Pocket Projector

[christo930]

I've been thinking the exact same thing since I put my Pandora order in.

I'm on a Caribbean cruise in February and in the evenings when I'm in the cabin I usually like to watch a couple of TV shows before going to sleep. You can't pick any proper TV up at sea and the boats just re-run a few old films or stream CNN (and you can't plug anything into their TVs - the AV in sockets are disabled).

The last time I took my Macbook - but it was a bit heavy and I worried about leaving it in the room all day (the Pandora would fit in the safe).

My intention is to use the Pandora as a media player combined with a pocket projector to project the video off the cabin walls (the internal cabins are pitch black with the light off).

What kind of video-out does the Pandora have, and would the internal speakers be loud enough?

I would be too tired/drunk to watch tv at night on a cruise Even if you aren't drinking, you usually stay up so late hanging with your new friends and such that by the time you do go to bed, you're exhausted Cruises are the best.

The lumen ratings of those little pocket projectors aren't really comparable to those of normal projectors, since normal projectors illuminate ALL pixels of the image continuously, while the pocket projectors only need to illuminate one pixel at a time.

Would you mind explaining what that means? DO they actually draw a screen the way a crt does or something?

 

[maball54]

I've been thinking the exact same thing since I put my Pandora order in.

I'm on a Caribbean cruise in February and in the evenings when I'm in the cabin I usually like to watch a couple of TV shows before going to sleep. You can't pick any proper TV up at sea and the boats just re-run a few old films or stream CNN (and you can't plug anything into their TVs - the AV in sockets are disabled).

The last time I took my Macbook - but it was a bit heavy and I worried about leaving it in the room all day (the Pandora would fit in the safe).

My intention is to use the Pandora as a media player combined with a pocket projector to project the video off the cabin walls (the internal cabins are pitch black with the light off).

What kind of video-out does the Pandora have, and would the internal speakers be loud enough?

I've been thinking the same. I believe Pandora's video out cable has RCA output, which most pocket projectors accept.

Take a look at these two.

You can always use a headset too if you're alone.

Would you mind explaining what that means? DO they actually draw a screen the way a crt does or something?

Take a look at this. The part at the very end shows how it draws picture.

 

[Qwertyuiop]

The pandora's video out cable has only s-video out, not RCA.

 

[christo930]

I've been thinking the exact same thing since I put my Pandora order in.

I'm on a Caribbean cruise in February and in the evenings when I'm in the cabin I usually like to watch a couple of TV shows before going to sleep. You can't pick any proper TV up at sea and the boats just re-run a few old films or stream CNN (and you can't plug anything into their TVs - the AV in sockets are disabled).

The last time I took my Macbook - but it was a bit heavy and I worried about leaving it in the room all day (the Pandora would fit in the safe).

My intention is to use the Pandora as a media player combined with a pocket projector to project the video off the cabin walls (the internal cabins are pitch black with the light off).

What kind of video-out does the Pandora have, and would the internal speakers be loud enough?

I've been thinking the same. I believe Pandora's video out cable has RCA output, which most pocket projectors accept.

Take a look at these two.

You can always use a headset too if you're alone.

Would you mind explaining what that means? DO they actually draw a screen the way a crt does or something?

Take a look at this. The part at the very end shows how it draws picture.


That's pretty much how a crt works (the pixel by pixel drawing, not the way it's generated)
That's probably a better use of the available light as well.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[javaJake]

The pandora's video out cable has only s-video out, not RCA.


That's easy to fix.

 

[maball54]

The pandora's video out cable has only s-video out, not RCA.


That's easy to fix.


Aye

 

[jbr]

I have been waiting for this for years. I've been reading about them for a very long time, but I never thought the day would come that I would actually be able to buy one.

The 9 lumen thing does seem strange, but I think I can live with it since the New York Times reviewer seemed pretty ok with it.

I think I'll wait until after I get my Pandora before I buy one of these, though, which is why the devs need to make sure I get mine before Christmas

 

[christo930]

I have been waiting for this for years. I've been reading about them for a very long time, but I never thought the day would come that I would actually be able to buy one.

The 9 lumen thing does seem strange, but I think I can live with it since the New York Times reviewer seemed pretty ok with it.

I think I'll wait until after I get my Pandora before I buy one of these, though, which is why the devs need to make sure I get mine before Christmas

Would the brightness be different since it's coming from a laser and therefor a very concentrated beam of light, verses other light sources which tend to spread out and weaken?

