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Hands-on with ViewSonic's PJ258D iPod projector

ViewSonic's PJ258D iPod projector has an iPod dock built into its head. This means all those lovely photos and video podcasts can be projected on to your nearest wall. It even handles hi-def video

Nate Lanxon Special to CNET News

Full cinema projection is the proverbial dog's danglies when it comes to watching movies, but some people are more than happy watching full-length flicks on their iPods. Now the portable can be projectable -- with ViewSonic's PJ258D iPod projector. We got word of this back in May and we thought it was a daring idea, but now Crave has one in the house and we're even more excited with it.

It's important to realise this isn't just a projector for iPods -- it's also a normal 720p HD-capable movie projector. It'll handle various sources -- DVD from a (rather disappointing) choice of composite and S-Video and PC from VGA, for example -- but yes, there's an iPod dock sitting right there in the top too.

Since video iPods support H.264 video up to 640x480-pixel resolution, pictures look surprisingly impressive on our office wall. Pictured is a frame from our beloved Space Bubble show on Crave TV, but obviously you're not just limited to video podcasts, as photos and music videos are also supported, and look just as stunning.

Hovering around the £700 mark, this isn't a purchase to make lightly if you're only interested in watching the occasional 320x240 video podcast. But it should definitely be a consideration if you're after an HD movie projector and fancy the idea of being able to splash your favourite Internet shows up on your bedroom wall. -Nate Lanxon