The Optoma PK301 projector’s brightness is at least as compelling as the 3M MPro150’s integrated software suite. Road warriors never know what type of environment they’ll be making their pitch in, and the PK301 is much more forgiving of poor lighting conditions. It’s capable of producing 50 ANSI lumens while running on AC power, and drops to 20 lumens—a level equivalent to 3M’s projector—while running on battery power.
You can connect Optoma's PK301 projector to an iPod with an optional cable kit. The projector measures 4.7x2.7x1.2 inches.
The Optoma hooks up directly to your PC, and you can also run content off 28MB of internal memory, USB keys, and MicroSD cards. Unfortunately, any content run locally on the projector must first be converted via software on your computer, and you’ll also need to buy your own card if you go the MicroSD route. The conversion is a royal pain when you’re tweaking your presentation at the last possible moment, but we’re still thankful for the USB support. 3M’s projector has a USB port, but it’s only for transferring files from a host PC to onboard memory.
The PK301 uses Texas Instruments DLP (Digital Light Processing) technology to produce its images. DLP projectors create an image by bouncing light off microscopic mirrors arranged in a matrix on a semiconductor. Each mirror represents a pixel in the image and swivels to either reflect light through the lens or to an internal heatsink. Toggling these two states on and off creates a grayscale. Color pixels are created by using an RGB LED, which Optoma says should last for 20,000 hours.
Optoma’s projector is more versatile than 3M’s when it comes to the video signals it accepts, supporting both analog (VGA and composite, or component with an optional cable) and digital (HDMI, although the required HDMI-to-Mini-HDMI cable is an option). The projector’s native resolution is 854x480 pixels, a 16:9 aspect ratio that wasn’t supported by either the late-model netbook or the notebook PCs we used for testing. Maximum resolution is 1280x800 through its VGA connection and 1080i through HDMI.
The PK301 projected a slightly smaller image than the MPro150—48 inches from a distance of six feet, compared to the 3M’s 56 inches—but that image was considerably brighter. Just be aware that DLP engines tend to run hot, and the Optoma’s fan is surprisingly loud.
