Get an Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD iDevice projector for $645
This projector's claim to fame: a dock for your iPhone, iPod, or iPad. It also sports impressively loud speakers, so it's like a go-anywhere home theater!
One of my favorite products of the year is Epson's MegaPlex MG-850HD projector. Plunk your iPhone, iPod, or iPad into its pop-out iDevice dock and presto: you've got a complete home theater anywhere there's a chunk of wall space.
The unit has a list price of $799, but P.C. Richard & Son sells the Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD projector for $644.97 shipped.
Still pricey, yes, but I've been reviewing one for the past couple weeks and think it's a great buy.
On its own, the MG-850HD is a 720p projector that pumps out an impressive 2,800 lumens. In other words, it's very bright. Plus, it has built-in 10-watt stereo speakers that deliver admirably robust audio.
Epson outfitted the projector with HDMI, component, and composite video inputs, so you can connect just about any source. Of course, the big draw is the iDevice dock, which lets you watch all your iTunes videos, play your movies and slideshows, and even run Netflix.
There are a couple limitations, most notably that a lot of other video-streaming apps (Crackle, Hulu, and HBO Go) aren't compatible with the MG-850HD. (Blame the app developers, not Epson--these apps don't work with any video-out solution.)
Even so, it's an outright treat to connect, say, your iPhone to the projector and stream high-def episodes of "Caprica" or a rented copy of "Super 8." Who needs DVDs?
Don't confuse the MG-850HD with the handful of iPod-friendly pico projectors that emerged earlier this year. This is a full-blown 3LCD projector, one that's just plain awesome for turning any room into an iDevice-powered theater.
Bonus deal: Today only, Bedeals has the refurbished Logitech Harmony 600 universal remote for $29.99 shipped. That's one of the best prices I've seen on a Harmony remote with an LCD screen (albeit a monochrome one). It comes with a 90-day warranty.