve this problem - build depth - by requiring only 15 centimeters of space to be built into the ceiling. Read More

InFocus Work Big IN10 portable projector

By Gizmag Team

00:13 September 5, 2007 PDT

September 5, 2007 Though not yet meeting the promise of palm-sized, ultra-portable nano-projectors the InFocus Work Big IN10 Ultra-Mobile Projector does offer a boost to portability weighing in at 2.4lbs (1.09kg) and measuring 2.5in (6.3 cm) x 6.1in (15.49cm) x 7.8in (19.81cm). Read More

Surround Vision projects perfect images on surfaces of any shape

By Mike Hanlon

08:42 August 29, 2007 PDT

August 30, 2007 UPDATED HI-RES IMAGES Projecting brilliantly sharp images as a single picture onto curved surfaces has previously been a very elaborate and expensive process. Now a new software system automatically calibrates the projectors needed so that the images are superimposed with pixel-precise accuracy. The technology promises so many applications from enhancing the planitarium experience to creating compelling immersive viewer experiences in trade show booths, show stages, multiplexes, theme parks, product presentations and advanced simulators. Download the brochure here. Read More

Cool displays: the transparent rear-projection screen

By Loz Blain

June 12, 2007 Totally transparent projection screens can now become part of interior architecture with the invention of a rear projection screen that looks simply like a piece of glass when it's not in use, producing crystal clear images that appear to be floating in the air. The CristalLine glass and acrylic screens come in flat sheets that can be cut, bent, folded and shaped to produce unique projection media that will no doubt be popular in retail, corporate and trade show applications, not to mention the awesome stage effects they could help create. Read More

Vibration-compensated mini projectors

By Mike Hanlon

June 14, 2007 Miniature projectors embedded in our cell phones, handheld game consoles and other personal electronics appear very likely to play a major role in the future of information display. Projecting a large screen display on a wall appears the most effective way we can currently envisage having a large screen inside a small form factor. One of the problems will of course be that a handheld device projecting a large screen might not lead to a stable, vibration-free and easily readable display. Now German scientists from the Institute for Photonic Microsystems in Dresden have combined a compact laser projector system with inertia and yaw rate sensors to project vibration-compensated images. The sensor system detects the slightest motion and rotates the image to compensate for it, ensuring a steady picture, even in a moving vehicle. The system could be commercially available within two years. Read More

Miniaturized color MEMS scanning mirror-based Laser Projector

By Mike Hanlon

May 31, 2007 The collective intelligence of the world’s technologists seems destined to give us the miniature projectors we’ve been promised for so long that will likely revolutionise personal infotainment in mobile devices, the automotive industry (driver assistance, Head-Up Display, etc), medical electronics (acquisition of biometrical data, positioning aid for X-Ray diagnosis and treatment etc), production technology (projection of reference points for drilling, pattern generator for tailoring of steel plates), and Metrology (structured lighting). Earlier this week we reported on the XXXX and now comes the news that a full color laser projection system based on a two dimensional micro scanning mirror technology will be shown at at the LASER 2007 show in Germany next month. The system contains an ultra compact projection head and a separate laser and signal processing unit. It allows the projection of arbitrary images and video sequences with a geometrical resolution of 640 x 480 pixels, 256 brightness levels per pixel and elementary color, and 50 hertz frame rate. Read More

Tiny 'nano-projector' to launch in 2008

By Loz Blain

May 29, 2007 For years we've been promised micro-projectors the size of a remote control, a matchbox and even a sugar cube that will liberate visual content from the tiny screens of our mobile devices - but none have materialized onto the market. Explay's oio, the standalone version of which looks about the size of an iPod nano and packs some pretty cool features, was recently demonstrated to a press conference - and given a release date of 2008. It looks pretty close to production ready... We live in hope. Read More

A video projector the size of a sugar cube

By Mike Hanlon

September 19, 2006 Miniaturised projection systems have been spoken about for a long time, but with several viable technologies seemingly close to market, the day when you can carry a video projector at all times, just in case you need it is close. In February, we wrote about the matchbox-sized PVPro projector and now news from Faraunhoffer suggests that not-too-far down the track your handheld, digital camera, portable media player or phone might have a projector built-in. That’s the promise of a new technology for projectors that does not use conventional micro arrays, instead containing just a single mirror that can be rotated around two axes. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS in Dresden and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF in Jena have developed an alternative to micro mirror arrays and the result is a projector the size of a sugar cube. Read More