 

[mali]

I have been waiting for this for years. I've been reading about them for a very long time, but I never thought the day would come that I would actually be able to buy one.

The 9 lumen thing does seem strange, but I think I can live with it since the New York Times reviewer seemed pretty ok with it.

I think I'll wait until after I get my Pandora before I buy one of these, though, which is why the devs need to make sure I get mine before Christmas

Would the brightness be different since it's coming from a laser and therefor a very concentrated beam of light, verses other light sources which tend to spread out and weaken?

I think, the brightness would have to be calculated over a certain time period, because it is a light pulse and the eye is to slow to recognize, so it seems to be a solid picture.

 

[igboo]

Instead of having to carry around another device, it's too bad we couldn't get this built right in.

 

[TaG]

Instead of having to carry around another device, it's too bad we couldn't get this built right in.
Now that looks neat. That sort of thing could dramatically change how people use devices. Maybe it will be cheap enough for Pandora 2.

 

[joseluisjazz]

Instead of having to carry around another device, it's too bad we couldn't get this built right in.
Now that looks neat. That sort of thing could dramatically change how people use devices. Maybe it will be cheap enough for Pandora 2.

There are coming a bunch of mini projectors on these days. But the best of all of them is (it beats all of them on size, resolution, automatic focus, energy usage, colors, brightness, heat...) and I'm absoultely in love with it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UfarRM0BoM
http://www.microvision.com/pico_projector_...howitworks.html

It seems they're planning to sell a portable projector device with this characteristics next year (from the pdf datasheet):
848x480 16bit resolution, 60Hz, vga, composite and s-video input, rechargable from a mini-usb port (then I suppose it must charge at 5volts just like the pandora!)

It has already been selling during 2008 to 'big' device manufacturers. Either making a mod (if they'd sell the part) or using the external projector would be a great companion for pandora.

 

[sold]

The microvision pico p looks great. Especially the price range of $200-$300 US. Apparently the device was delayed but it has been tweaked and polished and looks to be the best projector of its size and price. I'm definitely getting one when they are released.

 

[zer0shen]

I think having a projector built in would be a crazy idea, for videos yeh sure but when I'm useing a handheld device I tend to move it around quite a bit which would mean the screen would be shaking all over the wall/surface I'm using to project it on

I'm verymuch against this integration idea, though a lil projector with a harddrive and a four USB ports would be great to hook up to the pandora for multiplayer, movies etc
(though if cost and size didn't come into the equation I'd put one in)


Churr
-zer0shen

 

[mali]

Lying in bed and watching videos projected on the ceiling would be really cool
I hope it won't be too expensive.

 

[OrR]

A built in projector works for movies and ebooks but the Pandora is a gaming device and thus it would not make much sense.

 

[riosingh]

A built in projector works for movies and ebooks but the Pandora is a gaming device and thus it would not make much sense.

its still cool. like a nerd factor.

 

[Kimundi]

I think a Pocket Projector would also be a good addition to the Gaming Part, maybe not so much for single player, but for spontaneus Multiplayer, you just have to carry the Projector and a gamepad with you and you could play everywhere with someone else

 

[keaft]

A built in projector works for movies and ebooks but the Pandora is a gaming device and thus it would not make much sense.

err... the pandora is not able to watch movies and read ebooks? thats not what i understood..
here it is the pandora sits oh so neatly on my dresser pointed at the opposite wall. i have myself a little usb hub pluged into the pandora which i have pluged in 4 usb controllers. 3 other friends and i play super smash bros. on the n64 emulator. when i get tired of that i simply slide the pandora carfully back into its nice little bed and let it sleep peacefully. With a built in projector on the pandora you could call it chuck norris 2.

 

[enigmacipher]

honestly....
for a forum full of hackers, I am very surprised no one even suggested a mod to an existing one. 10 lumens isn't much, but 100 is plenty for a 20 inch screen.... consider modding the light source. Luxeon LEDs will put out 100+ lumens and a battery, LED driver, and LED can be bought and assembled for less than $30. A cell phone battery from DX would probably last you an hour or so. Mod in a heatsink and fan, and you have yourself a slightly larger but way brighter projector. I am not saying I would or could do it, but it can't be that hard, can it?