What is a pico projector

Facing the need to show presentations using handheld equipment, people find information about the so-called “pico projector.” The fact that this is, and what are the main technical characteristics of such a device will be described in this article.

General information

Picoprojector - projector small size (not more than 100x100x50 mm). Such a device easily fits in your pocket and, as a rule, is no larger than a cell phone. It would be logical to add that the characteristics of the mini-projector will be significantly different from the full-size model.

The name “pico projector” came into use as a result of the promotional activities of Optoma Pico, which presented its model of a pocket projector.

The reason why the creators managed to fit such equipment in such a compact form is the refusal to use a large, powerful lamp,which needed a cooling and power system. Bulky lamp replaced small LEDs, and in exceptional cases - lasers. Reducing the power consumption of the device allowed to power it from a regular USB-connector.

As mentioned above, the technical specifications have been significantly reduced.

1. For example, luminous flux in a full-sized device can reach about 2500 lm, and in the pico model of the projector - 150 lm.
2. In addition to the light flux suffered and resolution: The average model of a pico device gives a resolution of 854x480 pixels.

Most recently, Sony announced a completely new model of a “pocket” pico projector, which can display a picture with a resolution of 1920x720 pixels.

Scope of application

Despite the technical characteristics, Pico projectors are rapidly gaining their niche in the market of projecting devices. The main reason - compactness of equipment. This allows you to take the device with you on business trips, on the road and even at small conferences. Even projecting an image of “medium” quality to the surface for several people may seem more attractive than watching a picture on the screen of a smartphone.

Modern models can synchronize not only with phones, but also with tablets, media players, cameras and even portable keyboards. As a rule, the operating system is Android, which provides the ability to work with most devices.

Tips for choosing

Below are the main criteria for making a choice in favor of a particular model of handheld equipment.

1. Light power. The higher the number, the brighter the image will be. In well-lit rooms, this parameter is paramount. Light power is measured in lumens and affects the “power” of the projected image.
2. Contrast. The ratio of brightness of white and black is called contrast. To display details in a bright room, you need to choose a projector with a high contrast ratio. For dark rooms, the parameter plays a secondary role.
3. Resolution. The higher the resolution, the clearer the output image will be. Depending on your goals, you can choose the value of this indicator.