The PocketCinema V50 from Aiptek is a reliable mini projector with some useful features. The aspect ratio of 16:9 and the decent resolution of 848 x 480 make this a handy pocket projector when you need to make a presentation on the go or want to show off some photos to friends. The internal memory and the two-hour battery life make it extra easy to take with you, no matter where you are going.
The picture quality of this mini projector is fairly good, but it's not the best we've seen. The highest resolution of this pico projector is WVGA 848 x 480, which isn't necessarily bad. We were pleased to see that the aspect ratio is 16:9, with an option of 4:3. The contrast is excellent at 2000:1, but the brightness, which is one of the most import variables in a quality picture, is only 50 ANSI lumens. This only means that you have to make sure the room is dark so you can see the projected picture. The image size ranging from 9 to 85 inches is just about average. Overall, this all adds up to a reliable picture.
This mobile projector doesn’t have many port options available, but the two it does have makes it very versatile. The mini USB located on the back of the unit is a great way to hook up any device to this mini projector. You can also use it to plug in a USB flash drive if you have the appropriate cable. The other port can be used for plugging in headphones or speakers.
The features of this mini projector are comprehensive and useful. We were pleased with the long lamp life of 20,000 hours, as well as the relatively long battery life of two hours. This portable projector also has an internal memory capacity of 128MB, and if that isn't enough, you can always use the SD card slot. This slot makes it really easy to load your presentation or photos so you can show them on the go without worrying about the hassle of bringing along extra equipment. With the built in 0.5W speaker, you don't even have to worry about packing external speakers. This is truly a pocket projector at only 5.3 x 2.7 x 0.9 inches, and it weighs half a pound (not including the battery). It also has a useful tripod port on the bottom.
This mini projector has an easy-to-use interface. The remote and the buttons located on the top of the unit have only the basics, which keep it clean and simple. The interface itself is fairly straightforward: you simply choose which type of file you want to use and it automatically detects if there is a device hooked up to the mini projector. There are a lot of icons used throughout the interface, which worked well because the icons are fairly self-explanatory; however, there were a few times we had to learn by trial and error.
While the PocketCinema V50 mini projector has an average brightness and image size, the other features definitely make this product versatile. The mini USB port and easy-to-use interface means that you don't have to worry about spending half of your allotted time trying to figure out how to get your hardware to work. Just set up the mini projector and away you go.
