Navigating through a gaggle of cords to attach a projector to a computer and the sound system is always a hassle.
Epson America Inc. however, has come up with a device that it says will dramatically reduce the aggravation.
The company’s MovieMate 30 is an all-in-one “travel friendly” unit that incorporates a DVD/CD player, stereo speakers and a “picture quality” projector.
“There are no video or audio cords to connect, just pop in your DVD or CD and turn on the machine,” said John Jatinen, manager of public relations at Epson America Inc.
MovieMate 30 is one of 14 Epson products recently released in Canada. These products span a range of categories, including inkjet printers, photo printers, scanners, media storage units and projectors.
MovieMate 30 is actually the next iteration of MovieMate 25 which was among the top selling projectors in the U.S. last year, according to Epson.
Finished in matte silver, the 19.5″ x 15.75″ x13″ weighs about 24.8 lbs. and could be mistaken for a new Apple computer rather than a projector.
The box houses a JVC progressive scan media player and two 10 watt JVC stereo speakers, and comes with input ports for connecting it to a desktop computer, laptop, TV set, or more speakers.
Jatinen said the device employs Epson’s 3LCD projection technology which uses three individual LCD chips. Each chip is dedicated to projecting red, green and blue to form smooth images and accurate colour registration even in rapid motion video.
The projector features a 1.5 x optical zoom lens that projects an 80-inch widescreen image from 6.6 feet. The unit can cast a 300-inch widescreen image from 24.8 feet.
Epson says the bulb’s lumen count of 1,200 enables the device to project crisp images in dimly lit rooms even during the day.
“This is the ideal package for viewing PowerPoint presentations, watching movies, playing video games or [conducting] karaoke songfests at home,” said Jatinen.