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AAXA’s P2 Jr – Reviewed

Micro Projector

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AAXA’s P2 Jr has been out for a little while, long enough for any company to work out the kinks in their product, so I figure it’s time for an old fashioned review.

The P2 Jr is AAXA’s latest foray into the Pico Projector market, and it’s not bad.  It’s pretty small, at just 4.2″ x 2.9″ x 0.8″, and it weighs 0.3 lb.   For being so small you’d expect it to be lackluster on features, right?  I know I was.

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For the $199 price point you get a battery powered projector which may not be great for presenting to large groups, but is pretty good for sharing media with a few family members.

So lets go point by point on this review, cover all the bases, starting with inputs.

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The P2 Jr has a few inputs at it’s disposal.  HDMI is the biggest player here, although it’s a Mini-HDMI, so if you want to use a full sized HDMI cable, you’d need an adapter, something that AAXA doesn’t bundle with it.  The VGA/AV port is next, which, when used with an adapter, can output to VGA and RCA (again, if you lose the adapter, you’re outta luck).

The USB port on the P2 Jr is a full-sized one, and that’s something we love.  Just pop in a USB flash drive with some pictures, music, or movies on it, and you’re good to go.  The MicroSD card slot provides the same functionality with a MicroSD Card, if you have photos, music, or movies on it, you can play them right on the projector.  One of the things I loved was being able to shoot a few pictures and videos on my cell phone, pop out the memory card and play it right on the projector.

The design of the P2 Jr is pretty uninspiring, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  It’s simple and clean, and doesn’t distract from what you’re trying to project.  The only downside to it is the plastic feels cheap and grabs fingerprints like nobodies business.

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The P2 Jr’s power is 55 lumens, which is not as bright as it’s big brother, the P4-X, but serviceable for a lot of situations and environments.  The best use case for this model is if you’re in bed, at night, and watching a movie that’s being projected against your wall.  It won’t make a huge image but it’ll be good enough for watching a movie in bed.

The speaker in the P2 Jr is not great, but I didn’t expect it to be great for something this small and cheap.  The downside to having a projector this small is that there is no audio output as well, meaning that you are basically stuck using the internal speaker on the P2 Jr for your audio.

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So for the price of $199, you get a tiny projector capable of displaying video from a variety of sources, as well as photo slideshows, presentations, and more.  The quality is good enough to justify the $199 price, as well as make it worth carrying around with you, I found it handy to be able to show someone something on a screen bigger than my 4″ phone.

Overall we think this is a great value, and we would recommend it to anyone looking for this kind of product.

Pico Projector Roundup

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RoundupPico projectors have grown immensely since we started this blog, and now there are several newer models which feature brighter pictures in smaller packages.

When considering a few projectors, you have to take into consideration a number of factors depending on how you would use the projector.  Some of these might include portability, brightness, inputs, and price.  All pico projectors have improved on all of those categories over time and are now a great option for projecting on the go.

 

When you think of Pico Projectors, a few big names come to mind, Acer has their C120, 3M has their MP220, Optoma has the PK320, and AAXA has the P4-X.  All of these models are great at what they do, but which one is the best?  To do that, we got all four models in-house and put them side by side to compare and contrast the differences that make some better than others.

C120

Arguably the biggest name brand within these four models is Acer, who make the C120.  This projector is a pretty barebones projector, it is meant to do one thing, but does it do it well?  The C120 has only one input port on the back of it, a USB port.  This USB port can be used with a Windows PC to display images on it’s 1280×800 projection screen.  The drawback to this is that if you have a Mac, you are out of luck.  If you want to display anything via VGA, HDMI, or MicroSD, you are also out of luck.  This makes the C120 lack versatility, which in turn makes it less useful.  It is the cheapest of the bunch, but we can’t recommend it as an everyday machine.  The C120 MSRPs for $229.

MP22-

 

The 3M MP220 is our next contender, weighing in at 15 ounces, it is the heaviest pico projector on our chopping block.  The MP220 is a good competitor to other pico projectors in all categories, the brightness is on par (although it falls a bit short compared to some higher end ones), it has a decent resolution of 1024×600, and is portable enough to put into a bag.  The MP220 has a few inputs for most of your needs, such as VGA and a universal plug for RCA, Apple devices, and more.  The lack of a HDMI port leaves us feeling like it could have been better, as this limits the number of devices you can use with it dramatically.  The MP220 MSRPs for $336.

