Optoma PK201 Pico Pocket Projector Reviews

Review by D. Hart for Optoma PK201 Pico Pocket Projector
Rating:
I’m in the tech field and I’ve been waiting for the pico projectors to come down in price. I just never expected one of this quality and feature set to sell for under $300.00. I’ve looked at the 3M ones and some of the others but none come close to this 20 lumens switch blade of a Pico projector. I got mine about 3 weeks ago and I’ve been using it constantly. Everyone who see’s it is like “I’m so getting one of these”. I like the fact that it came bundled with the cables required to connect your laptop. With other units this was extra as well as a case. I purchased the IPOD connector kit so I could hook up my Iphone. It looks awesome with video coming from my Iphone. Please note that the extra battery in the Ipod/Iphone connector kit is for the PK101/102 projectors and will not fit in the PK201. So bascially I’ll ebay that battery. The Arcsoft media software I’m not so happy about. I tried converting a video to the PK201 profile settings in Arcsoft only to have it not work on the unit. If I convert the same file utilizing Arcsoft’s PK101 profile (lower video bit rate) then the file will play on the PK201. I have a support case open with them about but its really an Arcsoft issue. I’ve worked around that anyway by utilzing other software to do the job. Long story short is that I’ve done a lot of research regarding the Pico Projectors, this is by far the best due to its brightness, input capabilities, resolution, and ability to play content on its own (built in media player). Those are some of the most important things to me when I was looking for a Pico Projector. Did I also mention it utilizes Micro SD so I you can have up to 16gb of storage. It’s great just taking this unit out without having to hookup any wires and play a movie or project a powerpoint. I’ve never written a review before and I hope this helps you in selecting a Pico Proejctor.

Cheers

Review by TP Reitzel for Optoma PK201 Pico Pocket Projector
Rating:
1. VGA output from connection to portable laptop: Adequate due to focusing problems, i.e. unfocused image across the breadth of the projection which comes from a distance of approximately 12′ in this case. Furthermore, focusing the image adequately with the focusing wheel is somewhat difficult. However, if the operator fiddles long enough with the focus, one can generally see a clear image over MOST of the projection if the projection is nearly perpendicular to the wall with minimal skew. Although 12′ is outside the range suggested by the manufacturer, the Optoma PK201 has focusing problems even at shorter distances, e.g. 9′. The HDMI capability begs a user to connect the PK201 to a computer and project the desktop onto a wall as a replacement for a large screen TV. Currently, the latter process doesn’t work well because not all quadrants of the projected image are in focus at the same time. Personally, I’d love to use this capability with my speech recognition system while browsing the InterNet, but a projected desktop consisting of text is very difficult to read. In order to read the fuzzier text, heavy use of the web browser’s zoom capability is required which causes other problems. Optoma, you blew it here and I fully expect your next generation of micro projectors to precisely focus all quadrants of the projected image simultaneously. I won’t be as forgiving if this problem reoccurs in succeeding generations. No excuses.

2. Thermal: A purchaser wouldn’t want a micro projector producing greater heat. Personally, excessive heat might be playing a role in the focusing problems. With the current design, 20 lumens is about maximum for micro projectors using LED DLP (currently) and passive cooling. Employing laser diodes instead of LEDs is an option for micro projectors, but I’m unsure which option has the greatest luminosity per unit of thermal output.

3. Luminosity: The projector is barely acceptable at 20 lumens. Unless one restricts the usage of their micro projector to nighttime hours, don’t buy a micro projector with a rated output less than 20 lumens. The projection from the PK201 can be seen in a room with some INDIRECT exterior light so the brightness is acceptable.

4. Battery life: Marginal at best. Buy another battery as a spare. You’ll need it.

5. The power switch is too small.

6. One can replace the included conversion software with Handbrake if the user is willing to fiddle with the settings. Personally, I use AVIDemux 2 to convert video for the PK201, but Handbrake will work as well. Thanks to legondaree on the Handbrake forums for these selections for use with Handbrake:

a. Select the “iPhone & iPod Touch” preset.

b. Set output format to “MP4 file”

c. Set VideoVideo codec to “H.264(x264)”

d. Set VideoQuality to “Average bitrate(kbps): 1500″

e. Set AdvancedB-Frames to “0″

f. Disable AdvancedCABAC Entropy Coding

g. Set AdvancedMotion Estimation Method to “Uneven Multi_Hexagon”

h. In “Picture Settings”, select a maximum width of 720 and height of 480 and set Anamorphic to “None”

Although, I initially thought about returning the PK201 due to the difficulty in focusing and the minimal life of the battery, I’ve decided to keep it as one can get a readable image across MOST of the screen if the aforementioned precautions are followed and one can always purchase an additional battery. The PK201 is a good micro projector and worth $300, but the difficulty in focusing and the minimal life of the battery detract from its usefulness. Remember, technology will continually advance these micro projectors so one has to weigh various factors before deciding to purchase. Personally, I don’t think either the PK201 or PK301 are mature enough yet although they are close. The next generation of these micro projectors will probably see much wider adoption of these devices. I suspect 30+ tested lumens will probably be the minimum output and at least 90 minutes of battery life before these devices see wide acceptance.

