Dell M109S

Pocket projectors—the category the Dell M109S falls into—have been around since late 2005. Not quite small enough to fit into most pockets (at least, not without risk of ripping the pocket), projectors in this category haven't been overwhelmingly successful—Mitsubishi, for instance, the first company to offer a pocket projector, doesn't currently sell one. But the M109S offers some benefits that earlier models didn't, including an even smaller size and lower weight, a slightly brighter image, and, most important, a lower price—all of which is enough for it to earn an Editors' Choice.

Don't confuse these palm-size pocket projectors with the new pico projectors that are just starting to become available. Pico projectors, which use an assortment of projection technologies, are literally small enough to fit into a camera or cell phone, with standalone versions that fit comfortably into a shirt pocket. The traditional pocket projector is really better described as palm-top or palm-size, which is what I'll call it here.

A touch smaller and lighter than earlier palm-size projectors, the M109S measures 1.5 by 3.6 by 4.1 inches (HWD) and weighs only 0.8 pound. Even with the power block and cables, the total weight comes out to less than 2 pounds. As with all palm-top projectors to date, the M109S is built around a DLP chip and an LED light source that's meant to last the life of the projector—a 10,000-hour lifetime in this case.

Setup is a bit unusual, but easy. The projector itself has only one connector. An octopus cable plugs into the projector and splits off into three separate cables—one for the power block, one with a VGA connector to plug into a computer, and one with a standard composite video connector. You simply connect the cables, turn everything on, and adjust the manual focus. There's no zoom control, but it's easy to adjust image size by moving the projector closer to or farther from the screen. (You can get a 40-inch-diagonal image from about 62 inches, or a 49-inch image from 75 inches.)


Dell M109S Specs

• Ultra Portable – At 3.64" x 4.12" x 1.46" and a mere 0.80 pounds, you’ll hardly notice it's in your laptop case.
• DLP^® and BrilliantColor^TM technology – Millions of precision mirrors use light more efficiently to generate lifelike images and vibrant colors.
• 858 x 600 SVGA Native Resolution – Displays up to 480,000 pixels with a 4:3 aspect ratio, right from the palm of your hand.
• 800:1 typical (Full On/Full Off) Contrast Ratio – Projects clear images and easy-to-read text. Anytime, anywhere.
• Easy Connectivity – A multi-input cable delivers easy connectivity to laptops, desktops, DVD players and gaming consoles.
• Long Projection Life - The M109S utilizes mercury-free LED light source of usage life up to 10,000 hours¹, helping to save money and reduce maintenance to a minimum as no replace of LED module light source is required.
• Password Protection - Keep critical presentations safe and secure.
• Green Machine - With the efficient, mercury-free LED technology, you can help protect the planet and your bottom line.

PROJECTION

Brightness:50 ANSI Lumens (maximum)

Contrast Ratio: 800:1 Typical (Full on / Full off)

Resolution: 858 x 600 (SVGA)

Uniformity:80% Typical (Japan Standard – JBMA)

Projection Lens:F/2.0, f=17.67 mm fixed lens

Image Size:15 - 60 inches (diagonal)

Projection Distance:23.6 – 94.5 inches (60 cm – 240 cm)

VIDEO COMPATIBILITY

NTSC

NTSC 4.43

PAL

PAL-M

PAL-N

SECAM

HDTV (1080i, 720P, 576i/P, 480i/P)

Composite Video

Component Video

Reaad the full Dell M109S review at PCMag, check out the Dell M109S On-the-Go Projector product page or buy a DELL M109S ON-THE-GO MINI DLP PROJECTOR.