Pico projectors give you the freedom to give presentations whenever and wherever you like.
Pico projectors (or LED projectors as they are sometimes referred to) are pocket-sized and small enough to fit into the palm of your hand with the vast majority of them weighing less than 800g/0.80Kg which is approximately 3 times less than the average traditional projector.
In addition to the weight and size benefits, Pico projectors do not use a mercury lamp as their light source, they use LED’s which last up to 20,000 hours thereby eliminating the need to buy costly replacement lamps as is the case for a traditional projector.
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Extensive Connectivity
The majority of Pico projectors have a USB input and/or SD Memory Card reader which allows for PC Less presentations. Simply load your PowerPoint slides (in .jpg format) or photos onto your USB stick or SD memory card, pop it into the Pico projector, switch it on and project its that easy. The newer models coming through onto the market also have in addition an HDMI input for a direct digital connection to DVD players/Games consoles and or input for connecting to iPhone, iPad or Android device.
Not just for business presentations
As Pico projectors feature USB and or SD memory card inputs, you can load your favourite movies (most Pico projectors support avi, wmv, mpeg and mp4 file formats) on to a USB stick or SD memory card, pop it into the projector, switch it on and project. Great for watching movies in your bedroom for example.
Resolution
As Pico projectors are a new and emerging product, resolution on this type of projector is currently limited in the main to WXGA (1280 x 800 pixels) as the highest native resolution available, but of recent times some models are now capableof 1080p or 4K UHD (expect to pay a premium for this resolution).
If you require immense clarity and detail in your projectors, then Pico projectors are not for you and you are better off taking a look at our range of traditional business projectors. To help you decide which projector type is better for your needs, the below table shows you the currently available resolutions traditional and Pico projectors are capable of displaying.
Resolution | Pixels (W x H) | Total Pixels | Traditional Projector | Pico Projector |
SVGA | 800 x 600 | 480000 | Yes | Yes |
XGA | 1024 x 768 | 786,432 | Yes | Yes |
WXGA | 1280 x 800 | 1,024,000 | Yes | Yes |
1080p | 1920 x 1080 | 2,073,600 | Yes | Yes (very limited models) |
WUXGA | 1920 x 1200 | 2,304,000 | Yes | No |
4K UHD | 3840 x 2160 | 8,294,400 | Yes | Yes (very limited models) |
How bright are pico projectors?
In short…Not very bright at all. At the time of writing this guide, the brightest model available produces 2000 lumens output but most are around the 500 lumens mark. Brightness is improving on Pico projectors all the time but even the most very basic traditional mercury lamp projector produces 2500 lumens output 5 times the brightness of an average pico projector.
Pico projectors are great for impromptu meetings where the audience size is no more than 10 people and are in close proximity to the projector (less than 2mtr). If you have audience sizes larger than 10 people, or there is ambient light in the room you cannot control or you intend to place the pico more than 2mtr away from your screen then Pico projectors are not for you and we would advise you take a look at our range of traditional business projectors.
The below table shows the brightness levels of traditional mercury lamp and LED Pico projectors are capable of producing.
Brightness | Traditional Projector | Pico Projector |
100 lumens | Yes | Yes |
300 lumens | Yes | Yes |
1000 lumens | Yes | Yes (limited models) |
Over 2500 lumens | Yes | No |
Over 5000 lumens | Yes | No |
Are pico projectors any good then?
As mentioned earlier on in this guide, Pico projectors are great for small or impromptu meetings as their compact and lightweight design allows it to slip comfortably into any bag or even jacket pocket, making it the perfect projector for business or salespeople on the move.
USB and SD memory card inputs allow for PC less presentations and with optional battery packs there is no need for mains power connection on some of the models, the pico’s are capable of projecting for up to 1.5 hours on a single battery charge.
Pico’s are improving more and more with each new release. However, if you have ambient light in the room you cannot control and blackout or intend to have the Pico more than 2 meters back from the screen or have audience sizes in excess of 10 people we would say this type of projector is not for you and you are much more suited to a traditional business projector.