P4X

 

AAXA is known for it’s high quality and high value projectors, and the P4-X is their latest attempt at bringing another one to the market.  The P4-X is the most versatile projector we’ve seen in this roundup, supporting everything from HDMI to VGA to AV inputs, giving you a wide range in choices for connecting devices.  The P4-X also stacks up in brightness very well, providing a 95 lumen rating while on AC power, and a 55 lumen rating if operating off of a battery.  Overall for the price, we think the P4-X is a solid purchase for anyone needing a portable projector.  The P4-X MSRPs for $299.

Pk320

 

The Optoma PK320 is the last projector in our group, and is also one of the smaller projectors we reviewed.  The PK320 has a wealth of inputs including the usual HDMI, AV, VGA and Mini USB, giving you many options for connecting devices to the projector.  The brightness was on-par with the P4-X, giving you 100 lumens of power, however, that dips down to 25 lumens if you are running on battery power, which can be a stark difference if you are not in a dark environment.  The main difference in the PK320 is it’s price, coming in at $399 retail, it is the most expensive of the group.  We think it’s a solid option but might be a bit pricey for some people.

All of these projectors have their own pros and cons, but we think the best overall, and the best for the money is AAXA’s P4-X.  It has enough inputs to satisfy almost any device, and is bright enough to give presentations with ease.  Check out the Amazon links to all of these products below and decide for yourself.

 

AAXA announces release of new P2 Jr pico projector

Micro Projector

AAXA Technologies unveils P2 Jr Pico Projector with 55 Lumens, HDMI input, and a sub $200 retail price.

 

AAXA’s P2 Jr Pico Projector now features 55 Lumens, HDMI Input, and a low price point 

Tustin, CA, April 15, 2013

AAXA Technologies Inc, a global leader in pico projection technology has unveiled the P2 Jr a next generation pico projector based on AAXA’s amazingly small 4024 optical engine.  The tiny 4024 light engine is about the size of three stacked half-dollars and is able to produce a giant 55 lumens of brightness – more than many flashlights.   At the heart of this pico projector engine is Texas Instruments Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology, mated to 15,000 hour LEDs and advanced micro-optics.  The combined result is a pico projector capable of producing a vivid 55 lumen picture, 1000:1 contrast, Vibrant-Color image.

HDMI Direct Input

The P2 Jr accepts a High Definition digital video input of up to 1080P (1920×1080) through its mini-HDMI port.  Video sources can include cell phones, tablets, blu-ray players, and video game consoles.  An additional video input is the VGA harness cable of accepting XGA resolution video from a variety of sources including laptop computers.

Lithium Ion Battery

The P2 Jr comes with a built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery.  With this battery the P2 Jr can operate in both battery and DC power mode.   Battery operating time is 60 minutes on a single charge or indefinitely when plugged into an external power source.

Media Power House

The P2 Jr Pico Projector lets users spontaneously share photos, videos or other digital media with family and friends anytime, anywhere.  With its powerful ARM-based MP4 Media Player the P2 Jr can play 720p Videos, Pictures, and even Text and Music from a USB stick or Micro SD Card of up to 16GB.  With the P2 Jr an entire library of movies can be preloaded for playback.

A True Pocket Projector

There’s always room for the P2 Jr. At less than 4.2” long, 2.9” wide, and .82” tall the P2 Jr is a true pocket projector that fits comfortably in a pocket or purse.  The P2 Jr epitomizes mobility with a premium-grade lithium ion battery capable of 60+ minutes of operation anytime, anywhere.  Coupled with the onboard media player and speaker, the P2 Jr can double as a pico projector or an all-in-one mobile multimedia center.

