We know it sounds cliche when we say this: reality caught up with a technologicalfantasy. Imagine holding an LCD projector in the palm of your hand and waving it around like flashlight. Aiptek's Pocket Cinema V10 is something straight out of A New Hope minus the 3D hologram bit. Smaller than a light saber and probably as big as Jedi Communicator, the V10 has the potential to make a few skeptical jaws drop. Granted that it's a first-gen device, we initially had a very good feeling about it.
In real world, the V10's size is comparable to that of an early generation Nokia Communicator -- smaller even. Made from plastic and clad partly in aluminum, it's no heavier than a chubby smart phone. The control pad can be found on top of the unit and it's made from etched metal similar to a Motorola RAZR keypad. There's an included key fob-sized remote control for using the projector in presentations. The edge of the unit houses the recessed projector lens. Focus, meanwhile, can be controlled using a small wheel on the side.
The unassuming device starts to impress the moment you turn it on. In a suitably darkened room, the V10 beams a viewable area that's equivalent to a 50-inch screen. Although the resolution is only standard-def, image clarity is impressive. We didn't have problems with color fidelity either. Sound, however, can be a problem since it can only come out through the tiny built-in stereo speakers. The image and video filoes can be loaded on the 1GB onboard memory or in an SDHC card.
To be honest, we wanted to like the V10 but a few shortcomings made us think twice. The video file support is extremely limited, and the bundled video conversion software does a poor job of transcoding the files. The only way to connect the V10 to an external source is through the RCA dongle. That's fine with the DVD players and consoles, but if you want to connect to a PC, you're out of luck.
Specs at a glance:
Resolution - 640x480 (VGA), 4:3 aspect ratio
Luminous Flux: 10 Lumens
Projection Image Size: 6-50 inches
Projection Distance: 21cm-180cm
File Support: JPEG, MP3, MPEG-4
Input: 3-in-1 RCA AV jack dongle
Memory: 1GB internal, SDHC slot
Package content:
Li-Ion battery, AC adapter, USB cable, AV Cable (3-in-1 AV jack), Tripod, Pouch, Application CD, Quick start guide
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