In conclusion, the PK201 will work nicely for displaying pictures and video as a slightly out of focus condition won’t generally be noticeable in parts of the image. Furthermore, if the PK201 is used primarily in a room with INDIRECT light, e.g. ALL shades pulled during daylight hours, or at night, the brightness of the projected image is adequate. The PK201 can also be used to display text, but slightly out of focus text can be maddening after awhile. Personally, I’m able to use the PK201 to project my desktop while browsing the InterNet with my speech recognition system IF I heavily zoom my web browser to enlarge the text and precisely fiddle with the focus wheel. The latter can be done with some difficulty and the text is largely readable so all isn’t lost. I’ve decided to bump my overall rating from 3 to 4. The PK201 is so close to meeting the requirements for many applications and it’s a very good buy if the intended use is primarily for viewing pictures or watching video.

Review by aws for ViewSonic PJD6531w WXGA Wide DLP Projector -120Hz/3D Ready, 3000 Lumens, 3200:1 DCR, HDMI
Rating:
3000 lumens gives amazing brightness with a projection on my wall about 8-10ft across. HDMI input so you don’t have to worry about signal quality issues from analog VGA cables. Web browsing is crisp and easily readable from across the room, and movies look great also. Lots of features in the menu system including digital keystone correction, detailed color controls, captioning, customizable start-up splash-screen and more. And the default settings are good, right out of the box.

The price is very competitive, many projectors on the market are years-old models, not this one. I was shopping for a projector for months and consistently dissatisfied with the price vs features until I saw this model and immediately pre-ordered it.

The fan noise is present but very reasonable, during any movie watching one will quickly forget that it is there. Eco mode is just a small step less bright than full on, so I am using that most of the time since its plenty bright and gives a longer lamp life and slightly less noise.

It comes with a carrying case also, a nice touch.

No idea about the 3D performance yet, as I don’t have anything that generates 3D content.

Review by 180onthewall for ViewSonic PJD6531w WXGA Wide DLP Projector -120Hz/3D Ready, 3000 Lumens, 3200:1 DCR, HDMI
Rating:
Let me start off by saying that when i buy something i study it hard before i buy it to make sure that i make the right descion, i settle on the viewsonic pjd6531w, and am i ever happy i did!! right out of the box the picture looked awsome!! and i received it in the morning at work so when i got home for lunch the first thing i did was set it up, even on a beige wall the picture was sharp! when i got home i put it in the spare room on a white wall , setup the surround system and popped in a bluray into the ps3, and i was blown away!!!! the colors, the sharpness, and the jaw dropping size of the screen was simply breath taking! i seriously had to do nothing , not one adjustment but to the keystone due to angle on bookshelf, if you are looking for a projector you will not be dissapointed with this one! oh and the 3d is great too!! i feel like i can jump into the screen!

Review by Russell D. Holloway for ViewSonic PJD6531w WXGA Wide DLP Projector -120Hz/3D Ready, 3000 Lumens, 3200:1 DCR, HDMI
Rating:
This is my first projector, so I cannot really give too technical of a review. However, here are the things I’ve noticed in the short time I’ve had it so far…

Like others have said, it’s bright. I can use it in the middle of the day with blinds open and see perfectly fine. From what I understand, the image will gradually get dimmer the more hours it has, but for now it’s superb.

It’s very easy to use. I’ve never operated one before and was able to use it right out of the box. Plugged it in, connected my ps3 or laptop, and turn it on. It automatically detects everything without issue.

The image can get quite large. So far I’ve been using it to generate an image about 8 ft wide with a good picture. The projector is 14ft away from the wall. Definitely much larger than any LCD or Plasma!

I purchased this projector for a short term relocation. I didn’t want to have to ship a TV and figured if I bought a projector I could take it home with me in a few months. It’s easily portable, and this one comes with a case (unlike some others. I also looked at getting the Optoma hd66 which is in the same price range, and I don’t believe it came with a case and the viewsonic had a few more features).

I haven’t used 3D yet since 3D glasses are still quite expensive, but one day I hope to try it.

If the lamp lasts 4000-6000 hours, I will be perfectly satisfied. That should give me several years of usage, and at that point it’ll be time to upgrade anyways (technology flies these days)! Or, I could replace the lamp, although I still haven’t found any bulbs online yet. I use ECO mode as well, and the difference in ECO mode and standard is hardly noticeable. ECO mode is plenty bright enough.

UPDATE: Be sure to check the contrast settings if you don’t see a proper picture. The contrast setting automatically switched to 0 for HDMI input somehow and I almost returned it thinking the jack had become defective (only saw blank screen). I’m not sure why it changed, but be sure to check if the image seems off even if you didn’t change anything yourself.