The smart projector

A projector that can bring 3D to your home? Now, that's worth a look
Everyone these days wants a slice of the three-dimensional pie. Viewsonic too can’t afford to be left out and has come out with the PJD6381 3D-ready projector which uses the state-of-the-art DLP technology from Texas Instruments.

But don’t confuse this with a 3D projector, for this can’t convert existing content to three-dimension. But it does a decent job of reproducing 3D images and video, provided you have a good pair for polariser glasses – the old plastic red-blue goggles is just not as good. It is better to use the 3D as an additional feature, maybe to show off to friends or watch a movie, if you manage to get the required content.
Another thing that sets this projector apart is its extreme short throw ratio. This one can produce a 50-inch image from just 27-inches away. Which means you can literally project on to your wall from your computer table and get rid of the monitor. 
There are many presentation modes to choose from. While the movie mode gives a theatre like quality to the images, the daylight mode allows you to make sense of the display even in a bright room. Despite the 2,500 ANSI lumens projection power, the unit weighs just 2.68kg and boasts of a high 2400:1 contrast ratio.
The unit comes with two 5W speakers, which will be handy if you are watching a movie. There is a full-function remote with the kit, which also has a laser pointer to help you with presentations. The remote also has a backlit option to guide you in dark rooms.
The unit can project from multiple sources, automatically selecting which one has content that needs to be displayed. On the flip side, unlike earlier offerings from Viewsonic, this one does not sport an iPod dock and can’t project directly from USB or flash drives.
The Eco Mode, which has of late become a standard in projectors, extends the lamp life by up to 6,000 hours and drastically reduces noise output. The new off-to-go feature lets users simply unplug the projector and go without waiting for the usual cool down period. This also protects lamp life from sudden power blackout.
The Viewsonic PJD6381 projector costs Rs 66,399.

What is DLP?
The DLP projection system owes its powers to an optical semiconductor known as the DLP chip, invented by Dr Larry Hornbeck of Texas Instruments in 1987. Arguably the world's most sophisticated light switch, the DLP chip contains a rectangular array of up to 2 million hinge-mounted microscopic mirrors, each of which measure less than one-fifth the width of a human hair. When a DLP chip is coordinated with a digital video or graphic signal, a light source, and a projection lens, its mirrors can reflect a digital image onto a screen or other surface. The DLP chip combined with the advanced electronics that surround it produce stunning images and video that have redefined picture quality.