I was just a moment ago writing on how the first generation of pico projectors was pretty much… bad. And while successive versions aren’t likely to drastically increase the brightness, they can improve on battery life, image quality, and build quality. The MPro120, which replaces the ambitious but unsatisfying (not to mention ugly) MPro110, does just that.
While 12 lumens means you’re going to have to choose your lighting or location carefully, the tiny size (deck of cards-ish) and improved battery life mean that’s less of a hassle than with any other kind of semi-portable projector. We’ll see about getting one to review; at $350 it may be a worthy investment for people who don’t want their friends crowding around a laptop for a slideshow or YouTube video. It’ll be out on September 1st.
COMING SOON TO A POCKET NEAR YOU: THE MPRO120
3M’s New Handheld Projector Set for September Launch
ST. PAUL, MINN. (August 26, 2009) – This fall, Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters are coming to a pocket near you! Less than a year after launching the MPro110 – the handheld digital projector that won the “Grand Award” in the gadget category of the Popular Science 2008 Best of What’s New Awards – 3M announced today the September debut of the MPro120, the newest member of the MPro family. The MPro120 provides improved functionality, increased portability and an expanded feature set.
The MPro120 is the first projector to incorporate 3M’s MM200 projection engine, the next generation of the MPro family. As announced at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show, the MM200 engine uses an advanced liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) electronic imager and boasts enhanced image quality with a full color gamut. The MPro120 provides users with a robust battery life of two to four hours (depending on brightness setting) – enough to watch a full-length film – and, in full brightness mode, achieves a brightness of 12 lumens. Featuring an integrated flip stand, tripod, stereo speakers and a variety of input cables, the MPro120 is ready to use “out-of-the-box” with a wide range of today’s most popular video output gadgets. And, as with its predecessor – the MPro110 – the MPro120 will be the ideal projection solution for laptops and netbooks. Available optional accessories include an adapter cable for Apple® products, component video cable and car charger.
“Following the success of the MPro110, the MPro120 will further reinforce 3M’s leadership position in the development and implementation of advanced projection technologies,” said Mark Colin, general manager, 3M Projection Systems Department. “The functionality of the MPro120 represents technical achievements that were manageable only by the long-term commitment to research and development that is 3M’s hallmark.”
The MPro120 will be on-sale September 1 with an estimated price of $349. Optional accessories are sold separately.
[via Gizmodo]