Page 2: Mitsubishi PocketProjector Press Release
Super-Small Video Projector Launched by Mitsubishi
Project Movies, Games, Photos from Palm-Sized PocketProjector
IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Feb. 8, 2005–Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America’s Presentation Products Division, the industry leader in home entertainment projector technology and innovation, today introduced its PocketProjector™, one of the world’s smallest LED projectors. Weighing just 14 ounces and fitting easily into the palm of a hand or a coat pocket, the tiny projector is built for fun and creative applications. It can be battery powered or used with a universal car adapter for truly mobile video on the fly.
The PocketProjector has one of the shortest projection distances of any mobile projector on the market today: Users can easily create a 20-inch diagonal screen with only a little over a foot of projection distance, and a 40-inch screen image in less than a yard. With a special suggested retail launch price of $699, the affordable PocketProjector is the next must-have gadget, and the coolest gift for 2005.
“For digital cameras, handheld gaming and portable DVD players, the PocketProjector is the newest display tool or toy of choice,” said James Chan, director, projector product marketing for Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America. “This projector can go where no projector has gone before. Just imagine being able to whip out a big screen from your coat pocket – people are going to have so much fun with it.”
The PocketProjector powers on or off instantly for quick and easy start-up, and can display images from a notebook computer, portable DVD player, and gaming consoles for immediate use almost anywhere. It is lighted by three Lumileds™ LEDs (red, green, blue) that produce an SVGA (800 x 600 pixels) image formed digitally by the latest DLP™ chip by Texas Instruments. The projector’s advanced lighting technology is rated to last an unprecedented 20,000 hours; with an average use of five hours per day, the lamp is expected to last over 10 years.
The PocketProjector will ship with a protective slip cover and AC power cord. Mitsubishi also plans to offer Convenience Packs with suggested retail prices from $199, which will contain application-specific cables, accessories and small screens for consumer and industry segments. An optional extra battery base will be available for a suggested retail price of $149.
“Our new PocketProjector is one of the most advanced products I’ve seen in a long time,” said Aki Ninomiya, vice president, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America. “It establishes new standards and creates all new applications and markets for projection displays.”
Pricing and Availability
Mitsubishi’s new PocketProjector will be available in July 2005 through online retailers and major retail channels at a suggested retail price of $699. Optional battery pack and Convenience Packs will also be made available upon release of the projector.
About Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Presentation Products Division
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America’s Presentation Products Division markets an extensive line of professional presentation, display and front-projection home entertainment display systems and is known for its award-winning, high-quality, accurate color reproduction technology. Products are sold through authorized distributors, resellers, retailers, dealers, and system integrators throughout the United States. Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America is located at 9351 Jeronimo Rd., Irvine, CA 92618. For more information, please call 888-307-0312 or visit www.mitsubishi-hometheater.com.
Note to Editors: PocketProjector is a trademark of Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Inc.; DLP is a trademark of Texas Instruments; Lumileds is a trademark of Lumileds Lighting.
Contacts
Lionheart PR for Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America
nnapurski@lionheartpr.com Nancy Napurski, 310-378-4633
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suspiciously missing: the brightness spec in lumens… its absence makes me thing that it must be embarassingly low, as I would think it would take a quantum leap in LED performance to get any serious brightness in a projector application.
Anonymous said:I don’t believe that lumens is applicable for a led “lamp”. but hey - I could be mistaken
magic said:I am one guy who would like to watch movies on the wall in our bedroom (where the computer is) instead of on the small screen. The room will be dark so brightness factor may not be so critical
turnstyle said:Lumens .. who cares .. 20′000 lamp life ‘ you could use the thing like a torch and it wouldn’t matter (hmm ‘ battery life)
I think this is a great concept . and will open up a whole new product range. At this cost, I will use projection as a second screen off my laptop.
Rod said:On the lumileds site, in a research paper they give a figure of 15 lm for light emission and state this is similar to a 15 inch laptop screen. They also state that the light unit generates 40lm so optimising it may result in more light available for projection. They also note that their thermal packaging wasn’t sufficient to run the LEDs at full power.
http://www.lumileds.com/pdfs/LED_pocket_illuminator.PDF
smartalix said:Part of the design is an enhanced heat sink for increased power. Thermal management is the primary hurdle to increased output, and more and more companies are specializing in that end of the business. Also, don’t forget they must strobe the LEDs to sync with the refresh rate, which also allows them to further increase output power.
zoeypants said:Okay.. it was due out July - it’s no October. I can’t find any reference to it since last February? Did it never happen?
david said:Yes, I updated this article to point to the newest information back in July. At that point, Mitsubishi was targeting a September release date – but not surprised it isn’t out yet. I’d expect end of this month, but waiting for more from their PR team.
guy stiles said:Has this product hit the retail stores yet?. It is now Jan. 06′. What is the battery life on this? What kind of batteries, cost of batteries, where to find batteries? Thanks for your help.
david said:The PocketProjector is only available through one online retailer at the moment (one I don’t particularly care for due to support issues with clearly defective product…), snuck out a few weeks ago. It’s priced at $799, and apparently they can’t make them fast enough to keep up with demand (which is why we don’t have a review unit, yet!
). Oh, and it’s apparently been given a manufacturer model ID of “PK-10″, though Mitsubishi’s PR folks don’t know that as being a real product code.
There is no further information at this time on the supposed battery pack, cost, or approximate life – unfortunately, Mitsubishi like many other companies may have released a great product, but hasn’t kept up with information flow. But, we’ll keep on top of it all, and let you know as we know!
gokhan said:please ı want to know ıts prıce
Jefferson said:Can you send to me more information where I can buy this projector in Brazil or by Internet?
George said:Thanks
what features does this unti have? Keystone…reverse picture? I am looking for a unit for a car audio application. Video’s/advertising off of the back glass. I like the short throw spec on this system.
david said:I should have a review up in the next week or two – but, yes, has basic keystone, and I think it had mirroring as well (though I’ll have to go back to my photos to check). Obv, size of image depends on distance to imaging surface..
Rene said:Hi, Where can I buy it in Sweden?
Doug Fox said:PK Mini LED projectors actually aren’t too bad considering their cost. I recently purchased the PK-20. Upside; MTBF is outstanding. I don’t have to worry about expensive bulb failures (Or even finding one because “Sorry, they no longer make that model"). Down side; make sure you use it at night or in a dark room, First comment was correct, the lumens rating isn’t even on the box; but I would use this for any presentation (Or watching movies/Football games)where space is a premium
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