 

About AAXA

AAXA Technologies Inc was founded in 2008 as a developer and manufacturer of a new class of projector known as “micro” projectors and “pico” projectors. AAXA’s core technology is based on small LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) and DLP (Digital Light Processing) imagers mated to LED (light emitting diode) and Laser light-sources that makes micro projectors and pico sized projectors possible. In 2010 AAXA launched the world’s first laser pico projector and today remains a leader in mini-projector technology. AAXA holds several patents in optical and LCoS designs and manufactures the majority of its products in China, with core technological development occurring in both the Silicon Valley, California and China.

BenQ GP10 projector review by Mahandra Bohidar

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Considering how expensive movie tickets and caramel popcorn have become, you might as well give home projectors a thought!

Those who’ve grown up in the 90s will remember the rather dismal state of home entertainment. VCR tapes, which would have the hero’s head superimposed on the heroine’s during a dance routine were the best we could get our hands on back then. Now, we’ve sailed through VCDs & DVDs and are ready to bring the theatre into our homes. That’s exactly what a lot of digital projectors out there in the market promise to do for the consumer. And considering how expensive movie tickets and a tub of caramel popcorn have become, there’s no harm in sitting back in your La-Z-Boy while you enjoy your favourite titles.

The BenQ GP10 is one of the latest in a slew of products that aim to up your home entertainment experience. At 1.5 kgs, the projector is not exactly a pico projector – one of the mobile ones which you can carry around in your pocket wherever you go. But while at home, you don’t even want a projector that you can’t even find when you most need it. The GP10 is decently-sized and setting it up was a breeze with just a single plug-in. It looks quite sleek to with a white body accentuated with grey tones.

The GP10 uses short-throw projection technology, which basically means it can project large images in relatively smaller spaces. And this unit in particular was capable of projecting a 40-inch images from a distance of a meter from the projection screen. So you need not necessarily gather in the living room for movie night. You could have it set up in the kid’s room or even in the kitchen to catch up on cartoons or sitcoms.

CONNECTIVITY

The BenQ GP10 is rather generous when it comes to connectivity options. On the back panel you have the classic VGA port, USB port, direct camcorder connectivity and an HDMI to stream high-def content on. You can use the USB port either to stream media from a thumb drive or even use a Wi-Fi dongle and connect it to the internet. As an additional accessory, you also have the option of buying a detachable optical drive for the unit. There’s a in-built memory card slot so you can view your pictures or videos directly through the projector without the need to transfer them on to a thumb drive first.

EASE OF USE

The control panel is neatly laid out on one corner of the projector and makes for easy access. A nine-button grid is all you have to browse through or select any function available on the GP10. Once you switch it on, you have the option of choosing your media source from an exhaustive panel on the home screen. You can browse through the options using the soft keypad. The projector does a good job adjusting itself to fit a proper display ratio. You can even adjust the projections according to the wall colour of the room you’re in.

We plugged in a thumb drive to check the image quality first. When you stream through a storage device which houses a variety of media such as videos, music and documents, you’ll be asked to choose which one you want to project first. We chose Photos and the GP10 by default starts a slideshow of a chosen folder. Both the image quality and colours were excellent reproductions of the original. We checked out some high-res Ferrari pictures and the red was unmistakeable. Although, with each picture being about 5MB, the projector took a couple of seconds between loading each image.

For videos, we wanted to check out an episode of BBC’s Tropic of Cancer series. And the video quality here too gave us no reason to complain. The cooling fan in the GP10 is a quiet one and that’s a good thing considering the device is meant to be used in smaller spaces as well. The two built-in 3W speakers in the BenQ GP10 are powered by SRS surround sound and the volume levels were more than audible in a medium-sized room. The GP10 uses RGB LEDs as the light source and has 550 lumens brightness. Hence, we watched most of our media with the lights switched off as the images seem a bit washed off whenever there was any ambient light.

VERDICT

If you’re looking to set up a home theatre soon, then the GP10 does have a lot to offer in terms of simplicity of use and connectivity options. It’s portable, good-looking and doesn’t disappoint with images either. The only drawbacks are the fact that it scores relatively low on the lumens scale and might not support some popular video formats.

