DLP Pico nHD chip announced

The leading developers of the technology used in every major brand of projector have unveiled a pioneering new chip that will allow projectors to be shrunk to even smaller sizes.

Texas Instruments – the company that makes the crucial digital light processing, or DLP, chips – launched a new DLP Pico chip at last week's IFA Berlin consumer electronics show.

The tiny chip, which has been called the nHD chip, is only around the size of a raisin but has proven extremely effective in projecting images with resolutions of up 640x360 pixels. The size of the chip is likely to make pico projectors a much more commonplace feature in gadgets such as cameras, mobile phones and portable games consoles.

Texas Instruments says the new model gives a much-improved contrast ratio of 1000:1 for much darker black tones and a richer colour spectrum. It will also significantly lower the power consumption of devices using it, compared to older projection technology.

Via ProjectorPoint

Philips PicoPix camcorder range launched at IFA Berlin

Philips joins other major brands including Optoma and Aiptek by adding the hand-held devices to their range. The company chose to make rumors official at one of the world's biggest platforms for consumer electronics in the world.

The image quality of the projectors are between 20 and 30 lumens, depending on which model you buy, with a resolution of 800x600 and contrast ratio of 400:1.

Buy an Optoma PK201 Pico Pocket Projector

The more advanced models – the 1230 and 1430 – come with a integrated battery, giving 2.5 hours of playback, while the 1020 model can be powered via a USB computer connection.

The 1230 also features stereo loudspeakers, while the 1430 has the speakers, as well as an integrated MP4 player and an SD card slot.

Embracing the eco-friendly requirements of modern gadgets, all of the projectors feature low energy consumption LED bulbs, with lifespans of up to 20,000 hours.

Buy Optoma PK102 Pico Pocket Projector

Via ProjectorPoint