Mac Creative > Reviews > Pocket Projectors Group Test > Optoma PK-101

Optoma PK-101

Optoma PK-101
  • Manufacturer: Optoma (http://www.optoma.co.uk)
  • Pros: Truly pocket sized, attractive design, bright output, affordable, good battery life
  • Cons: Limited resolution, no VGA connector, no memory or USB support, not bright enough for sunny daylight use
  • Price: £255
  • Star rating: 3

Optoma started the pico projector craze last year, scooping everyone else with this model. The PK-101 is an attractive unit with a stylish feel, created by a combination of its tiny size and shiny plastic finish. It’s the smallest and lightest projector in the round-up – and possibly the smallest and lightest projector ever. It’s roughly the size and weight of a rather trim mobile, weighing in at just over 100g.

While the other pico units aren’t heavy, you’ll notice them if you keep them in a jacket pocket. The Optoma feels much more portable and also sits in your hand more comfortably. The box includes a useful pouch, a spare battery, and a USB charger. There’s also a very basic built-in speaker.

With a battery life of around 1.5 hours, the PK-101 is more likely to survive an extended meeting without needing to be recharged. Another plus is that it puts out 20 lumens, creating a very obvious and visible difference in brightness and contrast when compared with the competition.

Optional extras include a tripod – it’s a shame this isn’t part of the standard package – and a clip-on AV adaptor for the iPhone and iPhone 3G. Some of the older iPods include an AV out, so all you’ll need is a cable to connect them to this unit in order to play video and stills from their memory.

Unfortunately, being first to market seems to have meant that other features are more basic. There’s no micro-VGA input, and no memory, so again you’ll find it difficult to use this unit with a laptop, unless you use an old G5 with a composite video output. The micro-USB connector is for power only. But the biggest limitation is the low native resolution. At 640 x 480 this unit would have been hard to beat. Unfortunately, it can only manage 320 x 240, which limits its usefulness for many applications.

We’d love to see a high-resolution version of this projector with a VGA or DVI-D adaptor. As it is, it’s a very attractive model, restricted by a limited basic specification that seriously narrows its range of possible applications.

This product is part of our Pocket Projectors Group Test group product review. Other products in this group are:

 

3M MPro110

  • Star rating: 4

 

Adapt Pocket Projector

  • Star rating: 3

 

Aiptek Pocket Cinema V10

  • Star rating: 4

 

BenQ GP1

  • Editors ChoiceStar rating: 5

 

Toshiba TDP-F10

  • Star rating: 4

<<back to Pocket Projectors Group Test review

Win 5k