Article found here: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/smartbuy/other-gadgets/benq-gp10-projector-review/article4500490.ece

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PMA Forecast that Worldwide Projector Sales to hit 9.3 Million Units

Micro Projector

Recently released by Pacific Media Associates, they expect Pico growth to hit 9.3 million units this year. This is a high forecast as picos are still a growing market. The marketplace has definitely risen due to the capabilities that most pico projectors have with Android phones. Being able to reach out to this consumer base has given the pico industry a huge consumer marketplace. The article by PMA can be found below. 
Pico Projectors, Solid-State Illumination, Short-Throw and Large Venue Models Expected to Outperform Overall Projector Market
Posted on March 28, 2013 by Linda

San Juan Capistrano, California, USA – March 28, 2013. PMA Research (PMA), the worldwide market information experts on front projectors, has released their latest quarterly forecast for the worldwide projector market. According to PMA, total worldwide projector shipments are expected to reach 9.5 million units in 2013. While to overall market is likely to trend up modestly from 2012, there are some areas of anticipated higher growth.

In the New Era segment (sub-1,000 Lumens), pico projectors recovered strongly in the second half of 2012, gaining 35% vs. the second half of 2011. PMA expects similar growth for these models this year, particularly for the very popular iPhone “sled” models. The success of these models may inspire the introduction of similar projectors for Android Smartphones such as the Galaxy S IV.

In the Mainstream segment (1,000 – 3,999 Lumens), PMA boosted their outlook for ultra-short-throw projectors in large part due to expected tenders in the Middle East as well as steady gains in the rest of the world. In addition, medium-short-throw models are expected to do well in China where they are being coupled with low-cost whiteboards. Solid State Illumination (SSI) models are also expected to outperform the overall projector market as well. New entrants into the SSI market and second-generation models which target mid-level price ranges will contribute to SSI growth.

Despite the sluggish economic recovery in 2012, conference room and large venue segments (excluding d-cinema) showed about 10% growth, and similar growth is expected to continue through 2013. Most of this growth was seen in the US and Western Europe. Even higher growth was seen in many developing countries, albeit on a smaller volume base. Since this segment remains somewhat immune to the competition from flat panels, expected improvements in corporate and higher education spending should benefit these projector segments in the coming year.

About PMA Research

PMA Research specializes in worldwide front projector market information, including New Era (sub-1000 lumens), Mainstream (1000-3999 lumens), and High-End (4000+ lumens) categories. Their Industry Service family of publications provides detailed worldwide quarterly updates (sell-in data and forecasts) on front projector markets, newsletters on new products and other key industry developments, and biennial Web surveys of North American dealers and end users (including organizations and individual consumers). Their Tracking Service family of monthly reports offers timely sell-through data and analysis on unit sales, true volume-weighted street prices, and inventories of front projectors sold by leading North American retailers, resellers, and distributors. PMA Research, formerly Pacific Media Associates, was established by Dr. William Coggshall, who was a co-founder of Dataquest (now part of Gartner) and helped start the syndicated high-tech market information business. The company’s US headquarters is at 25852 Avenida Cabrillo, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675. Phone: +1 (949) 493-4601. www.pmaresearch.com

Genius Launches BV 200 Pico Projector

Micro Projector

By Greg Tarr On Mar 13 2013 – 12:14pm

The Genius BellaVision BV 200 ($270 suggested retail) pico projector is shipping
The Genius BellaVision BV 200 ($270 suggested retail) pico projector is shipping now.

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Chino, Calif. — Genius introduced Wednesday a BellaVision portable pico projector designed for both business and personal entertainment applications.

The Genius BellaVision BV 200 (shipping now at a $270 suggested retail) is billed as a pocket-sized projector with up to 800 by 600 resolution. It measures 5.9 inches by 3 inches by 1.1 inches.

Images are presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio and are watchable on screen sizes of up to 80 inches.

The BV 200 uses a color sequential engine and an RGB LED light source. It produces 30 lumens of brightness with up to a 300:1 contrast ratio.

The projector is suitable for viewing movies, giving presentations or playing video games on the road and in limited space.

The BV 200 will display MS Office, PDF, audio and video files from its built-in memory/SD card as well as from a connected camcorder, PC or smartphone.

It also offers the option of stereo sound even in the smallest spaces, such as small meeting rooms or hotel rooms, and includes a complementary tripod, enabling placement on any solid surface. It can be optimized to project images from a variety of angles from a distance of up to 13 feet.

