Vivitek announces its Qumi portable projector

PROJECTOR MAKER Vivitek admits that no one has ever heard its name before, so to attract some attention it has launched a portable projector that boasts the ability to throw an image size of up to 90in at either HD 720p for video or WXGA for data at 1280x800.

The two things that make this projector impressive though are its dimensions and the brightness of its image. A 300 Ansi lumen rating means that it produces a much brighter image than any other projector of its size. And its proportions are impressive. At its widest it's 16cm, it has a depth of 10cm and it is just 3cm tall. That's smaller than a cat but slightly larger than a mouse.

Vivitek also claims a 30,000 hour life for the LED bulb, which means you'll be wanting to replace the projector long before the illumination gives up the ghost. The company has also invested a lot of time and R&D into cooling the gadget. Air is drawn in from the smaller hole on the side and vented from the large opening at the front of the projector. This is important for cooling, the company told us today.

There are Mini HDMI and composite video sockets for video and a special, proprietary I/O port for connecting VGA or Iphones. Happily, a good selection of cables is provided in the box too, so there's no need to waste time and money getting them elsewhere. There is also an SD card socket and a USB connection. Via these, the projector can show video, photos and even MS Office documents. That is handy for travelling sorts who want to be able to whip out a presentation at a moment's notice.

There's also an optional battery pack available that the company said will power the projector, albeit at a reduced brightness of 50 Ansi lumens, for up to an hour and a half.

If you're looking for an Apple-style "one last thing" to blow your mind, then you'll relish the truth that this projector can also do 3D. While you can't plug in a Blu-ray player and expect a 3D image, it will take the output of an Nvidia graphics card and project it in three dimensions.

The Vivitek Qumi projector will go on sale in June, priced at £500. A three year warranty is provided, which covers the LED bulb too, should anything untoward happen to it during normal use. µ