We’re sorry you lost your fortune in the global financial crisis, but we’ve got some news to cheer you up — you might still be able to plaster your living room wall with HD video. Epson just launched the PowerLite Cinema 700, a 720p home theater projector that it claims is the first to retail at $799. Sure, they’ve made this kind of claim before, and it’s true that if you look hard enough you’ll probably find a couple other 720p projectors at that price, but we’re not gonna make a fuss — this 3LCD projector is a decent deal, what with it doing 2,000 lumens and having a 2,000:1 contrast ratio. It’s already available in Epson’s online store — or, at least it would be if it wasn’t sold out at the moment. Guess some other economically depressed folks thought it was a decent deal, too!

Far from being the first (or second, or third) partnership aimed at getting 3D in the home, JVC and Sensio have jointly chosen EHX Fall 2008 to announce their loving new union. By joining forces, they’re purporting to introduce the “very first high-end 3D solution available on the consumer market.” Granted, this so-called solution won’t be cheap nor simple, as it will require a pair of JVC’s costly D-ILA projectors and a media server integrating Sensio’s 3D decoding technology.

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Dell's M109S pocket projector gets itself a ho-hum review

The portable Dell M109S projector which we saw a while back has just been reviewed over at Laptop Magazine. Similar to other pocket projectors, the verdict seems to be that the quality is nothing to explode in excitement over, but is impressive for such a small machine. Laptop praised the projector’s LED as one of the “brightest in its class,” though they seem disappointed with its non-standard native resolution of 858 x 600. They also laud the simplistic design of the projector, but found the buttons on the box “hard to use,” and complained about the lack of remote control capability. Ultimately, they conclude that the size — not as small as pico projectors, but not large enough to compete with higher-end models — makes the M109S an awkward middle child. If you want the full rundown, however, hit the read link.

No end in sight for war of the tiniest projector

Two diminutive projectors are making their debuts in the coming days. First, Epoq Multimedia’s 2.2 x 2.2 x 1.6-inch Pico Cube projector, which the company says is “about the size and weight of a hen’s egg.” The device packs a LCoS chip and projects VGA resolution, with a 3W LED light source for between seven and 10 ANSI brightness, an 80:1 contrast ratio and expected LED array life of 25,000 hours. Continue reading…

Toshiba's TLP-X200U projector talks... like Clippy?

When your 3LCD projector boasts such middling specs as 3,000 lumens spread across 1,024 x 768 pixels, a 600:1 contrast ratio, and 4.4-pounds heft, you need a trick or two to capture the market’s attention. How about voice guided menus and preventative maintenance advice? Uh, no. We could be wrong but we expect that to add about as much value to this PowerPoint apparatus as Clippy did to MS Office. Yours now for $1,739, and just a small slice of your sanity.

[Vai I4U]

AOpen XC mini PC with Blu-ray Combo Drive

The AOpen XC MP45-BDR mini PC boasts a high-end Blu-ray DVD reader/writer combo drive and runs on the Intel Montevina platform. Priced at around $550, this mini PC sports up to 4GB of DDR2 667/800 SO-DIMM modules, six USB 2.0 ports, and HDCP Full HD 1080P playback with 5.1 channel surround sound. The built-in GMAX4500MHD graphics engine also supports Microsoft’s DirectX 10 for great image quality and supports latest PC games. [FarEastGizmos]

Pico Media Projector Releases in The UK

I love small gadgets. One of my favorites is the Pico Media Projector that measures a mere 11.5cm x 5cm x 2.2cm and weights at only 160 grams. Its rechargeable battery offers you an hour of juice. However, don’t expect full High Definition resolution from the Pico Media Projector. If you are interested, you can purchase this ultra-portable projector for only £300. [Ubergizmo]

BenQ MP724 DLP Projector

BenQ has released the latest DLP projector in the form of the MP724. Unfortunately, this all-Purpose projector offers only XGA resolution with 2800:1 contrast ratio, 3500 ANSI Lumen, HDMI 1.3 and a 3000-hours of lamp life. The MP724 will be available this month in Europe and worldwide for €1000. [Akihabara]

Mini Projector From Scitec

The Scitec VLP-100 is the new mini projector that has a brightness level of 350 lumens, a contrast ratio of 150:1 and a 320 x 240 resolution. I think this ultra portable projector is perfect for those who are always on the go. If you are interested, you can purchase the Scitec VLP-100 for around $350 when it hits Japan later this month. [Impress]

Pocket Cinema Projector

Measuring only 12.5cm in length, the Pocket Cinema Projector features a built-in stereo speaker and it is capable of projecting a 50 inches wide pictures onto your wall. The gadget is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery and uses a high powered LED to project pictures. Other specs include a 1GB internal memory which is expandable via a built-in card reader. The Pocket Cinema is available from Firebox.com for around $523. [GeekAlerts] Continue reading…

Latest Projectors From Samsung Korea

Good news for all Koreans, because Samsung has recently unveiled three new projectors in the form of the SP-A900, SP-D400 and SP-L300. The SP-A900 targets hardcore high definition video fans featuring full HD resolution support, a contrast ratio of 12,000:1, 1,000 lumens and HDMI connectivity. Meanwhile, the SP-D400 has a contrast ratio of 3,000:1, 4,000 lumens and HDMI connectivity. The SP-L300 is a 3LCD data projector that provides 3,000 lumens, a HDMI connector and two 3W speakers. [Akihabara]