An included ceiling projection kit enables viewing movies or playing video games while lying in bed. The pico projector also ships with a remote control.

In stand-alone mode the BV 200’s 3,780 mAh battery offers power for up to two hours, after which it can be connected to a power source through a USB or power cable without needing to pause the projection for recharging, Genius said.

The projector includes 1GB of built-in flash memory and has an SD card slot capable of accepting up to 32GB cards.

The projector also supports data input through composite A/V and USB cables.

Read Full Article: http://www.twice.com/articletype/news/genius-launches-bv-200-pico-projector/105360 

AAXA Pico Projectors now available to work with Samsung S3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 2

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AAXA Technologies released earlier this week that they are now compatible with the new Samsung phones, SIII and Galaxy Note 2. The cable allows Samsung users to plug in their phones to a TV or a projector via the AAXA MHL Cable. This cable allows users to stream their movie content, game content, and presentations directly onto their pico projector/ TV. Doing so, users can now enjoy their entertainment on a big screen display.

You can find the press release here: http://aaxatech.com/news/MHL_cable_news.html

Tustin, CA February 6, 2013

AAXA Technologies, the leading manufacturer of Pico projectors, is pleased to announce the release of our Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 cables. The new Samsung Galaxy S3 and Note 2 adapter connects directly into the Samsung 11 pin micro USB input allowing these devices to seamlessly connect to AAXA’s M2, P3, P4X, P300 and LED Showtime series pico and micro projectors

Perfect Compatibility with Samsung S3 / Note 2 and AAXA Picos

The AAXA MHL Cable for Samsung Galaxy S3 and Note 2 utilizes a high definition 1280×720 pixel resolution in order to deliver a crisp, vibrant image from your phone to your AAXA pico projector. Using this cable, AAXA pico projectors can now project a variety of HD content straight from your phone. The cable allows users to be truly mobile as the only accessories needed are your smartphone and pico projector.

MHL Capabilities
The AAXA MHL cable measures 6.5′ in length and connects to the full sized HDMI ports found on the M2, P3, P300 and Showtime, as well as the mini-HDMI port found on the P4X. The 11-pin MHL port of Samsung phones allows full mirroring capabilities to the projector, meaning anything you see on your phone, you’ll be able to enjoy on a big screen projection. All your favorite Android games can be enjoyed with a projector, including Angry Birds, Doodle Jump, and Temple Run. Business professionals will be able to stay effective on the road with the AAXA MHL cable. When paired with a smartphone and projector, the MHL cable allows users to use their Android productivity suite to its full potential.

About AAXA Technologies

AAXA Technologies Inc was founded in 2008 as a manufacturer of a new class of projector known as “micro” projectors and “pico” projectors. Our core technology is based on small LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) and DLP (Digital Light Processing) imagers mated to LED (light emitting diode) and Laser light-sources. This technology makes possible the manufacturing of micro projectors and pico sized projectors. In 2010 AAXA launched the world’s first laser pico projector and today remains a leader in mini-projector technology. AAXA manufacturers the majority of its products in China, with core technological development occurring both in the Silicon Valley, California and China.

Round 3: AAXA LED Showtime 3D Review

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In round 3, we will be reviewing the AAXA LED Showtime 3D. The Showtime 3D comes in at a street price of $499 (AAXA). This projector cost the same as the Vivitek Q2 that we had reviewed earlier. Both projectors are fairly the same in dimensions and weight. The LED Showtime 3D weighs in at 1.5lbs and measures at 5.9 x 5.2 x 1.4 inches. The drawback of the LED Showtime 3D is that there is no official lumen count. Since there was no specific lumens that we could measure it with, we looked at the image quality that it produced extensively.

After using the Showtime for a couple hours watching a movie, we found that the image quality was very rich in colors and produced a nice image at a good distance. We were able to get over a 100 inch screen in our living room without any distortion in image quality. The LED Showtime 3D was best used when the lights where dim. With all the lights on in our room, the image produced was fairly washed out as we saw in the Vivitek Q2. However, the Showtime was stronger than the Q2 but weaker than the ML500. To our estimates, we would say that its lumen count would be somewhere between 350-400 lumens since it was brighter than the Q2.

