While 3M has already announced a third-generation pico projector, the MPro150, we finally got around to reviewing its current second-generation model, the $300 MPro120.
In case you don't know what a pico projector is, as its name implies, it's a miniature handheld projector that's capable of casting a big image (3M says the MPro120 can project an image from 8 inches to 50 inches). The key to these pint-size projectors is that they use an LED light source that's very energy efficient.
While Pico projectors come in different shapes and sizes, most cost between $300 and $400, and currently sport resolutions up to 640x480 pixels (so we're not talking high definition). The MPro120 uses LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) display technology; others use DLP. These are the same main technologies employed in rear-projection TVs, but projected on an external wall, movie theater-style, instead of the backside of a TV screen.
We liked the look and feel of the all-black MPro120 and found it simple to set up and use. Weighing in at 5.6 ounces and measuring 4.5 inches by 2 inches by 0.9 inch, it does indeed fit in a pocket (or easily slip in a laptop bag) and comes with a protective sleeve. You can prop the projector up at an angle by flipping open the integrated flip stand (it's just a thin piece of plastic) or you can attach the included tripod to the threaded tripod mount on the bottom of the projector.
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