Hasta La Gadget!

We had the pleasure of checking out BenQ’s Joybee GP1 pocket projector back in March at CeBIT, and now the bantam beamer is just about ready to ship here in the States. Starting now (like, right now), interested consumers can plop down $499 in order to secure a place in line, ensuring that you’ll be one of the first on the block to take possession of the planet’s first LED-based PJ with a USB reader. Specs wise, you’ll find a DLP projection system kicking out an 858 x 600 resolution, 100 ANSI lumens, a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, a built-in 2-watt speaker and VGA / component / composite inputs. Five bills sounds a little steep for what it is, but hey, it’s a 1.4 pound projector — did you really expect it to be economical?

Filed under: Displays

BenQ’s $499 Joybee GP1 pocket projector up for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 May 2009 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sanyo is set to release one of their newest projectors yet, the WXGA PLC-WXU700 LCD. This projector’s features are already setting records as it has the fastest high-speed wireless LAN capabilities at 802.11n.

The Sanyo PLC-WXU700 is capable of streaming multiple video formats (in 1280×800 resolution) including WMV and MPEG-1, -2, and -4. The bulb is 3800 lumens and requires no cool-down time after turned off.

The projector weighs 7.9 pounds and will come out June 2009 at the price of $2,995.

True, Sanyo’s LP-WXU700 is limited to a WXGA (1280 x 800) pixel image. But it’s still the world’s first to transmit that video over 802.11b/g/n (draft 2.0). Grabbing wireless video off your Vista PC is a snap thanks to the projector’s Windows Embedded CE 6.0 software with Video Streaming Function that links back to Vista’s Network Projector Function. Spec-wise we’re looking at a 0.74-inch 3LCD panel capable of projecting a 100-inch image at a distance of 2.5 to 4-meters at 3,800 lumens with a 500:1 contrast ratio. Sanyo even tosses in a single HDMI jack in addition to the usual analog inputs. While, it’s targeted at offices and schools, it wouldn’t surprise us to see this ¥62,790 (about $642) projector show up in make-shift home theaters and gaming rooms when it launches in June.

Update: Oops, dropped a 0 from the price. It’s actually ¥627,900 or about $6,445 according to the native English press release — but even that doesn’t sound right.

[Via Akihabara News]

Filed under: Displays

Sanyo’s LP-WXU700 projector is first to stream HD video over 802.11n WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 May 2009 07:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Considering that Epson’s highest-end HTIB is nearly two years old now, we’d say an update was definitely in order. Today, the outfit has just taken the wraps off of its next-generation Ensemble HD Home Cinema, which gets updated by way of including the PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 or Home Cinema 6500 UB. As with the prior kit, these two also include a motorized 100-inch screen, integrated surround sound, AV controller with built-in DVD player, universal remote and all virtually components needed for installation. The only thing that’s glaringly absent is a Blu-ray player, which — at this point — is completely and utterly inexcusable. At any rate, those content with treating themselves to upscaled DVD can fork out $4,999 for the Ensemble HD Home Cinema 720p, $6,499 for the Ensemble HD Home Cinema 6100 and $7,999 for the Ensemble HD Home Cinema 6500 UB.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

Epson launches next-gen Ensemble HD Home Cinema System originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epson, along with partners Impressx and Engage, has
unveiled a multi-touch screen interactive desktop at the UK’s Gadget Show Live, according to Vnunet.com. The 52-inch X-Desk uses projectors–a natural fit for Epson, who sells a ton of the things–to transform a surface into an interactive display. The idea is to “[blur] the lines between the physical
and virtual worlds, allowing people to physically interact with digital content
such as photos, videos, documents, maps and information,” according to the company.

Here’s how it works: place an MP3 player, a cell phone, or other device on the surface, and the X-Desk gives you immediate access to whatever media is contained in the device. Users can also move media around on the surface. The report said that the system consists of a rear-projection screen, a camera, a PC with custom software, optical sensors that register and interpret touches on the
surface, and an Epson 3LCD projector. No word yet if the company plans to produce the X-Desk, but it probably won’t be any time soon.