Compaq MP1600 review

In the last issue of PC Pro we reviewed the InFocus LP330 (reviewed issue 64, p168), allegedly the world's lightest and brightest projector. We say 'allegedly' since NEC and Compaq are making similar claims for their LT140 and MP1600 models, respectively. As promised, we've got hold of Compaq's MP1600 and have put it through its paces. The battle is certainly an interesting one, with some features being present on one model and not the other, but deep down they're allævery similar. The interesting part of the equation is the price: while InFocus and NEC want between £4,000 and £5,000 for their units, Compaq is aggressively pricing its MP1600 at the bargain price of £3,293, excluding VAT. But can it compete with models that cost at least £1,000 more?

The theory behind ultra-portable projectors is a simple one. The worst thing that could happen to a mobile presenter is that he/she turns up with a perfect PowerPoint file, but their notebook refuses to speak to the client's display or projector. This must occur with some regularity for the projector manufacturers to have developed units that are so small and light you can simply carry them around with you.

The physical specifications of an ultra-portable projector are certainly impressive. While typical transportables measure around 150 x 300 x 400mm and weigh between 4 and 7kg, the Compaq MP1600 is a tiny 63 x 209 x 228mm and weighs a mere 1.9kg. This weight currently confirms its position as the world's lightest projector of this specification, since the InFocus LP330 weighs in at 2.2kg and NEC's LT140 is a relatively hefty 2.6kg. For the record, the Compaq is also a tad smaller than both the LP330's 64 x 229 x 267mm and the NEC's 58 x 235 x 298mm.

You'd be forgiven for expecting an ultra-portable's specification to be compromised in such restricted physical dimensions, but all three examples turn in more than respectable figures. Most important of all is the brightness rating, which defines how big your projected image can be under certain conditions. The bigger the image, the dimmer it gets, and obviously the more ambient light there is around the more power you'll need for it to overcome this problem.

Projector brightness is measured in ANSI Lumens, of which the MP1600 features 600; Compaq reckons you'll get 1,500 hours out of its bulbs, which cost £388 plus VAT. Six-hundred ANSI Lumens is significantly less than the 1,000+ Lumens boasted by modern transportables, but these are generally used to produce considerably larger images. The Compaq's 600 Lumens is however sufficient for projecting a bright image that is about 5ft across under fairly bright conditions. InFocus though offers 650 ANSI Lumens on its LP330, and NEC uses its larger size to boast 800.

Where all three ultra-portable projectors score equally is in their resolution: XGA 1,024 x 768, which is high enough to produce detailed images and more importantly to match the Desktop of most notebook computers. The technology behind the bulb is Texas Instrument's Digital Light Processing (DLP), which reflects light off a matrix of tiny mirrors, as opposed to shining it through filtered LCD panels. At this price point, a three-panel LCD projector is often preferred for moving video, but DLP boasts much finer gaps between adjacent pixels and looks great for PC applications. The optical assemblies of single-chip DLPs are also much smaller than three-panel LCDs, which is why they're employed on ultra-portable projectors.