The LED Showtime 3D comes with two 2W speakers and really makes the use of an external speakers unnecessary.  The fan noise on the LED Showtime 3D is a little noisy if the speakers are not on but when you are watching a movie, you wouldn’t be able to notice the fan noise.

AAXA Technologies equipped the Showtime with a full HDMI, VGA, USB, and AV port to allow connectivity to any media devices. The menu screen was very easy to navigate as with the rest of the competitors.

Overall, the LED Showtime 3D lacked in brightness as the ML500 but it made up for it with its color quality. The Showtime would be great for home theater entertainment or for business travelers.

Look out for our upcoming reviews:

Round 2: Vivitek Qumi Q2 Review

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Round 2: Vivitek Qumi Q2

This is the second projector that we will be reviewing in our 4 way match up. The Vivitek Qumi Q2 is by far the best looking out of the bunch. It is designed with sleekness and style in mind. The Q2 is offered at two colors: black and white. To get this projector, it will cost you $499 (Amazon)

The Q2 comes in at a rated 300 lumens. This is not the brightest out of the four but it makes for it on the design and image quality that it produces. Vivitek made this projector to be one of the smalllest micro projector on the market with that high of a lumen count. The Q2 weighs in at 1.1lbs and is measured at 6.3 x 4.0 x 1.3 inches. It is built with an internal 1W speaker and has all the connection that you will need to plug in your multimedia devices.

After using the Vivitek Q2, we found that the image quality great at a close up distance. If the projector was producing an image at roughly 60inches to 80 inches, the Q2 showed a crisp image contrast. However when we placed the projector further away from our screen, the image quality would be reduced drastically. As for the speakers, the 1W solo speaker did not do it justice as the fan noise would out play the sound emitted from the projector. We had to use external speakers to hear what we were watching.

Overall the Vivitek Q2 lacks in brightness power yet it makes up for it in its image quality, depending on where you place the projector. It offers a high contrast ratio of 2500: 1 which gives you amazing image contrast and colors. Fan noise was a big issue even when in Eco mode. However that could be solved by using an external speaker. The Vivitek Q2 is great for on-the-go usage since it is very light and won’t take up much room at all in your suitcase or luggage.

Look out for our upcoming reviews:

 

Round 1: Optoma ML500 Review

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In the next following week, we will be rounding off four new pico/micro projectors that have hit the market recently. We will be taking a look at the Optoma ML500, Vivitek Q2, AAXA LED Showtime 3D, and the 3M MP410. All these come in at similar sizes, cost, and performance. So, let’s see which one actually does best when we test them side by side.

For our first review, we will be looking at the Optoma ML500. This projector comes in at a street price of above $500 depending where you look. It is a bit pricey for a so called pico projector since it does cost almost the same as a traditional projector. The difference between the ML500 and a traditional projector is that it uses LED light bulbs instead of a regular optical lamp which in return saves you money and time on not having to get your lamp replaced. The ML 500 can be used up to 20,000+ hours and has a lumen count of 500.

The Optoma ML500 has a resolution of 1280 x 800 WXGA using DLP’s latest engine. It weighs in at 2.5 pounds and measures to be 8.7 x 6.7 x 1.7 inches. Optoma offers all type of media connectivity to the ML500. It supports VGA, HDMI, USB, S-video, and even a SD card slot. This allows you to plug in any media device that you want to use and have it projected on a big screen.

As for brightness, the ML500 is rated at 500 lumens therefore it is one of the highest rated pico projectors. Most pico projectors come in at 300 lumens or below. The ML500 image quality was very easy to see in a dim light room. However, color contrast took a hit with its brightness. When playing a video, the ML500 really lacked in its image quality. At times, there would be a rainbow of some sort that would tinker through the projected image. Besides the rainbow effect, the ML500 produced a decent image size and quality that shouldn’t disrupt any viewers while watching a movie or presentation.

In conclusion, the ML500 looked great at first. It was easy to use, light weight, and has many great connectivity. For a business traveler the ML500 is a great product to bring along side to travel with.

Look out for our upcoming reviews: