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CES 2010: Optoma

by: Dan -
More On: CES 2010 PK201 PK301 GT360 GT720
There is one thing that always gets me excited when visiting TV and Projector companies, and that is dedicated products for gaming. For the last couple of years, I have been searching for a projector that is being marketed directly to gamers, and Optoma has finally come through with two very attractive options.

The GameTime Projectors will come in two flavors, the white GT360 (800x600 SVGA) and the black GT720 (720p HD at 1280x720.) Both have extremely are 3D capable, with short throw range only requiring 5 ½ feet from the screen with 2500 lumens. Both also include a remote, a travel backpack (see below) and an internal 10-watt speaker for on-the-go-gaming. Both projectors are slated for a March release and have exceptional pricing, with the GT360 MSRP of $499 and the GT720 MSRP of $699. These look to be a very affordable way to add a big projection presence to your gaming gear. From what I saw in the Optoma booth, these projectors did a great job with the games being demoed. They were bright, had no noticeable lag and produced very sharp images.

Optoma also had on display their latest PICO projectors, including the PK102, PK201 and the new flagship, the PK301. The PK201 ($299) and PK301 ($399) were announced at CES and are major upgrades from the previous models. The PK201 has a native 480x320 resolution, 20 Lumens, 1 hour of battery life and can put up an image size of 5” – 66” at a distance of 10” – 126”. The PK301 has a native 854x480 resolution, but can get to 1280x800 through the HDMI port. In addition, it can produce a 5” to 120” screen from a distance of 8” to 189”. Another major plus is 50 Lumens and the ability to run AC power or Battery Pack power. Both the PK201 and PK301 are LED based, so they lamp life of ~20,000 hours.

I was very pleased with the updates and add-ons to the PICO and GameTime Projectors that Optoma brought to the show. We hope to acquire a review unit of the GT720 and Pico301 in the near future.