August 2008 — 21st-Century Classroom
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Lighting the Way
T.H.E. Journal's own online editor and techie gives the scoop on breakthrough projector technologies that are slated to hit the shelves in the coming year.
AFTER YEARS OF READING about projection
technologies that are "just around the corner" but
never quite come into fruition, we're
finally on the cusp of some
revolutionary innovations,
from palmsized
"pico"
projectors to
devices with
USB-based
video. These
new projector
technologies
bring
ease of use,
portability, and
image quality to new
levels, and should
give a boost to your lessons,
projects, and presentations. Best
of all, there isn't a lot of waiting to do; some of
these new technologies are already here, and the
rest have firm deadlines of later this year or early
next year.
Big Things in Small Packages
The drive toward miniaturization is moving projectors down to new scales this year. After much buzz, Optoma announced officially in mid-June that it will deliver the first pico projector by the end of 2008-- well, in Europe anyway. The United States will have to wait until 2009, but that's not so far away, right?
Based on Texas Instruments' DLP Pico chipset and using an LED-based light source, the Optoma Pico Projector will weigh in at just 4 ounces. It will come in a form similar an iPod or iPhone, but Optoma says it will project an image "up to 100 times larger" than what you get on a handheld device, freeing gadgetophiles from the shackles of their 3-inch screens. As for further specs, we'll just have to wait and see-- Optoma hasn't released any as of this writing.
Samsung P400 Pocket Imager
Meanwhile, other manufacturers have continued the trend toward more incremental miniaturization using traditional projector technologies. In mid-June, Samsung not only debuted but also began shipping its P400 Pocket Imager, a tiny DLP model that weighs a scant 1.9 pounds and measures just 5.8 inches wide and 2.5 inches high.
Despite its size, the P400 manages to crank out an SVGA picture (800 x 600 pixels) with a 1,000:1 contrast ratio. At a brightness rating of only 150 ANSI lumens, it's targeted more for teachers and trainers on the go than for classroom use. And the unit promises a lamp life of 30,000 hours-- about 10 times the average projector bulb's lifespan.
LCoS: A Clear Arrival
Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) isn't exactly new, but it isn't exactly widespread, either. Technical difficulties in manufacturing have made it somewhat of a rarity, despite the technology's promise as the ultimate platform for image quality. But Canon USA has made significant progress with the technology, and this fall, it will start shipping the first LCoS-based WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) projector.
