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CES: Texas Instruments trots out tiny new DLP Pico HD chip

Texas Instruments unveils its next-generation DLP chip for pocket-sized projectors, the DLP Pico HD.

David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
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David Carnoy
The new DLP Pico HD chipset is small (actual size) but allegedly projects a big image. Texas Instruments

LAS VEGAS--The early class of "pocket" pico projectors hasn't taken off as quickly as some people expected, largely because the image quality hasn't been good. Texas Instruments hopes to kick-start the category with a new DLP Pico HD chipset that will make its way into products shipping later this year.

The company says the new chip delivers "stunning" HD (WXGA) video and images on "nearly any surface, with more brightness and greater energy efficiency than ever before," and that it will usher in "a new era for portable high-definition entertainment."

Of course, we'll believe it when we see it. Acer, Dell, LG, Optoma, and ViewSonic will be displaying the first products based on the new HD chipset at the show and we'll report back on how the image looks. LG has announced the HW300T multimedia pocket projector, which has a built-in TV tuner.