3M Debuts New Streaming Projector Powered by Roku

Content streaming is becoming the next big thing in digital entertainment. More and more people are digitally downloading their content and streaming it to their televisions, smartphones and other electronic devices. Projector manufacturer 3M has recognized this and created the Streaming Projector, which merges the incredible picture size and quality you get from a projector with the streaming content that Roku is known for.

The projector itself isn't very big, which keeps it in line with most technology these days. It is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and only weighs about one pound, making it easily transportable. In addition to that, the projector is capable of projecting an image of up to 120" diagonally with a resolution of 800 x 480, which isn't the best that can be offered, especially if you are serious about HD content, though it is respectable considering the size of the projector as a whole.

Adding to the convenience of the device, this projector is also battery powered and should last around 2 hours and 45 minutes per charge, meaning it should last you long enough to watch an entire movie. But if you are watching a movie near an AC power outlet then losing power won't even be an issue. Just make sure you bring the adapter cable along if you are planning on having a movie marathon.

Integration comes through HDMI, meaning you can gain access to all of Roku's content, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon and Crakle. You can also connect this projector to an Xbox 360, PS3 or any other HDMI-compatible device. Roku also gives you access to over 600 channels, so you will never be at a loss for content.

Internet connection can be accessed via WiFi while a small remote is also included, allowing you to control your projector comfortably from wherever you are sitting. The projector also comes with small, built-in speakers as well as audio out for hooking up additional sound systems. You can pre-order the projector right now at Amazon for $299 with the projector actually shipping on October 22, 2012.

Source: Gizmag - New 3M projector streams Roku content

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The Problems with Pocket Projectors are Being Solved

Pocket projectors are becoming much more advanced and useful. They are now beginning to feature more lumens, increased resolution, and better battery life. These are definitely some of the reasons why the pocket projector industry is showing rapid growth, which will most likely only continue as the projectors improve even more.

This past spring DisplaySearch reported on the pocket projector market in Pocket Projector Technology and Market Forecast Report. They predicted that by 2018 there would be more than 140 million pocket projectors in use. The company had said that there needed to be some serious improvements in pocket projectors' brightness, resolution, and battery life. Since there have definitely been some improvements in these areas, DisplaySearch feels that by 2018 there will most certainly be pocket projectors that are leaps and bounds ahead of the ones that we see today, and due to their portability and convenience, there will therefore be a great increase in pocket projector sales.

DisplaySearch had already predicted that brightness and battery life would greatly improve from 2009 to 2012. In 2009 the pocket projector only featured a brightness ranging from 5 to 50 lumens. The average device then only had 15 lumens. This year HP released a pocket projector that featured 100 lumens of brightness, but unfortunately, it does not run on batteries. DisplaySearch has said that they believe in 2011 that all pocket projector models will be above 20 lumens, and in 2012 there should be models with 200 lumens.

Battery life has also improved. In 2009 the battery life of pocket projectors ranged from 30 minutes to 2 hours, with the average projector coming in at about an hour. By 2011 DisplaySearch claims that all pocket projectors should feature a battery life of over an hour, and by 2012 there should be models with a battery life of more than four hours.

Some of the newest pocket projectors that have been released show that the devices are definitely moving in the direction that DisplaySearch believes they will. 3M has recently announced two of their newest models, the MPro160 and the MPro180, that feature 30 lumens and two hours of battery life when in standard mode. Both of these devices will be available in January of 2011. These new projectors show significant improvements over some of their previous models. The MPro110, which was released at the very end of 2008, featured only 10 lumens, and the MPro120, which was released in 2009, had only 15 lumens of brightness. The MPro180 not only has improved in the amount of lumens it has, but it also features a 2.4-inch LCD touchscreen, much better resolution, and many other things.

3M is not the only one that has been improving their pocket projectors though. Philips has recently released three new pocket projectors, the PPX 1430, the PPX 1230, and thePPX 1020, in their PicoPix line. All of the projectors feature 400:1 contrast ratio, 20 to 30 lumens of brightness, and 2.5 hours of battery on the 1230 and 1430 models.

All of these advances show that pocket projectors are moving in the right direction. They are featuring more lumens, better resolution, and much longer battery life. It will be great to see how they improve them in the future. Hopefully, it won’t take too long. I guess we’ll just have to see if DisplaySearch is correct that by 2018 more than 140 million pocket projectors will be in use. With the direction that things are going in, it seems like they could definitely be correct.

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