Optoma adds a built-in DVD
player to its new DLP projector
Optoma MovieTime DV10
The product: Optoma's latest DLP projector, the MovieTime DV10, is the company's first to include a built-in DVD player along with a pair of speakers. It joins similarly configured projectors from the likes of HP and Pixa. The HDTV-compatible unit can project a wide-screen image from a range of 4.9 to 32.8 feet. Other specs include:

• 854x480 (480p) native resolution
• 36- to 335-inch image size
• 4,000:1 contrast ratio
• Optical audio output

The price: The Optoma MovieTime DV10 will be priced at $1,495 when it becomes available in summer 2005.

The prospects: Optoma hopes the inclusion of a built-in DVD player will broaden the DV10's appeal to those daunted by figuring out the right connections for components, though if users want to watch TV via the projector, they'll need to sort out those connections anyway. The pair of integrated 5-watt speakers probably won't suffice for most movie buffs, so you'll need to hook up a multichannel speaker system as well. Still, it's priced $500 below the Pixa DHT-100 and the HP ep9010 Instant Cinema Digital Projector and features a cool, curvy design.

By Sean Portnoy, senior associate editor, CNET Reviews