Nandagopal Rajan
The
projector market in India has been growing steadily with 190,000 units sold in 2011 - an impressive 43 per cent year-on-year increase. The education sector is the biggest buyer. Once considered a noisy, power hogging, heat emanating gadget, the projector has undergone a transformation over the past year, thanks to new technology.
What was this transformation all about? For long, the projector had an Achilles' heel in the form of its lamp or bulb, which not only had a short life but was also prone to defects. Now, an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) which can work for up to 30,000 hours - that is, for about eight years at 10 hours of projection a day - has taken the place of bulbs.
Since LEDs do not heat up the way bulbs did, the projectors can now do with a smaller fan. This means the entire apparatus can now be packed into a smaller body. In fact, the new breed of home projectors is not much bigger than a set top box or a DVD player and weighs around 1.5 kg. Then there are the small Pico projectors, also known as handheld projectors or mini beamers, which are ideal if you have to move around with them. However, they are not bright enough for viewing over long periods.
The new projectors also have built-in software to play various formats. While they have always played content beamed through a video graphics array (VGA) cable from a PC, many devices can now play content wirelessly from laptops, tablets and smart phones using Wi-Fi or Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). Some come with docks for DVD players, phones and other media players, while almost all can read content directly from a USB drive. The latest models can even project TV signals without any additional help.
The short throw of images is another big technological leap. Earlier, you needed extra-large rooms and walls to project a decent size image, a rarity in most urban households. Now, to throw a 40-inch image, a projector just needs to be a metre away from the wall. The keystone distortion - caused while projecting from an angle - is now automatically adjusted. The resulting image can be of the best possible resolution and clarity - even Full HD and Ultra HD quality, with 3D if required.
Surprisingly, the new technology has not made the projector more expensive. On the contrary, it has become cheaper, thereby making it more attractive to those who are looking to recreate a cinema experience in their homes. Buoyed by the growing interest in the relatively inexpensive home projectors, their manufacturers are now eyeing the home entertainment segment.
While a 52-inch LED Full HD TV without smart features costs upwards of Rs 1 lakh, a mid-range home projecter, which can provide a much larger picture of similar quality, is priced at around Rs 60,000. Even if you indulge yourself with good speakers or a sound bar, the overall price will still be under Rs 75,000. Add to this the fact that projectors can be tucked away inside a cabinet after use or just left hanging from the ceiling.
It is still too early to say whether these new projectors will find a big market in this country. But those looking for a larger screen and a clearer picture could sure look at these devices in a new light.
The writer is Associate Editor, Gadgets & Gizmos
