Optoma, a leading manufacturer of projectors and HDTV, recently launched the Movie Time DV11, a portable projector with integrated speakers,. A highly enhanced version of its predecessor, the Movie Time DV10, the DV11 is a SVGA DLP projector incorporating a DVD player with two 5-watt speakers and a 0.54-inch DarkChip2, supplied by Texas Instruments.

The DV11 has a native resolution of 854 by 480 pixels, with an aspect ratio of 16:9, akin to resolution offered by DVD movies in 16:9 ratios. Its brightness level is 1,300 ANSI lumens, and the contrast ratio is 3,000 to 1 (this can be increased to 4,000 to 1 after activating the Image Auto Iris system). The DV11's built-in DVD player eliminates the need for digital-to-analog or analog-to-digital conversions and supports Dolby Digital and DTS sound processing.

This HD-compatible projector promises uniformity between light and picture, and functions with varied video resolutions in 480i/p, 720P, 576i/p, and 1080i at 60 hertz. It weighs only 8 pounds, so it's easily transportable, and it has a low noise level of 27 decibels.

The retail price is $999--but considering you are getting two devices for the price of one, that's not too bad. Another obvious advantage is less hassle and expenditure on audio and video cables. If you prefer to watch DVD movies at home on a big screen, DV11 promises to be a nice holiday gift.

Post by Rahul Prabhakar