Adam Dent from Optoma holding the PK-101

On Tuesday, November 25, the TFOT team was invited to take part in a launch of some of Optoma’s new projectors. The well orchestrated event organized by the Israeli company SG (Optoma importer in Israel) included unveiling some of the company’s most recent business and home cinema projectors but the main event, as far as we were concerned, was the unveiling of the Optoma PK-101 PICO pocket projector. The tiny device, weighing only 115 grams (4 ounces) and measuring 100x50x15mm (4x2x0.6 inches), was demonstrated by Optoma’s mid-east regional manger Adam Dent.

 

The PICO pocket projector uses DLP technology; DLP projectors use a special optical semiconductor called a Digital Micro-mirror Device (DMD), which was invented in 1987 by Texas Instruments. It is a precise light switch that enables light to be modulated digitally via millions of microscopic mirrors. The mirrors are capable of switching on and off thousands of times per second and are used to create a picture comprised of millions of pixels. With the PK-101 Optoma was able to miniaturize the entire projecting system to a tiny size while still keeping a (fairly) reasonable brightness.

Optoma PK-101 - extremely small and sleek

The pocket projector boosts an internal battery, which lasts a decent two hours according to Optoma. The battery recharges using a USB cable which is the only connection the projector has, apart from the 1/8-inch minijack used for projecting from a mobile device or digital camera. The commercial product will include a composite audio/video cable for projecting from a TV or composite-equipped PC. In the hands of Adam Dent the pocket projector was connected to an iPod nano using (a slightly cumbersome) composite connection which was used to project several videos as well as jpeg images which “simulated” a PowerPoint presentation. After the event we asked Adam about the composite connection for the iPod and apparently Optoma already has a much smaller and more elegant connection that will help keep things much simpler.

 

In a darkened room the Optoma projector was able to display a fairly bright 50-60 inch picture. This is by no means something you would want to use for your high-end home cinema system, but for the occasional outdoor family trip or for the road warrior who lives and breathes presentations, the PICO projector could very well be a useful little device. Optoma is also unsure what sort of applications the new projector might eventually find. Adam mentioned several possible uses for the PK-101, including as an in-car projector, or as a portable projector for gaming (SG actually showcased a Sony PlayStation 3 connected to the PK-101). Another possible use mentioned by Adam was watching movies during flights, although it would probably be more sensible for the airline companies themselves to integrate the tiny projectors to replace the small LCD screens currently in use in many airliners. Adam concluded by saying: “In terms of the uses that users will find for the PICO, we are confident that users will not need much prompting to use the PICO in a wide range of settings. We have delivered a flexible product that is capable of delivering high quality output in most environments. With the flexible connectivity, it will interface with an extremely wide range of devices.”

PK-101 PK-101 composite connection

The PK-101 PICO projector minimum (usable) projecting distance is about half a meter (1.5 feet) and much beyond two meters (6.5 feet) will result in a very dim image, even in a darkened environment. This leaves the PICO as a usable device for relatively short distances – good for projecting content to a small number of people located up to a few meters from the projected image, in a darkened room.

 

The PK-101 has only one bottom with three positions – full brightness, off, and reduced brightness, which is used to reserve battery life (it should add about 20% more to the battery life). The device itself is true plug and play with no menus or configurations of any sort.

 

One of the less appealing aspects of the PK-101 is its low resolution. At 480 x 320 (half VGA) the projector is perfectly O.K. for watching standard resolution videos but it might not be as good for reading small text and might prove to cause problems when trying to connect the unit to a laptop, something we intend to test in our upcoming full review of the PK-101.

 

The street price for the PK-101 is currently just under $400.