Epson MovieMate 60 Great Portable Multi-Function All-in-One Projector!!!
This is an awesome entry-level "all-in-one" projector that can be used at home and work. I wanted a bright projector with easy setup and portable enough to transport. I purchased this on Amazon at a great price along with the Epson Duet portable screen (which is another fantastic product!!). If you're looking for a dedicated home theater projector, then I would recommend getting a reliable 1080p projector with HDMI input connected to a surround sound system of which there are numerous other options ranging from $800-$1000.
The Moviemate 60 will only output DVD-quality video at 540p, but this is a small sacrifice when you consider all you get for under $600. I won't rehash all the details, but suffice to say that the slot-loading DVD is a great family feature, and the speakers were powerful enough to fill a 15' X 20' room. The HDMI input is perfect for a media PC/MAC, media players (WD HD TV, ASUS O'Play, etc.), and game consoles. I've read other reviews that complain that more HDMI inputs should have been included, but that's not practical and you should be looking at another unit if you want to build a dedicated home theater setup.
I'm glad that EPSON chose to include almost every possible input (missing is DVI and optical audio). USB input is also included to play your media libraries stored on external drives or thumbdrives. The other feature which helped convince me to buy this unit is the bright lamp which only costs ~$150 to replace (other units with lower rated lamps cost >$300 to replace). Also, none of the other competing brands come close to the 2-year warranty coverage along with free shipping and replacement unit. Some of the other units I checked out only covered for 90 days without replacement.
The image quality is actually quite good. It has plenty of brightness to watch in lighted rooms (thankfully, you won't have to convert your room into a photo darkroom just to watch video). You won't notice the pixelation unless you sit within 3 ft of the screen. Honestly, at 6 feet away you're watching DVD-quality bright video. The Moviemate does a good job of automatically adjusting the picture to fit your screen and you can easily fine tune the vertical adjustments. Definitely, get a good screen which is way better than a wall.
This product also has a nice "WOW" factor when you use it with friends and family. The kids have a blast during sleepovers with the 80-inch Duet screen (popcorn a must). They actually prefer using this over our decked out HD 1080p home theater system with media PC and Mac Mini in the family room. I'll even hook up a laptop to the projector to stream wireless Netflix on demand, Hulu content, or media library from our HP Mediasmart server. I also use it to give Powerpoint lectures at the university where I work. The DVD and speakers are nice features to add into presentations. The Powerpoint presentations are bright and crisp.
We also use it during our church small group meetings and plan to host outdoor summer movie nights for the kids and their neighborhood friends and will bring it to the vacation house on the beach. As you can see, the beauty of this projector is how versatile it can be used at home, work, or outside. Pack it up in the included carry bag which has pockets for the remote, power cord and any extra cords you need and you're ready to go. I checked out the MovieMate 72, but really wasn't impressed enough by the slight increase in video quality and personally didn't like the swivel DVD base, not to mention the extra $300 pricetag.
Kaleidoscope Dome Projector Creates Fun in any Dorm Room
The Kaleidoscope Dome Projector is available at BRANDO for $39.90. Are you ready for back to school? There are so many things you will need. One thing that you will need is stuff to decorate your dorm room. Everything from comforters to curtains you want ...