The matchbox-sized PVPro projector

By Mike Hanlon

February 17, 2006 Miniaturised projection is one of those technologies that has been promised for so long that it has developed the permanent stench of vapourware. Now we’re confident we can say it’s time is nearing, with both DigiSlide and Light Blue Optics showing miniscule demonstration units in the last week. Light Blue Optics’ PVPro technology for miniature projectors is now available to potential partners as a demonstrator unit, which is only 62cc in volume, and is similar in size and shape to a typical matchbox. Projectors based on PVPro technology can be used to display images from a range of mobile devices, including laptop computers, personal media players such as the video iPod, digital cameras and even mobile phones. Read More

Vest pocket projector uses micromirror technology

By Gizmag Team

December 14, 2004 Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany have built a prototype pocket projector with a tilting micromirror that builds up the picture line by line for legible graphics and text. Future models are likely to be no larger than a cube of sugar and could be incorporated into a mobile phone, allowing the miniature projector to be always on hand to present PowerPoint slides to a small group of customers or for quickly consulting an online journal. It could also provide useful orientation in unfamiliar towns by projecting a street map onto the wall of the nearest building. Read More

The form factor of the future PC could be emerging

By Mike Hanlon

The form factor for a future generation of personal computers may be emerging as two new projection technologies promise to overcome the remaining major stumbling blocks to miniaturisation - the screen and the keyboard. Miniaturised projection technologies for both keyboard and screen which can be incorporated into a PDA or phone could pave the way for a full desktop experience from a portable device. The virtual keyboard from VKB is a projection keyboard using both infrared technology (to produce an invisible circuit) and laser technology to project a full-size keyboard that performs exactly like a real one. Read More

Holographic projection coming to laptops, PDAs and mobile phones

By Mike Hanlon

A new ground-breaking holographic 2D projection technology could result in a new generation of pocket-sized digital video projectors and miniature projection displays incorporated into other handheld devices. Digital video projectors produce large, high quality images are becoming increasingly popular as they grow cheaper with mass production, but the technology is limited in its miniaturisation, preventing projectors from being incorporated mobile device markets. Holographic projection of 2D (rather than 3D) images represents a compelling alternative to conventional image projection. Video projectors based on this holographic technology can be made very small so a projector could be integrated into a laptop, a PDA, or even a mobile phone. Read More

Matsushita Electric releases A4-sized Wireless LCD Projector

By Mike Hanlon

Portable projection technology is advancing rapidly as evidenced by the release this week (April 20) of the Sirius Jr. TH-LB10NT from Matsushita Electric. The device is a compact, A4-sized portable LCD data projector and supports up to four simultaneous IEEE802.11b wireless PC connections to enable users to display one or more PC images on a single screen, making it an ideal projector for team-building and encouraging and facilitating collaboration. Read More

Sony developing upmarket Qualia range

By Mike Hanlon

Sony is developing an upmarket brand in Japan, using its world-leading R&D to bring advanced products to market earlier than they would for more price-sensitive consumer products. Read More

Screenplay 4800 Home Theatre

By Mike Hanlon

Thursday September 25, 2003: Advances in home projection over the past decade have seen cinema-quality systems that until recently could only be found in the most exclusive home-theatres move within reach of the average image junkie. The Infocus ScreenPlay 4800 can project images with a diagonal screen size of up to 12 feet... Read More

InFocus X1

By Mike Hanlon

Monday August 18, 2003: The InFocus X1 is designed for those who want to go beyond PowerPoint presentations in the office and utilise their projector for watching movies or playing games at home. As a "multi-use" projector, the X1 combines portability, a simple user interface and enhanced video quality... Read More

NEC projector offers World's shortest throw distance

By Mike Hanlon

Thursday July 31, 2003: The WT600 projector uses a lensless mirror design to project a 40" image at only 6cm from the screen and a 100" image at only 65cm from the screen - the shortest throw distance of any front projector to date according to NEC. Read More